The Daily Audio Bible
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The Seven Lamps(A)
8 The Lord told Moses, 2 “Tell Aaron, ‘When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps will illuminate the area in[a] front of the lamp stand.’”[b] 3 So Aaron did so, setting up the lamps to illuminate the area in[c] front of the lamp stand, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 4 This was how the lamp stand was crafted from hammered gold: From its base to its flowers, it was made of hammered gold. Moses crafted the lamp stand just as the Lord had showed him.[d]
Purifying the Descendants of Levi
5 Then the Lord told Moses, 6 “Take the descendants of Levi from the Israelis and purify them. 7 This is what you are to do for them in order to purify them: Sprinkle purifying water over them, have them shave their skin, and then have them wash their garments, and they will be purified. 8 They are to take a young bull along with its meal offering made of flour mixed with oil. Then you are to take a second young bull as a sin offering. 9 Assemble the descendants of Levi in front of the appointed place of meeting, and assemble the whole congregation of Israel, too. 10 Bring the descendants of Levi into the Lord’s presence and have the Israelis lay their hands on the descendants of Levi.
11 “Then Aaron is to present the descendants of Levi as a wave offering before the Lord from the Israelis, because they are to work in the service of the Lord. 12 The descendants of Levi are then to lay their hands on the head of the bulls, offering one for a sin offering and the other one for a burnt offering to the Lord to atone for the descendants of Levi. 13 You are to make the descendants of Levi stand in the presence of Aaron and his sons. Then you are to wave them as wave offerings to the Lord. 14 This is how you are to separate the descendants of Levi from among the Israelis. The descendants of Levi belong to me.
15 “After this, the descendants of Levi are to come to serve at the appointed place of meeting, after you have purified them and presented them as wave offerings, 16 since they’ve been set apart for me from among the Israelis. I’ve taken them for myself instead of the first to open the womb—every firstborn of the Israelis, 17 since every firstborn of Israel belongs to me, from human beings to livestock. On the same day that I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated them to myself, 18 taking the descendants of Levi instead of every firstborn of the Israelis. 19 I’ve set the descendants of Levi apart from the Israelis so that Aaron and his sons would work in service at the appointed place of meeting, making atonement on behalf of the Israelis so that there won’t be a plague among the Israelis whenever they approach the sanctuary.”
20 So Moses and Aaron and the Israelis did this on behalf of the descendants of Levi. The Israelis did everything that the Lord commanded concerning the descendants of Levi. 21 The descendants of Levi therefore purified themselves, washed their clothes, and then Aaron presented them as wave offerings to the Lord. Aaron provided atonement for them to purify them. 22 After this, the descendants of Levi entered into their work of service at the appointed place, in the presence of Aaron and his sons. They did everything that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the descendants of Levi.
Age Restrictions for the Descendants of Levi
23 Later, the Lord told Moses, 24 “Now regarding a descendant of Levi who is 25 years and above, he is to enter work in the service at the appointed place of meeting, 25 but starting at 50 years of age, he is to retire from service and is no longer to work. 26 He may minister to his brothers at the Tent of Meeting by keeping watch, but he is not to engage in service. This is how you are to act with respect to the obligations of the descendants of Levi.”
The Passover at Sinai(B)
9 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai during the first month of the second year that they had left Egypt, 2 “The Israelis are to observe the Passover at its appointed time 3 on the fourteenth day of this month. You are to observe it at this appointed time between the evenings. You are to observe it according to all its decrees and laws.”
4 So Moses instructed the Israelis to observe the Passover. 5 They observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight, in the Wilderness of Sinai. The Israelis did everything that the Lord had commanded through Moses.
Special Passover Rules
6 But there were men who couldn’t observe the Passover that day because they had come in contact with a corpse. That very day, they approached Moses and Aaron 7 and asked, “Why can’t we bring an offering to the Lord at the appointed time among the Israelis, even though we are unclean because we came in contact with a corpse?”
8 “Wait while I hear what the Lord has to say about you,” Moses replied.
9 Then the Lord told Moses, 10 “Instruct[e] the Israelis that when any of you or your descendants becomes unclean due to contact with a corpse, or if he is on a long journey, he nevertheless is to observe the Lord’s Passover. 11 On the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight, they are to eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They are not to leave any of it to remain until morning nor are they to break any of its bones. They are to observe it according to all the statutes of the Passover. 13 Now as to the person[f] who is clean and isn’t traveling, but fails to observe the Passover, that person[g] is to be eliminated from his people, because he didn’t bring an offering to the Lord at its appointed time. That person is to bear his sin. 14 If a resident alien lives with you and wants to observe the Lord’s Passover, let him observe it according to the statutes and laws of the Passover. You are to maintain the same statute[h] for the resident alien as you do for the native of the land.”
The Fire Cloud over the Tent
15 On the same morning[i] that the tent was set up, a cloud covered the tent, that is, the Tent of Testimony, and in the evening fire appeared over the tent until morning. 16 It was so continuously—there was a cloud covering by day, and a fire cloud appeared at night. 17 Whenever the cloud above the tent ascended, the Israelis would travel and encamp in the place where the cloud settled. 18 According to whatever the Lord said,[j] the Israelis would travel. According to whatever the Lord said, they would camp as long as the cloud remained over the Tent of Meeting.
19 When the cloud over the tent remained for a longer time, the Israelis did what the Lord had instructed and didn’t travel. 20 There were times when the cloud remained over the tent for a number of days. They camped in accordance with the Lord’s instructions and they traveled in accordance with the Lord’s instructions. 21 There were times when the cloud remained from evening until morning, but when the cloud ascended in the morning, they would journey. Whether by day or by night, they would travel whenever the cloud ascended. 22 Whether for two days, a month, or for longer periods, whenever the cloud would remain above the tent, the Israelis would remain in camp, not traveling. But whenever it ascended, then they would travel. 23 According to what the Lord said, they would remain in camp, and according to what the Lord said, they would travel. They kept the commands that the Lord had given through Moses.
Signs of the End(A)
14 “So when you see the destructive desecration standing where it should not be (let the reader take note),[a] then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 15 Anyone who’s on his housetop must not come down and go into his house to take anything out of it, 16 and the one who’s in the field must not turn back to get his coat.
17 “How terrible it will be for women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days! 18 Pray that it may not be in winter, 19 because those days will be a time of suffering,[b] a kind that has not happened from the beginning of creation—which God himself created—until now, and certainly will never happen again. 20 If the Lord had not shortened those days, no one[c] would survive. But for the sake of the elect whom he has chosen, he has shortened those days.
21 “At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look here! The Messiah!’,[d] or, ‘Look there!’ don’t believe it, 22 because false messiahs[e] and false prophets will have arisen and will produce signs and omens intending to deceive, if possible, the elect. 23 So be on your guard! I’ve told you everything beforehand.”
The Coming of the Son of Man(B)
24 “But after the troubles[f] of those days,
‘The sun will be darkened,
the moon will not reflect its light,
25 the stars will be falling out of the sky,
and the powers that are in the heavens will be disrupted.’[g]
26 Then people[h] will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’[i] with great power and glory. 27 He’ll send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the most remote part of earth to the most remote part of heaven.”
The Lesson from the Fig Tree(C)
28 “Now learn a lesson[j] from the fig tree. When its branches become tender and it produces leaves, you know that summer is approaching. 29 In the same way, when you see these things taking place, you will know that the Son of Man[k] is near, right at the door. 30 I tell all of you[l] with certainty, this generation won’t disappear until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”
The Unknown Day and Hour of the Messiah’s Return(D)
32 “No one knows when that day or hour will come[m]—neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be careful! Watch out! Because you don’t know when the time will come. 34 It’s like a man who went on a trip. As he left home, he put his servants in charge, each with his own work, and he ordered the doorkeeper to be alert. 35 So keep on watching, because you don’t know when the master of the house is coming—whether in the middle of the night, at the time the cock crows,[n] or at daybreak. 36 Otherwise, he may come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 I’m telling you what I’m telling everyone: Be alert!”
A song of Asaph.
The Acceptable Sacrifice
50 God, the Lord,[a] has spoken.
He has summoned the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting place.
2 From Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God has shined forth.
3 Our God has appeared and he has not been silent;
a devouring fire blazed before him,
and a mighty storm swirled around him.
4 He summoned the heavens above
and the earth below,[b]
to sit in judgment on his people.
5 “Assemble before me, my saints,
who have entered into my covenant by sacrifice.”
6 The heavens revealed his justice,
for God is himself the judge.
7 “Listen, my people,
for I am making a pronouncement:
Israel, I, God, your God, am testifying against you.
8 I do not rebuke you because of your sacrifices;
indeed, your burnt offerings are continuously before me.
9 I will no longer accept a sacrificial[c] bull from your household;
nor goats from your pens.
10 Indeed, every animal of the forest is mine,
even the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds in the mountains;
indeed, everything that moves in the field is mine.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
for the world is mine along with everything in it.
13 Why should I eat the flesh of oxen
or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a thanksgiving praise;
pay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call on me in the day of distress;
I will deliver you, and you will glorify me.”
16 As for the wicked, God says,
“How dare you recite my statutes
or speak about my covenant with your lips!
17 You hate instruction
and toss my words behind you.
18 When you see a thief, you befriend him,
and you keep company with adulterers.
19 You give your mouth free reign for evil,
and your tongue devises deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother’s son.
21 These things you did, and I kept silent,
because you assumed that I was like you.
But now I am going to rebuke you,
and I will set forth my case before your very own eyes.”
22 Consider this, you who have forgotten God—
Otherwise, I will tear you in pieces
and there will be no deliverer:
23 Whoever offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me,
and I will reveal the salvation of God
to whomever continues in my way.”[d]
29 To the upright, the way of the Lord is a place of safety,
but it’s a place of ruin to those who practice evil.
30 The righteous will never be overthrown,
but the wicked will never inhabit the land.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.