The Daily Audio Bible
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52 The Lord said to Moses, 53 “The land will be divided among these people by the number of names. 54 Give more land to the larger group. Give less land to the smaller group. Each family should be given land by the number of its people. 55 But the land should be divided by drawing names. They will receive their land by the names of the families of their fathers. 56 The land will be divided between the larger and smaller groups by the names that are drawn.”
57 Those who were numbered of the Levites by their families were the family of the Gershonites from Gershon, the family of the Kohathites from Kohath, and the family of the Merarites from Merari. 58 The families of Levi were the Libnites, the Hebronites, the Mahlites, the Mushites, and the Korahites. Kohath was the father of Amram. 59 The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi. She was born to Levi in Egypt. And she gave birth to Amram’s children, Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam. 60 Aaron was the father of Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 61 But Nadab and Abihu died when they burned fire that was not holy before the Lord. 62 The number of all of their males a month old and older was 23,000. For they were not numbered among the people of Israel, because no land was given to them among the people of Israel.
63 These are the people who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the religious leader. They numbered the sons of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. 64 But among all these was not one of those numbered by Moses and Aaron the religious leader when the people of Israel were numbered in the Desert of Sinai. 65 For the Lord had said of them, “For sure they will die in the desert.” There was not a man left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
Zelophehad’s Daughters
27 Then came the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. 2 They stood in front of Moses and Eleazar the religious leader, and the leaders, and all the people at the door of the meeting tent. The daughters said, 3 “Our father died in the desert. He was not one of those who gathered together with Korah against the Lord. But he died for his own sin, and he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from his family because he had no son? Give us land among our father’s brothers.”
5 Moses asked the Lord what should be done. 6 Then the Lord said to Moses, 7 “The daughters of Zelophehad are right in what they say. Be sure to give them their own land among their father’s brothers. Give them what would have been given to their father. 8 And say to the people of Israel, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then give what belongs to him to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, then give what belongs to him to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give what belongs to him to his father’s brothers. 11 And if his father has no brothers, then you must give what belongs to him to the nearest person in his own family and it will be his. This will be a Law to the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Moses.’”
Joshua Takes over from Moses
12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up to this mountain of Abarim, and see the land I have given to the people of Israel. 13 When you have seen it, you will be buried with your people as Aaron your brother was. 14 For you went against My Word when the people complained in the Desert of Zin. You should have honored Me as holy at the waters in front of their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the Desert of Zin.)
15 Moses said to the Lord, 16 “May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, choose a man to lead the people. 17 Let this man go out and come in before them. Let him lead them out and bring them in. Then the people of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” 18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. 19 Have him stand in front of Eleazar the religious leader and in front of all the people. Let them see you give him the work he must do. 20 Give some of your power to him so all the people of Israel will obey him. 21 He will stand in front of Eleazar the religious leader, who will learn My will for him by using the Urim. At his word, both he and all the people of Israel will go out and at his word, they will come in.” 22 Moses did just as the Lord told him. He took Joshua and had him stand in front of Eleazar the religious leader, and in front of all the people. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and gave him the work he must do, just as the Lord had said through Moses.
Daily Gifts on the Altar
28 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel, ‘Be careful to bring My gift, My food for My gifts by fire, as a pleasing smell to me, at the right time.’ 3 And say to them, ‘This is the gift by fire which you must give to the Lord. Give two perfect male lambs one year old, as a burnt gift every day. 4 Give one lamb in the morning, and the other lamb in the evening. 5 And give a tenth part of a basket of fine flour for a grain gift, mixed with a fourth part of a jar of beaten oil. 6 It is a burnt gift which was set apart at Mount Sinai as a pleasing smell, a gift by fire always to the Lord. 7 Its drink gift will be a fourth part of a jar for each lamb. Pour out a drink gift of strong drink to the Lord in the holy place. 8 Give the other lamb in the evening. Like the grain gift of the morning, and like its drink gift, you will give it as a gift by fire. It is a pleasing smell to the Lord.
Day of Rest Gifts
9 ‘On the Day of Rest give a gift of two perfect male lambs one year old. With it give two-tenths part of a basket of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain gift, and its drink gift. 10 The burnt gift of every Day of Rest is to be added to the burnt gift which is always given and its drink gift.
Gifts Each Month
11 ‘Then you must give a burnt gift to the Lord at the beginning of your months. Give two bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old that are perfect. 12 Give three-tenths part of a basket of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain gift for each bull. Give two-tenths part of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain gift for the one ram. 13 And give a tenth part of a basket of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain gift for each lamb. They are to be given for a burnt gift of a pleasing smell, a gift by fire to the Lord. 14 Their drink gifts will be half a jar of wine for a bull, a third of a jar for the ram, and a fourth part of a jar for a lamb. This is the burnt gift of each month for all the months of the year. 15 And give one male goat for a sin gift to the Lord. It will be given with its drink gift, besides each day’s burnt gift.
John the Baptist Makes the Way Ready for Jesus (A)
3 Tiberius Caesar had been ruler for fifteen years. Pontius Pilate was ruler of the country of Judea. Herod was the ruler of the country of Galilee. His brother Philip was the ruler of the countries of Ituraea and Trachonitis. Lysanias was the ruler of the country of Abilene. 2 Annas and Caiaphas were the head religious leaders.
The Word of God came to John the Baptist, the son of Zacharias. John was in the desert. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan River. He preached that people should be baptized because they were sorry for their sins and had turned from them, and they would be forgiven. 4 The early preacher Isaiah wrote these words: “His voice calls out in the desert. ‘Make the way ready for the Lord. Make the road straight for Him! 5 Every valley will be filled and every mountain and hill will be brought down. The turns in the road will be made straight and the rough places will be made smooth. 6 And all men will see God saving people from the punishment of their sins.’” (B)
7 John said to the people who came to be baptized by him, “You family of snakes! Who told you how to keep from the anger of God that is coming? 8 Do something to let me see that you have turned from your sins. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you, God can make children for Abraham out of these stones. 9 Even now the ax is on the root of the trees. Every tree that does not give good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” 10 The people asked him, “Then what should we do?” 11 He answered them, “If you have two coats, give one to him who has none. If you have food, you must share some.” 12 Tax-gatherers came to be baptized also. They asked him, “Teacher, what are we to do?” 13 He said to them, “Do not take more money from people than you should.” 14 Also soldiers asked him, “What are we to do?” He answered them, “Take no money from anyone by using your own strength. Do not lie about anyone. Be happy with the pay you get.”
15 The people were looking for something to happen. They were thinking in their hearts about John the Baptist. They wondered if he might be the Christ. 16 But John said to all of them, “I baptize you with water. There is One coming Who is greater than I. I am not good enough to get down and help Him take off His shoes. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 He comes ready to clean the grain. He will gather the grain and clean it all. He will put the clean grain into a building. But He will burn that which is no good with a fire that cannot be put out.”
John the Baptist Is Put in Prison (C)
18 John spoke much more as he preached the Good News to the people. 19 He had also spoken sharp words to Herod the ruler because of Herodias. She was his brother Philip’s wife. And John spoke to Herod about all the wrongs he had done. 20 To all these, Herod added another sin by putting John in prison.
The Baptism of Jesus (D)
21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized also. As He prayed, the heaven opened. 22 The Holy Spirit came down on Him in a body like a dove. A voice came from heaven and said, “You are My much-loved Son. I am very happy with You.”
A Safe Place in God
61 Hear my cry, O God. Listen to my prayer. 2 I call to You from the end of the earth when my heart is weak. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For You have been a safe place for me, a tower of strength where I am safe from those who fight against me. 4 Let me live in Your tent forever. Let me be safe under the covering of Your wings. 5 For You have heard my promises, O God. You have given me that which You give to those who fear Your name. 6 You will add days to the life of the king. His years will be as long as the lives of many children and grandchildren added together. 7 He will stay forever with God. Set apart loving-kindness and truth to keep him safe. 8 So I will sing thanks to Your name forever and keep my promises day by day.
16 A kind woman gets honor, and bad men get riches.
17 The man who shows loving-kindness does himself good, but the man without pity hurts himself.
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