Today's Reading

¹Israel stayed in Shittim; and the people began to play the prostitute with the daughters of Moab:

²for they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods; and the people ate, and bowed down to their gods.

³Israel joined himself to Baal Peor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

⁴The Lord said to Moses, "Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up to the Lord before the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel."

⁵Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Everyone kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal Peor."

⁶Behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

⁷When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand;

⁸and he went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

⁹Those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.

¹⁰The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

¹¹"Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in my jealousy.

¹²Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace:

¹³and it shall be to him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.'"

¹⁴Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain, who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers' house among the Simeonites.

¹⁵The name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head of the people of a fathers' house in Midian.

¹⁶The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

¹⁷"Harass the Midianites, and strike them;

¹⁸for they harassed you with their wiles, with which they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor."

¹It happened after the plague, that the Lord spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,

²"Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers' houses, all who are able to go forth to war in Israel."

³Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,

⁴"Take a census, from twenty years old and upward; as the Lord commanded Moses and the children of Israel." These are those that came out of the land of Egypt.

⁵Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;

⁶of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.

⁷These are the families of the Reubenites; and those who were numbered of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred thirty.

⁸The sons of Pallu: Eliab.

⁹The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. These are that Dathan and Abiram, who were called of the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the Lord,

¹⁰and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died; what time the fire devoured two hundred fifty men, and they became a sign.

¹¹Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah did not die.

¹²The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites;

¹³of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.

¹⁴These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand two hundred.

¹⁵The sons of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites;

¹⁶of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;

¹⁷of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites.

¹⁸These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred.

¹⁹The sons of Judah: Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.

²⁰The sons of Judah after their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.

²¹The sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.

²²These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them, seventy-six thousand five hundred.

²³The sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites;

²⁴of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.

²⁵These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them, sixty-four thousand three hundred.

²⁶The sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.

²⁷These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them, sixty thousand five hundred.

²⁸The sons of Joseph after their families: Manasseh and Ephraim.

²⁹The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir became the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.

³⁰These are the sons of Gilead: of Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;

³¹and Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;

³²and Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.

³³Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

³⁴These are the families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.

³⁵These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.

³⁶These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.

³⁷These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them, thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families.

³⁸The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;

³⁹of Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.

⁴⁰The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.

⁴¹These are the sons of Benjamin after their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand six hundred.

⁴²These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.

⁴³All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.

⁴⁴The sons of Asher after their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Berites.

⁴⁵Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.

⁴⁶The name of the daughter of Asher was Serah.

⁴⁷These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them, fifty-three thousand and four hundred.

⁴⁸The sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;

⁴⁹of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.

⁵⁰These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand four hundred.

⁵¹These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred one thousand seven hundred thirty.

⁵²The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

⁵³"To these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.

⁵⁴To the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance: to everyone according to those who were numbered of him shall his inheritance be given.

⁵⁵Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

⁵⁶According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer."

⁵⁷These are those who were numbered of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.

⁵⁸These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. Kohath became the father of Amram.

⁵⁹The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt: and she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.

⁶⁰To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

⁶¹Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the Lord.

⁶²Those who were numbered of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.

⁶³These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.

⁶⁴But among these there was not a man of them who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.

⁶⁵For the Lord had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. There was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

¹Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.

²They stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the Tent of Meeting, saying,

³"Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah: but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons.

⁴Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our father."

⁵Moses brought their cause before the Lord.

⁶The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

⁷"The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: you shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brothers; and you shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.

⁸You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'If a man dies, and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter.

⁹If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.

¹⁰If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers.

¹¹If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be to the children of Israel a statute and ordinance, as the Lord commanded Moses.'"

¹²The Lord said to Moses, "Go up into this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel.

¹³When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered;

¹⁴because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the waters before their eyes." (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

¹⁵Moses spoke to the Lord, saying,

¹⁶"Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation,

¹⁷who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord not be as sheep which have no shepherd."

¹⁸The Lord said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;

¹⁹and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and commission him in their sight.

²⁰You shall put of your honor on him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may obey.

²¹He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation."

²²Moses did as the Lord commanded him; and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:

²³and he laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as the Lord spoke by Moses.

¹Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness

²for forty days, being tempted by the devil. He ate nothing in those days. When they were completed, he was hungry.

³The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."

⁴Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'"

⁵He led him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

⁶The devil said to him, "I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want.

⁷If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours."

⁸Jesus answered and said to him, "It is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.'"

⁹He led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here,

¹⁰for it is written, 'He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;'

¹¹and, 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone.'"

¹²Jesus answering, said to him, "It is said, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"

¹³When the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until another time.

¹⁴Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area.

¹⁵He taught in their synagogues, being praised by all.

¹⁶He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

¹⁷The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the scroll, and found the place where it was written,

¹⁸"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed,

¹⁹and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

²⁰He closed the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him.

²¹He began to tell them, "Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

²²All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?"

²³He said to them, "Doubtless you will tell me this parable, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in your hometown.'"

²⁴He said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.

²⁵But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land.

²⁶Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

²⁷There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian."

²⁸They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things.

²⁹They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff.

³⁰But he, passing through the midst of them, went his way.

³¹He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. He was teaching them on the Sabbath day,

³²and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority.

³³In the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon, and he shouted with a loud voice,

³⁴saying, "Ah! what have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!"

³⁵Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" When the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.

³⁶Amazement came on all, and they spoke together, one with another, saying, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!"

³⁷News about him went out into every place of the surrounding region.

³⁸He rose up from the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a great fever, and they begged him for her.

³⁹He stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her. Immediately she rose up and served them.

⁴⁰When the sun was setting, all those who had any sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

⁴¹Demons also came out from many, crying out, and saying, "You are the Son of God!" Rebuking them, he did not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.

⁴²When it was day, he departed and went into an uninhabited place, and the multitudes looked for him, and came to him, and held on to him, so that he would not go away from them.

⁴³But he said to them, "I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other cities also. For this reason I have been sent."

⁴⁴He was proclaiming in the synagogues of Judea.

¹ Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.

²Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the north sides, the city of the great King.

³God has shown himself in her citadels as a refuge.

⁴For, behold, the kings assembled themselves, they passed by together.

⁵They saw it, then they were amazed. They were dismayed. They hurried away.

⁶Trembling took hold of them there, pain, as of a woman in travail.

⁷With the east wind, you break the ships of Tarshish.

⁸As we have heard, so we have seen, in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God. God will establish it forever. Selah.

⁹We have thought about your loving kindness, God, in the midst of your temple.

¹⁰As is your name, God, so is your praise to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is full of righteousness.

¹¹Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice, Because of your judgments.

¹²Walk about Zion, and go around her. Number its towers.

¹³Consider her defenses. Consider her palaces, that you may tell it to the next generation.

¹⁴For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even to death.

¹Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.

²A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who causes shame, and shall have a part in the inheritance among the brothers.

³The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts.

⁴An evildoer heeds wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

⁵Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.

⁶Children's children are the crown of old men; the glory of children are their parents.

⁷Arrogant speech isn't fitting for a fool, much less do lying lips fit a prince.

⁸A bribe is a precious stone in the eyes of him who gives it; wherever he turns, he prospers.

⁹He who covers an offense promotes love; but he who repeats a matter separates best friends.

¹⁰A rebuke enters deeper into one who has understanding than a hundred lashes into a fool.

¹¹An evil man seeks only rebellion; therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

¹²Let a bear robbed of her cubs meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

¹³Whoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

¹⁴The beginning of strife is like breaching a dam, therefore stop contention before quarreling breaks out.

¹⁵He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

¹⁶Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, seeing he has no understanding?

¹⁷A friend loves at all times; and a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸A man void of understanding strikes hands, and becomes collateral in the presence of his neighbor.

¹⁹He who loves disobedience loves strife. One who builds a high gate seeks destruction.

²⁰One who has a perverse heart doesn't find prosperity, and one who has a deceitful tongue falls into trouble.

²¹He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy.

²²A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

²³A wicked man receives a bribe in secret, to pervert the ways of justice.

²⁴Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son brings grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him.

²⁶Also to punish the righteous is not good, nor to flog officials for their integrity.

²⁷He who spares his words has knowledge. He who is even tempered is a man of understanding.

²⁸Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is counted wise. When he shuts his lips, he is thought to be discerning.