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The Israelites Respond in Unbelief
14 [a] Then all the community raised a loud cry,[b] and the people wept[c] that night. 2 And all the Israelites murmured[d] against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died[e] in the land of Egypt, or if only we had perished[f] in this wilderness! 3 Why has the Lord brought us into this land only to be killed by the sword, that our wives and our children should become plunder? Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another,[g] “Let’s appoint[h] a leader[i] and return[j] to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell down with their faces to the ground[k] before the whole assembled community[l] of the Israelites. 6 And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, two of those who had investigated the land, tore their garments. 7 They said to the whole community of the Israelites, “The land we passed through to investigate is an exceedingly[m] good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land that is flowing with milk and honey.[n] 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us.[o] Their protection[p] has turned aside from them, but the Lord is with us. Do not fear them!”
10 However, the whole community threatened to stone them.[q] But[r] the glory[s] of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the tent[t] of meeting.
The Punishment from God
11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise[u] me, and how long will they not believe[v] in me, in spite of the signs that I have done among them? 12 I will strike them with the pestilence,[w] and I will disinherit them—I will make you into a nation that is greater and mightier than they!”
13 Moses said to the Lord, “When the Egyptians hear[x] it—for you brought up this people by your power from among them— 14 then they will tell it to the inhabitants[y] of this land. They have heard that you, Lord, are among this people, that you, Lord, are seen face to face,[z] that your cloud stands over them, and that you go before them by day in a pillar of cloud and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 If you kill[aa] this entire people at once,[ab] then the nations that have heard of your fame will say, 16 ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to them, he killed them in the wilderness.’ 17 So now, let the power of my Lord[ac] be great, just as you have said, 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in loyal love,[ad] forgiving iniquity and transgression,[ae] but by no means clearing the guilty,[af] visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children until the third and fourth generations.’[ag] 19 Please forgive[ah] the iniquity of this people according to your great loyal love,[ai] just as you have forgiven this people from Egypt even until now.”
20 Then the Lord said, “I have forgiven them as you asked.[aj] 21 But truly, as I live,[ak] all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord. 22 For all the people have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tempted[al] me now these ten times,[am] and have not obeyed me[an]— 23 they will by no means[ao] see the land that I promised on oath to their fathers, nor will any of them who despised me see it— 24 Only my servant Caleb, because he had a different spirit and has followed me fully—I will bring him into the land where he had gone, and his descendants[ap] will possess it. 25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites were living in the valleys.)[aq] Tomorrow, turn and journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”
26 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 27 “How long must I bear[ar] with this evil congregation[as] that murmurs against me? I have heard the complaints of the Israelites that they murmured against me. 28 Say to them, ‘As I live,[at] says[au] the Lord, I will surely do to you just what you have spoken in my hearing.[av] 29 Your dead bodies[aw] will fall in this wilderness—all those of you who were numbered, according to your full number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against me. 30 You will by no means enter into the land where[ax] I swore[ay] to settle[az] you. The only exceptions are Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 But I will bring in your little ones, whom you said would become victims of war,[ba] and they will enjoy[bb] the land that you have despised. 32 But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness, 33 and your children will wander[bc] in the wilderness forty years and suffer for your unfaithfulness,[bd] until your dead bodies lie finished[be] in the wilderness. 34 According to the number of the days you have investigated this land, forty days—one day for a year—you will suffer for[bf] your iniquities, forty years, and you will know what it means to thwart me.[bg] 35 I, the Lord, have said, “I will surely do so to all this evil congregation that has gathered together against me. In this wilderness they will be finished, and there they will die!”’”
36 The men whom Moses sent to investigate the land, who returned and made the whole community murmur against him by producing[bh] an evil report about the land, 37 those men who produced the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord. 38 But Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among[bi] the men who went to investigate the land, lived. 39 When Moses told[bj] these things to all the Israelites, the people mourned[bk] greatly.
40 And early[bl] in the morning they went up to the crest of the hill country,[bm] saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place that the Lord commanded,[bn] for we have sinned.”[bo] 41 But Moses said, “Why[bp] are you now transgressing the commandment[bq] of the Lord? It will not succeed! 42 Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, and you will be[br] defeated before your enemies. 43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from the Lord, the Lord will not be with you.”
44 But they dared[bs] to go up to the crest of the hill, although[bt] neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed from the camp. 45 So the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country swooped down[bu] and attacked them[bv] as far as Hormah.[bw]
Sacrificial Rulings
15 [bx] The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you enter the land where you are to live,[by] which I am giving you,[bz] 3 and you make an offering by fire to the Lord from the herd or from the flock (whether a burnt offering or a sacrifice for discharging a vow or as a freewill offering or in your solemn feasts) to create a pleasing aroma to the Lord, 4 then the one who presents his offering to the Lord must bring[ca] a grain offering of one-tenth of an ephah of finely ground flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of olive oil.[cb] 5 You must also prepare one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering[cc] with the burnt offering or the sacrifice for each lamb.[cd] 6 Or for a ram, you must prepare as a grain offering two-tenths of an ephah of finely ground flour mixed with one-third of a hin of olive oil, 7 and for a drink offering you must offer one-third of a hin of wine as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 8 And when you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or a sacrifice for discharging a vow or as a peace offering to the Lord, 9 then a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of finely ground flour mixed with half a hin of olive oil must be presented[ce] with the young bull, 10 and you must present as the drink offering half a hin of wine with the fire offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 11 This is what is to be done[cf] for each ox, or each ram, or each of the male lambs or the goats. 12 You must do so for each one according to the number that you prepare.
13 “‘Every native-born person must do these things in this way to present an offering made by fire as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 14 If a resident foreigner is living[cg] with you—or whoever is among you[ch] in future generations[ci]—and prepares an offering made by fire as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, he must do it the same way you are to do it.[cj] 15 One statute must apply[ck] to you who belong to the congregation and to the resident foreigner who is living among you, as a permanent[cl] statute for your future generations. You and the resident foreigner will be alike[cm] before the Lord. 16 One law and one custom must apply to you and to the resident foreigner who lives alongside you.’”
Condemned by the Sanhedrin
53 Then[a] they led Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests and elders and experts in the law[b] came together. 54 And Peter had followed him from a distance, up to the high priest’s courtyard. He[c] was sitting with the guards[d] and warming himself by the fire. 55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find anything. 56 Many gave false testimony against him, but their testimony did not agree. 57 Some stood up and gave this false testimony against him:[e] 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands and in three days build another not made with hands.’” 59 Yet even on this point their testimony did not agree. 60 Then[f] the high priest stood up before them[g] and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is this that they are testifying against you?” 61 But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest questioned him,[h] “Are you the Christ,[i] the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 “I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand[j] of the Power[k] and coming with the clouds of heaven.”[l] 63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy! What is your verdict?”[m] They all condemned him as deserving death. 65 Then[n] some began to spit on him, and to blindfold him, and to strike him with their fists, saying, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him and beat[o] him.
Peter’s Denials
66 Now[p] while Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the high priest’s slave girls[q] came by. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked directly at him and said, “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it:[r] “I don’t even understand what you’re talking about!”[s] Then[t] he went out to the gateway, and a rooster crowed.[u] 69 When the slave girl saw him, she began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But he denied it again. A short time later the bystanders again said to Peter, “You must be[v] one of them, because you are also a Galilean.” 71 Then he began to curse, and he swore with an oath, “I do not know this man you are talking about!” 72 Immediately a rooster[w] crowed a second time. Then[x] Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him: “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.[y]
Psalm 53[a]
For the music director, according to the machalath style;[b] a well-written song[c] by David.
53 Fools say to themselves,[d] “There is no God.”[e]
They sin and commit evil deeds;[f]
none of them does what is right.[g]
2 God looks down from heaven[h] at the human race,[i]
to see if there is anyone who is wise[j] and seeks God.[k]
3 Everyone rejects God;[l]
they are all morally corrupt.[m]
None of them does what is right,[n]
not even one!
4 All those who behave wickedly[o] do not understand[p]—
those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,
and do not call out to God.
5 They are absolutely terrified,[q]
even by things that do not normally cause fear.[r]
For God annihilates[s] those who attack you.[t]
You are able to humiliate them because God has rejected them.[u]
6 I wish the deliverance[v] of Israel would come from Zion!
When God restores the well-being of his people,[w]
may Jacob rejoice,[x]
may Israel be happy![y]
4 Wealth does not profit in the day of wrath,[a]
but righteousness delivers from death.
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