The Daily Audio Bible
The Lighting in the Tabernacle
8 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Speak to Aaron and tell him: When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps are to give light in front of the lampstand.” 3 So Aaron did this; he set up its lamps to give light in front of the lampstand just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 4 This is the way the lampstand was made: it was a hammered work of gold, hammered from its base to its flower petals. The lampstand was made according to the pattern the Lord had shown Moses.(A)
Consecration of the Levites
5 The Lord spoke to Moses: 6 “Take the Levites from among the Israelites and ceremonially cleanse them. 7 Do this to them for their purification: Sprinkle them with the purification water.(B) Have them shave their entire bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.(C)
8 “They are to take a young bull and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering. 9 Bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the entire Israelite community.(D) 10 Then present the Levites before the Lord, and have the Israelites lay their hands on them. 11 Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a presentation offering from the Israelites, so that they may perform the Lord’s work.(E) 12 Next the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls. Sacrifice one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites.(F)
13 “You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons, and you are to present them before the Lord as a presentation offering. 14 In this way you are to separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites so that the Levites will belong to me.(G) 15 After that the Levites may come to serve at the tent of meeting, once you have ceremonially cleansed them and presented them as a presentation offering.(H) 16 For they have been exclusively assigned to me from the Israelites.(I) I have taken them for myself in place of all who come first from the womb, every Israelite firstborn.(J) 17 For every firstborn among the Israelites is mine, both man and animal. I consecrated them to myself(K) on the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt. 18 But I have taken the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites. 19 From the Israelites, I have given the Levites exclusively to Aaron and his sons to perform the work for the Israelites at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary.”(L)
20 Moses, Aaron, and the entire Israelite community did this to the Levites. The Israelites did everything to them the Lord commanded Moses regarding the Levites. 21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes; then Aaron presented[a] them before the Lord as a presentation offering. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them ceremonially. 22 After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. So they did to them as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.
23 The Lord spoke to Moses: 24 “In regard to the Levites: From twenty-five years old or more, a man enters the service in the work at the tent of meeting.(M) 25 But at fifty years old he is to retire from his service in the work and no longer serve. 26 He may assist his brothers to fulfill responsibilities[b] at the tent of meeting,(N) but he must not do the work. This is how you are to deal with the Levites regarding their duties.”
The Second Passover
9 In the first month of the second year after their departure from the land of Egypt, the Lord told Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai,(O) 2 “The Israelites are to observe the Passover at its appointed time.(P) 3 You must observe it at its appointed time on the fourteenth day of this month at twilight; you are to observe it according to all its statutes and ordinances.”(Q) 4 So Moses told the Israelites to observe the Passover, 5 and they observed it in the first month on the fourteenth day at twilight in the Wilderness of Sinai. The Israelites did everything as the Lord had commanded Moses.
6 But there were some men who were unclean because of a human corpse, so they could not observe the Passover on that day.(R) These men came before Moses and Aaron the same day 7 and said to him, “We are unclean because of a human corpse. Why should we be excluded from presenting the Lord’s offering at its appointed time with the other Israelites?”
8 Moses replied to them, “Wait here until I hear what the Lord commands for you.”
9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 10 “Tell the Israelites: When any one of you or your descendants is unclean because of a corpse(S) or is on a distant journey, he may still observe the Passover to the Lord. 11 Such people are to observe it in the second month, on the fourteenth day at twilight. They are to eat the animal with unleavened bread and bitter herbs;(T) 12 they may not leave any of it until morning or break any of its bones.(U) They must observe the Passover according to all its statutes.
13 “But the man who is ceremonially clean, is not on a journey, and yet fails to observe the Passover is to be cut off from his people, because he did not present the Lord’s offering at its appointed time. That man will bear the consequences of his sin.
14 “If an alien resides with you and wants to observe the Passover to the Lord,(V) he is to do it according to the Passover statute and its ordinances. You are to apply the same statute to both the resident alien and the native of the land.”(W)
Guidance by the Cloud
15 On the day the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony,(X) and it appeared like fire above the tabernacle from evening until morning. 16 It remained that way continuously: the cloud would cover it,[c] appearing like fire at night.(Y) 17 Whenever the cloud was lifted up above the tent, the Israelites would set out; at the place where the cloud stopped, there the Israelites camped.(Z) 18 At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at the Lord’s command they camped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they camped.
19 Even when the cloud stayed over the tabernacle many days, the Israelites carried out the Lord’s requirement and did not set out. 20 Sometimes the cloud remained over the tabernacle for only a few days. They would camp at the Lord’s command and set out at the Lord’s command. 21 Sometimes the cloud remained only from evening until morning; when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out. Or if it remained a day and a night, they moved out when the cloud lifted. 22 Whether it was two days, a month, or longer,[d] the Israelites camped and did not set out as long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle. But when it was lifted, they set out. 23 They camped at the Lord’s command, and they set out at the Lord’s command. They carried out the Lord’s requirement according to his command through Moses.
The Great Tribulation
14 “When you see the abomination of desolation[a](A) standing where it should not be” (let the reader understand), “then those in Judea(B) must flee to the mountains. 15 A man on the housetop must not come down or go in to get anything out of his house,(C) 16 and a man in the field must not go back to get his coat.(D) 17 Woe (E) to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days!
18 “Pray(F) it[b] won’t happen in winter. 19 For those will be days of tribulation,(G) the kind that hasn’t been from the beginning(H) of creation(I) until now and never will be again. 20 If the Lord(J) had not cut those days short,(K) no one would be saved. But he cut those days short for the sake of the elect,(L) whom he chose.(M)
21 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘See, here is the Messiah!(N) See, there!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders(O) to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 And you must watch! I have told you everything in advance.
The Coming of the Son of Man
24 “But in those days, after that tribulation:(P) The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; 25 the stars(Q) will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.(R) 26 Then they will see the Son of Man(S) coming(T) in clouds(U) with great power(V) and glory.(W) 27 He will send out the angels(X) and gather his elect(Y) from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.(Z)
The Parable of the Fig Tree
28 “Learn(AA) this lesson(AB) from the fig(AC) tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.(AD) 29 In the same way, when you see these things happening, recognize[c] that he[d] is near—at the door.
30 “Truly I tell you,(AE) this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth(AF) will pass away,(AG) but my words will never pass away.(AH)
No One Knows the Day or Hour
32 “Now concerning that day(AI) or hour no one knows—neither the angels(AJ) in heaven nor the Son(AK) —but only the Father.(AL)
33 “Watch! Be alert![e] For you don’t know when the time(AM) is coming.(AN)
34 “It is like(AO) a man on a journey, who left his house, gave authority to his servants,(AP) gave each one his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to be alert. 35 Therefore be alert,(AQ) since you don’t know when the master(AR) of the house is coming—whether in the evening or at midnight or at the crowing of the rooster or early in the morning. 36 Otherwise, when he comes suddenly he might find you sleeping.(AS) 37 And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert!”
Psalm 50
God as Judge
A psalm of Asaph.(A)
1 The Mighty One, God,[a] the Lord, speaks;
he summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.(B)
2 From Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God appears in radiance.[b](C)
3 Our God is coming; he will not be silent!
Devouring fire precedes him,
and a storm rages around him.(D)
4 On high, he summons heaven and earth
in order to judge his people:(E)
5 “Gather my faithful ones to me,
those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”(F)
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,(G)
for God is the Judge.(H)Selah
7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
I will testify against you, Israel.
I am God, your God.(I)
8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices
or for your burnt offerings,
which are continually before me.(J)
9 I will not take a bull from your household
or male goats from your pens,(K)
10 for every animal of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird of the mountains,
and the creatures of the field are mine.(L)
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and everything in it is mine.(M)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?(N)
14 Offer a thanksgiving sacrifice to God,(O)
and pay your vows to the Most High.(P)
15 Call on me in a day of trouble;
I will rescue you, and you will honor me.”(Q)
16 But God says to the wicked:
“What right do you have to recite my statutes
and to take my covenant on your lips?(R)
17 You hate instruction
and fling my words behind you.(S)
18 When you see a thief,
you make friends with him,
and you associate with adulterers.(T)
19 You unleash your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue for deceit.(U)
20 You sit, maligning your brother,
slandering your mother’s son.(V)
21 You have done these things, and I kept silent;
you thought I was just like you.(W)
But I will rebuke you
and lay out the case before you.[c](X)
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