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Daily Readings for March 23
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Numbers 4
1.Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2."Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers' houses, 3.from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all who enter into the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.
4."This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting, the most holy things. 5.When the camp moves forward, Aaron shall go in, and his sons, and they shall take down the veil of the screen, and cover the ark of the Testimony with it, 6.and shall put a covering of sealskin on it, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall put in its poles.
7."On the table of show bread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the spoons, the bowls, and the cups with which to pour out; and the continual bread shall be on it. 8.They shall spread on them a scarlet cloth, and cover the same with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.
9."They shall take a blue cloth, and cover the lampstand of the light, and its lamps, and its snuffers, and its snuff dishes, and all its oil vessels, with which they minister to it. 10.They shall put it and all its vessels within a covering of sealskin, and shall put it on the frame.
11."On the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.
12."They shall take all the vessels of ministry, with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth, and cover them with a covering of sealskin, and shall put them on the frame.
13."They shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it. 14.They shall put on it all its vessels, with which they minister about it, the fire pans, the flesh hooks, the shovels, and the basins; all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread on it a covering of sealskin, and put in its poles.
15."When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary, and all the furniture of the sanctuary, as the camp moves forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to carry it: but they shall not touch the sanctuary, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting.
16."The duty of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be the oil for the light, the sweet incense, the continual meal offering, and the anointing oil, the requirements of all the tabernacle, and of all that is in it, the sanctuary, and its furnishings."
17.Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 18."Don't cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites; 19.but thus do to them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach to the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them everyone to his service and to his burden; 20.but they shall not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die."
21.Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 22."Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers' houses, by their families; 23.you shall count them from thirty years old and upward until fifty years old; all who enter in to wait on the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.
24."This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in bearing burdens: 25.they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle, and the Tent of Meeting, its covering, and the covering of sealskin that is above on it, and the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting, 26.and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and around the altar, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and whatever shall be done with them. Therein shall they serve. 27.At the commandment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burden, and in all their service; and you shall appoint their duty to them in all their responsibilities. 28.This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the Tent of Meeting: and their duty shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
29."As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families, by their fathers' houses; 30.you shall count them from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who enters on the service, to do the work of the Tent of Meeting. 31.This is the duty of their burden, according to all their service in the Tent of Meeting: the tabernacle's boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, 32.and the pillars of the court around it, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name you shall appoint the instruments of the duty of their burden. 33.This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the Tent of Meeting, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest."
34.Moses and Aaron and the princes of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families, and by their fathers' houses, 35.from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for work in the Tent of Meeting. 36.Those who were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred fifty. 37.These are those who were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses.
38.Those who were numbered of the sons of Gershon, their families, and by their fathers' houses, 39.from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for work in the Tent of Meeting, 40.even those who were numbered of them, by their families, by their fathers' houses, were two thousand six hundred thirty. 41.These are those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of Yahweh. 42.Those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, by their families, by their fathers' houses, 43.from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for work in the Tent of Meeting, 44.even those who were numbered of them by their families, were three thousand two hundred. 45.These are those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses. 46.All those who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the princes of Israel numbered, by their families, and by their fathers' houses, 47.from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered in to do the work of service, and the work of bearing burdens in the Tent of Meeting, 48.even those who were numbered of them, were eight thousand five hundred eighty. 49.According to the commandment of Yahweh they were numbered by Moses, everyone according to his service, and according to his burden. Thus were they numbered by him, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
Proverbs 1
1.The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel: 2.to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding; 3.to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; 4.to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man: 5.that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel: 6.to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.
7.The fear of Yahweh1 is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction. 8.My son, listen to your father's instruction, and don't forsake your mother's teaching: 9.for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck. 10.My son, if sinners entice you, don't consent. 11.If they say, "Come with us, Let's lay in wait for blood; let's lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; 12.let's swallow them up alive like Sheol2, and whole, like those who go down into the pit. 13.We'll find all valuable wealth. We'll fill our houses with spoil. 14.You shall cast your lot among us. We'll all have one purse." 15.My son, don't walk in the way with them. Keep your foot from their path, 16.for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood. 17.For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird: 18.but these lay wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives. 19.So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.
20.Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares. 21.She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words: 22."How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge? 23.Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you. 24.Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention; 25.but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof; 26.I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you; 27.when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come on you. 28.Then will they call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me; 29.because they hated knowledge, and didn't choose the fear of Yahweh. 30.They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof. 31.Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes. 32.For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them. 33.But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm."
Luke 15
1.Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him. 2.The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them."
3.He told them this parable. 4."Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep, and lost one of them, wouldn't leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one that was lost, until he found it? 5.When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6.When he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' 7.I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance. 8.Or what woman, if she had ten drachma37 coins, if she lost one drachma coin, wouldn't light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it? 9.When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost.' 10.Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting."
11.He said, "A certain man had two sons. 12.The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of your property.' He divided his livelihood between them. 13.Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. 14.When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. 15.He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16.He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. 17.But when he came to himself he said, 'How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough to spare, and I'm dying with hunger! 18.I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. 19.I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants."'
20."He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21.The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
22."But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23.Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate; 24.for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.' They began to celebrate.
25."Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26.He called one of the servants to him, and asked what was going on. 27.He said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.' 28.But he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore his father came out, and begged him. 29.But he answered his father, 'Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30.But when this, your son, came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.'
31."He said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32.But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.'"