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The wilderness camp’s arrangement
2 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 2 The Israelites will camp each under the banner with the symbol of their household. They will camp around the meeting tent some distance from it.
The camp’s east side
3 On the east side toward the sunrise will be the banner of Judah’s camp with its military units. The chief of the people of Judah is Nahshon, Amminadab’s son. 4 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 74,600. 5 Those camping on one side of him are the tribe of Issachar. The chief of the people of Issachar is Nethanel, Zuar’s son. 6 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 54,400. 7 On the other side, the tribe of Zebulun: the chief of the people of Zebulun is Eliab, Helon’s son. 8 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 57,400. 9 All those enlisted in Judah’s camp with their military units are 186,400. They will march first.
The camp’s south side
10 On the south side will be the banner of Reuben’s camp with its military units. The chief of the people of Reuben is Elizur, Shedeur’s son. 11 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 46,500. 12 Those camping on one side of him are the tribe of Simeon. The chief of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel, Zurishaddai’s son. 13 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 59,300. 14 On the other side, the tribe of Gad: the chief of the people of Gad is Eliasaph, Reuel’s son. 15 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 45,650. 16 All those enlisted in Reuben’s camp with their military units are 151,450. They will march second.
The camp’s center
17 The meeting tent and the Levites’ camp will march in the center of the camps. They will march in the same order as they camp: each in position under his banner.
The camp’s west side
18 On the west will be the banner of Ephraim’s camp with its military units. The chief of the people of Ephraim is Elishama, Ammihud’s son. 19 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 40,500. 20 On one side of him is the tribe of Manasseh. The chief of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel, Pedahzur’s son. 21 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 32,200. 22 On the other side, the tribe of Benjamin: the chief of the people of Benjamin is Abidan, Gideoni’s son. 23 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 35,400. 24 All those enlisted in Ephraim’s camp with their military units are 108,100. They will march third.
The camp’s north side
25 On the north will be the banner of Dan’s camp with its military units. The chief of the people of Dan is Ahiezer, Ammishaddai’s son. 26 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 62,700. 27 Those camping on one side of him are the tribe of Asher. The chief of the people of Asher is Pagiel, Ochran’s son. 28 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 41,500. 29 On the other side, the tribe of Naphtali: the chief of the people of Naphtali is Ahira, Enan’s son. 30 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 53,400. 31 All those enlisted in the camp of Dan are 157,600. They will march last under their banners.
32 These are the enlisted Israelites by their households. The total enlisted in the camps with their military units is 603,550. 33 But the Levites weren’t enlisted among the Israelites, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 34 The Israelites did everything exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses: they camped under their banners and they marched by their clans and by their households.
Aaron’s sons
3 These are the descendants of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 These are the names of Aaron’s sons: Nadab the oldest, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of Aaron’s sons, who are the anointed priests and ordained to the priesthood. 4 Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they made an unauthorized offering to the Lord in the Sinai desert. They didn’t have any sons. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
The Levites’ first census
5 The Lord spoke to Moses: 6 Bring near the tribe of Levi and place them before Aaron the priest. They will assist him. 7 They will perform duties for him and for the entire community before the meeting tent, doing the work of the dwelling. 8 They will be responsible for all the equipment of the meeting tent and the duties on behalf of the Israelites when they do the work of the dwelling. 9 You will give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They have been assigned as a gift to him from the Israelites. 10 You will appoint Aaron and his sons to be responsible for the priesthood. Any other person who approaches will be put to death.
11 The Lord spoke to Moses: 12 I claim the Levites from the Israelites in place of all the oldest males who open an Israelite womb. The Levites are mine 13 because all the oldest males are mine. When I killed all the oldest males in the land of Egypt, I reserved for myself all the oldest males in Israel, both humans and animals. They are mine; I am the Lord.
14 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert: 15 Enroll the Levites by their households and their clans. You will enroll all the males over one month old. 16 Moses enrolled them according to the Lord’s word as he was commanded. 17 These were Levi’s sons by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18 These were the names of Gershon’s sons by their clans: Libni and Shimei. 19 Kohath’s sons by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 Merari’s sons by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi by their households.
21 To Gershon belonged the clans of Libni and Shimei. These were the clans of the Gershonites. 22 Their enrollment, according to the number of males over one month old, was 7,500. 23 The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the dwelling on the west side. 24 The chief of the household of the Gershonites was Eliasaph, Lael’s son. 25 In the dwelling, the Gershonites were responsible for the meeting tent, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the meeting tent, 26 the curtains of the courtyard, the screen for the entrance of the courtyard surrounding the meeting tent and the altar, and its cords—all these structures.
27 To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites. These were the clans of the Kohathites. 28 The number of males over one month old, who would perform duties for the sanctuary, was 8,600. 29 The clans of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the dwelling. 30 The chief of the household representing the clans of the Kohathites was Elizaphan, Uzziel’s son. 31 They were responsible for the chest, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the equipment of the sanctuary with which they would minister, and the screen—all these furnishings. 32 The head chief over the chiefs of the Levites was Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest. He was supervisor over those performing the duties of the sanctuary.
33 To Merari belonged the clans of Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Merarites. 34 Their enrollment, according to the number of males over one month old, was 6,200. 35 The chief of the household representing the clans of the Merarites was Zuriel, Abihail’s son. They were to camp on the north side of the dwelling. 36 The Merarites were assigned responsibility for the frames of the dwelling, its bars, pillars, bases, and all its equipment—all these items— 37 and the pillars of the courtyard all around, their bases, pegs, and cords.
38 Those camping in front of the dwelling eastward (that is, before the meeting tent on the east side) were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, who performed the duties of the sanctuary as service for the Israelites. Anyone else who approached would be put to death. 39 The total enrollment of the Levites, all the males over one month old whom Moses and Aaron enrolled by orders from the Lord, according to their clans, was 22,000.
Levites rescue the oldest male Israelites
40 The Lord said to Moses: Enroll all the oldest males of the Israelites over one month of age and record their names. 41 Take the Levites for me, in place of all the oldest sons of the Israelites, for I am the Lord, and the cattle of the Levites in place of all the oldest cattle of the Israelites. 42 Moses enrolled all the oldest males of the Israelites as the Lord commanded. 43 All the oldest males over one month old, recorded by name according to their enrollment, were 22,273.
44 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 45 Take the Levites in place of all the oldest Israelites and the cattle of the Levites in place of their cattle. The Levites are mine; I am the Lord. 46 To rescue the 273 remaining oldest Israelites over and above the number of Levites, 47 you will receive five shekels each. You will receive them according to the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs to the shekel. 48 You will give the money for their rescue to Aaron and his sons.
49 So Moses took the money from those rescued over and above the ones rescued by the Levites. 50 He took the money from the oldest of the Israelites, 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. 51 Moses gave the money for those rescued to Aaron and his sons according to the Lord’s word, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Controversy over authority
27 Jesus and his disciples entered Jerusalem again. As Jesus was walking around the temple, the chief priests, legal experts, and elders came to him. 28 They asked, “What kind of authority do you have for doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?”
29 Jesus said to them, “I have a question for you. Give me an answer, then I’ll tell you what kind of authority I have to do these things. 30 Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me.”
31 They argued among themselves, “If we say, ‘It’s of heavenly origin,’ he’ll say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32 But we can’t say, ‘It’s of earthly origin.’” They said this because they were afraid of the crowd, because they all thought John was a prophet. 33 They answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you what kind of authority I have to do these things.”
Parable of the tenant farmers
12 Jesus spoke to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the winepress, and built a tower. Then he rented it to tenant farmers and took a trip. 2 When it was time, he sent a servant to collect from the tenants his share of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they grabbed the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again the landowner sent another servant to them, but they struck him on the head and treated him disgracefully. 5 He sent another one; that one they killed. The landlord sent many other servants, but the tenants beat some and killed others. 6 Now the landowner had one son whom he loved dearly. He sent him last, thinking, They will respect my son. 7 But those tenant farmers said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 They grabbed him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
9 “So what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this scripture, The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 11 The Lord has done this, and it’s amazing in our eyes?”[a]
12 They wanted to arrest Jesus because they knew that he had told the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away.
A question about taxes
13 They sent some of the Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you’re genuine and you don’t worry about what people think. You don’t show favoritism but teach God’s way as it really is. Does the Law allow people to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay taxes or not?”
15 Since Jesus recognized their deceit, he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a coin. Show it to me.” 16 And they brought one. He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” His reply left them overcome with wonder.
Psalm 47
For the music leader. A psalm of the Korahites.
47 Clap your hands, all you people!
Shout joyfully to God with a joyous shout!
2 Because the Lord Most High is awesome,
he is the great king of the whole world.
3 He subdues the nations under us,
subdues all people beneath our feet.
4 He chooses our inheritance for us:
the heights of Jacob, which he loves. Selah
5 God has gone up with a joyous shout—
the Lord with the blast of the ram’s horn.
6 Sing praises to God! Sing praises!
Sing praises to our king! Sing praises
7 because God is king of the whole world!
Sing praises with a song of instruction![a]
8 God is king over the nations.
God sits on his holy throne.
9 The leaders of all people are gathered
with the people of Abraham’s God
because the earth’s guardians belong to God;
God is exalted beyond all.
24 What the wicked dread will come on them,
but what the righteous desire will be given to them.
25 After a whirlwind passes by, the wicked are no more,
but the righteous stand firm forever.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible