Organization of the Camps

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: “The Israelites are to camp under their respective banners beside the flags of their ancestral families.[a] They are to camp around the tent of meeting at a distance from it:

Judah’s military divisions(A) will camp on the east side toward the sunrise under their banner. The leader of the descendants of Judah is Nahshon(B) son of Amminadab. His military division numbers 74,600. The tribe of Issachar will camp next to it. The leader of the Issacharites is Nethanel son of Zuar. His military division numbers 54,400. The tribe of Zebulun will be next. The leader of the Zebulunites is Eliab son of Helon. His military division numbers 57,400. The total number in their military divisions who belong to Judah’s encampment is 186,400; they will move out first.

10 Reuben’s military divisions will camp on the south side under their banner. The leader of the Reubenites is Elizur son of Shedeur. 11 His military division numbers 46,500. 12 The tribe of Simeon will camp next to it. The leader of the Simeonites is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 13 His military division numbers 59,300. 14 The tribe of Gad will be next. The leader of the Gadites is Eliasaph son of Deuel.[b] 15 His military division numbers 45,650. 16 The total number in their military divisions who belong to Reuben’s encampment is 151,450; they will move out second.

17 The tent of meeting is to move out with the Levites’ camp, which is in the middle of the camps. They are to move out just as they camp, each in his place,[c] with their banners.

18 Ephraim’s military divisions will camp on the west side under their banner. The leader of the Ephraimites is Elishama son of Ammihud. 19 His military division numbers 40,500. 20 The tribe of Manasseh will be next to it. The leader of the Manassites is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 21 His military division numbers 32,200. 22 The tribe of Benjamin will be next. The leader of the Benjaminites is Abidan son of Gideoni. 23 His military division numbers 35,400. 24 The total in their military divisions who belong to Ephraim’s encampment number 108,100; they will move out third.

25 Dan’s military divisions will camp on the north side under their banner. The leader of the Danites is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 26 His military division numbers 62,700. 27 The tribe of Asher will camp next to it. The leader of the Asherites is Pagiel son of Ochran. 28 His military division numbers 41,500. 29 The tribe of Naphtali will be next. The leader of the Naphtalites is Ahira son of Enan. 30 His military division numbers 53,400. 31 The total number who belong to Dan’s encampment is 157,600; they are to move out last, with their banners.”

32 These are the Israelites registered by their ancestral families. The total number in the camps by their military divisions is 603,550. 33 But the Levites were not registered among the Israelites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.(C)

34 The Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; they camped by their banners in this way and moved out the same way, each man by his clan and by his ancestral family.[d](D)

Footnotes

  1. 2:2 Lit the house of their fathers, also in v. 32
  2. 2:14 Some Hb mss, Sam, Vg; other Hb mss read Reuel
  3. 2:17 Lit each on his hand
  4. 2:34 Lit the house of his fathers

Psalm 36

Human Wickedness and God’s Love

For the choir director. Of David, the Lord’s servant.

An oracle within my heart
concerning the transgression of the wicked person:
Dread of God has no effect on him.[a](A)
For with his flattering opinion of himself,
he does not discover and hate his iniquity.(B)
The words from his mouth are malicious and deceptive;(C)
he has stopped acting wisely and doing good.(D)
Even on his bed he makes malicious plans.(E)
He sets himself on a path that is not good,
and he does not reject evil.(F)

Lord, your faithful love reaches to heaven,
your faithfulness to the clouds.(G)
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your judgments like the deepest sea.(H)
Lord, you preserve people and animals.(I)
How priceless your faithful love is, God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.(J)
They are filled from the abundance of your house.
You let them drink from your refreshing stream.(K)
For the wellspring of life is with you.(L)
By means of your light we see light.(M)

10 Spread your faithful love over those who know you,
and your righteousness over the upright in heart.(N)
11 Do not let the foot of the arrogant come near me
or the hand of the wicked drive me away.(O)
12 There! The evildoers have fallen.
They have been thrown down and cannot rise.(P)

Footnotes

  1. 36:1 Lit There is no dread of God in front of his eyes

The Twilight of Life

12 So remember your Creator in the days of your youth:

Before the days of adversity come,
and the years approach when you will say,(A)
“I have no delight in them”;
before the sun and the light are darkened,(B)
and the moon and the stars,
and the clouds return after[a] the rain;
on the day when the guardians of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
the women who grind grain cease because they are few,
and the ones who watch through the windows see dimly,(C)
the doors at the street are shut
while the sound of the mill fades;(D)
when one rises at the sound of a bird,
and all the daughters of song grow faint.
Also, they are afraid of heights and dangers on the road;
the almond tree blossoms,
the grasshopper loses its spring,[b]
and the caper berry has no effect;
for the mere mortal is headed to his eternal home,(E)
and mourners will walk around in the street;(F)
before the silver cord is snapped,[c]
and the gold bowl is broken,(G)
and the jar is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel is broken into the well;
and the dust returns to the earth as it once was,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.(H)

“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile.”(I)

The Teacher’s Objectives and Conclusion

In addition to the Teacher being a wise man, he constantly taught the people knowledge; he weighed, explored, and arranged many proverbs.(J) 10 The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and write words of truth accurately. 11 The sayings of the wise are like cattle prods,(K) and those from masters of collections are like firmly embedded nails.(L) The sayings are given by one Shepherd.[d]

12 But beyond these, my son, be warned: there is no end to the making of many books,(M) and much study wearies the body.(N) 13 When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God(O) and keep his commands, because this is for all[e] humanity.(P) 14 For God will bring every act to judgment,(Q) including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

Footnotes

  1. 12:2 Or with
  2. 12:5 Or grasshopper is weighed down, or grasshopper drags itself along
  3. 12:6 Alt Hb tradition reads removed
  4. 12:11 Or by a shepherd
  5. 12:13 Or is the whole duty of

Greeting

Paul,(A) a prisoner(B) of Christ Jesus,(C) and Timothy(D) our brother:

To Philemon our dear friend and coworker, to Apphia our sister,[a] to Archippus(E) our fellow soldier,(F) and to the church that meets in your home.(G)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon’s Love and Faith

I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, because I hear of your love(H) for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus. I pray that your participation in the faith may become effective(I) through knowing every good thing(J) that is in us[b] for the glory of Christ. For I have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed(K) through you, brother.

An Appeal for Onesimus

For this reason, although I have great boldness in Christ to command you to do what is right, I appeal to you, instead, on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an elderly man[c] and now also as a prisoner(L) of Christ Jesus, 10 appeal to you for my son,(M) Onesimus.[d](N) I became his father(O) while I was in chains. 11 Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me. 12 I am sending him back to you—I am sending my very own heart.[e][f] 13 I wanted to keep him with me, so that in my imprisonment for the gospel he might serve me in your place. 14 But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be out of obligation, but of your own free will. 15 For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave—as a dearly loved brother. He is especially so to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh(P) and in the Lord.(Q)

17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome(R) him as you would me. 18 And if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.(S) 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand:(T) I will repay it—not to mention to you that you owe me even your very self. 20 Yes, brother, may I benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Since I am confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 Meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, since I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

Final Greetings

23 Epaphras,(U) my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings, and so do 24 Mark,(V) Aristarchus,(W) Demas, and Luke,(X) my coworkers.

25 The grace of the Lord[g](Y) Jesus Christ be with your spirit.(Z)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Other mss read our beloved
  2. 6 Other mss read in you
  3. 9 Or an ambassador
  4. 10 In Gk, Onesimus means “useful”
  5. 12 Other mss read him back. Receive him, my own heart.
  6. 12 Lit you—that is, my own heart
  7. 25 Other mss read our Lord

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