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Israel’s Refusal to Enter Canaan
14 Then the whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night. 2 All the Israelites complained about Moses and Aaron,(A) and the whole community told them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to die by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder.(B) Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” (C) 4 So they said to one another, “Let’s appoint a leader and go back to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole assembly of the Israelite community. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who scouted out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite community, “The land we passed through and explored is an extremely good land.(D) 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey,(E) and give it to us. 9 Only don’t rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land, for we will devour them.(F) Their protection(G) has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us. Don’t be afraid of them!”
10 While the whole community threatened to stone them,(H) the glory of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the tent of meeting.
God’s Judgment of Israel’s Rebellion
11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people despise me? How long will they not trust in me despite all the signs I have performed among them?(I) 12 I will strike them with a plague and destroy them. Then I will make you into a greater and mightier nation than they are.”(J)
13 But Moses replied to the Lord, “The Egyptians will hear about it, for by your strength you brought up this people from them. 14 They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land.(K) They have heard that you, Lord, are among these people, how you, Lord, are seen face to face, how your cloud stands over them, and how you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.(L) 15 If you kill this people with a single blow,[a](M) the nations that have heard of your fame(N) will declare, 16 ‘Since the Lord wasn’t able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them,(O) he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’(P)
17 “So now, may my Lord’s power be magnified just as you have spoken: 18 The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love,(Q) forgiving iniquity and rebellion.(R) But he will not leave the guilty unpunished,(S) bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generation.(T) 19 Please pardon the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of your faithful love,(U) just as you have forgiven them from Egypt until now.”
20 The Lord responded, “I have pardoned them as you requested. 21 Yet as I live and as the whole earth is filled with the Lord’s glory,(V) 22 none of the men who have seen my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tested me these ten times and did not obey me, 23 will ever see the land I swore to give their ancestors.(W) None of those who have despised me(X) will see it. 24 But since my servant Caleb has a different spirit and has remained loyal to me, I will bring him into the land where he has gone, and his descendants will inherit it.(Y) 25 Since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the lowlands,[b] turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.”(Z)
26 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 27 “How long must I endure this evil community that keeps complaining about me? I have heard the Israelites’ complaints that they make against me.(AA) 28 Tell them: As I live—this is the Lord’s declaration—I will do to you exactly as I heard you say. 29 Your corpses will fall in this wilderness—all of you who were registered in the census, the entire number of you twenty years old or more(AB)—because you have complained about me. 30 I swear that none of you will enter the land I promised[c] to settle you in, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 I will bring your children whom you said would become plunder(AC) into the land you rejected, and they will enjoy it.(AD) 32 But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. 33 Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years and bear the penalty for your acts of unfaithfulness until all your corpses lie scattered in the wilderness. 34 You will bear the consequences of your iniquities forty years based on the number of the forty days that you scouted the land, a year for each day.[d](AE) You will know my displeasure.[e] 35 I, the Lord, have spoken. I swear that I will do this to the entire evil community that has conspired against me.(AF) They will come to an end in the wilderness, and there they will die.”(AG)
36 So the men Moses sent to scout out the land, and who returned and incited the entire community to complain about him by spreading a negative report about the land— 37 those men who spread the negative report about the land were struck down by the Lord. 38 Only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to scout out the land.
Israel Routed
39 When Moses reported these words to all the Israelites, the people were overcome with grief. 40 They got up early the next morning and went up the ridge of the hill country, saying, “Let’s go to the place the Lord promised, for we were wrong.”(AH)
41 But Moses responded, “Why are you going against the Lord’s command? It won’t succeed. 42 Don’t go, because the Lord is not among you and you will be defeated by your enemies. 43 The Amalekites and Canaanites are right in front of you, and you will fall by the sword. The Lord won’t be with you, since you have turned from following him.”
44 But they dared to go up the ridge of the hill country, even though the ark of the Lord’s covenant and Moses did not leave the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them as far as Hormah.(AI)
Laws about Offerings
15 The Lord instructed Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you enter the land I am giving you to settle in,(AJ) 3 and you make a food offering(AK) to the Lord from the herd or flock—either a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow,(AL) or as a freewill offering, or at your appointed festivals—to produce a pleasing aroma for the Lord,(AM) 4 the one presenting his offering to the Lord is also to present a grain offering of two quarts[f] of fine flour mixed with a quart[g] of oil. 5 Prepare a quart of wine as a drink offering(AN) with the burnt offering or sacrifice of each lamb.
6 “If you prepare a grain offering with a ram, it is to be four quarts[h] of fine flour mixed with a third of a gallon[i] of oil.(AO) 7 Also present a third of a gallon of wine for a drink offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
8 “If you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or as a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow, or as a fellowship offering to the Lord, 9 a grain offering of six quarts[j] of fine flour mixed with two quarts[k] of oil is to be presented with the bull.(AP) 10 Also present two quarts of wine as a drink offering. It is a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 11 This is to be done for each ox, ram, lamb, or goat. 12 This is how you are to prepare each of them, no matter how many.
13 “Every Israelite is to prepare these things in this way when he presents a food offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 14 When an alien resides with you or someone else is among you and wants to prepare a food offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, he is to do exactly as you do throughout your generations. 15 The assembly is to have the same statute for both you and the resident alien as a permanent statute throughout your generations.(AQ) You and the alien will be alike before the Lord. 16 The same law and the same ordinance will apply to both you and the alien who resides with you.”(AR)
Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin
53 They(A) led Jesus away to the high priest,(B) and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes(C) assembled.(D) 54 Peter(E) followed him at a distance, right into the high priest’s courtyard. He was sitting with the servants,[a](F) warming himself by the fire.
55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin(G) were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death,(H) but they could not find any. 56 For many were giving false testimony(I) against him, and the testimonies did not agree. 57 Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, stating, 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands,(J) and in three days I will build another not made by hands.’” 59 Yet their testimony did not agree(K) even on this.
60 Then the high priest stood up before them all and questioned Jesus, “Don’t you have an answer to what these men are testifying against you?” 61 But he kept silent and did not answer.(L) Again the high priest questioned him, “Are you the Messiah,(M) the Son(N) of the Blessed(O) One?”
62 “I am,”(P) said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man(Q) seated at the right hand(R) of Power and coming with the clouds(S) of heaven.”[b](T)
63 Then the high priest(U) tore his robes(V) and said, “Why do we still need witnesses?(W) 64 You have heard the blasphemy.(X) What is your decision?” They all condemned him as deserving death.(Y)
65 Then some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to beat him, saying, “Prophesy!” (Z) The temple servants(AA) also took him and slapped him.
Peter Denies His Lord
66 While(AB) Peter(AC) was in the courtyard below, one of the high priest’s maidservants came. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.”(AD)
68 But he denied it: “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about.” Then he went out to the entryway,[c] and a rooster crowed.[d]
69 When the maidservant saw him again, she began to tell those standing nearby, “This man is one of them.”
70 But again he denied it. After a little while those standing there said to Peter again, “You certainly are one of them, since you’re also a Galilean.”[e](AE)
71 Then he started to curse and swear,(AF) “I don’t know this man you’re talking about!”
72 Immediately a rooster crowed a second time,(AG) and Peter remembered when Jesus had spoken the word to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
Psalm 53
A Portrait of Sinners
For the choir director: on Mahalath.(A) A Maskil of David.
1 The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.”
They are corrupt, and they do vile deeds.
There is no one who does good.(B)
2 God looks down from heaven on the human race[a]
to see if there is one who is wise,
one who seeks God.(C)
3 All have turned away;
all alike have become corrupt.
There is no one who does good,
not even one.(D)
4 Wealth is not profitable on a day of wrath,
but righteousness rescues from death.(A)
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