Jesus said to them, “Come! Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Mark 1:17

Exodus 39-40

Exodus 39

The Ephod

¹ Of the blue, purple, and scarlet yarns, they made finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the Lord commanded Moses.

² He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and finely woven linen. ³ They hammered the gold into thin sheets and cut it into threads to be woven in with the blue, the purple, the scarlet yarn, and the fine linen, the work of the skillful designer.

⁴ They made shoulder straps for it, joined together at the two ends.

⁵ The skillfully woven band of the Ephod that was on it was of the same workmanship: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarns, and finely woven linen, as the Lord commanded Moses.

⁶ They set the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold, they were engraved as signets are engraved, according to the names of the Israelites. ⁷ He put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod, to be memorial stones for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Breastpiece

⁸ He made the breastplate, the work of a skillful designer, like the workmanship of the ephod: of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen. ⁹ They made the breastplate square, folded into a double layer, nine inches in length and nine inches in width.

¹⁰ They set in it four rows of stones.
The first row was of ruby, topaz, and beryl;
¹¹ and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald;
¹² and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
¹³ and the fourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper.
They were enclosed in gold settings.

¹⁴ There were twelve stones, each corresponding to the sons of Israel, engraved like a seal, according to each of the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.

¹⁵ They made on the breastplate, chains like cords, of braided work of pure gold. ¹⁶ They made two settings of gold and two gold rings and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. ¹⁷ They put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate. ¹⁸ The other two ends of the two braided chains, they fastened into two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod, in its front.

¹⁹ They made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge, which was on the inside edge next to the ephod.

²⁰ They made two more rings of gold, and put them on the two shoulder straps of the ephod underneath, in its front, close by its coupling, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. ²¹ They bound the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue lace, that it might be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not come loose from the ephod, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Additional Priestly Garments

²² He made the robe of the ephod of solid blue woven work. ²³ The middle of the opening of the robe was like the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding around its opening that it would not be torn.

²⁴ On the skirts of the robe, they made pomegranates of blue, purple, scarlet yarn, and woven linen. ²⁵ They made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates around the skirts of the robe, between the pomegranates; ²⁶ a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, around the skirts of the robe, to minister in, as the Lord commanded Moses.

²⁷ They made the tunics of fine linen of woven work for Aaron and for his sons, ²⁸ the turban of fine linen, the linen headbands of fine linen, the linen trousers of fine twined linen, ²⁹ the sash of fine twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet, the work of the embroiderer, as the Lord commanded Moses.

³⁰ They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engravings of a signet: “HOLY TO THE LORD”.

³¹ They tied a blue lace to it, to fasten it on the turban above it, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Moses Approves the Work

³² Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was finished. The Israelites had done everything. As the Lord commanded Moses, so they did.

³³ They brought the tabernacle to Moses:

The tent, with all its furniture, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets,
³⁴ the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, the covering of sea cow hides, the veil of the screen,
³⁵ the ark of the covenant with its poles, the mercy seat,
³⁶ the table, all its vessels, the show bread,
³⁷ the pure lamp stand, its lamps, the lamps to be set in order, all its vessels, the oil for the light,
³⁸ the golden altar, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door of the Tent,
³⁹ the bronze altar, its grating of bronze, its poles, all of its vessels, the basin and its base,
⁴⁰ the hangings of the court, its pillars, its sockets, the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, its pins, and all the instruments of the service of the tabernacle, for the Tent of Meeting,
⁴¹ the finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office.

⁴² According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the Israelites did all the work. ⁴³ Moses saw all the work, and they had done it as the Lord had commanded. They had done it just so, and Moses blessed them.

Exodus 40

The Tabernacle Set Up

¹ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “On the first day of the first month you shall raise up the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting. ³ You shall put the ark of the covenant in it, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. ⁴ You shall bring in the table and set in order the things that are on it. You shall bring in the lamp stand and light its lamps.

⁵ You shall set the golden altar for incense before the ark of the covenant and put the screen of the door to the tabernacle.
⁶ You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting.
⁷ You shall set the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and shall put water in it.
⁸ You shall set up the court around it and hang up the screen of the gate of the court.

⁹ You shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it and shall make it holy and all its furniture, and it will be holy.
¹⁰ You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering, with all its vessels, and sanctify the altar, and the altar will be most holy.
¹¹ You shall anoint the basin and its base and sanctify it.

¹² You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting and shall wash them with water. ¹³ You shall put on Aaron the holy garments, and you shall anoint him and sanctify him, that he may minister as my priests. ¹⁴ You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them. ¹⁵ You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister as my priests. Their anointing shall be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.”

¹⁶ Moses did so. According to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did.

¹⁷ In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was raised up.
¹⁸ Moses raised up the tabernacle and laid its sockets and set up its boards and put in its bars and raised up its pillars.
¹⁹ He spread the covering over the tent and put the roof of the tabernacle above on it, as the Lord commanded Moses.
²⁰ He took the covenant and placed it in the ark and set the poles on the ark and put the mercy seat above, on the ark.
²¹ He brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen and screened the ark of the covenant, as the Lord commanded Moses.
²² He put the table in the Tent of Meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside of the veil.
²³ He set upon it, the arrangement of bread before the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
²⁴ He put the lamp stand in the Tent of Meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.
²⁵ He lit the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
²⁶ He put the golden altar in the Tent of Meeting before the veil,
²⁷ and he burned incense of sweet spices on it, as the Lord commanded Moses.
²⁸ He put up the screen of the door to the tabernacle.
²⁹ He set the altar of burnt offering at the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the Lord commanded Moses.
³⁰ He set the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water therein, with which to wash.

³¹ Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and their feet there. ³² When they went into the Tent of Meeting, and when they came near to the altar, they washed, as the Lord commanded Moses.

³³ He raised up the court around the tabernacle and the altar and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the Lord

³⁴ Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁵ Moses was not able to enter into the Tent of Meeting because the cloud stayed on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

³⁶ When the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the Israelites went onward, throughout all their journeys, ³⁷ but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not travel until the day that it was taken up. ³⁸ For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

Mark 1:1-28

The Mission of John the Baptist

¹ The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ² As it is written in the prophets,

“I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you:
³ the voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord!
Make his paths straight!’ ” ^a

⁴ John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. ⁵ All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.

⁶ John was clothed with camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen. ⁸ I baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism of Jesus

⁹ In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ Immediately coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹ A voice came from heaven, saying, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

The Temptation of Jesus

¹² Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness. ¹³ He was there in the wilderness 40 days, tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered to him.

Jesus Preaches in Galilee

¹⁴ Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

¹⁶ Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ Jesus said to them, “Come! Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

¹⁸ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ¹⁹ Going on a little further from there, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John, his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. ²⁰ Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Jesus Expels an Evil Spirit

²¹ They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. ²² They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one that had authority and not as the scribes. ²³ Immediately there was, in their synagogue, a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, ²⁴ saying, “Let us alone. What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!”

²⁵ Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”

²⁶ The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷ They were all amazed so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching? For with what authority does he command even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!” ²⁸ And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region around Galilee.

^{a Isaiah 40:3}

Psalm 35:1-16

Contend with Those who Contend with Me

By David.

¹ Plead my case, O Lord, with those who strive against me.
Fight against those who fight against me.
² Take hold of shield and buckler
and rise up to help me.
³ Brandish the spear and block the way of those who pursue me.
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

⁴ Let those who seek after me be confounded and put to shame.
Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and brought to confusion.
⁵ Let them be as chaff before the wind,
and let the angel of the Lord chase them.
⁶ Let their way be dark and slippery,
and let the angel of the Lord pursue them.
⁷ For without cause they have hidden their net in a pit for me.
Without cause they have dug a pit for me.
⁸ Let destruction come on him unawares.
Let his net that he has hidden catch him.
Let him fall into that very destruction.

⁹ I shall be joyful in the Lord.
I shall rejoice in his salvation.
¹⁰ All my bones shall say, “Lord, who is like you,
who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him;
yes, the poor and the needy from him who robs him?”

¹¹ False witnesses rise up.
They ask me about things that I do not know.
¹² They reward me evil for good,
to the bereavement of my soul.
¹³ But as for me, when they were sick,
my clothing was sackcloth.
I afflicted my soul with fasting.
My prayer returned into my own bosom.
¹⁴ I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or my brother.
I was bowed down with grief, as one who mourns his mother.
¹⁵ But in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered together.
The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I did not know it.
They tore at me and did not cease.
¹⁶ Like the hypocritical mockers in feasts,
they gnashed their teeth at me.

Proverbs 9:11-12

¹¹ For by me your days will be multiplied.
The years of your life will be increased.
¹² If you are wise, you are wise for yourself.
If you mock, you alone will bear it.

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