Numbers 14:1-19

New International Version

The People Rebel

14 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.^(A) ²All the Israelites grumbled^(B) against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt!^(C) Or in this wilderness!^(D) ³Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?^(E) Our wives and children^(F) will be taken as plunder.^(G) Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?^(H)” ⁴And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.^(I)”

⁵Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown^(J) in front of the whole Israelite assembly^(K) gathered there. ⁶Joshua son of Nun^(L) and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes^(M) ⁷and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.^(N) ⁸If the Lord is pleased with us,^(O) he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey,^(P) and will give it to us.^(Q) ⁹Only do not rebel^(R) against the Lord. And do not be afraid^(S) of the people of the land,^(T) because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with^(U) us.^(V) Do not be afraid of them.”^(W)

¹⁰But the whole assembly talked about stoning^(X) them. Then the glory of the Lord^(Y) appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. ¹¹The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt?^(Z) How long will they refuse to believe in me,^(AA) in spite of all the signs^(AB) I have performed among them? ¹²I will strike them down with a plague^(AC) and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation^(AD) greater and stronger than they.”^(AE)

¹³Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them.^(AF) ¹⁴And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard^(AG) that you, Lord, are with these people^(AH) and that you, Lord, have been seen face to face,^(AI) that your cloud stays over them,^(AJ) and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.^(AK) ¹⁵If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, ¹⁶‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath,^(AL) so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’^(AM)

¹⁷“Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: ¹⁸‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.^(AN) Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’^(AO) ¹⁹In accordance with your great love, forgive^(AP) the sin of these people,^(AQ) just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”^(AR)

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Mark 14:1-11

New International Version

Jesus Anointed at Bethany^(A)^(B)^(C)

14 Now the Passover^(D) and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.^(E) ²“But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”

³While he was in Bethany,^(F) reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.^(G)

⁴Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? ⁵It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages^[a] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

⁶“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷The poor you will always have with you,^[b] and you can help them any time you want.^(H) But you will not always have me. ⁸She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.^(I) ⁹Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world,^(J) what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

¹⁰Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve,^(K) went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.^(L) ¹¹They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

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