The Daily Audio Bible
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The Red Heifer
19 The Lord told Moses and Aaron, 2 “This is the ordinance of the law that the Lord commanded that the Israelis be told: They are to bring you a spotless red heifer, without physical defect, that has never been fitted with a yoke. 3 They are to deliver it to Eleazar the priest, and it is to be brought outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. 4 Then Eleazar the priest is to take blood from it with his finger and sprinkle the blood in front of the Tent of Meeting. 5 The entire heifer is to be incinerated in his presence, including its skin, its flesh, its blood, and its dung. 6 Then the priest is to take some cedar[a] wood, hyssop, and scarlet material and throw it into the middle of the burning heifer. 7 The priest is to wash his clothes and bathe himself[b] with water, after which he may enter the camp, but he is to remain unclean until evening. 8 Whoever takes part in the burning is to wash his clothes and bathe himself[c] in water and is to remain unclean until the evening. 9 Then someone[d] who is clean is to gather the ashes of the heifer and lay them outside the camp in a clean place. This is to be done for the community of Israel to use for water of purification from sin. 10 Whoever gathers the ashes of the heifer is to wash his clothes and is to remain unclean until the evening. This ordinance is to remain for the benefit of both the Israelis and the resident aliens who live among them.”
Purification for Contact with the Dead
11 “Whoever comes in contact with the body of a dead person is to remain unclean for seven days. 12 He is to purify himself on the third day and he will be clean on the seventh day. But if he can’t purify himself on the third day then he can’t be clean on the seventh day. 13 Anyone who comes in contact with a dead person (that is, with the corpse[e] of a human being[f] who has died), but who does not purify himself, defiles the Lord’s tent. That person is to be eliminated from Israel, because the water of impurity wasn’t sprinkled on him. He remains unclean and his uncleanness will remain with him.
14 “This is the procedure to follow[g] when a man dies in his tent: Everyone who enters the tent and everyone in it is to remain unclean for seven days. 15 Every open vessel that has no covering fastened around it is to be considered unclean. 16 Whoever is out in an open field and touches the body of[h] someone who was killed by a sword, or a dead body, or someone’s bones, or a grave, he is to be considered unclean for seven days.
17 “Now as for the unclean, they are to take ashes from the burning sin offering, and pour running water on it inside a vessel. 18 A clean person is to take some hyssop, dip it in water, and then sprinkle it on the tent, on every vessel, and on whoever[i] was there (that is, on whoever touched the bones, the killed person, or the dead body, including whoever dug the grave). 19 The clean person is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third day and seventh day and then he is to purify himself on the seventh day, wash his clothes, and bathe with water. He is to be considered clean at evening.
20 “The person[j] who is unclean but who doesn’t purify himself is to be eliminated from contact with the assembly, since he has defiled the Lord’s sanctuary and the water of impurity wasn’t sprinkled on him. He is to be considered unclean 21 as a continuing[k] reminder to them. Whoever sprinkles the water of impurity is to wash his clothes, and whoever comes in contact with the water of impurity is to remain unclean until evening. 22 Furthermore, anything that the unclean person touches is to be considered unclean and the person who touches him is to be considered unclean until the evening.”
The Meribah Springs(A)
20 The entire community of the Israelis entered the Zin wilderness during the first month. The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there.
2 But there was no water for the community, so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. 3 As the people argued with Moses, they told him, “We wish that we had died when our relatives died in the Lord’s presence! 4 Why did you bring the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness? So we and our cattle could die here? 5 Why did you take us out of Egypt and bring us to this terrible place? There’s no place to plant seeds, fig trees, vines, or pomegranates! And there’s no water to drink!”
6 Then Moses and Aaron went into the presence of the community at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
7 The Lord told Moses, 8 “Take the rod, gather the community together, and then you and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock right before their eyes. It will release water. As you bring water to them from the rock, the community and the cattle will be able to drink.” 9 So Moses took the rod in the Lord’s presence, just as he had commanded.
10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the community together in front of the rock. “Pay attention, you rebels!” Moses told them. “Are we to bring you water from this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Lots of water gushed out, and both the community and their cattle were able to drink.
The Lord Disciplines Moses
12 But the Lord rebuked Moses and Aaron, telling Moses: “Because you both[l] didn’t believe me, because you didn’t consecrate me as holy[m] in the presence[n] of the Israelis, you won’t be the ones to bring this congregation into the land that I’m about to give them.” 13 Because the Israelis argued with the Lord and he was set apart among them, this place was called the Meribah Springs.[o]
The Israelis Approach Edom
14 Later, Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom with this message: “This is what your relative Israel says: ‘You know all the hardships we’ve encountered.[p] 15 Our ancestors went down to Egypt, where we lived for many[q] years. But the Egyptians treated us and our ancestors viciously. 16 Then we cried to the Lord and he heard our voice, sending us a messenger who brought us out of Egypt. Now look! We’ve arrived in Kadesh, a city at the extreme end of your territory. 17 Permit us now to pass through your land. We won’t pass through your fields or vineyards, and we won’t drink water[r] from your wells. We’ll keep to the King’s Highway without turning either right or left until we have passed through your territory.’”
18 But Edom replied, “You are not to pass through my land.[s] If you do, I’ll come out and start a war with you.”
19 Then the Israelis replied, “Permit us to travel on the highway. If we and our cattle drink your water, we’ll pay the price you ask. Only please let us walk through, and nothing more.”[t]
20 But still he replied, “No. You’re not to pass through.” Then Edom went out to meet Moses with a vast army and a lot of military might.[u] 21 That’s how Edom refused Israel passage through their territory. So Israel turned away from there.[v]
The Death of Aaron
22 They traveled from Kadesh, and then the entire community of the Israelis arrived at Mount Hor. 23 Then the Lord told Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, near the territory of Edom, 24 “Aaron is to be gathered to his people, since he is not to enter the land that I’m about to give the Israelis. After all, you both rebelled against my command[w] at the Meribah Springs. 25 So take Aaron and his son Eleazar and ascend Mount Hor. 26 Remove Aaron’s vestments and place them on his son Eleazar, because Aaron is to be gathered to his people[x] and die there.”
27 So Moses did just what the Lord had commanded. They ascended Mount Hor right in front of the entire community. 28 As Moses was stripping Aaron’s garments from him and clothing Aaron’s son Eleazar with them, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Afterwards, Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29 When the entire community saw that Aaron had died, they mourned in memory of Aaron for 30 days.
Luke’s Dedication to Theophilus
1 Since many people have attempted to write an orderly account of the events that have transpired among us, 2 just as they were passed down to us by those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning, 3 I, too, have carefully investigated everything from the beginning and have decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
The Birth of John the Baptist is Foretold
5 During the reign[a] of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both of them were righteous before God, having lived blamelessly according to all of the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth was barren and because both of them were getting old.[b]
8 When Zechariah[c] was serving with his division of priests in God’s presence, 9 he was chosen by lot to go into the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense, according to the custom of the priests. 10 And the entire congregation of people was praying outside at the time when the incense was burned.
11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the incense altar. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled, and fear overwhelmed him. 13 But the angel told him, “Stop being afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy,[d] and many people will rejoice at his birth, 15 because he will be great in the Lord’s presence. He will never drink wine or any strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring many of Israel’s descendants back to the Lord their God. 17 He is the one who will go before the Lord[e] with the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, and to prepare the people to be ready for the Lord.”
18 Then Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this, since I am an old man, and my wife is getting older?”[f]
19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. I have been sent to speak to you and to announce this good news to you. 20 But because you did not believe my announcement, which will be fulfilled at its proper time,[g] you will become silent and unable to speak until the day this happens.”
21 Meanwhile, the people kept waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed in the sanctuary so long. 22 But when he did come out, he was unable to speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them but remained unable to speak. 23 When the days of his service were over, he went home.
24 After this,[h] his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and remained in seclusion for five months. She said, 25 “This is what the Lord did for me when he looked favorably on me and took away my public disgrace.”
To the Director: A special Davidic psalm[a] to the tune of[b] “A Silent Dove Far Away,” when the Philistines seized him in Gath.
A Prayer about Trust in God
56 Have mercy on me, God,
because men have harassed me.
Those who oppress me have fought against me all day long.
2 Those who watch me all day have harassed me,
for there are many who fight against me out of conceit.
3 On days when I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I put my trust.
I will not fear what mortal man[c] can do to me.
5 All day long people[d] distort what I say;
all their schemes against me are for evil purposes.
6 They gather together
and hide in ambush.
They watch my every step
as they lie in wait for my life.
7 Cast them away because of their wickedness.
In wrath, God, cast down these[e] people!
8 You have kept count of my wanderings.
Put my tears in your bottle—
have not you recorded them in your book?
9 My enemies will retreat when I call on you.[f]
This has been my experience,
because God is with me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I will put my trust.
I will not fear what mortal man can do to me.
8 The righteous person is delivered from trouble;
it comes upon the wicked instead.
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