Old/New Testament
Israel’s Leaders Bring Offerings for the Holy Tent
7 Moses finished setting up the holy tent. Then he anointed it with olive oil. He set it apart to the Lord. He did the same thing with everything that belonged to it. He also anointed the altar. And he set apart to the Lord the altar and all its tools. 2 Then the leaders of Israel brought their offerings. The leaders were the heads of the families. They were the leaders of the tribes. They were in charge of the men who had been counted. 3 They brought gifts to the Lord. They brought six covered carts and 12 oxen. Each leader gave an ox. And every two leaders gave a cart. They put their gifts in front of the holy tent.
4 The Lord said to Moses, 5 “Accept the gifts from the leaders. I want their gifts to be used in the work at the tent of meeting. Give them to the Levites. They need them to do their work.”
6 So Moses gave the carts and the oxen to the Levites. 7 He gave two carts and four oxen to the men from the family of Gershon. They needed them to do their work. 8 He gave four carts and eight oxen to the men from the family of Merari. They needed them to do their work. All these men were under the direction of Ithamar the priest. He was the son of Aaron. 9 But Moses didn’t give any carts or oxen to the men from the family of Kohath. They had to carry the holy things on their shoulders. They were responsible for the holy things.
10 When the altar was anointed, the leaders brought their offerings. They placed them in front of the altar. They brought their offerings in order to set apart the altar. 11 The Lord had spoken to Moses. He had said, “Each day one leader must bring his offering. He must bring it in order to set apart the altar.”
12 On the first day Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, brought his offering. Nahshon was from the tribe of Judah.
13 He brought:
one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. Both were weighed according to the standard weights used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering.
14 He brought one gold dish that weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense.
15 Nahshon brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering.
16 He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering.
17 He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering.
That was everything that Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, brought as his offering.
18 On the second day Nethanel, the son of Zuar, brought his offering. Nethanel was the leader of the tribe of Issachar.
19 He brought:
one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. Both were weighed according to the standard weights used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering.
20 He brought one gold dish that weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense.
21 Nethanel brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering.
22 He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering.
23 He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering.
That was everything that Nethanel, the son of Zuar, brought as his offering.
24 On the third day Eliab, the son of Helon, brought his offering. Eliab was the leader of the people of Zebulun.
25 He brought:
one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. Both were weighed according to the standard weights used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering.
26 He brought one gold dish that weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense.
27 Eliab brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering.
28 He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering.
29 He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering.
That was everything that Eliab, the son of Helon, brought as his offering.
30 On the fourth day Elizur, the son of Shedeur, brought his offering. Elizur was the leader of the people of Reuben.
31 He brought:
one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. Both were weighed according to the standard weights used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering.
32 He brought one gold dish that weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense.
33 Elizur brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering.
34 He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering.
35 He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering.
That was everything that Elizur, the son of Shedeur, brought as his offering.
36 On the fifth day Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, brought his offering. Shelumiel was the leader of the people of Simeon.
37 He brought:
one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. Both were weighed according to the standard weights used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering.
38 He brought one gold dish that weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense.
39 Shelumiel brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering.
40 He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering.
41 He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering.
That was everything that Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, brought as his offering.
42 On the sixth day Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, brought his offering. Eliasaph was the leader of the people of Gad.
43 He brought:
one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. Both were weighed according to the standard weights used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering.
44 He brought one gold dish that weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense.
45 Eliasaph brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering.
46 He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering.
47 He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering.
That was everything that Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, brought as his offering.
48 On the seventh day Elishama, the son of Ammihud, brought his offering. Elishama was the leader of the people of Ephraim.
49 He brought:
one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. Both were weighed according to the standard weights used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering.
50 He brought one gold dish that weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense.
51 Elishama brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering.
52 He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering.
53 He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering.
That was everything that Elishama, the son of Ammihud, brought as his offering.
54 On the eighth day Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, brought his offering. Gamaliel was the leader of the people of Manasseh.
55 He brought:
one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. Both were weighed according to the standard weights used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering.
56 He brought one gold dish that weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense.
57 Gamaliel brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering.
58 He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering.
59 He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering.
That was everything that Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, brought as his offering.
60 On the ninth day Abidan, the son of Gideoni, brought his offering. Abidan was the leader of the people of Benjamin.
61 He brought:
one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. Both were weighed according to the standard weights used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering.
62 He brought one gold dish that weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense.
63 Abidan brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering.
64 He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering.
65 He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering.
That was everything that Abidan, the son of Gideoni, brought as his offering.
66 On the tenth day Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, brought his offering. Ahiezer was the leader of the people of Dan.
67 He brought:
one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. Both were weighed according to the standard weights used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering.
68 He brought one gold dish that weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense.
69 Ahiezer brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering.
70 He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering.
71 He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering.
That was everything that Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, brought as his offering.
72 On the eleventh day Pagiel, the son of Okran, brought his offering. Pagiel was the leader of the people of Asher.
73 He brought:
one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. Both were weighed according to the standard weights used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering.
74 He brought one gold dish that weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense.
75 Pagiel brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering.
76 He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering.
77 He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering.
That was everything that Pagiel, the son of Okran, brought as his offering.
78 On the twelfth day Ahira, the son of Enan, brought his offering. Ahira was the leader of the people of Naphtali.
79 He brought:
one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. Both were weighed according to the standard weights used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering.
80 He brought one gold dish that weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense.
81 Ahira brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering.
82 He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering.
83 He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering.
That was everything that Ahira, the son of Enan, brought as his offering.
84 Those were the offerings the Israelite leaders brought. They gave them to set the altar apart when it was anointed with olive oil.
They gave 12 silver plates, 12 silver sprinkling bowls and 12 gold dishes. 85 Each plate weighed three pounds four ounces. Each sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. The total weight of the silver dishes was 60 pounds. Everything was weighed according to the standard weights used in the sacred tent. 86 Each of the 12 gold dishes weighed four ounces. They were filled with incense. They were weighed according to the weights used in the sacred tent. The total weight of the gold dishes was three pounds.
87 The leaders brought 12 young bulls, 12 rams and 12 male lambs a year old. That was the total number of animals they gave for the burnt offering. They gave them together with the grain offering. They brought 12 male goats for the sin offering.
88 The leaders brought 24 oxen, 60 rams, 60 male goats and 60 male lambs a year old. That was the total number of animals sacrificed as the friendship offering.
Those were the offerings they brought to set apart the altar. The leaders brought them after the altar was anointed with oil.
89 Moses entered the tent of meeting. He wanted to speak with the Lord. There Moses heard the Lord talking to him. The Lord’s voice was speaking to him from between the two cherubim. The cherubim were over the place where sin is paid for. It was the cover on the ark where the tablets of the covenant law were kept. In this way the Lord spoke to Moses.
Aaron Sets Up the Lamps
8 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Say to Aaron, ‘Set up the seven lamps. They will light up the area in front of the lampstand.’ ”
3 So Aaron did it. He set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand. He did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 4 The lampstand was made out of hammered gold. From its base to its blooms it was made out of hammered gold. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the Lord had shown Moses.
Moses Sets Apart the Levites
5 The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, 6 “Take the Levites from among all the Israelites. Make them ‘clean’ in the usual way. 7 Here is how to make them pure. Sprinkle the special water on them. Then have them shave their whole bodies. Also have them wash their clothes. That is how they will make themselves pure. 8 Have them get a young bull along with its grain offering. The offering must be made out of the finest flour mixed with olive oil. Then you must get a second young bull. You must sacrifice it as a sin offering. 9 Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting. Gather the whole community of Israel together. 10 You must bring the Levites to me. The Israelites must place their hands on them. 11 Aaron must bring the Levites to me. They are a wave offering from the Israelites. That is how they will be set apart to do my work.
12 “Then I want the Levites to place their hands on the heads of the bulls. They must sacrifice one bull as a sin offering to me. And they must sacrifice the other as a burnt offering. The blood of the bulls will pay for the sin of the Levites. 13 Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons. Then give them as a wave offering to me. 14 That is how I want you to set apart the Levites from the other Israelites. The Levites will belong to me.
15 “Make the Levites pure. Give them to me as a wave offering. Then they must come to do their work at the tent of meeting. 16 They are the Israelites who will be given to me completely. I have taken them to be my own. I have taken them in place of every son born first in his family in Israel. 17 Every male born first in Israel belongs to me. That is true whether it is a human or an animal. In Egypt I struck down all the males born first to their mothers. Then I set apart for myself all the males born first in Israel. 18 And I have taken the Levites in place of all the sons born first in Israel. 19 I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons. I have taken them from among all the Israelites. I have appointed them to do the work at the tent of meeting. They will do it in place of the Israelites. That is how they will keep the Israelites from being guilty when they go near the sacred tent. Then no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the tent.”
20 So Moses and Aaron and all the Israelites did with the Levites just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 21 The Levites made themselves pure. They washed their clothes. Then Aaron gave them to the Lord as a wave offering. That’s how he paid for their sin to make them pure. 22 After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting. They worked under the direction of Aaron and his sons. And so Moses and Aaron and the whole community of Israel did with the Levites just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
23 The Lord said to Moses, 24 “Here is what the Levites must do. Men 25 years old or more must come and take part in the work at the tent of meeting. 25 But when they reach the age of 50, they must not work any longer. They must stop doing their regular work. 26 They can help their brothers with their duties at the tent of meeting. But they themselves should not do the work. That is how you must direct the Levites to do their work.”
A Lamp on a Stand
21 Jesus said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a large bowl or a bed? Don’t you put it on its stand? 22 What is hidden is meant to be seen. And what is put out of sight is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 Whoever has ears should listen.”
24 “Think carefully about what you hear,” he said. “As you give, so you will receive. In fact, you will receive even more. 25 Whoever has something will be given more. Whoever has nothing, even what they have will be taken away from them.”
The Story of the Growing Seed
26 Jesus also said, “Here is what God’s kingdom is like. A farmer scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day the seed comes up and grows. It happens whether the farmer sleeps or gets up. He doesn’t know how it happens. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain. First the stalk comes up. Then the head appears. Finally, the full grain appears in the head. 29 Before long the grain ripens. So the farmer cuts it down, because the harvest is ready.”
The Story of the Mustard Seed
30 Again Jesus said, “What can we say God’s kingdom is like? What story can we use to explain it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 But when you plant the seed, it grows. It becomes the largest of all garden plants. Its branches are so big that birds can rest in its shade.”
33 Using many stories like these, Jesus spoke the word to them. He told them as much as they could understand. 34 He did not say anything to them without using a story. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything.
Jesus Calms the Storm
35 When evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” 36 They left the crowd behind. And they took him along in a boat, just as he was. There were also other boats with him. 37 A wild storm came up. Waves crashed over the boat. It was about to sink. 38 Jesus was in the back, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him up. They said, “Teacher! Don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up and ordered the wind to stop. He said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down. And it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Don’t you have any faith at all yet?”
41 They were terrified. They asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
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