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14 When someone dedicates their house to the Lord as holy, the priest will assign a value to it, whether high or low. The value is fixed, whatever value the priest assigns to it. 15 If the one who dedicates the house wishes to buy it back, they must add one-fifth to its valued price, and it will be theirs again.
16 If a person dedicates part of the land from their family property to the Lord, the value will be set according to the seed needed to plant it: fifty silver shekels per homer of barley seed. 17 If the person dedicates the piece of land during the Jubilee year, its value will stay fixed. 18 But if the person dedicates the piece after the Jubilee year, the priest will calculate the price according to the years that are left until the next Jubilee year, and the value will be reduced. 19 If the one who dedicates the land wishes to buy it back, they must add one-fifth to its valued price, and it will be theirs again. 20 But if they do not buy it back or if it was sold to someone else, it is no longer able to be bought back. 21 When the piece of land is released in the Jubilee year, it will be holy to the Lord like a piece of devoted land; it will be the priest’s property. 22 If the person dedicates land they purchased to the Lord—land that is not part of their family property— 23 the priest will calculate the amount of its value until the Jubilee year. The person must pay the value on that day as a holy donation to the Lord. 24 In the Jubilee year the piece of land will return to the seller, to the one who is the original owner of the family property. 25 Every value will be according to the sanctuary’s shekel. The shekel will be twenty gerahs.
26 But note that a person cannot dedicate any oldest offspring from livestock, which already belongs to the Lord because it is the oldest. Whether ox or sheep, it belongs to the Lord. 27 If it is an unclean animal, it may be bought back at its value plus twenty percent. If it is not bought back, it will be sold at its set value.
28 Also note that everything someone devotes[a] to the Lord from their possessions—whether humans, animals, or pieces of land from their family property—cannot be sold or bought back. Every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord. 29 No human beings that have been devoted can be bought back; they must be executed.
30 All tenth-part gifts[b] from the land, whether of seed from the ground or fruit from the trees, belong to the Lord; they are holy to the Lord. 31 If someone wishes to buy back part of their tenth-part gift, they must add one-fifth to it. 32 All tenth-part gifts from a herd or flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s staff—will be holy to the Lord. 33 The one bringing the tenth-part gift must not pick out the good from the bad, and cannot substitute any animal. But if one should substitute an animal, both it and the substitute will be holy and cannot be bought back.
34 These are the commands that the Lord gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.
First census
1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert in the meeting tent on the first day of the second month,[c] in the second year after they left the land of Egypt: 2 Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their clans and their households, recording the name of every male, 3 20 years old and above, who is eligible for military service in Israel. These you and Aaron will enlist in their military units. 4 Take with you one man from each tribe who is the head of his household. 5 These are the names of the men who will assist you:
from Reuben, Elizur, Shedeur’s son;
6 from Simeon, Shelumiel, Zurishaddai’s son;
7 from Judah, Nahshon, Amminadab’s son;
8 from Issachar, Nethanel, Zuar’s son;
9 from Zebulun, Eliab, Helon’s son;
10 from Joseph’s sons:
from Ephraim, Elishama, Ammihud’s son;
from Manasseh, Gamaliel, Pedahzur’s son;
11 from Benjamin, Abidan, Gideoni’s son;
12 from Dan, Ahiezer, Ammishaddai’s son;
13 from Asher, Pagiel, Ochran’s son;
14 from Gad, Eliasaph, Deuel’s son;
15 from Naphtali, Ahira, Enan’s son.
16 These are the ones appointed from the community, chiefs of their ancestral tribes and leaders of the divisions of Israel.
17 Moses and Aaron took these men who were selected by name 18 and they assembled the entire community on the first day of the second month. They registered them by their clans and their households, recording the name of each male 20 years old and above. 19 Moses enlisted them in the Sinai desert just as the Lord commanded him.
20 There were the descendants of Reuben, Israel’s oldest, registered by their clans and their households. Every man 20 years old and above eligible for military service was individually recorded by name. 21 Those enlisted from the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.
22 There were the descendants of Simeon, registered by their clans and their households. Every male 20 years old and above eligible for military service was individually recorded by name. 23 Those enlisted from the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.
24 There were the descendants of Gad, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 25 Those enlisted from the tribe of Gad were 45,650.
26 There were the descendants of Judah, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 27 Those enlisted from the tribe of Judah were 74,600.
28 There were the descendants of Issachar, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 29 Those enlisted from the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.
30 There were the descendants of Zebulun, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 31 Those enlisted from the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.
32 From Joseph’s descendants there were the descendants of Ephraim, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 33 Those enlisted from the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.
34 There were the descendants of Manasseh, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 35 Those enlisted from the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.
36 There were the descendants of Benjamin, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 37 Those enlisted from the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.
38 There were the descendants of Dan, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 39 Those enlisted from the tribe of Dan were 62,700.
40 There were the descendants of Asher, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 41 Those enlisted from the tribe of Asher were 41,500.
42 There were the descendants of Naphtali, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 43 Those enlisted from the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.
44 These are the ones who were enlisted by Moses, Aaron, and the twelve chiefs of Israel, each from his own household. 45 All the Israelites 20 years old and above eligible for military service in Israel were enlisted by their households. 46 All those enlisted were 603,550. 47 But the Levites, belonging to their own ancestral tribe, weren’t enlisted along with them.
The Levites’ exclusion from the census
48 The Lord spoke to Moses: 49 You must not enlist the tribe of Levi, nor should you take their census along with the Israelites. 50 Rather, assign the Levites to the covenant dwelling, to all its equipment, and to everything that belongs to it. They will carry the dwelling and all its equipment, perform its religious ceremonies, and camp around the dwelling. 51 When it’s time to break camp, the Levites will take down the dwelling; and when it’s time to make camp, the Levites will set up the dwelling. Any other person who approaches will be put to death. 52 The Israelites will camp each in their own place under the banner of their own military unit. 53 But the Levites will camp around the covenant dwelling so that God’s anger will not strike the Israelite community. The Levites will guard the covenant dwelling.
54 The Israelites did everything exactly as the Lord commanded Moses.
Jesus enters Jerusalem
11 When Jesus and his followers approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives. Jesus gave two disciples a task, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village over there. As soon as you enter it, you will find tied up there a colt that no one has ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘Its master needs it, and he will send it back right away.’”
4 They went and found a colt tied to a gate outside on the street, and they untied it. 5 Some people standing around said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 They told them just what Jesus said, and they left them alone. 7 They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes upon it, and he sat on it. 8 Many people spread out their clothes on the road while others spread branches cut from the fields. 9 Those in front of him and those following were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord![a] 10 Blessings on the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest!” 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. After he looked around at everything, because it was already late in the evening, he returned to Bethany with the Twelve.
Fig tree and the temple
12 The next day, after leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 From far away, he noticed a fig tree in leaf, so he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing except leaves, since it wasn’t the season for figs. 14 So he said to it, “No one will ever again eat your fruit!” His disciples heard this.
15 They came into Jerusalem. After entering the temple, he threw out those who were selling and buying there. He pushed over the tables used for currency exchange and the chairs of those who sold doves. 16 He didn’t allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 He taught them, “Hasn’t it been written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?[b] But you’ve turned it into a hideout for crooks.”[c] 18 The chief priests and legal experts heard this and tried to find a way to destroy him. They regarded him as dangerous because the whole crowd was enthralled at his teaching. 19 When it was evening, Jesus and his disciples went outside the city.
Power, prayer, and forgiveness
20 Early in the morning, as Jesus and his disciples were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered from the root up. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look how the fig tree you cursed has dried up.”
22 Jesus responded to them, “Have faith in God! 23 I assure you that whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea’—and doesn’t waver but believes that what is said will really happen—it will happen. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you will receive it, and it will be so for you. 25 And whenever you stand up to pray, if you have something against anyone, forgive so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your wrongdoings.”[d]
Psalm 46
For the music leader. Of the Korahites. According to Alamoth.[a] A song.
46 God is our refuge and strength,
a help always near in times of great trouble.
2 That’s why we won’t be afraid when the world falls apart,
when the mountains crumble into the center of the sea,
3 when its waters roar and rage,
when the mountains shake because of its surging waves. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams gladden God’s city,
the holiest dwelling of the Most High.
5 God is in that city. It will never crumble.
God will help it when morning dawns.
6 Nations roar; kingdoms crumble.
God utters his voice; the earth melts.
7 The Lord of heavenly forces is with us!
The God of Jacob is our place of safety. Selah
8 Come, see the Lord’s deeds,
what devastation he has imposed on the earth—
9 bringing wars to an end in every corner of the world,
breaking the bow and shattering the spear,
burning chariots with fire.
10 “That’s enough! Now know that I am God!
I am exalted among all nations; I am exalted throughout the world!”
11 The Lord of heavenly forces is with us!
The God of Jacob is our place of safety. Selah
23 Fools enjoy vile deeds,
but those with understanding take pleasure in wisdom.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible