The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday March 8, 2023 (NIV)

The Silver Trumpets

10 The Lord said to Moses: ² “Make two trumpets^(A) of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community^(B) together and for having the camps set out.^{(C) 3} When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁴ If only one is sounded, the leaders^(D)—the heads of the clans of Israel—are to assemble before you. ⁵ When a trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes camping on the east are to set out.^{(E) 6} At the sounding of a second blast, the camps on the south are to set out.^(F) The blast will be the signal for setting out. ⁷ To gather the assembly, blow the trumpets,^(G) but not with the signal for setting out.^(H)

⁸ “The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come.^{(I) 9} When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you,^(J) sound a blast on the trumpets.^(K) Then you will be remembered^(L) by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies.^{(M) 10} Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed festivals and New Moon feasts^(N)—you are to sound the trumpets^(O) over your burnt offerings^(P) and fellowship offerings,^(Q) and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the Lord your God.^(R)”

The Israelites Leave Sinai

¹¹ On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year,^(S) the cloud lifted^(T) from above the tabernacle of the covenant law.^{(U) 12} Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran.^{(V) 13} They set out, this first time, at the Lord’s command through Moses.^(W)

¹⁴ The divisions of the camp of Judah went first, under their standard.^(X) Nahshon son of Amminadab^(Y) was in command. ¹⁵ Nethanel son of Zuar was over the division of the tribe^(Z) of Issachar,^{(AA) 16} and Eliab son of Helon^(AB) was over the division of the tribe of Zebulun.^{(AC) 17} Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, set out.^(AD)

¹⁸ The divisions of the camp of Reuben^(AE) went next, under their standard.^(AF) Elizur son of Shedeur^(AG) was in command. ¹⁹ Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of the tribe of Simeon,^{(AH) 20} and Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the tribe of Gad.^{(AI) 21} Then the Kohathites^(AJ) set out, carrying the holy things.^(AK) The tabernacle was to be set up before they arrived.^(AL)

²² The divisions of the camp of Ephraim^(AM) went next, under their standard. Elishama son of Ammihud^(AN) was in command. ²³ Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of Manasseh,^{(AO) 24} and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin.^(AP)

²⁵ Finally, as the rear guard^(AQ) for all the units, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out under their standard. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai^(AR) was in command. ²⁶ Pagiel son of Okran was over the division of the tribe of Asher,^{(AS) 27} and Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of Naphtali.^{(AT) 28} This was the order of march for the Israelite divisions as they set out.

²⁹ Now Moses said to Hobab^(AU) son of Reuel^(AV) the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law,^(AW) “We are setting out for the place about which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’^(AX) Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”

³⁰ He answered, “No, I will not go;^(AY) I am going back to my own land and my own people.^(AZ)”

³¹ But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.^{(BA) 32} If you come with us, we will share with you^(BB) whatever good things the Lord gives us.^(BC)”

³³ So they set out^(BD) from the mountain of the Lord and traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of the Lord^(BE) went before them during those three days to find them a place to rest.^{(BF) 34} The cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp.^(BG)

³⁵ Whenever the ark set out, Moses said,

³⁶ Whenever it came to rest, he said,

Fire From the Lord

11 Now the people complained^(BN) about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord,^(BO) and when he heard them his anger was aroused.^(BP) Then fire from the Lord burned among them^(BQ) and consumed^(BR) some of the outskirts of the camp. ² When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed^(BS) to the Lord^(BT) and the fire died down. ³ So that place was called Taberah,^[a](BU) because fire from the Lord had burned among them.^(BV)

Quail From the Lord

⁴ The rabble with them began to crave other food,^(BW) and again the Israelites started wailing^(BX) and said, “If only we had meat to eat! ⁵ We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.^{(BY) 6} But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!^(BZ)”

⁷ The manna was like coriander seed^(CA) and looked like resin.^{(CB) 8} The people went around gathering it,^(CC) and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. ⁹ When the dew^(CD) settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.

¹⁰ Moses heard the people of every family wailing^(CE) at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. ¹¹ He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble^(CF) on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?^{(CG) 12} Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant,^(CH) to the land you promised on oath^(CI) to their ancestors?^{(CJ) 13} Where can I get meat for all these people?^(CK) They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ ¹⁴ I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.^{(CL) 15} If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me^(CM)—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”

¹⁶ The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders^(CN) who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people.^(CO) Have them come to the tent of meeting,^(CP) that they may stand there with you. ¹⁷ I will come down and speak with you^(CQ) there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them.^(CR) They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.^(CS)

¹⁸ “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves^(CT) in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed,^(CU) “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!”^(CV) Now the Lord will give you meat,^(CW) and you will eat it. ¹⁹ You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, ²⁰ but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it^(CX)—because you have rejected the Lord,^(CY) who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”^(CZ)

²¹ But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men^(DA) on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ ²² Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?”^(DB)

²³ The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short?^(DC) Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.^(DD)”

Jesus Anointed at Bethany^(A)(B)(C)

14 Now the Passover^(D) and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.^{(E) 2} “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”

³ While he was in Bethany,^(F) reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.^(G)

⁴ Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? ⁵ It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages^[a] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

⁶ “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷ The poor you will always have with you,^[b] and you can help them any time you want.^(H) But you will not always have me. ⁸ She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.^{(I) 9} Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world,^(J) what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

¹⁰ Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve,^(K) went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.^{(L) 11} They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

The Last Supper^(M)(N)

¹² On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb,^(O) Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

¹³ So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁴ Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ¹⁵ He will show you a large room upstairs,^(P) furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”

¹⁶ The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

¹⁷ When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. ¹⁸ While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”

¹⁹ They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?”

²⁰ “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me.^{(Q) 21} The Son of Man^(R) will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

Psalm 51^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.^(A)