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Daily Readings for March 31
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Numbers 14
1.All the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 2.All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3.Why does Yahweh bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be a prey: wouldn't it be better for us to return into Egypt?" 4.They said one to another, "Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt." 5.Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. 6.Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes: 7.and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, "The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceeding good land. 8.If Yahweh delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us; a land which flows with milk and honey. 9.Only don't rebel against Yahweh, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is removed from over them, and Yahweh is with us. Don't fear them." 10.But all the congregation threatened to stone them with stones. The glory of Yahweh appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the children of Israel. 11.Yahweh said to Moses, "How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have worked among them? 12.I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they." 13.Moses said to Yahweh, "Then the Egyptians will hear it; for you brought up this people in your might from among them; 14.and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you Yahweh are in the midst of this people; for you Yahweh are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them, and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. 15.Now if you killed this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying, 16.'Because Yahweh was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.' 17.Now please let the power of the Lord7 be great, according as you have spoken, saying, 18.'Yahweh is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.' 19.Please pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your loving kindness, and according as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now." 20.Yahweh said, "I have pardoned according to your word: 21.but in very deed, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of Yahweh; 22.because all those men who have seen my glory, and my signs, which I worked in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not listened to my voice; 23.surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who despised me see it: 24.but my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him will I bring into the land into which he went; and his seed shall possess it. 25.Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley: tomorrow turn, and go into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea8." 26.Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 27."How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, that murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. 28.Tell them, 'As I live, says Yahweh, surely as you have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you: 29.your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness; and all who were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against me, 30.surely you shall not come into the land, concerning which I swore that I would make you dwell therein, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. 31.But your little ones, that you said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which you have rejected. 32.But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. 33.Your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution, until your dead bodies be consumed in the wilderness. 34.After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.' 35.I, Yahweh, have spoken, surely this will I do to all this evil congregation, who are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die." 36.The men, whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up an evil report against the land, 37.even those men who brought up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before Yahweh. 38.But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, remained alive of those men who went to spy out the land. 39.Moses told these words to all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly. 40.They rose up early in the morning, and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, "Behold, we are here, and will go up to the place which Yahweh has promised: for we have sinned." 41.Moses said, "Why now do you disobey the commandment of Yahweh, since it shall not prosper? 42.Don't go up, for Yahweh isn't among you; that you not be struck down before your enemies. 43.For there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, and you shall fall by the sword: because you are turned back from following Yahweh, therefore Yahweh will not be with you."
44.But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and Moses, didn't depart out of the camp. 45.Then the Amalekite came down, and the Canaanite who lived in that mountain, and struck them and beat them down, even to Hormah.
Proverbs 10
1.The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father; but a foolish son brings grief to his mother. 2.Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death. 3.Yahweh will not allow the soul of the righteous to go hungry, but he thrusts away the desire of the wicked. 4.He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand, but the hand of the diligent brings wealth. 5.He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during the harvest is a son who causes shame. 6.Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked. 7.The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot. 8.The wise in heart accept commandments, but a chattering fool will fall. 9.He who walks blamelessly walks surely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out. 10.One winking with the eye causes sorrow, but a chattering fool will fall. 11.The mouth of the righteous is a spring of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked. 12.Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all wrongs. 13.Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has discernment, but a rod is for the back of him who is void of understanding. 14.Wise men lay up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near ruin. 15.The rich man's wealth is his strong city. The destruction of the poor is their poverty. 16.The labor of the righteous leads to life. The increase of the wicked leads to sin. 17.He is in the way of life who heeds correction, but he who forsakes reproof leads others astray. 18.He who hides hatred has lying lips. He who utters a slander is a fool. 19.In the multitude of words there is no lack of disobedience, but he who restrains his lips does wisely. 20.The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver. The heart of the wicked is of little worth. 21.The lips of the righteous feed many, but the foolish die for lack of understanding. 22.Yahweh's blessing brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it. 23.It is a fool's pleasure to do wickedness, but wisdom is a man of understanding's pleasure. 24.What the wicked fear, will overtake them, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. 25.When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more; but the righteous stand firm forever. 26.As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him. 27.The fear of Yahweh prolongs days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. 28.The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hope of the wicked will perish. 29.The way of Yahweh is a stronghold to the upright, but it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity. 30.The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land. 31.The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. 32.The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.
Luke 23
1.The whole company of them rose up and brought him before Pilate. 2.They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king."
3.Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"
He answered him, "So you say."
4.Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, "I find no basis for a charge against this man."
5.But they insisted, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place." 6.But when Pilate heard Galilee mentioned, he asked if the man was a Galilean. 7.When he found out that he was in Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem during those days.
8.Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad, for he had wanted to see him for a long time, because he had heard many things about him. He hoped to see some miracle done by him. 9.He questioned him with many words, but he gave no answers. 10.The chief priests and the scribes stood, vehemently accusing him. 11.Herod with his soldiers humiliated him and mocked him. Dressing him in luxurious clothing, they sent him back to Pilate. 12.Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before that they were enemies with each other.
13.Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14.and said to them, "You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people, and see, I have examined him before you, and found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him. 15.Neither has Herod, for I sent you to him, and see, nothing worthy of death has been done by him. 16.I will therefore chastise him and release him."
17.Now he had to release one prisoner to them at the feast. 18.But they all cried out together, saying, "Away with this man! Release to us Barabbas!"-- 19.one who was thrown into prison for a certain revolt in the city, and for murder.
20.Then Pilate spoke to them again, wanting to release Jesus, 21.but they shouted, saying, "Crucify! Crucify him!"
22.He said to them the third time, "Why? What evil has this man done? I have found no capital crime in him. I will therefore chastise him and release him." 23.But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be crucified. Their voices and the voices of the chief priests prevailed. 24.Pilate decreed that what they asked for should be done. 25.He released him who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus up to their will.
26.When they led him away, they grabbed one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it after Jesus. 27.A great multitude of the people followed him, including women who also mourned and lamented him. 28.But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, don't weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29.For behold, the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' 30.Then they will begin to tell the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and tell the hills, 'Cover us.'58 31.For if they do these things in the green tree, what will be done in the dry?"
32.There were also others, two criminals, led with him to be put to death. 33.When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
34.Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing."
Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots. 35.The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!"
36.The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, 37.and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"
38.An inscription was also written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
39.One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!"
40.But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Don't you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41.And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." 42.He said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom."
43.Jesus said to him, "Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
44.It was now about the sixth hour59, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.60 45.The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46.Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" Having said this, he breathed his last.
47.When the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous man." 48.All the multitudes that came together to see this, when they saw the things that were done, returned home beating their breasts. 49.All his acquaintances, and the women who followed with him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
50.Behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the council, a good and righteous man 51.(he had not consented to their counsel and deed), from Arimathaea, a city of the Jews, who was also waiting for the Kingdom of God: 52.this man went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus' body. 53.He took it down, and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was cut in stone, where no one had ever been laid. 54.It was the day of the Preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near. 55.The women, who had come with him out of Galilee, followed after, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid. 56.They returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.