Today's Reading

¹The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

²"Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, every male, one by one;

³from twenty years old and upward, all who are able to go out to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their divisions.

⁴With you there shall be a man of every tribe; everyone head of his fathers' house.

⁵These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: Of Reuben: Elizur the son of Shedeur.

⁶Of Simeon: Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

⁷Of Judah: Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

⁸Of Issachar: Nethanel the son of Zuar.

⁹Of Zebulun: Eliab the son of Helon.

¹⁰Of the children of Joseph: Of Ephraim: Elishama the son of Ammihud. Of Manasseh: Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

¹¹Of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gideoni.

¹²Of Dan: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

¹³Of Asher: Pagiel the son of Ochran.

¹⁴Of Gad: Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

¹⁵Of Naphtali: Ahira the son of Enan."

¹⁶These are those who were called of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel.

¹⁷Moses and Aaron took these men who are mentioned by name.

¹⁸They assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they declared their ancestry by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, one by one.

¹⁹As the Lord commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.

²⁰The children of Reuben, Israel's firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

²¹those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

²²Of the children of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, those who were numbered of it, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

²³those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

²⁴Of the children of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

²⁵those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Gad, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.

²⁶Of the children of Judah, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

²⁷those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Judah, were sixty-four thousand six hundred.

²⁸Of the children of Issachar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

²⁹those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

³⁰Of the children of Zebulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

³¹those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

³²Of the children of Joseph, of the children of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

³³those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand five hundred.

³⁴Of the children of Manasseh, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

³⁵those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

³⁶Of the children of Benjamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

³⁷those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

³⁸Of the children of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war;

³⁹those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Dan, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

⁴⁰Of the children of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war;

⁴¹those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Asher, were forty-one thousand five hundred.

⁴²Of the children of Naphtali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war;

⁴³those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

⁴⁴These are those who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men: they were each one for his fathers' house.

⁴⁵So all those who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers' houses, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war in Israel;

⁴⁶even all those who were numbered were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty.

⁴⁷But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.

⁴⁸For the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

⁴⁹"Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, neither shall you take a census of them among the children of Israel;

⁵⁰but appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle, and all its furnishings; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp around it.

⁵¹When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.

⁵²The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their divisions.

⁵³But the Levites shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be responsible for the Tabernacle of the Testimony."

⁵⁴Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they did.

¹The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

²"The children of Israel shall encamp every man by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' houses: at a distance from the Tent of Meeting shall they encamp around it."

³Those who encamp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their divisions: and the prince of the children of Judah shall be Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

⁴His division, and those who were numbered of them, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

⁵Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar: and the prince of the children of Issachar shall be Nethanel the son of Zuar.

⁶His division, and those who were numbered of it, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

⁷The tribe of Zebulun: and the prince of the children of Zebulun shall be Eliab the son of Helon.

⁸His division, and those who were numbered of it, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

⁹All who were numbered of the camp of Judah were one hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out first.

¹⁰"On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.

¹¹His division, and those who were numbered of it, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

¹²"Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon. The prince of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

¹³His division, and those who were numbered of them, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

¹⁴"The tribe of Gad: and the prince of the children of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel.

¹⁵His division, and those who were numbered of them, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.

¹⁶"All who were numbered of the camp of Reuben were one hundred fifty-one thousand four hundred fifty, according to their armies. They shall set out second.

¹⁷"Then the Tent of Meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps. As they encamp, so shall they set out, every man in his place, by their standards.

¹⁸"On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their divisions: and the prince of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud.

¹⁹His division, and those who were numbered of them, were forty thousand five hundred.

²⁰"Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh: and the prince of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

²¹His division, and those who were numbered of them, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

²²"The tribe of Benjamin: and the prince of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni.

²³His army, and those who were numbered of them, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

²⁴"All who were numbered of the camp of Ephraim were one hundred eight thousand one hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out third.

²⁵"On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan according to their divisions: and the prince of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

²⁶His division, and those who were numbered of them, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

²⁷"Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher: and the prince of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ochran.

²⁸His division, and those who were numbered of them, were forty-one thousand and five hundred.

²⁹"The tribe of Naphtali: and the prince of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan.

³⁰His division, and those who were numbered of them, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

³¹"All who were numbered of the camp of Dan were one hundred fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall set out last by their standards."

³²These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers' houses. All who were numbered of the camps according to their armies were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty.

³³But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses.

³⁴Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they encamped by their standards, and so they set out, everyone by their families, according to their fathers' houses.

¹Now this is the history of the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the Lord spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai.

²These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

³These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office.

⁴Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord, when they offered strange fire before the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the presence of Aaron their father.

⁵The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

⁶"Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.

⁷They shall keep his requirements, and the requirements of the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.

⁸They shall keep all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, and the obligations of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

⁹You shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him on the behalf of the children of Israel.

¹⁰You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death."

¹¹The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

¹²"Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine:

¹³for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I made holy to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be mine. I am the Lord."

¹⁴The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

¹⁵"Count the children of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families. You shall count every male from a month old and upward."

¹⁶Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded.

¹⁷These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

¹⁸These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.

¹⁹The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, and Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

²⁰The sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' houses.

²¹Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites: these are the families of the Gershonites.

²²Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those who were numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred.

²³The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward.

²⁴The prince of the fathers' house of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.

²⁵The duty of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting,

²⁶and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and around the altar, and its cords for all of its service.

²⁷Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.

²⁸According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred, keeping the requirements of the sanctuary.

²⁹The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the south side of the tabernacle.

³⁰The prince of the fathers' house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

³¹Their duty shall be the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all its service.

³²Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be prince of the princes of the Levites, with the oversight of those who keep the requirements of the sanctuary.

³³Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari.

³⁴Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred.

³⁵The prince of the fathers' house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They shall encamp on the north side of the tabernacle.

³⁶The appointed duty of the sons of Merari shall be the tabernacle's boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its instruments, all its service,

³⁷the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins, and their cords.

³⁸Those who encamp before the tabernacle eastward, in front of the Tent of Meeting toward the sunrise, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the requirements of the sanctuary for the duty of the children of Israel. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.

³⁹All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.

⁴⁰The Lord said to Moses, "Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

⁴¹You shall take the Levites for me (I am the Lord) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel."

⁴²Moses numbered, as the Lord commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

⁴³All the firstborn males according to the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.

⁴⁴The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

⁴⁵"Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock; and the Levites shall be mine. I am the Lord.

⁴⁶For the redemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who exceed the number of the Levites,

⁴⁷you shall take five shekels apiece for each one; after the shekel of the sanctuary you shall take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs):

⁴⁸and you shall give the money, with which the remainder of them is redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons."

⁴⁹Moses took the redemption money from those who exceeded the number of those who were redeemed by the Levites;

⁵⁰from the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:

⁵¹and Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.

¹He began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the winepress, built a tower, rented it out to a farmer, and went on a journey.

²When it was time, he sent a servant to the farmer to get from the farmer his share of the fruit of the vineyard.

³They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty.

⁴Again, he sent another servant to them; and they wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.

⁵And he sent another; and they killed him; and many others, beating some, and killing some.

⁶He had one left, a beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

⁷But those farmers said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'

⁸They took him, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

⁹What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.

¹⁰Haven't you even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner.

¹¹This was from the Lord, it is marvelous in our eyes'?"

¹²They tried to seize him, but they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spoke the parable against them. They left him, and went away.

¹³They sent some of the Pharisees and of the Herodians to him, that they might trap him with words.

¹⁴When they had come, they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you are honest, and do not defer to anyone; for you are not partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?

¹⁵Shall we give, or shall we not give?" But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it."

¹⁶They brought it. He said to them, "Whose is this image and inscription?" They said to him, "Caesar's."

¹⁷And Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." They marveled greatly at him.

¹⁸There came to him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection. They asked him, saying,

¹⁹"Teacher, Moses wrote to us, 'If a man's brother dies, and leaves a wife behind him, and leaves no children, that his brother should take the wife, and raise up offspring for his brother.'

²⁰There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying left no offspring.

²¹The second took her, and died, leaving no children behind him. The third likewise;

²²and the seven left no children. Last of all the woman also died.

²³In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be of them? For the seven had her as a wife."

²⁴Jesus said to them, "Is not this because you are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God?

²⁵For when they will rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

²⁶But about the dead, that they are raised; have not you read in the book of Moses, about the Bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?

²⁷He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are therefore badly mistaken."

²⁸And one of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together. Knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the greatest of all?"

²⁹Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one:

³⁰you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'

³¹The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

³²The scribe said to him, "Truly, Teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he,

³³and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

³⁴When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." No one dared ask him any question after that.

³⁵Jesus responded, as he taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David?

³⁶David himself said in the Holy Spirit, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."'

³⁷David himself calls him Lord, so how can he be his son?" The common people heard him gladly.

³⁸In his teaching he said to them, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and to get greetings in the marketplaces,

³⁹and the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts:

⁴⁰those who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."

⁴¹And he sat down opposite the treasury, and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much.

⁴²A poor widow came, and she cast in two small brass coins, which equal a quadrans coin.

⁴³He called his disciples to himself, and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury,

⁴⁴for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on."

¹ I waited patiently for the Lord. He turned to me, and heard my cry.

²He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay. He set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand.

³He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.

⁴Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, and doesn't respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

⁵Many, Lord, my God, are the wonderful works which you have done, and your thoughts which are toward us. They can't be declared back to you. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

⁶Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for me. You have not required burnt offering and sin offering.

⁷Then I said, "Behold, I have come. It is written about me in the book in the scroll.

⁸I delight to do your will, my God. Yes, your Law is within my heart."

⁹I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly. Behold, I will not seal my lips, Lord, you know.

¹⁰I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart. I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation. I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly.

¹¹Do not withhold your tender mercies from me, Lord. Let your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me.

¹²For innumerable evils have surrounded me. My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of my head. My heart has failed me.

¹³Be pleased, Lord, to deliver me. Hurry to help me, Lord.

¹⁴Let them be disappointed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt.

¹⁵Let them be desolate by reason of their shame that tell me, "Aha! Aha!"

¹⁶Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let such as love your salvation say continually, "Let the Lord be exalted!"

¹⁷But I am poor and needy. May the Lord think about me. You are my help and my deliverer. Do not delay, my God.

¹Wisdom has built her house. She has carved out her seven pillars.

²She has prepared her meat. She has mixed her wine. She has also set her table.

³She has sent out her maidens. She cries from the highest places of the city:

⁴"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

⁵"Come, eat some of my bread, Drink some of the wine which I have mixed!

⁶Leave your simple ways, and live. Walk in the way of understanding."

⁷He who corrects a mocker invites insult. He who reproves a wicked man invites abuse.

⁸Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

⁹Instruct a wise man, and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

¹¹For by me your days will be multiplied. The years of your life will be increased.

¹²If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you mock, you alone will bear it.

¹³The foolish woman is loud, Undisciplined, and knows nothing.

¹⁴She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

¹⁵To call to those who pass by, who go straight on their ways,

¹⁶"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here." as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

¹⁷"Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret is pleasant."

¹⁸But he doesn't know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.