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The People Complain Again
14 That night all the ·people [community; congregation; assembly] in the camp began crying loudly. 2 All the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] ·complained [grumbled] against Moses and Aaron, and all the ·people [community; congregation; assembly] said to them, “We wish we had died in Egypt or in this ·desert [wilderness]. 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land to ·be killed with [L make us fall by] swords? Our wives and children will be ·taken away [war plunder]. We would be better off going back to Egypt.” 4 They said to each other, “Let’s choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron ·bowed [L fell] facedown in front of all the ·Israelites [L assembly/crowd of the community/congregation/assembly of the sons/T children of Israel] gathered there. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who had ·explored [spied on] the land, tore their clothes [C ritual of grief]. 7 They said to all of the ·Israelites [L community/congregation/assembly of the sons/T children of Israel], “The land we ·explored [spied on] is very good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land and give us that ·fertile land [L land flowing with milk and honey; Ex. 3:8]. 9 Don’t ·turn [rebel] against the Lord! Don’t be afraid of the people in that land! We will chew them up. They have no protection, but the Lord is with us. So don’t be afraid of them.”
10 Then all the ·people [community; congregation; assembly] talked about ·killing them with stones [stoning them]. But the glory of the Lord [C representing his manifest presence] appeared at the Meeting Tent to all the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel]. 11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people ·ignore [despise] me? How long will they not believe me in spite of the ·miracles [signs] I have done among them? 12 I will ·give them a terrible sickness [L strike them with disease/pestilence] and ·get rid of [disinherit; dispossess] them. But I will make you into a great nation that will be stronger than they are [Ex. 32:10].”
13 Then Moses said to the Lord, “The Egyptians will hear about it! You brought these people from there by your great power [Ex. 12–15], 14 and the Egyptians will tell this to those who live in this land [C Canaan]. They have already heard about you, Lord. They know that you are with your people and that you were seen face to face. They know that your cloud [C representing God’s presence] stays over your people and that you lead your people with that cloud during the day and with fire at night [Ex. 13:20–22]. 15 If you put these people to death all at once, the nations who have heard about your power will say, 16 ‘The Lord was not able to bring them into the land he ·promised [swore to] them. So he ·killed [slaughtered] them in the ·desert [wilderness].’
17 “So show your strength now, Lord. Do what you said: 18 ‘The Lord ·doesn’t become angry quickly [is slow to anger], but he has great ·love [covenant love; loyalty; Ex. 34:6; Neh. 9:17; Ps. 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Nah. 1:3]. He forgives sin and ·law breaking [transgression]. But the Lord never forgets to punish guilty people. ·When parents sin, he will also punish [L He visits the sin/iniquity/guilt of the fathers on] their children, their grandchildren, their great-grandchildren, and their great-great-grandchildren [Ex. 20:5–6].’ 19 By your great ·love [covenant love; loyalty], forgive these people’s sin, just as you have forgiven them from the time they left Egypt until now.”
20 The Lord answered, “I have forgiven them as you asked. 21 But, as surely as I live and as surely as my glory fills the whole earth, I make this promise: 22 All these people saw my glory and the ·miracles [signs] I did in Egypt and in the ·desert [wilderness], but they ·disobeyed me [L did not listen to my voice] and tested me ten times [C symbolic for many times]. 23 So not one of them will see the land I ·promised [swore to give] to their ancestors. No one who ·rejected [despised] me will see that land. 24 But my servant Caleb ·thinks differently [L has a different spirit] and follows me completely. So I will bring him into the land he has already seen, and his ·children [seed] will ·own [possess] that land [Josh. 15:13–19; Judg. 1:9–15]. 25 Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys, leave tomorrow and follow the ·desert [Wilderness] road toward the ·Red [or Reed; Ex. 10:19] Sea.”
The Lord Punishes the People
26 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 27 “How long will these evil ·people [community; congregation; assembly] ·complain [grumble] about me? I have heard the ·complaining [grumbling] of these ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel]. 28 So tell them, ‘This is ·what the Lord says [L the utterance/decree of the Lord]. I heard what you said, and as surely as I live, I will do those very things to you: 29 ·You will die [L Your dead bodies will fall] in this ·desert [wilderness]. Every one of you who is twenty years old or older [C of military age] and who was counted with the people [1:1–54]—all of you who ·complained [grumbled] against me—will die. 30 Not one of you will enter the land where I ·promised [L lifted my hand; C as when swearing an oath] you would live; only Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun will go in. 31 You said that your children would be ·taken away [war plunder], but I will bring them into the land to enjoy what you refused. 32 As for you, ·you will die [L your bodies will fall] in this ·desert [wilderness]. 33 Your children will be shepherds here for forty years. Because you were ·not loyal [unfaithful; C the term suggests sexual unfaithfulness as a metaphor of spiritual unfaithfulness], they will suffer until ·you lie dead [the last of your bodies lie] in the ·desert [wilderness]. 34 For forty years you will suffer for your sins—a year for each of the forty days you ·explored [spied on] the land. You will know me as your enemy.’ 35 I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will certainly do these things to all ·these evil people [this evil community/congregation/assembly] who have come together against me. So they will all die here in this ·desert [wilderness].”
36 The men Moses had sent to ·explore [spy on] the land had returned and ·spread complaints [grumbled] among all the ·people [community; congregation; assembly]. They had given a bad report about the land. 37 The men who gave a very bad report died; the Lord killed them with a terrible ·sickness [plague]. 38 Only two of the men who ·explored [spied on] the land did not die—Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh.
39 When Moses told these things to all the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel], they ·were very sad [mourned greatly]. 40 Early the next morning they started to go toward the top of the mountains, saying, “We have sinned. We will go where the Lord told us.”
41 But Moses said, “Why are you ·disobeying [transgressing] the Lord’s command? You will not ·win [succeed]! 42 Don’t go, because the Lord is not with you and you will be ·beaten [struck down] by your enemies. 43 You will run into the Amalekites and Canaanites, who will ·kill [L fell] you with swords. You have turned away from the Lord, so the Lord will not be with you.”
44 But they were ·proud [presumptuous; reckless]. They went toward the top of the mountains, ·but [or even though] Moses and the Ark of the ·Agreement [Treaty; Covenant; Ex. 25:10] with the Lord did not leave the camp. 45 The Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those mountains came down and ·attacked the Israelites [L struck them down] and beat them back all the way to Hormah.
Rules About Sacrifices
15 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] and say to them, ‘When you enter the land that I am giving you as a home, 3 give the Lord offerings made by fire. These may be from your herds or flocks, as a smell pleasing to the Lord. These may be burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] or sacrifices for ·special promises [a vow], or as gifts to him, or as festival offerings. 4 The one who brings the offering shall also give the Lord a ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1]. It should be ·two quarts [L one-tenth of an ephah] of ·fine [choice] flour mixed with ·one quart [L one-fourth of a hin] of olive oil. 5 Each time you offer a lamb as a burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] or sacrifice, also prepare ·one quart [L one-fourth of a hin] of wine as a drink offering.
6 “‘If you are giving a ·male sheep [ram], also prepare a ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1] of ·four quarts [L two-tenths of an ephah] of ·fine [choice] flour mixed with ·one and one-fourth quarts [L one-third of a hin] of olive oil. 7 Also prepare ·one and one-fourth quarts [L one-third of a hin] of wine as a drink offering. Its smell will be pleasing to the Lord.
8 “‘If you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] or sacrifice, whether it is for a ·special promise [vow] or a ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offering [Lev. 3:1] to the Lord, 9 bring a ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1] with the bull. It should be ·six quarts [L three-tenths of an ephah] of ·fine [choice] flour mixed with ·two quarts [L half a hin] of olive oil. 10 Also bring ·two quarts [L half a hin] of wine as a drink offering. This offering is made by fire, and its smell will be pleasing to the Lord. 11 Prepare each bull or ·male sheep [ram], lamb or young goat this way. 12 Do this for every one of the animals you bring.
13 “‘All ·citizens [natives] must do these things in this way, and the smell of their offerings by fire will be pleasing to the Lord. 14 ·From now on [L Throughout your generations] if ·foreigners [resident aliens] who live among you want to make offerings by fire so the smell will be pleasing to the Lord, they must offer them the same way you do. 15 As for the ·people [community; congregation; assembly], the ·law [statute; ordinance; requirement] is the same for you and for ·foreigners [resident aliens], and it will be ·from now on [a perpetual requirement]; you and the ·foreigners [resident aliens] are alike before the Lord. 16 The ·teachings [instructions; laws] and ·rules [regulations] are the same for you and for the ·foreigners [resident aliens] among you.’”
Jesus Before the Leaders(A)
53 The people who arrested Jesus led him to the house of the high priest, where all the ·leading [T chief] priests, the elders, and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] were gathered. 54 Peter followed far behind and entered the courtyard of the high priest’s house. There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire.
55 The ·leading [T chief] priests and the whole ·Jewish council [Sanhedrin; C the highest Jewish court] tried to find ·something that Jesus had done wrong [evidence/testimony against him] so they could ·kill [execute] him. But the council could find no proof of anything. 56 Many people came and ·told false things [gave false testimony] about him, but all said different things—none of them agreed.
57 Then some people stood up and ·lied [gave false testimony] about Jesus, saying, 58 “We heard this man say, ‘I will destroy this Temple that people made. And three days later, I will build another Temple not made by people.’” 59 But even ·the things these people said [their testimony] did not agree.
60 Then the high priest stood before them and asked Jesus, “Aren’t you going to answer? ·Don’t you have something to say about their [or What are these] ·charges [testimony] against you?” 61 But Jesus ·said nothing [was silent; Is. 53:7]; he did not answer.
The high priest asked Jesus another question: “Are you the ·Christ [Messiah], the Son of ·the blessed God [L the blessed (one)]?”
62 Jesus answered, “I am. And ·in the future you will see [L you will see] the Son of Man sitting at the right ·side [L hand; see 12:36] of God, the Powerful One, and coming on clouds ·in the sky [of heaven; Ps. 110:1; Dan. 7:13–14].”
63 When the high priest heard this, he tore his clothes [C a sign of sorrow or outrage] and said, “Why do we need more witnesses? 64 You all heard ·him say these things against God [the blasphemy]. What ·do you think [is your verdict]?”
They all said that Jesus was guilty and ·should [deserved to] die. 65 Some of the people there began to spit at Jesus. They blindfolded him and beat him with their fists and said, “·Prophesy! [Prove you are a prophet!]” Then the guards led Jesus away and beat him.
Peter Denies Jesus(B)
66 While Peter was in the courtyard, a servant girl of the high priest came there. 67 She saw Peter warming himself at the fire and looked closely at him.
Then she said, “You also were with Jesus, that man from Nazareth.”
68 But Peter denied it. He said, “I don’t know or understand what you are talking about.” Then Peter left and went toward the entrance of the courtyard. And the rooster crowed.[a]
69 The servant girl saw Peter there, and again she said to the people who were standing nearby, “This man is one of those who followed Jesus.” 70 Again Peter ·said that it was not true [denied it].
A short time later, some people were standing near Peter saying, “Surely you are one of those who followed Jesus, because you are from Galilee, too [C Peter’s Galilean accent gave him away; Matt. 26:73].”
71 Then Peter began to place a curse on himself and swear, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about!”
72 At once, the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will ·say three times that you don’t know me [deny/disown me three times].” Then Peter broke down and began to cry.
The Unbelieving Fool
For the director of music. By mahalath [C perhaps “sickness”]. A ·maskil [skillful psalm; meditation] of David.
53 Fools say ·to themselves [L in their hearts],
“There is no God [C Psalm 14 largely parallels this psalm].”
·Fools are evil [L They are corrupt] and do ·terrible [detestable] things [Deut. 32:5];
none of them does anything good.
2 God looked down from heaven on all people
to see if anyone was ·wise [insightful],
if anyone was ·looking to God for help [seeking God].
3 But all have ·turned [wandered] away.
Together, everyone has become ·evil [perverse];
none of them does anything good.
Not a single person [Rom. 3:10–12].
4 Don’t ·the wicked [L those who do evil] ·understand [know]?
They ·destroy [consume; L eat] my people as if they were ·eating [consuming] bread.
They do not ·ask God for help [call on God].
5 The wicked are ·filled [terrified] with terror
where there ·had been nothing to [L was no] fear.
God will scatter the bones of ·your enemies [the godless].
You will ·defeat [shame; humiliate] them,
because God has rejected them.
6 I pray that ·victory [salvation] will come to Israel from Mount Zion [C the location of the Temple, the house of God]!
May God ·bring them back [restore the fortunes of his people; C perhaps at the end of the exile].
Then the people of Jacob will rejoice,
and the people of Israel will be glad.
4 Riches will not help ·when it’s time to die [L on the day of anger],
but ·right living [righteousness] will save you from death.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.