Numbers 36

New International Version

Inheritance of Zelophehad’s Daughters^(A)

36 The family heads of the clan of Gilead^(B) son of Makir,^(C) the son of Manasseh, who were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph,^(D) came and spoke before Moses and the leaders,^(E) the heads of the Israelite families. ²They said, “When the Lord commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot,^(F) he ordered you to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad^(G) to his daughters. ³Now suppose they marry men from other Israelite tribes; then their inheritance will be taken from our ancestral inheritance and added to that of the tribe they marry into. And so part of the inheritance allotted to us will be taken away. ⁴When the Year of Jubilee^(H) for the Israelites comes, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their property will be taken from the tribal inheritance of our ancestors.”

⁵Then at the Lord’s command Moses gave this order to the Israelites: “What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is right. ⁶This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within their father’s tribal clan. ⁷No inheritance^(I) in Israel is to pass from one tribe to another, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal inheritance of their ancestors. ⁸Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father’s tribal clan,^(J) so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of their ancestors. ⁹No inheritance may pass from one tribe to another, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits.”

¹⁰So Zelophehad’s daughters did as the Lord commanded Moses. ¹¹Zelophehad’s daughters—Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milkah and Noah^(K)—married their cousins on their father’s side. ¹²They married within the clans of the descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in their father’s tribe and clan.^(L)

¹³These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses^(M) to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.^(N)

Isaiah 28

New International Version

Woe to the Leaders of Ephraim and Judah

28 Woe^(A) to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s^(B) drunkards,
    to the fading flower, his glorious beauty,
set on the head of a fertile valley^(C)—
    to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!^(D)
²See, the Lord has one who is powerful^(E) and strong.
    Like a hailstorm^(F) and a destructive wind,^(G)
like a driving rain and a flooding^(H) downpour,
    he will throw it forcefully to the ground.
³That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s^(I) drunkards,
    will be trampled^(J) underfoot.
⁴That fading flower, his glorious beauty,
    set on the head of a fertile valley,^(K)
will be like figs^(L) ripe before harvest—
    as soon as people see them and take them in hand,
    they swallow them.

⁵In that day^(M) the Lord Almighty
    will be a glorious^(N) crown,^(O)
a beautiful wreath
    for the remnant^(P) of his people.
⁶He will be a spirit of justice^(Q)
    to the one who sits in judgment,^(R)
a source of strength
    to those who turn back the battle^(S) at the gate.

⁷And these also stagger^(T) from wine^(U)
    and reel^(V) from beer:
Priests^(W) and prophets^(X) stagger from beer
    and are befuddled with wine;
they reel from beer,
    they stagger when seeing visions,^(Y)
    they stumble when rendering decisions.
⁸All the tables are covered with vomit^(Z)
    and there is not a spot without filth.

⁹“Who is it he is trying to teach?^(AA)
    To whom is he explaining his message?^(AB)
To children weaned^(AC) from their milk,^(AD)
    to those just taken from the breast?
¹⁰For it is:
    Do this, do that,
    a rule for this, a rule for that^[a];
    a little here, a little there.^(AE)”

¹¹Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues^(AF)
    God will speak to this people,^(AG)
¹²to whom he said,
    “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”;^(AH)
and, “This is the place of repose”—
    but they would not listen.
¹³So then, the word of the Lord to them will become:
    Do this, do that,
    a rule for this, a rule for that;
    a little here, a little there^(AI)—
so that as they go they will fall backward;
    they will be injured^(AJ) and snared and captured.^(AK)

¹⁴Therefore hear the word of the Lord,^(AL) you scoffers^(AM)
    who rule this people in Jerusalem.
¹⁵You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death,^(AN)
    with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement.
When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,^(AO)
    it cannot touch us,
for we have made a lie^(AP) our refuge
    and falsehood^[b] our hiding place.^(AQ)”

¹⁶So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,^(AR) a tested stone,^(AS)
    a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;^(AT)
the one who relies on it
    will never be stricken with panic.^(AU)
¹⁷I will make justice^(AV) the measuring line
    and righteousness the plumb line;^(AW)
hail^(AX) will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
    and water will overflow^(AY) your hiding place.
¹⁸Your covenant with death will be annulled;
    your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand.^(AZ)
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,^(BA)
    you will be beaten down^(BB) by it.
¹⁹As often as it comes it will carry you away;^(BC)
    morning after morning,^(BD) by day and by night,
    it will sweep through.”

The understanding of this message
    will bring sheer terror.^(BE)
²⁰The bed is too short to stretch out on,
    the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.^(BF)
²¹The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim,^(BG)
    he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon^(BH)—
to do his work,^(BI) his strange work,
    and perform his task, his alien task.
²²Now stop your mocking,^(BJ)
    or your chains will become heavier;
the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me
    of the destruction decreed^(BK) against the whole land.^(BL)

²³Listen^(BM) and hear my voice;
    pay attention and hear what I say.
²⁴When a farmer plows for planting,^(BN) does he plow continually?
    Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?
²⁵When he has leveled the surface,
    does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin?^(BO)
Does he not plant wheat in its place,^[c]
    barley^(BP) in its plot,^[d]
    and spelt^(BQ) in its field?
²⁶His God instructs him
    and teaches^(BR) him the right way.

²⁷Caraway is not threshed^(BS) with a sledge,^(BT)
    nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin;
caraway is beaten out with a rod,^(BU)
    and cumin with a stick.
²⁸Grain must be ground to make bread;
    so one does not go on threshing it forever.
The wheels of a threshing cart^(BV) may be rolled over it,
    but one does not use horses to grind grain.
²⁹All this also comes from the Lord Almighty,
    whose plan is wonderful,^(BW)
    whose wisdom is magnificent.^(BX)

Footnotes

Isaiah 28:10 Hebrew / sav lasav sav lasav / kav lakav kav lakav (probably meaningless sounds mimicking the prophet’s words); also in verse 13
Isaiah 28:15 Or false gods
Isaiah 28:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Isaiah 28:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

Psalm 141

New International Version

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

¹I call to you, Lord, come quickly^(A) to me;
hear me^(B) when I call to you.
²May my prayer be set before you like incense;^(C)
may the lifting up of my hands^(D) be like the evening sacrifice.^(E)

³Set a guard over my mouth,^(F) Lord;
    keep watch over the door of my lips.^(G)
⁴Do not let my heart^(H) be drawn to what is evil
    so that I take part in wicked deeds^(I)
along with those who are evildoers;
    do not let me eat their delicacies.^(J)

⁵Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me^(K)—that is oil on my head.^(L)
My head will not refuse it,
for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

⁶Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,^(M)
and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
⁷They will say, “As one plows^(N) and breaks up the earth,^(O)
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth^(P) of the grave.”

⁸But my eyes are fixed^(Q) on you, Sovereign Lord;
    in you I take refuge^(R)—do not give me over to death.
⁹Keep me safe^(S) from the traps set by evildoers,^(T)
    from the snares^(U) they have laid for me.
¹⁰Let the wicked fall^(V) into their own nets,
    while I pass by in safety.^(W)