The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.
A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise Psalm 51:17
Numbers 10-11
Numbers 10
The Two Silver Trumpets
1Â The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2Â âMake two trumpets of hammered silver to use to call the community and to set the camps out on their journey. 3Â When they blow both of them, the entire community shall gather to you at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 4Â If they sound only one blow, then just the leaders–the heads of the thousands of Israel–shall gather to you. 5Â When you blow short blasts of the alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall go forward. 6Â When you blow short blasts of the alarm the second time, the camps that lie on the south side shall go forward. They shall blow an alarm to set the camps out for their journey. 7Â But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow a different signal, but you shall not sound an alarm.
8Â The sons of Aaron, the priests shall blow the trumpets. This shall be a lasting ordinance for you throughout your generations. 9Â When you go to war in your land against an adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets. Then you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.
10Â Also in the day of rejoicing and in your appointed feasts and at the beginning of each of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, that they may be to you, a memorial before your God. I am the Lord your God.â
Moving from Sinai to Paran
11Â On the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the covenant. 12Â The Israelites went forward on their journey out of the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud stayed in the wilderness of Paran. 13Â They first went forward according to the commandment of the Lord by Moses.
14Â The camp of Judah went out first, according to their military divisions, with their banner in front of them. Nahshon the son of Amminadab was commander of its army. 15Â Nethanel the son of Zuar was commander of the military divisions of the tribe of Issachar. 16Â Eliab the son of Helon was over the military divisions of the tribe of Zebulun. 17Â The tabernacle was taken down, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, went forward. 18Â The camp of Reuben went out according to their divisions with their standard in front. Elizur the son of Shedeur was commander over its army. 19Â Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai was over the military divisions of the tribe of Simeon. 20Â Eliasaph the son of Deuel was over the military divisions of the tribe of Gad.
21Â The Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary. The others set up the tabernacle before they arrived.
22Â The standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies. Elishama the son of Ammihud was over his army. 23Â Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur was over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh. 24Â Abidan the son of Gideoni was commander over the military divisions of the tribe of Benjamin.
25Â The standard of the camp of Dan, which was the rear guard of all the camps, set forward according to their military divisions. Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai was commander over its army. 26Â Pagiel the son of Ochran was commander over the military divisions of the tribe of Asher. 27Â Ahira the son of Enan was commander over the military divisions of the tribe of Naphtali. 28Â Thus were the travels of the Israelites according to their military, and they went forward.
29Â Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Mosesâ father-in-law, âWe are journeying to the place of which the Lord said, âI will give it to you.â Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the Lord has spoken good things concerning Israel.â
30Â He said to him, âI will not go; but I will depart to my own land and to my relatives.â
31Â Moses said, âDonât leave us, please, because you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.
32Â It shall be, if you go with usâyes, it shall beâthat whatever good the Lord does to us, we will do the same to you.â
33Â They set forward from the Mount of the Lord three daysâ journey. The ark of the Lordâs covenant went before them three daysâ journey, to seek out a resting place for them. 34Â The cloud of the Lord was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp. 35Â When the ark went forward, Moses said, âRise up, O Lord and let your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you!â 36Â When it rested, he said, âReturn, O Lord, to the 10,000 of thousands of Israel.â
Numbers 11
The People Complain
1Â The people were complaining in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard it, his anger burned, and the Lordâs fire burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. 2Â The people cried to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire was quenched. 3Â The name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the Lord had burned among them.
4Â The rabble among them craved other food, and then also the Israelites. They cried again to Moses and said, âWho will give us meat to eat? 5Â We remember the fish, which we ate in Egypt for nothing: the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6Â But now we have lost our appetite. There is nothing at all except this manna to look at.â
7Â The manna was like coriander seed, and it looked like gum resin. 8Â The people went around, gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it. Its taste was like the taste of a pastry made with fresh oil. 9Â When the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.
The Complaint of Moses
10Â Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent, and the Lordâs anger burned greatly, and Moses was displeased.
11Â Moses said to the Lord, âWhy have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favor in your sight, that you have laid the burden of all these people on me? 12Â Have I conceived all these people? Have I brought them out, that you should tell me, âCarry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which you swore to their fathers?â 13Â Where could I get meat to give all these people? For they are weeping to me, saying, âGive us meat, that we may eat.â 14Â I am not able to bear all these people alone, because it is too heavy for me. 15Â If you are going to treat me this way, please kill me right now. If I have found favor in your sight, let me not see this misery.â
Seventy Elders to Help Moses
16Â The Lord said to Moses, âGather 70 men among the elders of Israel, who are known as elders and leaders of the people. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting and have them stand there with you. 17Â I will come down and talk with you there. I will take some of the Spirit that is upon you and will put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it alone.”
The People Receive Meat for a Month
18Â âSay to the people, âSanctify yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, and you will eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying: Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.â Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat. 19Â You will not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20Â but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils, and it is loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, âWhy did we come out of Egypt?â â
Moses’ Faith Staggered
21Â Moses said, âI am among a people with 600,000 foot soldiers, and you have said, âI will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month.â 22Â Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered to satisfy them? Shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to satisfy them?â
23Â The Lord said to Moses, âHas the hand of the Lord grown short? Now you shall see whether my word to you will come to pass or not.â
24Â Moses went out and told the people the Lordâs words, and he gathered 70 elders from among the people and set them around the Tent. 25Â The Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took, of the Spirit that was on Moses and put it on the 70 elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied and did not cease.
26Â But two of the men had remained in the camp. The name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those whose names had been written, but had not gone out to the Tent, and they prophesied in the camp. 27Â A young man ran and told Moses, âEldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!â
28Â Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered, âMy lord Moses, forbid them!â
29Â Moses said to him, âAre you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lordâs people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!â
30Â Moses went into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.
The Quail and the Plague
31Â A wind from the Lord went out and brought quails from the sea and let them fall beside the camp and around the camp for a distance of about a day’s journey in any direction, and about three feet from the ground. 32Â The people rose up all that day and all of that night and all the next day and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers, and they spread them all out for themselves around the camp.
33Â While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the Lordâs anger burned against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague. 34Â The name of that place was called Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food.
35Â From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth, and they stayed at Hazeroth.
Mark 14:1-21
The Plot to Kill Jesus
1Â It was now two days before the feast of the Passover and the unleavened bread, and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might seize Jesus by deception and kill him. 2Â For they said, âNot during the feast, because there might be a riot among the people.â
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
3Â While he was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, reclining at the table, a woman came with a very costly alabaster jar of perfume of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured it over his head. 4Â But some were indignant and said to one another, âWhy has this perfume been wasted? 5Â For this might have been sold for more than 300 denarii and given to the poor.â So they admonished her sternly.
6Â But Jesus said, âLeave her alone. Why are you causing trouble for her? She has done a good work for me. 7Â Indeed, you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish, you are always able to do good things for them; but you will not always have me. 8Â She did what she could. She has anointed my body for burial. 9Â Most certainly I tell you, wherever the Gospel may be preached throughout the whole world, what this woman has done will be spoken of as a memorial of her.â
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
10Â Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, went away to the chief priests, that he might deliver Jesus to them. 11Â When they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him money. Judas sought how he might conveniently deliver Jesus.
The Last Supper
12Â On the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the Passover, Jesus’ disciples asked him, âWhere do you want us to go and prepare that you may eat the Passover?â
13Â He sent two of his disciples, and said to them, âGo into the city, and there you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him, 14Â and wherever he enters in, tell the master of the house, âThe Teacher says: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?â 15Â He will himself show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Prepare for us there.â
16Â His disciples went out and came into the city, and found things as he had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.
17Â When it was evening, he came with the twelve disciples. 18Â As they sat and were eating, Jesus said, âMost certainly I tell you, one of you will betray meâhe who eats with me.â
19Â They began to be sorrowful and to ask him one by one, âSurely not I?â And another said, âSurely not I?â
20Â He answered them, âIt is one of the twelve, he who dips with me in the dish. 21Â For the Son of Man will go, just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.â
Psalm 51
Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
1Â Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your loving kindness.
According to the multitude of your tender mercies,
blot out my transgressions.
2Â Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity.
Cleanse me from my sin.
3Â For I know my transgressions.
My sin is constantly before me.
4Â Against you, and you only, I have sinned,
and done that which is evil in your sight,
so you may be proven right when you speak,
and justified when you judge.
5Â I was born in iniquity.
My mother conceived me in sin.
6Â You desire truth in the inward parts.
You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
7Â Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean.
Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8Â Let me hear joy and gladness,
that the bones which you have broken may rejoice.
9Â Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all of my iniquities.
10Â Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a right spirit within me.
11Â Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.
12Â Restore to me the joy of your salvation.
Uphold me with a willing spirit.
13Â Then I will teach transgressors your ways.
Sinners will be converted to you.
14Â Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation.
My tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15Â Lord, open my lips.
My mouth will declare your praise.
16Â For you do not delight in sacrifice,
or else I would give it.
You have no pleasure in burnt offering.
17Â The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.
O God, you will not despise
a broken and contrite heart.
18Â Do well in your good pleasure to Zion.
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19Â Then you will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness,
in burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings.
Then they will offer bulls on your altar.
Proverbs 10:31-32
31Â The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom,
but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
32Â The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.