Numbers 28-29
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 28
General Sacrifices. 1 The Lord said to Moses: 2 Give the Israelites this commandment: At their prescribed times, you will be careful to present to me the food offerings that are due me, oblations of pleasing aroma to me.
Each Morning and Evening. 3 (A)You will tell them therefore: This is the oblation which you will offer to the Lord: two unblemished yearling lambs each day as the regular burnt offering,[a] 4 offering one lamb in the morning and the other during the evening twilight, 5 each with a grain offering of one tenth of an ephah of bran flour mixed with a fourth of a hin of oil of crushed olives.[b] 6 This is the regular burnt offering that was made at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, an oblation to the Lord. 7 And as the libation for the first lamb, you will make a libation to the Lord in the sanctuary[c] of a fourth of a hin of strong drink. 8 The other lamb you will offer during the evening twilight, making the same grain offering and the same libation as in the morning, as an oblation of pleasing aroma to the Lord.
On the Sabbath. 9 On the sabbath day: two unblemished yearling lambs, with a grain offering of two tenths of an ephah of bran flour mixed with oil, and its libation. 10 This is the sabbath burnt offering each sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its libation.
At the New Moon Feast. 11 On your new moons[d] you will offer as a burnt offering to the Lord two bulls of the herd, one ram, and seven unblemished yearling lambs, 12 with three tenths of an ephah of bran flour mixed with oil as the grain offering for each bull, two tenths of an ephah of bran flour mixed with oil as the grain offering for the ram, 13 and one tenth of an ephah of bran flour mixed with oil as the grain offering for each lamb, a burnt offering with a pleasing aroma, an oblation to the Lord. 14 Their libations will consist of a half a hin of wine for each bull, a third of a hin for the ram, and a fourth of a hin for each lamb. This is the burnt offering for the new moon, for every new moon through the months of the year. 15 Moreover, there will be one goat for a purification offering to the Lord; it will be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering and its libation.
At the Passover. 16 The fourteenth day[e] of the first month is the Passover of the Lord,(B) 17 and the fifteenth day of this month is the pilgrimage feast. For seven days unleavened bread is to be eaten. 18 On the first day you will declare a holy day, and you shall do no heavy work.[f](C) 19 You will offer an oblation, a burnt offering to the Lord: two bulls of the herd, one ram, and seven yearling lambs that you are sure are unblemished. 20 Their grain offerings will be of bran flour mixed with oil; you will offer three tenths of an ephah for each bull and two tenths for the ram. 21 You will offer one tenth for each of the seven lambs; 22 and one goat as a purification offering to make atonement for yourselves. 23 These offerings you will make in addition to the morning burnt offering which is part of the regular burnt offering. 24 You will make exactly the same offerings each day for seven days as food offerings, oblations of pleasing aroma to the Lord; they will be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering with its libation. 25 On the seventh day you will declare a holy day: you shall do no heavy work.(D)
At Pentecost. 26 On the day of first fruits,[g] on your feast of Weeks,(E) when you present to the Lord an offering of new grain, you will declare a holy day: you shall do no heavy work. 27 You will offer burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the Lord: two bulls of the herd, one ram, and seven yearling lambs that you are sure are unblemished. 28 Their grain offerings will be of bran flour mixed with oil: three tenths of an ephah for each bull, two tenths for the ram, 29 and one tenth for each of the seven lambs. 30 One goat will be for a purification offering to make atonement for yourselves. 31 You will make these offerings, together with their libations, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering.
Chapter 29
On New Year’s Day. 1 In the seventh month on the first day[h] you will declare a holy day, and do no heavy work; it shall be a day on which you sound the trumpet.(F) 2 You will offer a burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull of the herd, one ram, and seven unblemished yearling lambs. 3 Their grain offerings will be of bran flour mixed with oil: three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the ram, 4 and one tenth for each of the seven lambs. 5 One goat will be a purification offering to make atonement for yourselves. 6 These are in addition to the burnt offering for the new moon with its grain offering, and in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, together with the libations prescribed for them, for a pleasing aroma, an oblation to the Lord.
On the Day of Atonement. 7 On the tenth day of this seventh month[i] you will declare a holy day, humble yourselves, and do no sort of work.(G) 8 You will offer a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma: one bull of the herd, one ram, and seven yearling lambs that you are sure are unblemished. 9 Their grain offerings of bran flour mixed with oil: three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the one ram, 10 and one tenth for each of the seven lambs. 11 One goat will be a purification offering. These are in addition to the purification offering for purging,[j] the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their libations.
On the Feast of Booths. 12 [k]On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you will declare a holy day:(H) you shall do no heavy work. For the following seven days you will celebrate a pilgrimage feast to the Lord. 13 You will offer a burnt offering, an oblation of pleasing aroma to the Lord: thirteen bulls[l] of the herd, two rams, and fourteen yearling lambs that are unblemished. 14 Their grain offerings will be of bran flour mixed with oil: three tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each of the two rams, 15 and one tenth for each of the fourteen lambs. 16 One goat will be a purification offering. These are in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and libation.
17 On the second day: twelve bulls of the herd, two rams, and fourteen unblemished yearling lambs, 18 with the grain offerings and libations for the bulls, rams and lambs in their prescribed number, 19 as well as one goat as a purification offering, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and libation.
20 On the third day: eleven bulls, two rams, and fourteen unblemished yearling lambs, 21 with the grain offerings and libations for the bulls, rams and lambs in their prescribed number, 22 as well as one goat for a purification offering, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and libation.
23 On the fourth day: ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen unblemished yearling lambs, 24 the grain offerings and libations for the bulls, rams and lambs in their prescribed number, 25 as well as one goat as a purification offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and libation.
26 On the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen unblemished yearling lambs, 27 (I)with the grain offerings and libations for the bulls, rams and lambs in their prescribed number, 28 as well as one goat as a purification offering, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and libation.
29 On the sixth day: eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen unblemished yearling lambs, 30 with the grain offerings and libations for the bulls, rams and lambs in their prescribed number, 31 as well as one goat as a purification offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and libation.
32 On the seventh day: seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen unblemished yearling lambs, 33 with the grain offerings and libations for the bulls, rams and lambs in their prescribed number, 34 as well as one goat as a purification offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and libation.
35 On the eighth day(J) you will hold a public assembly:[m] you shall do no heavy work. 36 You will offer a burnt offering, an oblation of pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull, one ram, and seven unblemished yearling lambs, 37 with the grain offerings and libations for the bulls, rams and lambs in their prescribed number, 38 as well as one goat as a purification offering, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and libation.
39 These are the offerings you will make to the Lord on your festivals, besides your votive or voluntary offerings of burnt offerings, grain offerings, libations, and communion offerings.
Footnotes
- 28:3 The regular burnt offering: “the tamid burnt offering,” the technical term for the daily sacrifice. The lambs—as well as the goats for the purification offering (vv. 15, 22, 30)—are all specified as males.
- 28:5 Oil of crushed olives: this oil, probably made in a mortar, was purer and more expensive than oil extracted in the olive press.
- 28:7 In the sanctuary: i.e., the tent of meeting. But according to Sir 50:15, the libation was poured at the base of the outer altar.
- 28:11 On your new moons: beginning on the evening when the crescent of the new moon first appeared. The beginning of the month is reckoned according to the new moon.
- 28:16 The fourteenth day: toward evening at the end of this day; cf. Ex 12:6, 18.
- 28:18 Heavy work: apparently, some sorts of activity are permitted on a day such as this, whereas “any work” is prohibited by 29:7 on the Day of Atonement. See note on Lv 23:3.
- 28:26 The day of first fruits: a unique term for this feast, which is usually called “the feast of Weeks”; it was celebrated as a thanksgiving for the wheat harvest seven weeks after the barley harvest (Passover). In the time of Jesus it was commonly known by the Greek word “Pentecost,” that is, “fiftieth” (day after the Passover); see note on Lv 23:16–21.
- 29:1 In the seventh month on the first day: (about September–October) now the Jewish New Year’s Day. In the older calendar the year began with the first of Nisan (March–April), which is still known as the first month; cf. Ex 12:2.
- 29:7 The tenth day of this seventh month: the Day of Atonement. Humble yourselves: that is, with fasting.
- 29:11 The purification offering for purging: the bull prescribed in Lv 16:11–12 for the purging of the tent sanctuary.
- 29:12 This feast of Booths (Tabernacles or Sukkot) celebrating the vintage harvest was the most popular of all and therefore had the most elaborate ritual. See note on Lv 23:34.
- 29:13 Thirteen bulls: the number of bulls sacrificed before the octave day was seventy, arranged on a descending scale so that the number on the seventh day was the sacred number seven.
- 29:35 A public assembly: the Hebrew word is the technical term for the closing celebration of the three major feasts of the Passover, Pentecost and Booths, or of other special feasts that lasted for a week. Cf. Lv 23:36; Dt 16:8; 2 Chr 7:9; Neh 8:18.
Psalm 83
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 83[a]
Prayer Against a Hostile Alliance
1 A song; a psalm of Asaph.
I
2 God, do not be silent;
God, do not be deaf or remain unmoved!(A)
3 See how your enemies rage;
your foes proudly raise their heads.
4 They conspire against your people,
plot against those you protect.(B)
5 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
let Israel’s name be remembered no more!”
6 They scheme with one mind,
they have entered into a covenant against you:(C)
7 [b]The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab and the Hagrites,(D)
8 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek,(E)
Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre.(F)
9 Assyria, too, in league with them,
backs the descendants of Lot.
Selah
II
10 [c]Deal with them as with Midian;
as with Sisera and Jabin at the wadi Kishon,(G)
11 Those destroyed at Endor,
who became dung for the ground.(H)
12 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
13 Who made a plan together,
“Let us take for ourselves the pastures of God.”
14 My God, make them like tumbleweed,
into chaff flying before the wind.(I)
15 As a fire raging through a forest,
a flame setting mountains ablaze,(J)
16 Pursue them with your tempest;
terrify them with your storm-wind.
17 Cover their faces with shame,
till they seek your name,[d] Lord.
18 Let them be ashamed and terrified forever;
let them perish in disgrace.
19 Let them know that your name is Lord,
you alone are the Most High over all the earth.(K)
Footnotes
- Psalm 83 The community lament complains to God of the nations’ attempts to wipe out the name of Israel (Ps 83:1–8). The psalmist sees all Israel’s enemies throughout its history united in a conspiracy (Ps 83:2–8). May God destroy the current crop of enemies as the enemies of old were destroyed (Ps 83:9–12), and may they be pursued until they acknowledge the name of Israel’s God (Ps 83:13–18).
- 83:7–9 Apart from the Assyrians, all the nations listed here were neighbors of Israel. The Hagrites are a tribe of the desert regions east of Ammon and Moab (1 Chr 5:10, 19–22). Gebal is the Phoenician city of Byblos or perhaps a mountain region south of the Dead Sea. The descendants of Lot are Moab and Edom (Gn 19:36–38 and Dt 2:9). These nations were never united against Israel in the same period; the Psalm has lumped them all together.
- 83:10–13 For the historical events, see Jgs 4–8.
- 83:17 Seek your name: a variant of the more typical phrase “to seek the face of God” (Ps 24:6; 27:8; 105:4). Seeking the face of God refers to the worshiper having recourse to a temple or sanctuary where in non-Jewish contexts a statue embodies the physical presence of the Deity. In Israel’s aniconic tradition no visible image or statue can represent God. This understanding is conveyed here concretely by use of the term “your name” rather than the more typical “your face.”
Acts 17:1-15
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 17
Paul in Thessalonica. 1 When they took the road through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they reached Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.(A) 2 Following his usual custom, Paul joined them, and for three sabbaths he entered into discussions with them from the scriptures, 3 expounding and demonstrating that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead, and that “This is the Messiah, Jesus, whom I proclaim to you.”(B) 4 Some of them were convinced and joined Paul and Silas; so, too, a great number of Greeks who were worshipers, and not a few of the prominent women. 5 But the Jews became jealous and recruited some worthless men loitering in the public square, formed a mob, and set the city in turmoil. They marched on the house of Jason,(C) intending to bring them before the people’s assembly. 6 [a]When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city magistrates, shouting, “These people who have been creating a disturbance all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them.(D) They all act in opposition to the decrees of Caesar and claim instead that there is another king, Jesus.”[b] 8 They stirred up the crowd and the city magistrates who, upon hearing these charges, 9 took a surety payment from Jason and the others before releasing them.
Paul in Beroea. 10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas to Beroea during the night. Upon arrival they went to the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These Jews were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all willingness and examined the scriptures daily to determine whether these things were so.(E) 12 Many of them became believers, as did not a few of the influential Greek women and men. 13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God had now been proclaimed by Paul in Beroea also, they came there too to cause a commotion and stir up the crowds. 14 So the brothers at once sent Paul on his way to the seacoast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind.(F) 15 After Paul’s escorts had taken him to Athens, they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
Paul in Athens.[c]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 17:6–7 The accusations against Paul and his companions echo the charges brought against Jesus in Lk 23:2.
- 17:7 There is another king, Jesus: a distortion into a political sense of the apostolic proclamation of Jesus and the kingdom of God (see Acts 8:12).
- 17:16–21 Paul’s presence in Athens sets the stage for the great discourse before a Gentile audience in Acts 17:22–31. Although Athens was a politically insignificant city at this period, it still lived on the glories of its past and represented the center of Greek culture. The setting describes the conflict between Christian preaching and Hellenistic philosophy.
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