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Numbers 8

The Menorah.

1The LORD said to Moses:

2Speak to Aaron and say: “When you set up the menorah-lamps,^a have the seven lamps throw their light in front of the menorah.”^*

3Aaron did so, setting up the menorah-lamps to face the area in front of the menorah, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

4This is the construction of the menorah: hammered gold,^b from its base to its bowls^* it was hammered; according to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the menorah.

Purification of the Levites.

5The LORD said to Moses:

6Take the Levites from among the Israelites and cleanse them.^*

7This 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.

8Then 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.

9Bringing the Levites before the tent of meeting, you shall assemble also the whole community of the Israelites.

10When you have brought the Levites before the LORD, the Israelites shall lay their hands upon them.

11Aaron shall then present the Levites before the LORD as an elevated offering from the Israelites, that they may perform the service of the LORD.

12The 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.

13Then you shall have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons, and you shall present them as an elevated offering to the LORD;

14thus you shall separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and the Levites shall belong to me.^c

15Only 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.

16For 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.^d

17Indeed, 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.^e

18But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn Israelites;

19and from among the Israelites I have given to Aaron and his sons these Levites, who are to be dedicated,^f 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.

20This, 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.

21When the Levites had purified themselves^* and washed their garments, Aaron presented them as an elevated offering before the LORD, and made atonement for them to cleanse them.

22Only 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.

23The LORD said to Moses:

24This 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.^g

25But everyone fifty on up shall retire from the work force and serve no more.

26They 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.

Numbers 9

Second Passover.

1The LORD said to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year following their departure from the land of Egypt:

2Tell the Israelites to celebrate the Passover at the prescribed time.

3In the evening twilight of the fourteenth day of this month^a you shall celebrate it at its prescribed time, in accord with all its statutes and regulations.

4So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover,

5and they did celebrate the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month during the evening twilight in the wilderness of Sinai. Just as the LORD had commanded Moses, so the Israelites did.

6There were some, however, who were unclean because of a human corpse and so could not celebrate the Passover that day. These men came up to Moses and Aaron that same day

7and they said to them, “Although we are unclean because of a human corpse, why should we be deprived of presenting the LORD’s offering at its prescribed time along with other Israelites?”

8Moses answered them, “Wait so that I can learn what the LORD will command in your regard.”

9The LORD then said to Moses:

10Speak to the Israelites: “If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean because of a human corpse, or is absent on a journey, you may still celebrate the LORD’s Passover.

11But you shall celebrate it in the second month,^b on the fourteenth day of that month during the evening twilight, eating it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs,

12and not leaving any of it over till morning, nor breaking any of its bones,^c but observing all the statutes of the Passover.

13However, anyone who is clean and not away on a journey, who yet fails to celebrate the Passover, shall be cut off from the people, for not presenting the LORD’s offering at the prescribed time. That person shall bear the consequences of this sin.

14“If an alien^* who lives among you would celebrate the LORD’s Passover, it shall be celebrated according to the statutes and regulations for the Passover. You shall have the same law for the resident alien as for the native of the land.”^d

The Fiery Cloud.

15On the day when the tabernacle was erected, the cloud^* covered the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant; but from evening until morning it took on the appearance of fire over the tabernacle.^e

16It was always so: during the day the cloud covered the tabernacle and at night had the appearance of fire.

17Whenever the cloud rose from the tent, the Israelites would break camp; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites would pitch camp.^f

18At the direction of the LORD the Israelites broke camp, and at the LORD’s direction they pitched camp.^g As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp.

19Even when the cloud lingered many days over the tabernacle, the Israelites kept the charge of the LORD and would not move on.

20Yet if it happened the cloud was over the tabernacle only for a few days, at the direction of the LORD they stayed in camp; and at the LORD’s direction they broke camp.

21If it happened the cloud remained there only from evening until morning, when the cloud rose in the morning, they would break camp. Whether the cloud lifted during the day or the night they would then break camp.

22Whether the cloud lingered over the tabernacle for two days or for a month or longer, the Israelites remained in camp and did not break camp; but when it lifted, they broke camp.

23At the direction of the LORD they pitched camp, and at the LORD’s direction they broke camp; they kept the charge of the LORD, as the LORD directed them through Moses.

Numbers 10

The Silver Trumpets.

1The LORD said to Moses:

2Make two trumpets of silver, making them of hammered silver, for you to use in summoning the community and in breaking camp.

3When both are blown, the whole community shall gather round you at the entrance of the tent of meeting;

4but when one of them is blown, only the tribal leaders, the heads of the clans of Israel, shall gather round you.

5When you sound the signal, those encamped on the east side shall break camp;

6when you sound a second signal, those encamped on the south side shall break camp; when you sound a third signal, those encamped on the west side shall break camp; when you sound a fourth signal, those encamped on the north side shall break camp. Thus shall the signal be sounded for them to break camp.

7But in calling forth an assembly you are to blow a blast, without sounding the signal.

8The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; this is prescribed forever for you and your descendants.

9^a When in your own land you go to war against an enemy that is attacking you, you shall sound the alarm on the trumpets, and you shall be remembered before the LORD, your God, and be saved from your foes.

10And when you rejoice^* on your festivals, and your new-moon feasts, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and your communion sacrifices,^b so that this serves as a reminder of you before your God. I, the LORD, am your God.

II. DEPARTURE, REBELLION, AND WANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS FOR FORTY YEARS

Departure from Sinai.

11In the second year, on the twentieth day of the second month, the cloud rose from the tabernacle of the covenant,

12and the Israelites moved on from the wilderness of Sinai by stages, until the cloud came to rest in the wilderness of Paran.

13The first time that they broke camp at the direction of the LORD through Moses,

14^c the divisional camp of the Judahites, arranged in companies, was the first to set out. Over its whole company was Nahshon, son of Amminadab,

15with Nethanel, son of Zuar, over the company of the tribe of Issacharites,

16and Eliab, son of Helon, over the company of the tribe of Zebulunites.

17Then, after the tabernacle was dismantled, the Gershonites and Merarites who carried the tabernacle set out.

18The divisional camp of the Reubenites, arranged in companies, was the next to set out. Over its whole company was Elizur, son of Shedeur,

19with Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, over the company of the tribe of Simeonites,

20and Eliasaph, son of Reuel, over the company of the tribe of Gadites.

21The Kohathites, who carried the sacred objects, then set out. Before their arrival the tabernacle would be erected.

22The divisional camp of the Ephraimites set out next, arranged in companies. Over its whole company was Elishama, son of Ammihud,

23with Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, over the company of the tribe of Manassites,

24and Abidan, son of Gideoni, over the company of the tribe of Benjaminites.

25Finally, as rear guard for all the camps, the divisional camp of the Danites set out, arranged in companies. Over its whole company was Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai,

26with Pagiel, son of Ochran, over the company of the tribe of Asherites,

27and Ahira, son of Enan, over the company of the tribe of Naphtalites.

28This was the order of march for the Israelites, company by company, when they set out.

Hobab as Guide.

29Moses said to Hobab,^* son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place concerning which the LORD has said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will be generous toward you, for the LORD has promised prosperity to Israel.”

30But he answered, “No, I will not come. I am going instead to the land of my birth.”

31Moses said, “Please, do not leave us; you know where we can camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our guide.

32If you come with us, we will share with you the prosperity the LORD will bestow on us.”

Into the Wilderness.

33^d From the mountain of the LORD^* they made a journey of three days, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them for the three-day journey to seek out a resting place for them.

34And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from camp.

35Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say,

“Arise, O LORD, may your enemies be scattered,

and may those who hate you flee before you.”

36And when it came to rest, he would say,

“Bring back, O LORD, the myriads of Israel’s troops!”

Romans 15

Patience and Self-Denial.

1We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves;^a

2let each of us please our neighbor for the good, for building up.^b

3For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written,^c “The insults of those who insult you fall upon me.”^*

4For whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.^d

5May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony^* with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus,^e

6that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s Fidelity and Mercy.^*

7Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.^f

8For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs,^g

9but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles

and sing praises to your name.”^h

10And again it says:ⁱ

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”^*

11And again:

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,

and let all the peoples praise him.”^j

12And again Isaiah says:

“The root of Jesse shall come,

raised up to rule the Gentiles;

in him shall the Gentiles hope.”^k

13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit.^l

VII. Conclusion

Apostle to the Gentiles.

14^* I myself am convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness,^* filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another.

15But I have written to you rather boldly in some respects to remind you, because of the grace given me by God^m

16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in performing the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the holy Spirit.ⁿ

17In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast in what pertains to God.

18For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to lead the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,^o

19by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit [of God], so that from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum^* I have finished preaching the gospel of Christ.

20Thus I aspire^* to proclaim the gospel not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on another’s foundation,^p

21but as it is written:^q

“Those who have never been told of him shall see,

and those who have never heard of him shall understand.”^*

Paul’s Plans; Need for Prayers.

22That is why I have so often been prevented from coming to you.

23But now, since I no longer have any opportunity in these regions and since I have desired to come to you for many years,^r

24I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain and to be sent on my way there by you, after I have enjoyed being with you for a time.^s

25^* Now, however, I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the holy ones.^t

26For Macedonia and Achaia^* have decided to make some contribution for the poor among the holy ones in Jerusalem;^u

27they decided to do it, and in fact they are indebted to them, for if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to serve them in material blessings.^v

28So when I have completed this and safely handed over this contribution to them, I shall set out by way of you to Spain;

29and I know that in coming to you I shall come in the fullness of Christ’s blessing.

30I urge you, [brothers,] by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in the struggle by your prayers to God on my behalf,^w

31that I may be delivered from the disobedient in Judea, and that my ministry for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the holy ones,

32so that I may come to you with joy by the will of God and be refreshed together with you.

33The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.^x

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The complete Book of Numbers

THE BOOK OF NUMBERS

The Book of Numbers derives its name from the account of the two censuses taken of the Hebrew people, one near the beginning and the other toward the end of the journey in the wilderness (chaps. 1 and 26). It continues the story of that journey begun in Exodus, and describes briefly the experiences of the Israelites for a period of thirty-eight years, from the end of their encampment at Sinai to their arrival at the border of the promised land. Numerous legal ordinances are interspersed in the account, making the book a combination of law and history.

The book divides neatly into two parts. Each part begins with a census of the people (chaps. 1 and 26) and inaugurates a period of preparation prior to entering the promised land. In the first case these preparations come to a tragic end when scouts are sent forth to survey the promised land (chaps. 13–14). Upon their return, the people are so disheartened by the description of the native inhabitants and the seemingly impossible task that lies in front of them that they refuse to enter the land. This results in a decision to doom that entire generation to death and to allow another generation the chance to enter. After the death of the first generation, then, a second census is taken (chap. 26) and again preparations are made to enter the land. In this case, however, the birth of a new generation suggests these preparations will not be in vain. The book ends with the Israelites across the Jordan outside the land of Canaan, underscoring a chief theme of the Pentateuch as a whole: the people anticipating the fulfillment of God’s promise of the land.

In the New Testament numerous allusions to incidents in the Book of Numbers appear: the bronze serpent (Jn 3:14–15), the sedition of Korah and its consequences (1 Cor 10:10), the prophecies of Balaam (2 Pt 2:15–16), and the water gushing from the rock (1 Cor 10:4).

The chief divisions of the Book of Numbers are as follows:

Census and Preparation for the Departure from Sinai (1:1–10:10)
Departure, Rebellion, and Wandering in the Wilderness for Forty Years (10:11–25:18)
Second Census of a New Generation and Preparation to Enter the Promised Land (25:19–36:13)

I. CENSUS AND PREPARATION FOR THE DEPARTURE FROM SINAI

The book of Romans