The Silver Trumpets

10 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for ^(A)summoning the congregation and for breaking camp. ³ And when ^(B)both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting. ⁴ But if they blow only one, then ^(C)the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. ⁵ When you blow an alarm, ^(D)the camps that are on the east side shall set out. ⁶ And when you blow an alarm the second time, ^(E)the camps that are on the south side shall set out. An alarm is to be blown whenever they are to set out. ⁷ But when the assembly is to be gathered together, ^(F)you shall blow a long blast, but you shall not ^(G)sound an alarm. ^8 (H)And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. The trumpets shall be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations. ⁹ And ^(I)when you go to war in your land against the adversary who ^(J)oppresses you, then you shall ^(K)sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be ^(L)remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. ^10 (M)On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and ^(N)at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be ^(O)a reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”

Israel Leaves Sinai

¹¹ In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, ^(P)the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony, ¹² and the people of Israel ^(Q)set out by stages from the ^(R)wilderness of Sinai. And the cloud settled down in the ^(S)wilderness of Paran. ¹³ They set out for the first time ^(T)at the command of the Lord by Moses. ¹⁴ The standard of the camp of the people of Judah set out ^(U)first by their companies, and over their company was ^(V)Nahshon the son of Amminadab. ¹⁵ And over the company of the tribe of the people of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. ¹⁶ And over the company of the tribe of the people of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.

¹⁷ And when ^(W)the tabernacle was taken down, the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, ^(X)who carried the tabernacle, set out. ¹⁸ And ^(Y)the standard of the camp of Reuben set out by their companies, and over their company was ^(Z)Elizur the son of Shedeur. ¹⁹ And over the company of the tribe of the people of Simeon was ^(AA)Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. ²⁰ And over the company of the tribe of the people of Gad was ^(AB)Eliasaph the son of ^(AC)Deuel.

²¹ Then the Kohathites set out, ^(AD)carrying the holy things, and ^(AE)the tabernacle was set up before their arrival. ²² And ^(AF)the standard of the camp of the people of Ephraim set out by their companies, and over their company was ^(AG)Elishama the son of Ammihud. ²³ And over the company of the tribe of the people of Manasseh was ^(AH)Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. ²⁴ And over the company of the tribe of the people of Benjamin was ^(AI)Abidan the son of Gideoni.

²⁵ Then ^(AJ)the standard of the camp of the people of Dan, acting as the ^(AK)rear guard of all the camps, set out by their companies, and over their company was ^(AL)Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. ²⁶ And over the company of the tribe of the people of Asher was ^(AM)Pagiel the son of Ochran. ²⁷ And over the company of the tribe of the people of Naphtali was ^(AN)Ahira the son of Enan. ^28 (AO)This was the order of march of the people of Israel by their companies, when they set out.

²⁹ And Moses said to Hobab the son of ^(AP)Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, ^(AQ)‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will do good to you, for ^(AR)the Lord has promised good to Israel.” ³⁰ But he said to him, “I will not go. I will depart to my own land and to my kindred.” ³¹ And he said, “Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve ^(AS)as eyes for us. ³² And if you do go with us, ^(AT)whatever good the Lord will do to us, the same will we do to you.”

³³ So they set out from ^(AU)the mount of the Lord three days' journey. And the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them three days' journey, to seek out ^(AV)a resting place for them. ^34 (AW)And the cloud of the Lord was over them by day, whenever they set out from the camp.

³⁵ And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, ^(AX)“Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” ³⁶ And when it rested, he said, “Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.”

The People Complain

11 And ^(AY)the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, ^(AZ)his anger was kindled, and ^(BA)the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. ² Then ^(BB)the people cried out to Moses, ^(BC)and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down. ³ So the name of that place was called ^(BD)Taberah,^[a] because the fire of the Lord burned among them.

⁴ Now the ^(BE)rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also ^(BF)wept again and said, ^(BG)“Oh that we had meat to eat! ^5 (BH)We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. ⁶ But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”

⁷ Now ^(BI)the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. ^8 (BJ)The people went about and gathered it and ground it in handmills or beat it in mortars and boiled it in pots and made cakes of it. ^(BK)And the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. ^9 (BL)When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it.

¹⁰ Moses heard the people ^(BM)weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. ^11 (BN)Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? ¹² Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ^(BO)‘Carry them in your bosom, as a ^(BP)nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land ^(BQ)that you swore to give their fathers? ^13 (BR)Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ ^14 (BS)I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. ¹⁵ If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”

Elders Appointed to Aid Moses

¹⁶ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me ^(BT)seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and ^(BU)officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. ^17 (BV)And I will come down and talk with you there. And ^(BW)I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and ^(BX)they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone. ¹⁸ And say to the people, ^(BY)‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? ^(BZ)For it was better for us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. ¹⁹ You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, ²⁰ but a whole month, ^(CA)until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, ^(CB)“Why did we come out of Egypt?”’” ²¹ But Moses said, ^(CC)“The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!’ ^22 (CD)Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, and be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, and be enough for them?” ²³ And the Lord said to Moses, ^(CE)“Is the Lord's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether ^(CF)my word will come true for you or not.”

²⁴ So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. ^(CG)And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. ²⁵ Then ^(CH)the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.

²⁶ Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they ^(CI)had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. ²⁷ And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” ²⁸ And ^(CJ)Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, ^(CK)stop them.” ²⁹ But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? ^(CL)Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” ³⁰ And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

Quail and a Plague

³¹ Then a ^(CM)wind from the Lord sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits^[b] above the ground. ³² And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten ^(CN)homers.^[c] And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. ^33 (CO)While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and ^(CP)the Lord struck down the people with a very great plague. ³⁴ Therefore the name of that place was called ^(CQ)Kibroth-hattaavah,^[d] because there they buried the people who had the craving. ^35 (CR)From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed to ^(CS)Hazeroth, and they remained at ^(CT)Hazeroth.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, ^(A)the Son of God.^[a]

^2 (B)As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,^[b]

^4 (F)John appeared, baptizing in ^(G)the wilderness and proclaiming ^(H)a baptism of ^(I)repentance ^(J)for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, ^(K)confessing their sins. ⁶ Now John was ^(L)clothed with camel's hair and ^(M)wore a leather belt around his waist and ate ^(N)locusts and ^(O)wild honey. ⁷ And he preached, saying, ^(P)“After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ^8 (Q)I have baptized you with water, but ^(R)he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism of Jesus

^9 (S)In those days Jesus ^(T)came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ And when he came up out of the water, immediately he ^(U)saw ^(V)the heavens being torn open ^(W)and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹ And ^(X)a voice came from heaven, ^(Y)“You are my beloved Son;^[d] with you I am well pleased.”

The Temptation of Jesus

^12 (Z)The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. ^13 (AA)And he was in the wilderness forty days, being ^(AB)tempted by ^(AC)Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and ^(AD)the angels were ministering to him.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

^14 (AE)Now after John was arrested, Jesus ^(AF)came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, ¹⁵ and saying, ^(AG)“The time is fulfilled, and ^(AH)the kingdom of God is at hand;^{[e] (AI)}repent and believe in the gospel.”

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

^16 (AJ)Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become ^(AK)fishers of men.”^{[f] 18} And immediately they left their nets and followed him. ¹⁹ And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. ²⁰ And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit

^21 (AL)And they went into Capernaum, and immediately ^(AM)on the Sabbath ^(AN)he entered the synagogue and was teaching. ²² And ^(AO)they were astonished at his teaching, ^(AP)for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. ²³ And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ^24 (AQ)“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? ^(AR)I know who you are—^(AS)the Holy One of God.” ²⁵ But Jesus ^(AT)rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” ²⁶ And the unclean spirit, ^(AU)convulsing him and ^(AV)crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷ And they were all ^(AW)amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? ^(AX)A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” ²⁸ And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Jesus Heals Many

^29 (AY)And immediately he^{[g] (AZ)}left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. ³⁰ Now ^(BA)Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. ³¹ And he came and ^(BB)took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

³² That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or ^(BC)oppressed by demons. ³³ And the whole city was gathered together at the door. ^34 (BD)And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And ^(BE)he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

Jesus Preaches in Galilee

^35 (BF)And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and ^(BG)there he prayed. ³⁶ And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, ³⁷ and they found him and said to him, ^(BH)“Everyone is looking for you.” ³⁸ And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for ^(BI)that is why I came out.” ^39 (BJ)And ^(BK)he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

^40 (BL)And a leper^[h] came to him, imploring him, and ^(BM)kneeling said to him, ^(BN)“If you will, you can make me clean.” ⁴¹ Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” ⁴² And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. ⁴³ And ^(BO)Jesus^[i] sternly charged him and sent him away at once, ⁴⁴ and said to him, ^(BP)“See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, ^(BQ)show yourself to the priest and ^(BR)offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, ^(BS)for a proof to them.” ^45 (BT)But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter ^(BU)a town, but was out in ^(BV)desolate places, and ^(BW)people were coming to him from every quarter.