Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah^(A)(B)

¹⁸ Once when Jesus was praying^(C) in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

¹⁹ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;^(D) others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”^(E)

²⁰ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”^(F)

Jesus Predicts His Death

²¹ Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.^{(G) 22} And he said, “The Son of Man^(H) must suffer many things^(I) and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,^(J) and he must be killed^(K) and on the third day^(L) be raised to life.”^(M)

²³ Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.^{(N) 24} For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.^{(O) 25} What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? ²⁶ Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them^(P) when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.^(Q)

²⁷ “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

The Transfiguration^(R)

²⁸ About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James^(S) with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.^{(T) 29} As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. ³⁰ Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. ³¹ They spoke about his departure,^[a](U) which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. ³² Peter and his companions were very sleepy,^(V) but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. ³³ As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master,^(W) it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

³⁴ While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen;^(X) listen to him.”^{(Y) 36} When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.^(Z)

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy^(AA)

³⁷ The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. ³⁸ A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. ³⁹ A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. ⁴⁰ I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”

⁴¹ “You unbelieving and perverse generation,”^(AB) Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

⁴² Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. ⁴³ And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.

Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time

While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, ⁴⁴ “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”^{(AC) 45} But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it,^(AD) and they were afraid to ask him about it.

⁴⁶ An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.^{(AE) 47} Jesus, knowing their thoughts,^(AF) took a little child and had him stand beside him. ⁴⁸ Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.^(AG) For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”^(AH)

⁴⁹ “Master,”^(AI) said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”

⁵⁰ “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”^(AJ)

Samaritan Opposition

⁵¹ As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven,^(AK) Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.^{(AL) 52} And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan^(AM) village to get things ready for him; ⁵³ but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John^(AN) saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them^[b]?”^{(AO) 55} But Jesus turned and rebuked them. ⁵⁶ Then he and his disciples went to another village.

The Cost of Following Jesus^(AP)

⁵⁷ As they were walking along the road,^(AQ) a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man^(AR) has no place to lay his head.”

⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow me.”^(AS)

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”^(AT)

⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”^(AU)

⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Duties of Priests and Levites

18 The Lord said to Aaron, “You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary,^(A) and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood. ² Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister^(B) before the tent of the covenant law. ³ They are to be responsible to you^(C) and are to perform all the duties of the tent,^(D) but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die.^{(E) 4} They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting—all the work at the tent—and no one else may come near where you are.^(F)

⁵ “You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar,^(G) so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again. ⁶ I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you,^(H) dedicated to the Lord to do the work at the tent of meeting.^{(I) 7} But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain.^(J) I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift.^(K) Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.^(L)”

Offerings for Priests and Levites

⁸ Then the Lord said to Aaron, “I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion,^(M) your perpetual share.^{(N) 9} You are to have the part of the most holy offerings^(O) that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain^(P) or sin^[a](Q) or guilt offerings,^(R) that part belongs to you and your sons. ¹⁰ Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it.^(S) You must regard it as holy.^(T)

¹¹ “This also is yours: whatever is set aside from the gifts of all the wave offerings^(U) of the Israelites. I give this to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share.^(V) Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean^(W) may eat it.

¹² “I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain^(X) they give the Lord^(Y) as the firstfruits of their harvest.^{(Z) 13} All the land’s firstfruits that they bring to the Lord will be yours.^(AA) Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.^(AB)

¹⁴ “Everything in Israel that is devoted^[b] to the Lord^(AC) is yours. ¹⁵ The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours.^(AD) But you must redeem^(AE) every firstborn^(AF) son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.^{(AG) 16} When they are a month old,^(AH) you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels^[c](AI) of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel,^(AJ) which weighs twenty gerahs.^(AK)

¹⁷ “But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow, a sheep or a goat; they are holy.^(AL) Splash their blood^(AM) against the altar and burn their fat^(AN) as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.^{(AO) 18} Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering^(AP) and the right thigh are yours.^{(AQ) 19} Whatever is set aside from the holy^(AR) offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt^(AS) before the Lord for both you and your offspring.”

²⁰ The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them;^(AT) I am your share and your inheritance^(AU) among the Israelites.

²¹ “I give to the Levites all the tithes^(AV) in Israel as their inheritance^(AW) in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.^{(AX) 22} From now on the Israelites must not go near the tent of meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die.^{(AY) 23} It is the Levites who are to do the work at the tent of meeting and bear the responsibility for any offenses they commit against it. This is a lasting ordinance^(AZ) for the generations to come.^(BA) They will receive no inheritance^(BB) among the Israelites.^{(BC) 24} Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord.^(BD) That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’”

²⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁶ “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you^(BE) as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering.^{(BF) 27} Your offering will be reckoned^(BG) to you as grain from the threshing floor^(BH) or juice from the winepress.^{(BI) 28} In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes^(BJ) you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest. ²⁹ You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.’

³⁰ “Say to the Levites: ‘When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress.^{(BK) 31} You and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere, for it is your wages for your work at the tent of meeting.^{(BL) 32} By presenting the best part^(BM) of it you will not be guilty in this matter;^(BN) then you will not defile the holy offerings^(BO) of the Israelites, and you will not die.’”

The Water of Cleansing

19 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: ² “This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer^(BP) without defect or blemish^(BQ) and that has never been under a yoke.^{(BR) 3} Give it to Eleazar^(BS) the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp^(BT) and slaughtered in his presence. ⁴ Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle^(BU) it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting. ⁵ While he watches, the heifer is to be burned—its hide, flesh, blood and intestines.^{(BV) 6} The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop^(BW) and scarlet wool^(BX) and throw them onto the burning heifer. ⁷ After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water.^(BY) He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening. ⁸ The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening.

⁹ “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer^(BZ) and put them in a ceremonially clean place^(CA) outside the camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing;^(CB) it is for purification from sin.^{(CC) 10} The man who gathers up^(CD) the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he too will be unclean till evening.^(CE) This will be a lasting ordinance^(CF) both for the Israelites and for the foreigners residing among them.^(CG)

¹¹ “Whoever touches a human corpse^(CH) will be unclean for seven days.^{(CI) 12} They must purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day;^(CJ) then they will be clean. But if they do not purify themselves on the third and seventh days, they will not be clean.^{(CK) 13} If they fail to purify themselves after touching a human corpse,^(CL) they defile the Lord’s tabernacle.^(CM) They must be cut off from Israel.^(CN) Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, they are unclean;^(CO) their uncleanness remains on them.

¹⁴ “This is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, ¹⁵ and every open container^(CP) without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.

¹⁶ “Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death,^(CQ) or anyone who touches a human bone^(CR) or a grave,^(CS) will be unclean for seven days.^(CT)

¹⁷ “For the unclean person, put some ashes^(CU) from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water^(CV) over them. ¹⁸ Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop,^(CW) dip it in the water and sprinkle^(CX) the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave^(CY) or anyone who has been killed or anyone who has died a natural death. ¹⁹ The man who is clean is to sprinkle^(CZ) those who are unclean on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify them.^(DA) Those who are being cleansed must wash their clothes^(DB) and bathe with water, and that evening they will be clean. ²⁰ But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled^(DC) the sanctuary of the Lord.^(DD) The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean.^{(DE) 21} This is a lasting ordinance^(DF) for them.

“The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening. ²² Anything that an unclean^(DG) person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean till evening.”

Water From the Rock

20 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin,^(DH) and they stayed at Kadesh.^(DI) There Miriam^(DJ) died and was buried.

² Now there was no water^(DK) for the community,^(DL) and the people gathered in opposition^(DM) to Moses and Aaron. ³ They quarreled^(DN) with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead^(DO) before the Lord!^{(DP) 4} Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness,^(DQ) that we and our livestock should die here?^{(DR) 5} Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates.^(DS) And there is no water to drink!^(DT)”

⁶ Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting^(DU) and fell facedown,^(DV) and the glory of the Lord^(DW) appeared to them. ⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ⁸ “Take the staff,^(DX) and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.^(DY) You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

⁹ So Moses took the staff^(DZ) from the Lord’s presence,^(EA) just as he commanded him. ¹⁰ He and Aaron gathered the assembly together^(EB) in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”^{(EC) 11} Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water^(ED) gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

¹² But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy^(EE) in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”^(EF)

¹³ These were the waters of Meribah,^[d](EG) where the Israelites quarreled^(EH) with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them.^(EI)

Edom Denies Israel Passage

¹⁴ Moses sent messengers from Kadesh^(EJ) to the king of Edom,^(EK) saying:

¹⁸ But Edom^(EV) answered:

¹⁹ The Israelites replied:

²⁰ Again they answered:

Then Edom^(FA) came out against them with a large and powerful army. ²¹ Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory,^(FB) Israel turned away from them.^(FC)

The Death of Aaron

²² The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh^(FD) and came to Mount Hor.^{(FE) 23} At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom,^(FF) the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ²⁴ “Aaron will be gathered to his people.^(FG) He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command^(FH) at the waters of Meribah.^{(FI) 25} Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor.^{(FJ) 26} Remove Aaron’s garments^(FK) and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people;^(FL) he will die there.”

²⁷ Moses did as the Lord commanded: They went up Mount Hor^(FM) in the sight of the whole community. ²⁸ Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar.^(FN) And Aaron died there^(FO) on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain, ²⁹ and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died,^(FP) all the Israelites mourned for him^(FQ) thirty days.