²⁴ “Say to the assembly, ‘Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”

²⁵ Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel^(A) followed him. ²⁶ He warned the assembly, “Move back from the tents of these wicked men!^(B) Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away^(C) because of all their sins.^(D)” ²⁷ So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.^(E) Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children^(F) and little ones at the entrances to their tents.^(G)

²⁸ Then Moses said, “This is how you will know^(H) that the Lord has sent me^(I) to do all these things and that it was not my idea: ²⁹ If these men die a natural death and suffer the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me.^{(J) 30} But if the Lord brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth^(K) and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead,^(L) then you will know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt.^(M)”

³¹ As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart^{(N) 32} and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them^(O) and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. ³³ They went down alive into the realm of the dead,^(P) with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. ³⁴ At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!”

³⁵ And fire came out from the Lord^(Q) and consumed^(R) the 250 men who were offering the incense.

³⁶ The Lord said to Moses, ³⁷ “Tell Eleazar^(S) son of Aaron, the priest, to remove the censers^(T) from the charred remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy— ³⁸ the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives.^(U) Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar,^(V) for they were presented before the Lord and have become holy. Let them be a sign^(W) to the Israelites.”

³⁹ So Eleazar the priest^(X) collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned to death,^(Y) and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar, ⁴⁰ as the Lord directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense^(Z) before the Lord,^(AA) or he would become like Korah and his followers.^(AB)

⁴¹ The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the Lord’s people,” they said.

⁴² But when the assembly gathered in opposition^(AC) to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord^(AD) appeared. ⁴³ Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting, ⁴⁴ and the Lord said to Moses, ⁴⁵ “Get away from this assembly so I can put an end^(AE) to them at once.” And they fell facedown.

⁴⁶ Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer^(AF) and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly^(AG) to make atonement^(AH) for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord;^(AI) the plague^(AJ) has started.” ⁴⁷ So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people,^(AK) but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. ⁴⁸ He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.^{(AL) 49} But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah.^{(AM) 50} Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped.^[a]

David Defeats the Ammonites^(A)

19 In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites^(B) died, and his son succeeded him as king. ² David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.

When David’s envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, ³ the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven’t his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out^(C) the country and overthrow it?” ⁴ So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.

⁵ When someone came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”

⁶ When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious^(D) to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents^[a] of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim,^[b] Aram Maakah and Zobah.^{(E) 7} They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the king of Maakah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba,^(F) while the Ammonites were mustered from their towns and moved out for battle.

⁸ On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. ⁹ The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.

¹⁰ Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. ¹¹ He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai^(G) his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. ¹² Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you. ¹³ Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”

¹⁴ Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. ¹⁵ When the Ammonites realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled before his brother Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers and had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.

¹⁷ When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel^(H) and crossed the Jordan; he advanced against them and formed his battle lines opposite them. David formed his lines to meet the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. ¹⁸ But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also killed Shophak the commander of their army.

¹⁹ When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him.

So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.

The Priesthood Restored

44 Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east,^(A) and it was shut. ² The Lord said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it.^(B) It is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it. ³ The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence^(C) of the Lord. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.^(D)”

⁴ Then the man brought me by way of the north gate^(E) to the front of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the Lord filling the temple^(F) of the Lord, and I fell facedown.^(G)

⁵ The Lord said to me, “Son of man, look carefully, listen closely and give attention to everything I tell you concerning all the regulations and instructions regarding the temple of the Lord. Give attention to the entrance^(H) to the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary.^{(I) 6} Say to rebellious Israel,^(J) ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Enough of your detestable practices, people of Israel! ⁷ In addition to all your other detestable practices, you brought foreigners uncircumcised in heart^(K) and flesh into my sanctuary, desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant.^{(L) 8} Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary.^{(M) 9} This is what the Sovereign Lord says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh is to enter my sanctuary, not even the foreigners who live among the Israelites.^(N)

¹⁰ “‘The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray^(O) and who wandered from me after their idols must bear the consequences of their sin.^{(P) 11} They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings^(Q) and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them.^{(R) 12} But because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the people of Israel fall^(S) into sin, therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand^(T) that they must bear the consequences of their sin, declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(U) 13} They are not to come near to serve me as priests or come near any of my holy things or my most holy offerings; they must bear the shame^(V) of their detestable practices.^{(W) 14} And I will appoint them to guard the temple for all the work that is to be done in it.^(X)

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

¹⁴ When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles^(A) reclined at the table.^{(B) 15} And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.^{(C) 16} For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”^(D)

¹⁷ After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. ¹⁸ For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

¹⁹ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it,^(E) and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

²⁰ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant^(F) in my blood, which is poured out for you.^{[a] 21} But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table.^{(G) 22} The Son of Man^(H) will go as it has been decreed.^(I) But woe to that man who betrays him!” ²³ They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,^(A) continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted^(B) and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,^(C) and overflowing with thankfulness.

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy,^(D) which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces^[a] of this world^(E) rather than on Christ.

⁹ For in Christ all the fullness^(F) of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head^(G) over every power and authority.^{(H) 11} In him you were also circumcised^(I) with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh^[b](J) was put off when you were circumcised by^[c] Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism,^(K) in which you were also raised with him^(L) through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.^(M)

¹³ When you were dead in your sins^(N) and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you^[d] alive^(O) with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,^{(P) 14} having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness,^(Q) which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.^{(R) 15} And having disarmed the powers and authorities,^(S) he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them^(T) by the cross.^[e]

Freedom From Human Rules

¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you^(U) by what you eat or drink,^(V) or with regard to a religious festival,^(W) a New Moon celebration^(X) or a Sabbath day.^{(Y) 17} These are a shadow of the things that were to come;^(Z) the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸ Do not let anyone who delights in false humility^(AA) and the worship of angels disqualify you.^(AB) Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. ¹⁹ They have lost connection with the head,^(AC) from whom the whole body,^(AD) supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.^(AE)