The Daily Audio Bible
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Silver Trumpets
10 The Lord also told Moses, 2 “Make two trumpets, crafting them from beaten silver, for use in calling the congregation together and for notifying the camps to set out for travel. 3 Sound them when the whole assembly is to gather together at the entrance to the appointed place of meeting. 4 When one trumpet is blown, the elders and the heads of the thousands of the Israelis are to gather to you. 5 When you sound an alarm, the ones encamped on the east side are to begin to travel. 6 When you sound the alarm the second time, those encamped on the south are to begin to travel. Alarms are to be sounded for their travels. 7 But when you blow the trumpet to assemble the whole congregation, don’t use the same sound as you do for sounding an alarm.[a] 8 The descendants of Aaron the priest are to blow the trumpets. Have them do this for you permanently throughout your generations to come.”
Sounding the Trumpet in Battle
9 “When you wage war in your land against an enemy who is hostile to you, you are to sound an alarm with the trumpets. Then you will be remembered before the face of the Lord your God and you will be delivered from your enemies. 10 At the beginning of the month, during your time of rejoicing at the appointed place, sound the trumpet over your burnt offering, then sacrifice your peace offering, since they are to be your memorial before the Lord your God. I am the Lord your God.”
Order of Travel in the Wilderness
11 On the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, the cloud was lifted up from the Tent of Meeting, 12 so the Israelis set out from the Sinai Wilderness until the cloud settled in the Paran Wilderness, 13 doing what the Lord had said through Moses.
14 The standard of the camp of Judah was the first to travel, accompanied by its army with Amminadab’s son Nahshon in charge. 15 Zuar’s son Nethanel was in charge of the camp of Issachar. 16 Helon’s son Eliab was in charge of the camp of Zebulun. 17 The tent was taken down, and the descendants of Gershon and Merari carried the tent.
18 Then the standard of the camp of Reuben set out, accompanied by its army with Shedeur’s son Elizur in charge. 19 Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel was in charge of the tribe of Simeon. 20 Deuel’s son Eliasaph was in charge of the tribe of Gad. 21 Then the descendants of Kohath, carrying the sanctuary, set out, since the tent was to be set up before they arrive.
22 After this, the standard of the camp of Ephraim set out, accompanied by its army with Ammihud’s son Elishama in charge. 23 Pedazzur’s son Gamaliel was in charge of the tribe of Manasseh. 24 Gideoni’s son Abidan was in charge of the army of the tribe of Benjamin.
25 Then the standard of the camp of Dan set out, functioning as the rear guard for all the encampments, accompanied by its army with Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer. 26 Ochran’s son Pagiel was in charge of the tribe of Asher. 27 Enan’s son Ahira was in charge of the tribe of Naphtali.
28 This was the travel order for the Israelis, whenever their companies traveled.
Moses invites His Father-in-Law to Accompany Israel
29 Then Moses told Reuel’s son Hobab, Moses’ relative by marriage[b] from Midian, “We are traveling to the place about which the Lord said ‘I will give it to you.’ So come with us and we’ll be good to you, because the Lord has spoken good things about Israel.”
30 But he said, “I won’t go with you because I’m returning to my land and to my own family.”
31 Then Moses[c] responded, “Please don’t leave us now, since you know where we can camp in the wilderness. You could be our guide.[d] 32 And when you come with us, the good things that the Lord will grant us, we’ll give you as well.”[e]
33 So they traveled from the mountain of the Lord, a three-day trip, with the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord traveling in front of them—a three day trip to explore a place for them to rest. 34 Moreover, the cloud of the Lord protected them during the day when they left their camp. 35 Whenever the ark was ready to travel, Moses would say:
“Arise, Lord,
to scatter your enemies,
so that whoever hates you
will flee from your presence.”
36 Whenever the ark was being readied to rest, he would say:
“Return, Lord,
to the countless thousands of Israel.”
Israel Complains
11 Eventually, the people began complaining about their distress, and the Lord heard them. When the Lord heard, his anger flared up and the Lord’s fire incinerated some of them within the outskirts of the camp. 2 When the people cried out to Moses, he[f] prayed to the Lord and the fire stopped. 3 He then named that place Taberah,[g] because the Lord’s fire had incinerated some of them.
4 Meanwhile, certain riff-raff among the people[h] had an insatiable appetite[i] for food. As a result, they wept and turned back, and the Israelis cried out, “If only somebody would feed us some meat! 5 How we remember the fish that we used to eat in Egypt for free! And the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic! 6 But now we can’t stand it anymore,[j] because there’s nothing in front of us except this manna.”
7 Now manna was reminiscent of coriander seed, with an appearance similar to amber.[k] 8 People would go out to gather it, then they would grind it in mills or pound it in mortars, and then they would boil it in pots or make cakes out of it that tasted like butter cakes. 9 When the dew fell in the camp, the manna came with it.
Moses Responds
10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their entire families. Everyone gathered at the entrance to their tents so that the Lord was very angry. Moses thought the situation was bad, 11 so he[l] asked the Lord, “Why did you bring all this trouble to your servant? Why haven’t I found favor in your eyes? After all, you’re putting the burden of this entire people on me! 12 Did I conceive this people or give birth to them, so that you would tell me to carry them near my heart like a wet nurse carries a suckling baby to the land that you promised to their forefathers? 13 Where am I going to get meat to give this people? After all, they’re crying in front of me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 14 I cannot carry this whole nation! The burden is too heavy for me! 15 If this is how you treat me, please kill me right now, if I’ve found favor in your eyes, because I don’t want to keep staring at all of this[m] misery!”
The Appointment of 70 Elders
16 Then the Lord told Moses, “Gather together for me 70 men who are elders of Israel, men whom you know to be elders of the people and officers over them. Then bring them to the Tent of Meeting and let them stand there with you. 17 Then I’ll come down and speak with you. I’ll take some of the spirit that rests on you and apportion it among them, so that they may help you bear the burden of the people. That way, you won’t bear it by yourself.”
God Threatens to Provide Meat
18 “But give this command to the people: ‘You are to consecrate yourselves, because tomorrow you’re going to eat meat, since you’ve complained where the Lord can hear it, “Who can give us meat to eat? After all, life was better with us in Egypt.” Therefore, the Lord is going to give you meat and you’ll eat— 19 not only for a day, or for two days, or for five days, or for ten days, or for 20 days, 20 but for a whole month—until it comes out your nostrils and makes you vomit. This is because you’ve despised the Lord, who is among you, and you cried out in his presence by complaining, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”
Moses Doubts God’s Ability
21 Moses responded, “I’m with 600,000 people on foot and you’re saying I am to give them enough[n] meat to eat for a whole month? 22 What if we were to slaughter our entire inventory of[o] flocks and herds for them? Would that be enough? What if we could gather all the fish in the sea in nets for them? Would that be enough, either?”
God Rebukes Moses
23 But the Lord responded to Moses, “Is the Lord short on power?[p] You’re now going to witness whether what I say will come to pass or not.”
The Plot to Kill Jesus(A)
14 Now it was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The high priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus secretly and to have him put to death, 2 because they kept saying, “This must not happen during the festival. Otherwise, there’ll be a riot among the people.”
A Woman Anoints Jesus(B)
3 While Jesus[a] was in Bethany sitting at the table in the home of Simon the leper, a woman arrived with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume on his head. 4 Irritated, some who were there asked one another, “Why was the perfume wasted like this? 5 This perfume could have been sold for more than 300 denarii[b] and the money[c] given to the destitute.” So they got extremely angry with her.
6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me, 7 because you’ll always have the destitute with you and can help them whenever you want, but you won’t always have me. 8 She has done what she could. She poured perfume on my body in preparation for my burial. 9 I tell all of you[d] with certainty, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus(C)
10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the high priests to betray Jesus[e] to them. 11 After they had listened to him,[f] they were delighted and promised to give him money. So he began to look for a good opportunity to betray him.
The Passover with the Disciples(D)
12 On the first day of the Festival[g] of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus’[h] disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover meal?”
13 He sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and you will meet a man carrying a jug of water. Follow him. 14 When he goes into a house,[i] say to its owner that the Teacher asks, ‘Where is my room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ 15 Then he will show you a large upstairs room that is furnished and ready. Get everything ready for us there.” 16 So the disciples left and went into the city. They found everything just as Jesus[j] had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.
17 When evening came, Jesus[k] arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “I tell all of you[l] with certainty, one of you is going to betray me, one who is eating with me.”
19 They began to be very sad and asked him, one after the other, “Surely I am not the one, am I?”
20 He told them, “It’s one of you Twelve, the one who is dipping his bread into the bowl with me. 21 For the Son of Man is going away, just as it has been written about him, but how terrible it will be for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had never been born.”
To the Director: A Davidic Psalm. When the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
A Prayer for Cleansing and Pardon
51 Have mercy, God, according to your gracious love,
according to your unlimited compassion,
erase my transgressions.
2 Wash me from my iniquity,
cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgression;
my sin remains continuously before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned,
and done what was evil in your sight.
As a result, you are just in your pronouncement
and clear in your judgment.
5 Indeed, in iniquity I was brought forth;
in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Indeed, you are pleased with truth in the inner person,
and you will teach me wisdom in my[a] innermost parts.
7 Purge me with hyssop,
and I will be clean.
Wash me,
and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me know[b] joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your countenance from my sins
and erase the record of my iniquities.
10 God, create a pure heart in me,
and renew a right attitude within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence;
do not take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and let a willing attitude control me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors about your ways,
and sinners will turn to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of shedding blood,[c]
God, God of my salvation.
Then my tongue will sing about your righteousness.
15 Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 Indeed, you do not delight in sacrifices,
or I would give them,
nor do you desire burnt offerings.
17 True sacrifice to God[d] is a broken spirit.
A broken and chastened heart, God,
you will not despise.
18 Show favor to Zion in your good pleasure;
and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will be pleased with right sacrifices,
with burnt offerings, and with whole burnt offerings.
Then they will offer bulls on your altar.
31 The words of the righteous overflow with wisdom,
but the perverse tongue will be cut out.
32 Righteous lips know what is prudent,
but the words of the wicked are perverse.
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