Old/New Testament
Chapter 7
Offerings of the Tribal Leaders. 1 Now, when Moses had completed the erection of the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it with all its equipment,(A) as well as the altar with all its equipment. After he anointed and consecrated them, 2 an offering was made by the tribal leaders of Israel, who were heads of ancestral houses, the same leaders of the tribes who supervised those enrolled. 3 The offering they brought before the Lord consisted of six wagons for baggage and twelve oxen, that is, a wagon for every two tribal leaders, and an ox for each. These they presented before the tabernacle.
4 The Lord then said to Moses: 5 Accept their offering, that these things may be put to use to maintain the tent of meeting. Assign them to the Levites, to each according to his duties. 6 So Moses accepted the wagons and oxen, and assigned them to the Levites. 7 He gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonites(B) according to their duties, 8 and four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites according to their duties, under the supervision of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest. 9 He gave none to the Kohathites, because they were responsible for maintenance of the sacred objects that had to be carried on their shoulders.(C)
10 For the dedication of the altar also, the tribal leaders brought offerings when it was anointed;(D) the leaders presented their offering before the altar. 11 But the Lord said to Moses: Let one leader each day present his offering for the dedication of the altar.
12 [a]The one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon, son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah. 13 His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 14 one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; 15 one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; 16 one goat for a purification offering; 17 and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Nahshon, son of Amminadab.
18 On the second day Nethanel, son of Zuar, tribal leader of Issachar, made his offering. 19 He presented as his offering one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 20 one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; 21 one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; 22 one goat for a purification offering; 23 and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Nethanel, son of Zuar.
24 On the third day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Zebulunites, Eliab, son of Helon. 25 His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 26 one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; 27 one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; 28 one goat for a purification offering; 29 and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Eliab, son of Helon.
30 On the fourth day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Reubenites, Elizur, son of Shedeur. 31 His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 32 one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; 33 one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; 34 one goat for a purification offering; 35 and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Elizur, son of Shedeur.
36 On the fifth day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Simeonites, Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai. 37 His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 38 one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; 39 one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; 40 one goat for a purification offering; 41 and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai.
42 On the sixth day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Gadites, Eliasaph, son of Reuel. 43 His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 44 one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; 45 one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; 46 one goat for a purification offering; 47 and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Eliasaph, son of Reuel.
48 On the seventh day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Ephraimites, Elishama, son of Ammihud. 49 His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 50 one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; 51 one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; 52 one goat for a purification offering; 53 and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Elishama, son of Ammihud.
54 On the eighth day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Manassites, Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur. 55 His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 56 one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; 57 one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; 58 one goat for a purification offering; 59 and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur.
60 On the ninth day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Benjaminites, Abidan, son of Gideoni. 61 His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 62 one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; 63 one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; 64 one goat for a purification offering; 65 and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Abidan, son of Gideoni.
66 On the tenth day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Danites, Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai. 67 His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 68 one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; 69 one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; 70 one goat for a purification offering; 71 and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai.
72 On the eleventh day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Asherites, Pagiel, son of Ochran. 73 His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 74 one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; 75 one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; 76 one goat for a purification offering; 77 and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Pagiel, son of Ochran.
78 On the twelfth day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Naphtalites, Ahira, son of Enan. 79 His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 80 one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; 81 one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; 82 one goat for a purification offering; 83 and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Ahira, son of Enan.
84 These were the offerings for the dedication of the altar, given by the tribal leaders of Israel on the occasion of its anointing: twelve silver plates, twelve silver basins, and twelve gold cups. 85 Each silver plate weighed a hundred and thirty shekels, and each silver basin seventy, so that all the silver of these vessels amounted to two thousand four hundred shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. 86 The twelve gold cups that were filled with incense weighed ten shekels apiece, according to the sanctuary shekel, so that all the gold of the cups amounted to one hundred and twenty shekels. 87 The animals for the burnt offerings were, in all, twelve bulls, twelve rams, and twelve yearling lambs, with their grain offerings; those for the purification offerings were twelve goats. 88 The animals for the communion sacrifices were, in all, twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty he-goats, and sixty yearling lambs. These, then, were the offerings for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.
The Voice. 89 When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with God, he heard the voice addressing him from above the cover(E) on the ark of the covenant, from between the two cherubim; and so it spoke to him.
Chapter 8
The Menorah. 1 The Lord said to Moses: 2 Speak to Aaron and say: “When you set up the menorah-lamps,(F) have the seven lamps throw their light in front of the menorah.”[b] 3 Aaron did so, setting up the menorah-lamps to face the area in front of the menorah, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 4 This is the construction of the menorah: hammered gold,(G) from its base to its bowls[c] it was hammered; according to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the menorah.
Purification of the Levites. 5 The Lord said to Moses: 6 Take the Levites from among the Israelites and cleanse them.[d] 7 This is what you shall do to them to cleanse them. Sprinkle them with the water of purification, have them shave their whole bodies and wash their garments, and so cleanse themselves. 8 Then they shall take a bull from the herd, along with its grain offering of bran flour mixed with oil; and you shall take another bull from the herd for a purification offering. 9 Bringing the Levites before the tent of meeting, you shall assemble also the whole community of the Israelites. 10 When you have brought the Levites before the Lord, the Israelites shall lay their hands upon them. 11 Aaron shall then present the Levites before the Lord as an elevated offering from the Israelites, that they may perform the service of the Lord. 12 The Levites in turn shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, offering one as a purification offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites. 13 Then you shall have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons, and you shall present them as an elevated offering to the Lord; 14 thus you shall separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and the Levites shall belong to me.(H)
15 Only then shall the Levites enter upon their service in the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and presented them as an elevated offering. 16 For they, among the Israelites, are totally dedicated to me; I have taken them for myself in place of everyone that opens the womb, the firstborn of all the Israelites.(I) 17 Indeed, all the firstborn among the Israelites, human being and beast alike, belong to me; I consecrated them to myself on the day I killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.(J) 18 But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn Israelites; 19 and from among the Israelites I have given to Aaron and his sons these Levites, who are to be dedicated,(K) to perform the service of the Israelites in the tent of meeting and to make atonement for them, so that no plague may strike among the Israelites should they come too near the sanctuary.
20 This, then, is what Moses and Aaron and the whole community of the Israelites did with respect to the Levites; the Israelites did exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning them. 21 When the Levites had purified themselves[e] and washed their garments, Aaron presented them as an elevated offering before the Lord, and made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22 Only then did they enter upon their service in the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. Exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so it was done with regard to them.
Age Limits for Levitical Service. 23 The Lord said to Moses: 24 This is the rule for the Levites. Everyone twenty-five years old or more shall join the personnel in the service of the tent of meeting.(L) 25 But everyone fifty on up shall retire from the work force and serve no more. 26 They shall assist their fellow Levites in the tent of meeting in performing their duties, but they shall not do the work. This, then, is how you are to regulate the duties of the Levites.
Parable of the Lamp. 21 (A)He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?(B) 22 For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light.(C) 23 Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” 24 He also told them, “Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you.(D) 25 To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”(E)
Seed Grows of Itself. 26 He said, “This is how it is with the kingdom of God;[a] it is as if a man were to scatter seed(F) on the land 27 and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. 28 Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.”
The Mustard Seed. 30 (G)He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. 32 [b]But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” 33 With many such parables(H) he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. 34 Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
The Calming of a Storm at Sea. 35 [c]On that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, “Let us cross to the other side.”(I) 36 Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. 38 Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”[d] The wind ceased and there was great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” 41 [e](J)They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.