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Lighting the Lamps
8 [a] The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Speak to Aaron and tell him, ‘When you set up[b] the lamps, the seven lamps are to give light[c] in front of the lampstand.’”
3 And Aaron did so; he set up the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses. 4 This is how the lampstand was made:[d] It was beaten work in gold;[e] from its shaft to its flowers it was beaten work. According to the pattern that the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.
The Separation of the Levites
5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 6 “Take the Levites from among the Israelites and purify[f] them. 7 And do this[g] to them to purify them: Sprinkle water of purification[h] on them; then have them shave[i] all their body[j] and wash[k] their clothes, and so purify themselves.[l] 8 Then they are to take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with olive oil; and you are to take a second young bull for a purification offering.[m] 9 You are to bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the entire community of the Israelites. 10 Then you are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on the Levites;[n] 11 and Aaron is to offer[o] the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, that they may do the work[p] of the Lord. 12 When[q] the Levites lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, offer[r] the one for a purification offering and the other for a whole burnt offering to the Lord,[s] to make atonement for the Levites. 13 You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron[t] and his sons, and then offer them as a wave offering to the Lord. 14 And so[u] you are to separate the Levites from among the Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.
15 “After this, the Levites will go in[v] to do the work[w] of the tent of meeting. So you must cleanse them[x] and offer them like a wave offering.[y] 16 For they are entirely given[z] to me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for myself instead of[aa] all who open the womb, the firstborn sons of all the Israelites. 17 For all the firstborn males among the Israelites are mine, both humans and animals; when I destroyed[ab] all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I set them apart for myself. 18 So I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn sons among the Israelites. 19 I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to do the work for the Israelites in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the Israelites, so there will be no plague among the Israelites when the Israelites come near the sanctuary.”[ac]
20 So Moses and Aaron and the entire community of the Israelites did this with the Levites. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, this is what the Israelites did with them. 21 The Levites purified themselves[ad] and washed their clothing; then Aaron presented them like a wave offering before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to purify them. 22 After this, the Levites went in to do their work in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons. As the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did.
The Work of the Levites
23 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 24 “This is what pertains to the Levites:[ae] At the age of twenty-five years[af] and upward one may begin to join the company[ag] in the work of the tent of meeting, 25 and at the age of fifty years they must retire from performing the work and may no longer work. 26 They may assist[ah] their colleagues[ai] in the tent of meeting to attend to needs, but they must do no work. This is the way you must establish[aj] the Levites regarding their duties.”
Passover Regulations
9 [ak] The Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out[al] of the land of Egypt:
2 “The Israelites are to observe[am] the Passover[an] at its appointed time.[ao] 3 In the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight,[ap] you are to observe it at its appointed time; you must keep[aq] it in accordance with all its statutes and all its customs.”[ar] 4 So Moses instructed[as] the Israelites to observe[at] the Passover. 5 And they observed the Passover[au] on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight in the desert of Sinai; in accordance with all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the Israelites did.
6 It happened that some men[av] who were ceremonially defiled[aw] by the dead body of a man[ax] could not keep[ay] the Passover on that day, so they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day. 7 And those men said to Moses,[az] “We are ceremonially defiled by the dead body of a man; why are we kept back from offering the Lord’s offering at its appointed time among the Israelites?” 8 So Moses said to them, “Remain[ba] here and I will hear[bb] what the Lord will command concerning you.”
9 The Lord spoke to Moses: 10 “Tell the Israelites, ‘If any[bc] of you or of your posterity become ceremonially defiled by touching a dead body, or are on a journey far away, then he may[bd] observe the Passover to the Lord. 11 They may observe it on the fourteenth day of the second month[be] at twilight; they are to eat it with bread made without yeast and with bitter herbs. 12 They must not leave any of it until morning, nor break any of its bones; they must observe it in accordance with every statute of the Passover.
13 “‘But[bf] the man who is ceremonially clean, and was not on a journey, and fails[bg] to keep the Passover, that person must be cut off from his people.[bh] Because he did not bring the Lord’s offering at its appointed time, that man must bear his sin.[bi] 14 If a resident foreigner lives[bj] among you and wants to keep[bk] the Passover to the Lord, he must do so according to the statute of the Passover, and according to its custom. You must have[bl] the same[bm] statute for the resident foreigner[bn] and for the one who was born in the land.’”
The Lord Leads the Israelites by the Cloud
15 [bo] On[bp] the day that the tabernacle was set up,[bq] the cloud[br] covered the tabernacle—the tent of the testimony[bs]—and from evening until morning there was[bt] a fiery appearance[bu] over the tabernacle. 16 This is the way it used to be continually: The cloud would cover it by day,[bv] and there was a fiery appearance by night. 17 Whenever the cloud was taken up[bw] from the tabernacle, then after that the Israelites would begin their journey; and in whatever place[bx] the cloud settled, there the Israelites would make camp. 18 At the commandment[by] of the Lord the Israelites would begin their journey, and at the commandment of the Lord they would make camp; as long as[bz] the cloud remained settled over the tabernacle they would camp. 19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle many days, then the Israelites obeyed the instructions[ca] of the Lord and did not journey.
20 When[cb] the cloud remained over the tabernacle a number of days,[cc] they remained camped according to the Lord’s commandment,[cd] and according to the Lord’s commandment they would journey. 21 And when[ce] the cloud remained only[cf] from evening until morning, when the cloud was taken up[cg] the following morning, then they traveled on. Whether by day or by night, when the cloud was taken up they traveled. 22 Whether it was for two days, or a month, or a year[ch] that the cloud prolonged its stay[ci] over the tabernacle, the Israelites remained camped without traveling;[cj] but when it was taken up, they traveled on. 23 At the commandment of the Lord they camped, and at the commandment of the Lord they traveled on; they kept the instructions of the Lord according to the commandment of the Lord, by the authority[ck] of Moses.
The Abomination of Desolation
14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation[a] standing where it[b] should not be” (let the reader understand),[c] “then those in Judea must flee[d] to the mountains. 15 The one on the roof[e] must not come down or go inside to take anything out of his house.[f] 16 The one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 17 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! 18 Pray that it may not be in winter. 19 For in those days there will be suffering[g] unlike anything that has happened[h] from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, or ever will happen. 20 And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved. But because of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut them[i] short. 21 Then[j] if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’[k] or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe him. 22 For false messiahs[l] and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the elect. 23 Be careful! I have told you everything ahead of time.
The Arrival of the Son of Man
24 “But in those days, after that suffering,[m] the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.[n] 26 Then everyone[o] will see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds[p] with great power and glory. 27 Then he will send angels and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.[q]
The Parable of the Fig Tree
28 “Learn this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also you, when you see these things happening, know[r] that he is near, right at the door. 30 I tell you the truth,[s] this generation[t] will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.[u]
Be Ready!
32 “But as for that day or hour no one knows it—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son[v]—except the Father. 33 Watch out! Stay alert![w] For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey. He left his house and put his slaves[x] in charge, assigning[y] to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert. 35 Stay alert, then, because you do not know when the owner of the house will return—whether during evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or at dawn— 36 or else he might find you asleep when he returns suddenly. 37 What I say to you I say to everyone: Stay alert!”
Psalm 50[a]
A psalm by Asaph.
50 El, God, the Lord[b] has spoken,
and summoned the earth to come from the east and west.[c]
2 From Zion, the most beautiful of all places,[d]
God has come in splendor.[e]
3 “May our God come
and not be silent.”
Consuming fire goes ahead of him,
and all around him a storm rages.[f]
4 He summons the heavens above,
as well as the earth, so that he might judge his people.[g]
5 He says:[h]
“Assemble my covenant people before me,[i]
those who ratified a covenant with me by sacrifice.”[j]
6 The heavens declare his fairness,[k]
for God is judge.[l] (Selah)
7 He says:[m]
“Listen, my people. I am speaking!
Listen, Israel. I am accusing you.[n]
I am God, your God!
8 I am not condemning[o] you because of your sacrifices,
or because of your burnt sacrifices that you continually offer me.[p]
9 I do not need to take[q] a bull from your household
or goats from your sheepfolds.
10 For every wild animal in the forest belongs to me,
as well as the cattle that graze on a thousand hills.[r]
11 I keep track of[s] every bird in the hills,
and the insects[t] of the field are mine.
12 Even if I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and all it contains belong to me.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls?
Do I drink the blood of goats?[u]
14 Present to God a thank offering.
Repay your vows to the Most High.[v]
15 Pray to me when you are in trouble.[w]
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”[x]
16 God says this to the evildoer:[y]
“How can you declare my commands,
and talk about my covenant?[z]
17 For you hate instruction
and reject my words.[aa]
18 When you see a thief, you join him;[ab]
you associate with men who are unfaithful to their wives.[ac]
19 You do damage with words,[ad]
and use your tongue to deceive.[ae]
20 You plot against your brother;[af]
you slander your own brother.[ag]
21 When you did these things, I was silent,[ah]
so you thought I was exactly like you.[ai]
But now I will condemn[aj] you
and state my case against you.[ak]
22 Carefully consider this, you who reject God.[al]
Otherwise I will rip you to shreds[am]
and no one will be able to rescue you.
23 Whoever presents a thank offering honors me.[an]
To whoever obeys my commands, I will reveal my power to deliver.”[ao]
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