NUMBERS 8:1-9:23
MARK 13:14-37
PSALM 50:1-23
PROVERBS 10:29-30
NUMBERS 8:1-9:23
The LORD said to Moses, 2 " Tell Aaron that when he sets up the seven lamps in the lampstand, he is to place them so their light shines forward." 3 So Aaron did this. He set up the seven lamps so they reflected their light forward, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 4 The entire lampstand, from its base to its decorative blossoms, was made of beaten gold. It was built according to the exact design the LORD had shown Moses. 5 Then the LORD said to Moses, 6 " Now set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel and make them ceremonially clean. 7 Do this by sprinkling them with the water of purification. And have them shave their entire body and wash their clothing. Then they will be ceremonially clean. 8 Have them bring a young bull and a grain offering of choice flour mixed with olive oil, along with a second young bull for a sin offering. 9 Then assemble the whole community of Israel and present the Levites at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 10 When you bring the Levites before the LORD, the people of Israel must lay their hands on them. 11 Aaron must present the Levites to the LORD as a special offering from the people of Israel, thus dedicating them to the LORD's service.12 " Next the Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls and present them to the LORD. One will be for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites. 13 Then have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons, and present them as a special offering to the LORD. 14 In this way, you will set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel, and the Levites will belong to me. 15 After this, they may go in and out of the Tabernacle to do their work, because you have purified them and presented them as a special offering. 16 " Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites; I have taken the Levites as their substitutes. 17 For all the firstborn males among the people of Israel are mine, both people and animals. I set them apart for myself on the night I killed all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. 18 Yes, I claim the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel. 19 And of all the Israelites, I have assigned the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They will serve in the Tabernacle on behalf of the Israelites and make atonement for them so no plague will strike them when they approach the sanctuary." 20 So Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel dedicated the Levites, carefully following all the LORD's instructions to Moses. 21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them to the LORD as a special offering. He then performed the rite of atonement over them to purify them. 22 From then on the Levites went into the Tabernacle to perform their duties, helping Aaron and his sons. So they carried out all the commands that the LORD gave Moses concerning the Levites.23 The LORD also instructed Moses, 24 " This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of twenty-five, 25 and they must retire at the age of fifty. 26 After retirement they may assist their fellow Levites by performing guard duty at the Tabernacle, but they may not officiate in the service. This is how you will assign duties to the Levites." 9:1 THE LORD gave these instructions to Moses in early spring, during the second year after Israel's departure from Egypt, while he and the rest of the Israelites were in the wilderness of Sinai: 2 " Tell the Israelites to celebrate the Passover at the proper time, 3 at twilight on the appointed day in early spring. Be sure to follow all my laws and regulations concerning this celebration." 4 So Moses told the people to celebrate the Passover 5 in the wilderness of Sinai as twilight fell on the appointed day. And they celebrated the festival there, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 6 But some of the men had been ceremonially defiled by touching a dead person, so they could not offer their Passover lambs that day. So they came to Moses and Aaron that day 7 and said, " We have become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person. But why should we be excluded from presenting the LORD's offering at the proper time with the rest of the Israelites?" 8 Moses answered, " Wait here until I have received instructions for you from the LORD." 9 This was the LORD's reply: 10 " Say to the Israelites: ` If any of the people now or in future generations are ceremonially unclean at Passover time because of touching a dead body, or if they are on a journey and cannot be present at the ceremony, they may still celebrate the LORD's Passover. 11 They must offer the Passover sacrifice one month later, at twilight on the appointed day. They must eat the lamb at that time with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast. 12 They must not leave any of the lamb until the next morning, and they must not break any of its bones. They must follow all the normal regulations concerning the Passover. 13 " ` But those who are ceremonially clean and not away on a trip, yet still refuse to celebrate the Passover at the regular time, will be cut off from the community of Israel for failing to present the LORD's offering at the proper time. They will suffer the consequences of their guilt. 14 And if foreigners living among you want to celebrate the Passover to the LORD, they must follow these same laws and regulations. The same laws apply both to you and to the foreigners living among you.' " 15 The Tabernacle was set up, and on that day the cloud covered it. Then from evening until morning the cloud over the Tabernacle appeared to be a pillar of fire. 16 This was the regular pattern--at night the cloud changed to the appearance of fire. 17 When the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel followed it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel camped. 18 In this way, they traveled at the LORD's command and stopped wherever he told them to. Then they remained where they were as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle. 19 If the cloud remained over the Tabernacle for a long time, the Israelites stayed for a long time, just as the LORD commanded. 20 Sometimes the cloud would stay over the Tabernacle for only a few days, so the people would stay for only a few days. Then at the LORD's command they would break camp. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only overnight and moved on the next morning. But day or night, when the cloud lifted, the people broke camp and followed. 22 Whether the cloud stayed above the Tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on. 23 So they camped or traveled at the LORD's command, and they did whatever the LORD told them through Moses.
MARK 13:14-37
" The time will come when you will see the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing where it should not be"--reader, pay attention! " Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 15 A person outside the house must not go back into the house to pack. 16 A person in the field must not return even to get a coat. 17 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for mothers nursing their babies in those days. 18 And pray that your flight will not be in winter. 19 For those will be days of greater horror than at any time since God created the world. And it will never happen again. 20 In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, the entire human race will be destroyed. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days. 21 " And then if anyone tells you, ` Look, here is the Messiah,' or, ` There he is,' don't pay any attention. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform miraculous signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. 23 Watch out! I have warned you! 24 " At that time, after those horrible days end, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give light, 25 the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers of heaven will be shaken. 26 Then everyone will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send forth his angels to gather together his chosen ones from all over the world--from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. 28 " Now, learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its buds become tender and its leaves begin to sprout, you know without being told that summer is near. 29 Just so, when you see the events I've described beginning to happen, you can be sure that his return is very near, right at the door. 30 I assure you, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these events have taken place. 31 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will remain forever. 32 " However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. 33 And since you don't know when they will happen, stay alert and keep watch. 34 " The coming of the Son of Man can be compared with that of a man who left home to go on a trip. He gave each of his employees instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. 35 So keep a sharp lookout! For you do not know when the homeowner will return--at evening, midnight, early dawn, or late daybreak. 36 Don't let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. 37 What I say to you I say to everyone: Watch for his return!"
PSALM 50:1-23
A psalm of Asaph.
1 The mighty God, the LORD, has spoken;
he has summoned all humanity from east to west!
2 From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines in glorious radiance.
3 Our God approaches with the noise of thunder.
Fire devours everything in his way,
and a great storm rages around him.
4 Heaven and earth will be his witnesses
as he judges his people:
5 " Bring my faithful people to me--
those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices."
6 Then let the heavens proclaim his justice,
for God himself will be the judge.
Interlude7 " O my people, listen as I speak.
Here are my charges against you, O Israel:
I am God, your God!
8 I have no complaint about your sacrifices
or the burnt offerings you constantly bring to my altar.
9 But I want no more bulls from your barns;
I want no more goats from your pens.
10 For all the animals of the forest are mine,
and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 Every bird of the mountains
and all the animals of the field belong to me.
12 If I were hungry, I would not mention it to you,
for all the world is mine and everything in it.
13 I don't need the bulls you sacrifice;
I don't need the blood of goats.
14 What I want instead is your true thanks to God;
I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High.
15 Trust me in your times of trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory."
16 But God says to the wicked:
" Recite my laws no longer,
and don't pretend that you obey me.
17 For you refuse my discipline
and treat my laws like trash.
18 When you see a thief, you help him,
and you spend your time with adulterers.
19 Your mouths are filled with wickedness,
and your tongues are full of lies.
20 You sit around and slander a brother--
your own mother's son.
21 While you did all this, I remained silent,
and you thought I didn't care.
But now I will rebuke you,
listing all my charges against you.
22 Repent, all of you who ignore me,
or I will tear you apart,
and no one will help you.
23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
If you keep to my path,
I will reveal to you the salvation of God."
PROVERBS 10:29-30
The LORD protects the upright but destroys the wicked. The godly will never be disturbed, but the wicked will be removed from the land.
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