The Daily Audio Bible
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The Israelis Continue to Complain
41 Nevertheless, the very next day, the whole congregation of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, “You’ve killed the Lord’s people!”
42 When the community gathered together against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Tent of Meeting. All of a sudden, a cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared. 43 Then Moses and Aaron entered the Tent of Meeting.
44 The Lord told Moses, 45 “Leave this community, so I can annihilate them in a moment.”
But they fell upon their faces. 46 Then Moses told Aaron. “Take the censer, put fire on it from the altar, and burn some incense. Then walk quickly to the congregation and atone for them, because wrath has already come out from the Lord—the plague has begun.”
47 So Aaron took the censer,[a] just as Moses had spoken, and ran out to the center of the assembly, where a plague had begun among the people. He set the incense on fire and atoned for the people. 48 He stood between the dead and the living and restrained the plague. 49 Those who died due to the plague numbered 14,700, not counting those who died due to the matter with Korah.
50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting after the slaughter had been restrained.
The Budding of Aaron’s Rod
17 [b]The Lord instructed Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelis to take a rod—one from each ancestral house, that is, one from every leader, for a total of twelve rods. Write each tribal name on his rod. 3 You are also to write Aaron’s name on the tribe of Levi, since there is to be one rod for every leader of their ancestral tribes.
4 “Then lay them there in the Tent of Meeting in front of the Ark of the Covenant[c] where I’ll meet with you. 5 The rod that belongs to the man whom I’ll choose will burst into bloom. That’s how I’ll put a stop to the complaints of the Israelis, who are complaining against you.”
6 So Moses spoke to the Israelis, and each of the tribe leaders gave him a rod, one for each leader, according to their ancestral tribes, for a total of twelve rods. Aaron’s rod was one of them. 7 Then Moses laid out the rods in the Lord’s presence, inside the Tent of Testimony. 8 The next morning, Moses went to the Tent of Testimony and the rod of Aaron of the tribe of Levi had burst into bloom! It sprouted buds, bloomed blossoms, and produced fully ripe almonds! 9 Then Moses took out all the rods from the Lord’s presence to show[d] all the Israelis. Everybody looked, and then each man took his rod.
10 Then the Lord instructed Moses, “Return Aaron’s rod before the testimony[e] to be kept for a reminder[f] against the rebels[g] so that you may put an end to their complaints against me and so that they won’t die.”
11 So Moses did exactly what the Lord had commanded him to do. 12 Then the Israelis told Moses, “We’re sure to die! We’re all going to perish—all of us! 13 Anyone who comes near or approaches the Lord’s tent is to die. Are all of us going to die?”
Responsibilities for Priests and Descendants of Levi
18 Later, the Lord told Aaron, “You, your sons, and your father’s tribe with you are to bear the iniquity of the sanctuary. Also, you and your sons with you are to bear the iniquity of your priesthood. 2 Moreover, bring your brothers from your father’s tribe of Levi with you, so they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you stand in the presence of the Tent of Testimony. 3 They are to take care of your concerns and all the responsibilities involved with the tent. But they’re not to approach the holy vessels or the altar. That way, neither you nor they will die. 4 They are to join you to maintain services related to the Tent of Meeting, for all the responsibilities involved with the tent. But no unauthorized person[h] is to approach you. 5 Take care of the sanctuary and the services of the altar so that there won’t be any more wrath on the Israelis. 6 Notice that I’ve taken your brothers, the descendants of Levi, from among the Israelis, giving them to you as a gift from the Lord to perform the service of the Tent of Meeting. 7 Now you and your sons with you are to maintain your priestly duties and all matters that concern the altar and what is housed within the veil. You are to perform these services. I’m giving you the priesthood as a gift of service, but any unauthorized person[i] who approaches is to be put to death.”
Ownership for Offerings
8 Then the Lord told Aaron, “Look! I am indeed placing you in charge of my raised offerings and the holy things concerning the Israelis. Because of your anointing, I’m giving you and your sons a prescribed portion forever. 9 This is what is to belong to you from consecrated offerings spared[j] from the fire: all of their offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, and trespass offerings that they render to me. They’re to be considered most sacred to you and your sons. 10 You may eat them as consecrated gifts. Every male may eat them. They’re sacred for you. 11 The raised offering and wave offerings presented by the Israelis are yours, too. I’ve given them to you, to your sons, and to your daughters as a prescribed apportionment forever. Everyone who is clean in your household may eat it. 12 All the best[k] oil, wine, grain, and first fruits that they give to the Lord are to belong to you. Everyone who is clean in your household may eat it.
13 “The first ripe fruits of everything that the land produces and that they bring to the Lord are yours, too. Everyone who is clean in your household may eat it. 14 Every devoted thing in Israel is yours, too. 15 Everything that opens the womb, any living thing that they bring to the Lord—whether from human beings or animals—are for you. Just be sure that you redeem the firstborn of people and the firstborn of unclean animals. 16 Those that can be redeemed, you are to redeem at the age of one month, based on your estimate—for five shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, that is, for 20 gerahs. 17 But you are not to redeem the firstborn of a cow, sheep, or a female goat. They are holy. You are to sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat for an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 18 Their meat is to belong to you, just as the breast wave offering and the right thigh is yours. 19 I’m giving you, your sons, and your daughters as a prescribed portion forever all the raised offerings of the consecrated things that the Israelis offer to the Lord. It’s a salt covenant forever before the Lord with you and your descendants with you.”
Land Prohibited to Descendants of Levi
20 Then the Lord instructed Aaron, “You are not to have any inheritance in the land, nor are you to have any portion among the people.[l] I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelis. 21 As to the descendants of Levi, certainly I’ve given all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for their services that they perform at the Tent of Meeting. 22 Therefore, the Israelis need no longer come to the Tent of Meeting, so they won’t suffer the consequences of their sin and die. 23 The descendants of Levi are to perform the service of the Tent of Meeting and they are to bear their iniquity. This is to be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that they are not to receive an inheritance among the Israelis, 24 because I’ve given to the descendants of Levi the tithes that the Israelis bring to the Lord as raised offering. Therefore I told them that, unlike the Israelis, they won’t receive an inheritance.”
Offerings Given to the Descendants of Levi
25 Then the Lord instructed Moses, 26 “Tell the descendants of Levi that when they receive tithes from the Israelis (the tithes that I’ve given you from them as an inheritance), you are to offer a tenth of it[m] as a raised offering for the Lord. 27 Your raised offerings are to be accounted for you as though it were grain from threshing floors and full produce from wine vats. 28 You are to offer a raised offering to the Lord from all your tithes that you receive from the Israelis. Give Aaron the priest the raised offering of the Lord 29 out of all the most consecrated offerings that you receive, that is, all the raised offerings of the Lord, with all its best and the most holy parts of it. 30 Tell them that when they bring the best from it, as far as the descendants of Levi are concerned, it is to be considered like produce from the threshing floors and wine vats. 31 You and your household may eat it anywhere, because it’s a reward to you in return for your services at the Tent of Meeting. 32 You won’t sin by offering the best of it, and you are not to profane the sacred things of the Israelis, so that you won’t die.”
Jesus is Raised from the Dead(A)
16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene,[a] Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices to go and anoint Jesus.[b] 2 Very early on the first day of the week,[c] when the sun had just come up, they were going to the tomb. 3 They kept saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 Then they looked up and saw that the stone had been rolled away. (It was a very large stone.)
5 As they went into the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were utterly astonished. 6 But he told them, “Stop being astonished! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He is not here. Look at the place where they laid him. 7 But go and tell his disciples—especially Peter—that Jesus[d] is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
8 So they left the tomb and ran away, overwhelmed by shock and astonishment. They didn’t say a thing to anyone, because they were afraid.[e]
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene(B)
9 After Jesus[f] had risen early on the first day of that week,[g] he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,[h] from whom he had driven out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with Jesus[i] and who now were grieving and crying. 11 When they heard that he was alive and that he had been seen by her, they refused to believe Mary.[j]
Jesus Appears to Two Disciples(C)
12 After this, Jesus[k] appeared in a different form to two disciples[l] as they were walking into the country. 13 They went back and told the others, who didn’t believe them, either.
Jesus Commissions His Disciples(D)
14 Finally he appeared to his eleven disciples[m] while they were eating. He rebuked them for their unbelief and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who had seen him after he had risen. 15 Then he told them, “As you go into the entire world, proclaim the gospel to everyone.[n] 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever doesn’t believe will be condemned. 17 These are the signs that will accompany those who believe: In my name they’ll drive out demons. they’ll speak in new languages,[o] 18 and they’ll pick up snakes with their hands.[p] Even if they drink any deadly poison, it won’t hurt them, and they’ll place their hands on the sick, and they’ll recover.”
Jesus is Taken Up to Heaven(E)
19 So the Lord Jesus,[q] after talking with his disciples,[r] was taken up to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 Then his disciples[s] went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the signs that accompanied it.
To the Director: With stringed instruments. A Davidic instruction.[a]
Betrayal by a Friend
55 Pay attention to my prayer, God,
and do not hide yourself from my appeal.
2 Pay attention to me and answer me.
I moan and groan in my thoughts,
3 because of the voice of the enemy,
and because of the oppression of the wicked.
They bring down evil upon me,
and in anger they hate me.
4 My heart is trembling within me,
and the terrors of death have assaulted me.
5 Fear and trembling have overwhelmed me,
and horror has covered me.
6 I said, “O, who will give me the wings of a dove,
so that I could fly away and live somewhere else?
7 Look, I want to flee far away;
I want to settle down in the wilderness.
8 I want to deliver myself quickly
from this windstorm and tempest.”
9 Confound them, Lord,
and confuse their speech,
because I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they prowl around its walls;
evil and iniquity are within it.
11 Wickedness is at the center of it;
fraud and lies never leave its streets.
12 For it is not an enemy who insults me—
I could have handled that—
nor is it someone who hates me and who now arises against me—
I could have hidden myself from him—
13 but it is you—
a man whom I treated as my equal—
my personal confidant,
my close friend!
14 We had good fellowship together;
and we even walked together in the house of God!
15 Let death seize them!
May they be plunged alive into the afterlife,[b]
for wicked things are in their homes
and among them.
16 I call upon God,
and the Lord will deliver me.
17 Morning, noon, and night,
I mulled over these things
and cried out in my distress,
and he heard my voice.
18 He calmly ransomed my soul from the war waged against me,
for there was a vast crowd who stood against me.
19 God, who is enthroned from long ago,
will hear me and humble them.
Because they do not repent,
they do not fear God.
20 Each of my friends[c] raises his hand against his allies;
each of my friends[d] breaks his word.[e]
21 His mouth is as smooth as butter,
while war is in his heart.
His words were as smooth as olive oil,
while his sword is drawn.
22 Cast on the Lord whatever he sends your way,
and he will sustain you.
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
23 But you, God, bring them down to the Pit of corruption;[f]
bloodthirsty and deceitful people will not live out half their days.
But I put my full confidence in you.
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