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03/14/2020 DAB Transcript

Numbers 21:1-22:20, Luke 1:26-56, Psalms 57:1-11, Proverbs 11:9-11

Today is the 14th day of March, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s wonderful to be here with you as we close down another of the weeks that we have to share together. This will end our 11th week of the year, So, we are 11 weeks in of 52 and we are well on our way. So, let’s dive in and take that next step forward. We’re continuing our journey through the book of Numbers and we kind of contextualized where we are. The Edomites will not let the children of Israel go through their land. They won’t their own family go through their land. Aaron has passed away on Mont Hor and Moses won’t be the one to lead the children of Israel into the land of promise. And that was just yesterday. So, we’re reading from the contemporary English version this week. Numbers chapter 21 verse 1 through 22 verse 20 today.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for the 11 weeks that we have journeyed into this year and we can look back and we’re well beyond the shore now. We’re sailing out into the deep, and we can feel it because You are calling to the deep things in our hearts and so much is shifting inside. And what’s happening is that we are becoming good soil for Your word, that it might yield fruit in our lives, and through our lives may minister to the world, that we might be light in the darkness, that we might have eyes to see. And, so, we’re seeing now our place in this story and we’re beginning to see that the stories in the Bible are not dissimilar to our own story. They’re just wearing different clothes. They’re just at a different time. They have different customs, but the motivations of the heart are identical. It’s our story. It’s the story of God with us. And even as we are revisiting this story in depth in the gospel of Luke, we invite You to awaken it in us. Come Holy Spirit. As we release this week the only way is forward. And, so, we release this week as it becomes a part of our history and we look forward to all that You will do in the coming week. Come Jesus we pray. In Your mighty name, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base if you hadn’t figured that out. I remind us every day. It’s home base for the Global Campfire for a virtual community like ours. This is the place, this is the jumping off place, this is the landing place, this is where you find out what’s going on around here. It’s where you connect with community, it’s where you reach the Prayer Wall, it’s where you find resources for the journey. It’s home base, so be sure to check it out.

And if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at the website as well. There’s a link on the homepage and I humbly and deeply thank you for your partnership. We wouldn’t be here if we weren’t in this together. That is a fact. That has always been the reality and I’m grateful that we keep taken steps forward together. So, thank you for your partnership. So, there’s a link on the homepage. If you’re using the app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address, if you prefer, is PO Box 1996. Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can press the Hotline button in the app, which is the little red button at the top and just start sharing no matter where you are in the world. That’s why we built it. No matter where you are there’s a hotline. We’re never in this alone. We’re in this together. So, you can hit that Hotline button or there are a number of phone numbers that you can use depending on where you are in the world. In the Americas 877- 942-4253. If you are in the UK or Europe 44-20-3608-8078. And if you are in the lands down under in Australia or that part of the world 61-3-8820-5459 is the number to call.

And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

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03/13/2020 DAB Transcript

Numbers 19:1-20:29, Luke 1:1-25, Psalms 56:1-13, Proverbs 11:8

Today is the 13th day of March, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s great to be here. It’s great to be here with you today as we prepare to reach the conclusion of another one of our weeks together and draw our workweek to a close. And even as we do that, we’re going to be entering a new book today, the gospel of Luke when we get to the New Testament and we’ll talk about that when we get there, but first let’s continue our journey through the book of Numbers. We’re reading from the Contemporary English Version this week. And today, Numbers 19 and 20.

Introduction to the book of Luke:

Okay. So, this brings us to the gospel of Luke. And Luke is a little bit more of an intriguing gospel. It’s the third of the synoptic Gospels. And as we talked about as we encountered the other two Gospels, the synoptic Gospels are called that because they’re very similar in the way they’re composed and they definitely share some of the same stories, even some of the same phrases, very similar in the way that their laid out, so similar that it…it’s widely believed by scholars that one couldn’t exist without the other. And even though they were written at different times and by two different people, they were…well…especially Mark was used as source material for the others. And we’ll enjoy the gospel of Luke tremendously because it’s the tightest, most concise of the Gospels. It’s written well. It flows well and it’s a narrative style. Abd we’ll get used to this flow because we’ll see it again because Luke didn’t only write the gospel of Luke, he also wrote the book of Acts that we’ll come to after we finish the Gospels. Now, we’ve read Matthew and Mark. We’re now gonna read Luke and we’ll encounter some of the same stories from a bit of a different perspective because the Gospels have a different perspective and a purpose. So, for example, when we read the Gospel of Matthew when we started our year together, and in Matthew we noticed Jesus was fulfilling prophecies. Like that was the point. This was done because it fulfilled this prophecy. And, so, Jesus is fulfilling all these prophecies letting us know that this is a narrative established to speak to Hebrew people. Luke will take us through these stories again that we’re familiar…that we’re familiar with, but Luke is written to a Gentile audience. And, so, it’s revealing that the gospel is inclusive, is not a Hebrew only religion. It includes the whole world and welcomes all who believe into the family. And, so, with that in mind we begin the third gospel. Luke chapter 1 verses 1 to 25.

Commentary:

Okay, so it may not have seemed like it as we were reading through our…our reading from Numbers today but some pretty monumental shifts happened today in the Old Testament. So, let’s just look at those so…so we have context for where were going. The children of Israel have moved out. They’ve been disqualified from moving into the Promise Land. They’ve been turned back into the desert to wander until the whole first generation, the people who came out of Egypt dies leaving basically the conquest of the Promise Land to the second-generation, to the children who were supposed to grow up free in the land of promise. They’re gonna have to do what their parents didn’t. And that’s a pretty big deal. That’s why there’s a lot of this review going on about the laws. And one thing that we should gather is that God is expecting precision. He is expecting ultimate obedience here. They are in the wilderness where utter dependence upon God is being made more and more apparent to them and their complaining about it every time their faith gets stretched. And that sounds so familiar. Nevertheless, there out in the wilderness, and they need to get somewhere. And to get somewhere the best way that they can go that they’re being led is through the land of Edom, but the Edomites are like, “absolutely not.” And we could…we could understand why they would have concerns. “Like a million people are going to come on this main road and walk through and they’re gonna pay for their water and can do anything. Like that just doesn’t quite add up. So, you can understand why they would have some pushback but the important piece about this is what Moses said, “we are family.” And that is true. The Hebrew people were the descendants of Jacob, the Edomites were the descendants of Esau - Jacob and Esau. And if we’ll remember the misdirection and trickery of Jacob that was visited on Esau., well we can sort of see that the family rift is centuries old and the Edomites won’t let them pass. That’s a mistake on the part of the Edomites and there are other things along the way that they do, and an entire book of minor prophecy will be devoted to the Edomites once we get near the end of our year together. But this is important. They turned to their family to get where they needed to go, and they were rejected. And, so, there’s no water. The people are grumbling and complaining to Moses again, “we would’ve been better off if he died before the tent of meeting than to die of thirst out here in the desert. We would’ve been better off in Egypt.” And this becoming a recurring theme. “We’re in the wilderness going toward the Promise Land, but slavery was better. Let’s go back to slavery again.” Sounds so familiar because we walk in these footsteps so often. God tells Moses to go out to a rock and command it to give water. He gathers the people together and gets his walking stick as God had told him to do and then he basically yells at the people, “you rebels. You, rebellious people.” Right? “You stiff necked people. Do we have to bring water out of this rock?” And then Moses hits the rock twice and water comes out, but that’s not what God told Moses to do. He told Moses to go speak to the rock. He didn’t tell him to yell at the people and ask them if he had to bring water out of the rock for them, and what a nuisance and all this, and show anger and strike the rock. So, God gave them the water that they needed to survive. Unfortunately, the anger and rebelliousness in Moses heart disqualified him from leading the people into the Promise Land. That will also be left for the next generation. And after that Moses and Aaron and his son Eliezer climbed Mount Hor. Eliezer was installed as the high priest and Aaron passed from the story. One interesting thing, one thing that was pointed out to me when I was much, much younger, that I’ve always held onto because the exclusion of Moses from leading the people into the Promise Land seems pretty…pretty harsh. Like he didn’t get to go. Like he got to lead them, but he didn’t get to go. But we do find Moses in the Promise Land. We find him along with Jesus at His transfiguration speaking to Jesus in the Promise Land.

And speaking of Jesus, we’re just…just getting going in the gospel of Luke. And, so, what’s being set up here is the story of Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth who were very old but were foretold that they would be having a child in their old age. And, of course, there’s some clear parallels here with Abraham and Sarah. And Zechariah was told as a priest of God in the temple offering incense before the Lord, he was told by an angelic visitation that he would have a son, that his son would be named John, that he would be a prophetic voice that would prepare the way of the Lord. And this prophetic voice would be really the first prophet in 400 years, the time that passes between the Old and New Testaments. So, we can often think that John shows up out of the wilderness wearing camel’s hair and eating grasshoppers, and that’s true, that’s what the Bible says but he got there somehow. He’s the son of a priest, a vision and angelic vision happened in the temple. And when John emerged from the temple. He couldn’t speak. This wouldn’t go unnoticed until somebody just shows up out of the wilderness with a message of repentance. There would’ve been a lot of wondering about who this child might be, and we’ll pick up with that story tomorrow.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for its beauty in the way that it can touch so many parts of our lives, that it can touch us on so many levels and cause us to ponder and contemplate our own lives and our own path. And, so, we are so grateful for this and we are so grateful for one another. We are so grateful that we can do this together in community. So, come Holy Spirit and plant the words from the Scriptures into the soil of our lives today. And may they grow and yield fruit for Your kingdom. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it’s the website, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here. So, stay connected.

You find all the different links to stay connected in the Community section. That’s where the Prayer Wall is. That’s in the Community section as well.

The Daily Audio Bible Shop is there, resources are there. I guess one thing I haven’t talked about in a long time is coffee. Coffee…coffee and tea are part of my daily life and have been for I guess as long as I’ve been an adult. So, a long time. And we’ve been involved in coffee and tea for well over a decade. We have our own brand, roast our own coffee in Colorado, source our own tea. And you can have it delivered to you each month or you can just choose what you like, and have it sent to you. That all is in an effort to…well…to offer resources that we’re kinda gonna consume anyway. Usually like we’re gonna have a cup of coffee of some sort…maybe we’re gonna pay a premium for it. And we just started thinking, “you know, we’re lovers of these things, we consume these things. What if…what if we could create a superior product, fresher product, get it to people fresher and kinda like use the old monastic way of making things to support the monastery. You know, like maybe we could have a few of these things that were just gonna help out a little bit.” And, so, that’s kinda we’re coffee came from and it’s become a part of the fabric of the Global Campfire. Coffee and the Bible pair well together. So, just I mean, it’s a relaxing kind of ritual to enjoy waking up, waking up spiritually, waking up physically, or winding down for that matter. So, those resources are available in the Daily Audio Bible Shop. Just look for coffee and tea. And you can have it sent each month. Oh…and we also have…we went in search of this…it was for a long time coming too. “What…what kind of a more instant…instantly available coffee could we provide?” Like we were kind of like, “could you do the K-Cup thing?” And we looked at that and we looked at how old that coffee is and how long and it’s got a sit and how much of it you gotta make so that there’s no way it’s gonna be fresh. But we did find a way of steeping coffee. It’s like basically a coffee filter that you would pour your coffee through like in your coffee drip maker wrapped around coffee. You just steep it like tea. And, so, that its nitro sealed to push oxygen out, so it doesn’t oxidize or doesn’t break down and deteriorate and keeps…keeps well. And, so, those are great. Keep those with me wherever I go because a lot of times…a lot of times I find myself staying in hotels and that’s not the greatest option for coffee. So, these are available just to kind of have at the office and such. And you’ll find those in the Shop as well in the coffee and tea section. So, check those things out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There’s a link that lives on the homepage and I thank you for your partnership. If what we’re doing around this Global Campfire brings warmth and light into your life, then throw a log on from time to time. Thank you for your partnership. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button, the little red button in the app or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that is it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday March 13, 2020 (NIV)

Numbers 19-20

The Ceremony To Wash Away Sin

19 1-2 The Lord gave Moses and Aaron the following law:

The people of Israel must bring Moses a reddish-brown cow that has nothing wrong with it and that has never been used for plowing. 3 Moses will give it to Eleazar the priest, then it will be led outside the camp and killed while Eleazar watches. 4 He will dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it seven times in the direction of the sacred tent. 5 Then the whole cow, including its skin, meat, blood, and insides must be burned. 6 A priest[a] is to throw a stick of cedar wood, a hyssop[b] branch, and a piece of red yarn into the fire.

7 After the ceremony, the priest is to take a bath and wash his clothes. Only then can he go back into the camp, but he remains unclean and unfit for worship until evening. 8 The man who burned the cow must also wash his clothes and take a bath, but he is also unclean until evening.

9 A man who isn’t unclean must collect the ashes of the burnt cow and store them outside the camp in a clean place. The people of Israel can mix these ashes with the water used in the ceremony to wash away sin. 10 The man who collects the ashes must wash his clothes, but will remain unclean until evening. This law must always be obeyed by the people of Israel and the foreigners living among them.

What Must Be Done after Touching a Dead Body

The Lord said:

11 If you touch a dead body, you will be unclean for seven days. 12 But if you wash with the water mixed with the cow’s ashes on the third day and again on the seventh day, you will be clean and acceptable for worship. You must wash yourself on those days; if you don’t, you will remain unclean. 13 Suppose you touch a dead body, but refuse to be made clean by washing with the water mixed with ashes. You will be guilty of making my sacred tent unclean and will no longer belong to the people of Israel.

14 If someone dies in a tent while you are there, you will be unclean for seven days. And anyone who later enters the tent will also be unclean. 15 Any open jar in the tent is unclean.

16 If you touch the body of someone who was killed or who died of old age, or if you touch a human bone or a grave, you will be unclean for seven days.

17-18 Before you can be made clean, someone who is clean must take some of the ashes from the burnt cow and stir them into a pot of spring water. That same person must dip a hyssop branch in the water and ashes, then sprinkle it on the tent and everything in it, including everyone who was inside. If you have touched a human bone, a grave, or a dead body, you must be sprinkled with that water. 19 If this is done on the third day and on the seventh day, you will be clean. Then after you take a bath and wash your clothes, you can worship that evening.

20 If you are unclean and refuse to be made clean by washing with the water mixed with ashes, you will be guilty of making my sacred tent unclean, and you will no longer belong to the people of Israel. 21 These laws will never change.

The man who sprinkled the water and the ashes on you when you were unclean must also wash his clothes. And whoever touches this water is unclean until evening. 22 When you are unclean, everything you touch becomes unclean, and anyone who touches you will be unclean until evening.

Water from a Rock

20 The people of Israel arrived at the Zin Desert during the first month[c] and set up camp near the town of Kadesh. It was there that Miriam died and was buried.

2 The Israelites had no water, so they went to Moses and Aaron 3 and complained, “Moses, we’d be better off if we had died along with the others in front of the Lord’s sacred tent.[d] 4 You brought us into this desert, and now we and our livestock are going to die! 5 Egypt was better than this horrible place. At least there we had grain and figs and grapevines and pomegranates.[e] But now we don’t even have any water.”

6 Moses and Aaron went to the entrance to the sacred tent, where they bowed down. The Lord appeared to them in all of his glory 7-8 and said, “Moses, get your walking stick.[f] Then you and Aaron call the people together and command that rock to give you water. That’s how you will provide water for the people of Israel and their livestock.”

9 Moses obeyed and took his stick from the sacred tent. 10 After he and Aaron had gathered the people around the rock, he said, “Look, you rebellious people, and you will see water flow from this rock!” 11 He raised his stick in the air and struck the rock two times. At once, water gushed from the rock, and the people and their livestock had water to drink.

12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you refused to believe in my power, these people did not respect me. And so, you will not be the ones to lead them into the land I have promised.”

13 The Israelites had complained against the Lord, and he had shown them his holy power by giving them water to drink. So they named the place Meribah, which means “Complaining.”

Israel Isn’t Allowed To Go through Edom

14 Moses sent messengers from Israel’s camp near Kadesh with this message for the king of Edom:

We are Israelites, your own relatives, and we’re sure you have heard the terrible things that have happened to us. 15 Our ancestors settled in Egypt and lived there a long time. But later the Egyptians were cruel to us, 16 and when we begged our Lord for help, he answered our prayer and brought us out of that land.

Now we are camped at the border of your territory, near the town of Kadesh. 17 Please let us go through your country. We won’t go near your fields and vineyards, and we won’t drink any water from your wells. We will stay on the main road[g] until we leave your territory.

18 But the Edomite king answered, “No, I won’t let you go through our country! And if you try, we will attack you.”

19 Moses sent back this message: “We promise to stay on the main road, and if any of us or our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. We just want to pass through.”

20 But the Edomite king insisted, “You can’t go through our land!”

Then Edom sent out its strongest troops 21 to keep Israel from passing through its territory. So the Israelites had to go in another direction.

Aaron Dies

22 After the Israelites had left Kadesh and had gone as far as Mount Hor 23 on the Edomite border, the Lord said, 24 “Aaron, this is where you will die. You and Moses disobeyed me at Meribah, and so you will not enter the land I promised the Israelites. 25 Moses, go with Aaron and his son Eleazar to the top of the mountain. 26 Then take Aaron’s priestly robe from him and place it on Eleazar. Aaron will die there.”

27 Moses obeyed, and everyone watched as he and Aaron and Eleazar walked to the top of Mount Hor. 28 Moses then took the priestly robe from Aaron and placed it on Eleazar. Aaron died there.

When Moses and Eleazar came down, 29 the people knew that Aaron had died, and they mourned his death for thirty days.

Footnotes:

  1. 19.6 A priest: Or “Eleazar.”
  2. 19.6 hyssop: A plant with small clusters of blue flowers and sweet-smelling leaves.
  3. 20.1 first month: See the note at 9.3.
  4. 20.3 if we had died. . . sacred tent: See 16.41-49.
  5. 20.5 pomegranates: See the note at 13.23,24.
  6. 20.7,8 walking stick: A symbol of his authority.
  7. 20.17 the main road: The Hebrew text has “the King’s Highway,” which was an important trade route through what is today the country of Jordan. It connected the city of Damascus in Syria with the Gulf of Aqaba in southern Jordan.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Luke 1:1-25

1 Many people have tried to tell the story of what God has done among us. 2 They wrote what we had been told by the ones who were there in the beginning and saw what happened. 3 So I made a careful study[a] of everything and then decided to write and tell you exactly what took place. Honorable Theophilus, 4 I have done this to let you know the truth about what you have heard.

An Angel Tells about the Birth of John

5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest by the name of Zechariah from the priestly group of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was from the family of Aaron.[b] 6 Both of them were good people and pleased the Lord God by obeying all that he had commanded. 7 But they did not have children. Elizabeth could not have any, and both Zechariah and Elizabeth were already old.

8 One day Zechariah’s group of priests were on duty, and he was serving God as a priest. 9 According to the custom of the priests, he had been chosen to go into the Lord’s temple that day and to burn incense,[c] 10 while the people stood outside praying.

11 All at once an angel from the Lord appeared to Zechariah at the right side of the altar. 12 Zechariah was confused and afraid when he saw the angel. 13 But the angel told him:

Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayers. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you must name him John. 14 His birth will make you very happy, and many people will be glad. 15 Your son will be a great servant of the Lord. He must never drink wine or beer, and the power of the Holy Spirit will be with him from the time he is born.

16 John will lead many people in Israel to turn back to the Lord their God. 17 He will go ahead of the Lord with the same power and spirit that Elijah[d] had. And because of John, parents will be more thoughtful of their children. And people who now disobey God will begin to think as they ought to. That is how John will get people ready for the Lord.

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this is going to happen? My wife and I are both very old.”

19 The angel answered, “I am Gabriel, God’s servant, and I was sent to tell you this good news. 20 You have not believed what I have said. So you will not be able to say a thing until all this happens. But everything will take place when it is supposed to.”

21 The crowd was waiting for Zechariah and kept wondering why he was staying so long in the temple. 22 When he did come out, he could not speak, and they knew he had seen a vision. He motioned to them with his hands, but did not say a thing.

23 When Zechariah’s time of service in the temple was over, he went home. 24 Soon after that, his wife was expecting a baby, and for five months she did not leave the house. She said to herself, 25 “What the Lord has done for me will keep people from looking down on me.”[e]

Footnotes:

  1. 1.3 a careful study: Or “a study from the beginning.”
  2. 1.5 Aaron: The brother of Moses and the first priest.
  3. 1.9 burn incense: This was done twice a day, once in the morning and again in the late afternoon.
  4. 1.17 Elijah: The prophet Elijah was known for his power to work miracles.
  5. 1.25 keep people from looking down on me: When a married woman could not have children, it was thought that the Lord was punishing her.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Psalm 56

(For the music leader. To the tune “A Silent Dove in the Distance.”[a] A special psalm by David when the Philistines captured him in Gath.)

A Prayer of Trust in God

56 Have pity, God Most High!
My enemies chase me all day.
2 Many of them are pursuing
and attacking me,
3 but even when I am afraid,
I keep on trusting you.
4 I praise your promises!
I trust you and am not afraid.
No one can harm me.

5 Enemies spend the whole day
finding fault with me;
all they think about
is how to do me harm.
6 They attack from ambush,
watching my every step
and hoping to kill me.
7 They won’t get away[b]
with these crimes, God,
because when you get angry,
you destroy people.

8 You have kept record
of my days of wandering.
You have stored my tears
in your bottle
and counted each of them.

9 When I pray, Lord God,
my enemies will retreat,
because I know for certain
that you are with me.
10 I praise your promises!
11 I trust you and am not afraid.
No one can harm me.

12 I will keep my promises
to you, my God,
and bring you gifts.
13 You protected me from death
and kept me from stumbling,
so that I would please you
and follow the light
that leads to life.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 56 A Silent. . . Distance: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  2. 56.7 They. . . away: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 11:8

8 Trouble goes right past
the Lord’s people
and strikes the wicked.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday March 12, 2020 (NIV)

Numbers 16:41-18:32

The Israelites Rebel and Are Punished

41 The next day the people of Israel again complained against Moses and Aaron, “The two of you killed some of the Lord’s people!”

42 As the people crowded around them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the sacred tent, and the Lord appeared in his glory in the cloud covering the tent. 43 So Moses and Aaron walked to the front of the tent, 44 where the Lord said to them, 45 “Stand back! I am going to wipe out these Israelites once and for all.”

They immediately bowed down and prayed. 46 Then Moses told Aaron, “Grab your fire pan and fill it with hot coals from the altar. Put incense in it, then quickly take it to where the people are and offer it to the Lord, so they can be forgiven. The Lord is very angry, and people have already started dying!”

47-48 Aaron did exactly what he had been told. He ran over to the crowd of people and stood between the dead bodies and the people who were still alive. He placed the incense on the pan, then offered it to the Lord and asked him to forgive the people’s sin. The disease immediately stopped spreading, and no one else died from it. 49 But fourteen thousand seven hundred Israelites were dead, not counting those who had died with Korah and his followers.

50 Aaron walked back and stood with Moses at the sacred tent.

Aaron’s Walking Stick Blooms and Produces Almonds

17 The Lord told Moses:

2-3 Call together the twelve tribes of Israel and tell the leader of each tribe to write his name on the walking stick he carries as a symbol of his authority. Make sure Aaron’s name is written on the one from the Levi tribe, then collect all the sticks.

4 Place these sticks in the tent right in front of the sacred chest where I appear to you. 5 I will then choose a man to be my priest, and his stick will sprout. After that happens, I won’t have to listen to any more complaints about you.

6 Moses told the people what the Lord had commanded, and they gave him the walking sticks from the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron’s from the Levi tribe. 7 Moses took them and placed them in the Lord’s sacred tent.

8 The next day when Moses went into the tent, flowers and almonds were already growing on Aaron’s stick. 9 Moses brought the twelve sticks out of the tent and showed them to the people. Each of the leaders found his own and took it.

10 But the Lord told Moses, “Put Aaron’s stick back! Let it stay near the sacred chest as a warning to anyone who might think about rebelling. If these people don’t stop their grumbling about me, I will wipe them out.” 11 Moses did what he was told.

12 The Israelites cried out to Moses, “We’re done for 13 and doomed if we even get near the sacred tent!”

The Duties of the Priests and Levites

18 The Lord said to Aaron:

You, your sons, and the other Levites of the Kohath clan, are responsible for what happens at the sacred tent.[a] And you and your sons will be responsible for what the priests do. 2 The Levites are your relatives and are here to help you in your service at the tent. 3 You must see that they perform their duties. But if they go near any of the sacred objects or the altar, all of you will die. 4 No one else is allowed to take care of the sacred tent or to do anything connected with it. 5 Follow these instructions, so I won’t become angry and punish the Israelites ever again.

6 I alone chose the Levites from all the other tribes to belong to me, and I have given them to you as your helpers. 7 But only you and your sons can serve as priests at the altar and in the most holy place. Your work as priests is a gift from me, and anyone else who tries to do that work must be put to death.

The Priests' Share of Offerings Given to the Lord

8-9 The Lord said to Aaron:

I have put you in charge of the sacred gifts and sacrifices that the Israelites bring to me. And from now on, you, your sons, and your descendants will receive part of the sacrifices for sin, as well as part of the grain sacrifices, and the sacrifices to make things right. Your share of these sacrifices will be the parts not burned on the altar. 10 Since these things are sacred, they must be eaten near the sacred tent, but only men are allowed to eat them.

11 You will also receive part of the special gifts and offerings that the Israelites bring to me. Any member of your family who is clean and acceptable for worship can eat these things. 12 For example, when the Israelites bring me the first batches of oil, wine, and grain, you can have the best parts of those gifts. 13 And the first part of the crops from their fields and vineyards also belongs to you. The people will offer this to me, then anyone in your family who is clean may have some of it.

14 Everything in Israel that has been completely dedicated to me[b] will now belong to you.

15 The first-born son in every Israelite family, as well as the first-born males of their flocks and herds, belong to me. But a first-born son and every first-born donkey[c] must be bought back from me. 16 The price for a first-born son who is at least one month old will be five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. 17 However, all first-born cattle, sheep, and goats belong to me and cannot be bought back. Splatter their blood on the altar and send their fat up in smoke, so I can smell it and be pleased. 18 You are allowed to eat the meat of those animals, just as you can eat the choice ribs and the right hind leg of the special sacrifices.

19 From now on, the sacred offerings that the Israelites give to me will belong to you, your sons, and your daughters. This is my promise to you and your descendants, and it will never change.

20 You will not receive any land in Israel as your own. I am the Lord, and I will give you whatever you need.

What the Levites Receive

The Lord said to Aaron:

21 Ten percent of the Israelites' crops and one out of every ten of their newborn animals belong to me. But I am giving all this to the Levites as their pay for the work they do at the sacred tent. 22-23 They are the only ones allowed to work at the tent, and they must not let anyone else come near it. Those who do must be put to death, and the Levites will also be punished. This law will never change.

Since the Levites won’t be given any land in Israel as their own, 24 they will be given the crops and newborn animals that the Israelites offer to me.

What the Levites Must Give

25 The Lord told Moses 26 to say to the Levites:

When you receive from the people of Israel ten percent of their crops and newborn animals, you must offer a tenth of that to me. 27 Just as the Israelites give me part of their grain and wine, you must set aside part of what you receive 28 as an offering to me. That amount must then be given to Aaron, 29 so the best of what you receive will be mine.

30 After you have dedicated the best parts to me, you can eat the rest, just as the Israelites eat part of their grain and wine after offering them to me.[d] 31 Your share may be eaten anywhere by anyone in your family, because it is your pay for working at the sacred tent. 32 You won’t be punished for eating it, as long as you have already offered the best parts to me.

The gifts and sacrifices brought by the people must remain sacred, and if you eat any part of them before they are offered to me, you will be put to death.

Footnotes:

  1. 18.1 are responsible. . . sacred tent: Or “are to make sure that no one gets near the sacred tent.”
  2. 18.14 that has been completely dedicated to me: This translates a Hebrew word that describes property and things that were taken away from humans and given to God forever. Sometimes such things had to be completely destroyed (see Joshua 6.15-19).
  3. 18.15 donkey: The Hebrew text has “unclean animal,” which probably refers to a donkey (see Exodus 13.13; 34.20).
  4. 18.30 just as the Israelites. . . to me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Mark 16

Jesus Is Alive

16 After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James bought some spices to put on Jesus' body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just as the sun was coming up, they went to the tomb. 3 On their way, they were asking one another, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance for us?” 4 But when they looked, they saw that the stone had already been rolled away. And it was a huge stone!

5 The women went into the tomb, and on the right side they saw a young man in a white robe sitting there. They were alarmed.

6 The man said, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who was nailed to a cross. God has raised him to life, and he isn’t here. You can see the place where they put his body. 7 Now go and tell his disciples, and especially Peter, that he will go ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.”

8 When the women ran from the tomb, they were confused and shaking all over. They were too afraid to tell anyone what had happened.

ONE OLD ENDING TO MARK’S GOSPEL[a]

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

9 Very early on the first day of the week, after Jesus had risen to life, he appeared to Mary Magdalene. Earlier he had forced seven demons out of her. 10 She left and told his friends, who were crying and mourning. 11 Even though they heard that Jesus was alive and that Mary had seen him, they would not believe it.

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

12 Later, Jesus appeared in another form to two disciples, as they were on their way out of the city. 13 But when these disciples told what had happened, the others would not believe.

What Jesus' Followers Must Do

14 Afterwards, Jesus appeared to his eleven disciples as they were eating. He scolded them because they were too stubborn to believe the ones who had seen him after he had been raised to life. 15 Then he told them:

Go and preach the good news to everyone in the world. 16 Anyone who believes me and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe me will be condemned. 17 Everyone who believes me will be able to do wonderful things. By using my name they will force out demons, and they will speak new languages. 18 They will handle snakes and will drink poison and not be hurt. They will also heal sick people by placing their hands on them.

Jesus Returns to Heaven

19 After the Lord Jesus had said these things to the disciples, he was taken back up to heaven where he sat down at the right side[b] of God. 20 Then the disciples left and preached everywhere. The Lord was with them, and the miracles they worked proved that their message was true.

ANOTHER OLD ENDING TO MARK’S GOSPEL[c]

9-10 The women quickly told Peter and his friends what had happened. Later, Jesus sent the disciples to the east and to the west with his sacred and everlasting message of how people can be saved forever.

Footnotes:

  1. 16.9 One Old Ending to Mark’s Gospel: Verses 9-20 are not in some manuscripts.
  2. 16.19 right side: See the note at 12.36.
  3. 16.9,10 Another Old Ending to Mark’s Gospel: Some manuscripts and early translations have both this shorter ending and the longer one (verses 9-20).
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Psalm 55

(A special psalm by David for the music leader. Use with stringed instruments.)

Betrayed by a Friend

55 Listen, God, to my prayer!
Don’t reject my request.
2 Please listen and help me.
My thoughts are troubled,
and I keep groaning
3 because my loud enemies
shout and attack.
They treat me terribly
and hold angry grudges.
4 My heart is racing fast,
and I am afraid of dying.
5 I am trembling with fear,
completely terrified.

6 I wish I had wings
like a dove,
so I could fly far away
and be at peace.
7 I would go and live
in some distant desert.
8 I would quickly find shelter
from howling winds
and raging storms.

9 Confuse my enemies, Lord!
Upset their plans.
Cruelty and violence
are all I see in the city,
10 and they are like guards
on patrol day and night.
The city is full of trouble,
evil, 11 and corruption.
Troublemakers and liars
freely roam the streets.

12 My enemies are not the ones
who sneer and make fun.
I could put up with that
or even hide from them.
13 But it was my closest friend,
the one I trusted most.
14 We enjoyed being together,
and we went with others
to your house, our God.

15 All who hate me are controlled
by the power of evil.
Sentence them to death
and send them down alive
to the world of the dead.

16 I ask for your help, Lord God,
and you will keep me safe.
17 Morning, noon, and night
you hear my concerns
and my complaints.
18 I am attacked from all sides,
but you will rescue me
unharmed by the battle.
19 You have always ruled,
and you will hear me.
You will defeat my enemies
because they won’t turn
and worship you.

20 My friend turned against me
and broke his promise.
21 His words were smoother
than butter,
and softer
than olive oil.
But hatred filled his heart,
and he was ready to attack
with a sword.

22 Our Lord, we belong to you.
We tell you what worries us,
and you won’t let us fall.
23 But what about those people
who are cruel and brutal?
You will throw them down
into the deepest pit
long before their time.
I trust you, Lord!

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 11:7

7 When the wicked die,
their hopes die with them.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

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03/12/2020 DAB Transcript

Numbers 16:41-18:32, Mark 16:1-20, Psalms 55:1-23, Proverbs 11:7

Today is the 12th day of March, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it’s great to be here with you as we…as we continue moving through this week and we kind of move our way toward the middle of another month. What a joy…what a joy to be on the voyage together through the Bible. So, let’s get to that. We’re reading from the Contemporary English Version this week. And, yeah, there’s chaos in the desert. That’s kind of what we’re working through in the book of Numbers as the reality that…that they won’t be entering the Promise Land in this generation is settling in. So, today Numbers chapters 16 verse 41 through 18 verse 32.

Prayer:

Father, thank You, thank You, thank You, for Your word and as we concluded the gospel of Mark today, the second gospel, we experienced the story of Your resurrection and we look forward with great anticipation to be…to begin the gospel of Luke tomorrow. And we also take to heart what was spoken of in the Psalms today about betrayal because in one form or another we’ve all tasted of that bitter cup, some in very, very deeply profound ways, some in smaller ways, but we…we know what this feels like and, unfortunately many of us also know what it’s like to offer that cup. And, so, we take to heart what is spoken of in the Psalms, that when we’re going through that kind of a trial of…of betrayal, we can ask for Your help and You will keep us safe. Morning noon and night, You will hear our concerns and sometimes when we are in the throes of the feelings of betrayal it is morning, noon, and night constant on our minds. And, so, we can even see in the Scriptures into David’s heart. It was constantly on his mind, this betrayal. And, so, we identify with this and acknowledge what the Psalm says, when we feel attacked from all sides You will rescue us unharmed by the battle. And, so, we rest in that as we move into our day and invite You. Come Holy Spirit into all that we’ve read, plant it deep into the soil of our lives and continue revealing to us places where the soil can’t support it and help us to get the rocky ground or the thorny ground or the shallow ground out of our lives. Come, Holy Spirit, we pray in Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

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Also, the Daily Audio Bible Shop is there. All these things can be gotten to in the app as well. There are resources there for this journey.

For example, the God of Your Story, which is in so many ways the gold of the Daily Audio Bible, written down. I mean the kinds of things that we talk about change every year, every day, but a path that we follow, a path of transformation, a path of looking to the Bible to…to penetrate deep inside of our hearts and shift things in the way that we look at them, in the way that we…in the way that we are in this world, who we are in this world. Looking to the Scriptures to inform that, that’s what we do every day. That’s what’s in the God of Your Story. It's…it's…it's…it’s as comprehensive of a…of a pathway through the Bible that I…that I know. And writing it down over the years of the Daily Audio Bible. I mean, it took two years to do. It's…it’s a resource for this community, for this family. Whether we’re plugged in or unplugged we can still immerse ourselves in the rhythm that is the Scriptures every day, and it allows us to take a deeper dive coming at the same passages from different angles. It…it’s a resource that is of us and for us and everything about it supports the efforts of the Daily Audio Bible. So, everybody in this community I hope can have a copy of that. And you can find that at the Daily Audio Bible shop.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com as well. There’s a link on the homepage. If you’re using the app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address, if you prefer that, is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button, the little red button in the app or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

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03/11/2020 DAB Transcript

Numbers 15:17-16:40, Mark 15:1-47, Psalms 54:1-7, Proverbs 11:5-6

Today is the 11th day of March, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s great to be here with you coming in from the cold and around the Global Campfire and…ahh…we’re all here, its roaring and we’re ready to settle in by stepping away, just exhaling everything else that was going on and just allowing God’s word to become and be a part of our day and inform our day and lead us…lead us into the truth. That’s what the Scriptures promise. And, so, that’s were here for. So, we’re reading from the Contemporary English Version this week. We’ll go back into the book of Numbers. The children of Israel…I mean…they had been given the law, they’d spent a bunch of time at Mount Sinai, they formed camp, they broke camp, and it was time to go into the Promise Land and the spies went in. And well…we read the story. Things didn’t go well, a bad report, and it’s just chaos right now. A whole generation has been doomed to wander in the wilderness. God has basically closed the door. It was like, “you were here at the threshold of your promise. It was time and…and you rejected Me and now you’re not going in.” And, so, there’s is a bunch of chaos happening in the wilderness. Numbers chapter 15 verse 17 through 16 verse 40.

Commentary:

Okay. So, lots of times, most every day at this time right here, you know this, we talk about what we read and we try to unpack it in…in a way that would affect our day. Like that’s the point, it’s to allow God’s word wash into our lives and…and give us something that we can focus upon and meditate upon and incorporate into the soil of our hearts so that it can be planted there and yield fruit. It’s just…these days…this day…I don’t know how to explain the death of Jesus. If I’m being honest…if I’m just being…if I can just be…if we can be honest with each other, I hate that it ever had to happen. And, I mean I know the theology…I know…I know it’s going on here. We know what’s going on here, but that’s what we kind of…that makes us…that makes it easy for us to glaze over it. This is…this is the One that we worship. This is the One that wouldn’t let us go into the darkness. This is the One who will never leave us or forsake us and has never left us or forsaken us. So, you know, if you love…if you love Him, then it’s hard to watch Him die even if you’re reading it on paper, even…even if it means you get to live. And some…at some point you realize like, “that was supposed to me. Like, that was what I earned. I’m not supposed to be able to walk around free like this. I…this is a gift and every day should be a question mark for us. What am I doing with that gift? If I don’t have to be separated from God or my brothers and sisters, if I don’t have to live separated anymore then why am I?” What are we doing with this gift? May we not grow dull to that question because the answer to that question is basically the answer to the question Jesus asked in Caesarea Philippi, “who do you say that I am?”

Prayer:

Jesus, we say that You are the Savior and that as we move through this story we are looking at true, true love and we confess we can’t love like that and we don’t have people in our lives that are gonna die on our behalf. And this has gotta matter enough that it changes us. So, come Holy Spirit and give us eyes to see the day as we contemplate the cost, the cost of it all. And You have given us freedom. Reveal to us the ways that we are choosing bondage. Reveal to us the ways that we, like the children of Israel, are grumbling through the wilderness, thinking about cucumbers and fish back in slavery. Bring to mind the ways that we have walked back into slavery willingly. We want freedom. You have offered it and we want it. That will be how we honor You in this, is to live free. Come Holy Spirit and show us the masks that we’re wearing and the entanglements that don’t need to be there. Show us what is impeding us from walking and being children of the light in this world we ask in Your precious name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website and that is home and there’s always home. The Global Campfire is always burning. There’s never a time that we can engage with the Daily Audio Bible alone. Somebody else somewhere else listening too. And, so, we’re never alone.

And…and dailyaudiobible.com is home, its where the Prayer Wall lives.

Resources are available specifically created for the journey to take us further and deeper in any way that we can think of. And, so, those are available in the Daily Audio Bible Shop.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, if…if this matters then thank you for your partnership. There’s a link on the homepage or if you’re using the app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if the mail is what you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And we are a community that prays for each other. If you’re shouldering burdens that you shouldn’t shoulder alone then you can just press the Hotline button in the app. It’s like that easy to reach out, right? You can just go to the Prayer Wall, it’s that easy to reach out. And, so, if you…yeah…if you have a prayer…prayer request or encouragement, hit the Hotline button in the app or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that is it for today. Go into your day contemplating what the Savior has done for you. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday March 11, 2020 (NIV)

Numbers 15:17-16:40

17-19 When you eat food in the land that I am giving you, remember to set aside some of it as an offering to me. 20 From the first batch of bread dough that you make after each new grain harvest, make a loaf of bread and offer it to me, just as you offer grain. 21 All your descendants must follow this law and offer part of the first batch of bread dough.

22-23 The Lord also told Moses to tell the people what must be done if they ever disobey his laws:

24 If all of you disobey one of my laws without meaning to, you must offer a bull as a sacrifice to please me, together with a grain sacrifice, a wine offering, and a goat as a sacrifice for sin. 25 Then the priest will pray and ask me to forgive you. And since you did not mean to do wrong, and you offered sacrifices, 26 the sin of everyone—both Israelites and foreigners among you—will be forgiven.

27 But if one of you does wrong without meaning to, you must sacrifice a year-old female goat as a sacrifice for sin. 28 The priest will then ask me to forgive you, and your sin will be forgiven.

29 The law will be the same for anyone who does wrong without meaning to, whether an Israelite or a foreigner living among you.

30-31 But if one of you does wrong on purpose, whether Israelite or foreigner, you have sinned against me by disobeying my laws. You will be sent away and will no longer live among the people of Israel.

A Man Put to Death for Gathering Firewood on the Sabbath

32 Once, while the Israelites were traveling through the desert, a man was caught gathering firewood on the Sabbath.[a] 33 He was taken to Moses, Aaron, and the rest of the community. 34 But no one knew what to do with him, so he was not allowed to leave.

35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the people to take that man outside the camp and stone him to death!” 36 So he was killed, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Tassels on the People’s Clothes

37 The Lord told Moses 38 to say to the people of Israel, “Sew tassels onto the bottom edge of your clothes and tie a purple string to each tassel. 39-40 These will remind you that you must obey my laws and teachings. And when you do, you will be dedicated to me and won’t follow your own sinful desires. 41 I am the Lord your God who led you out of Egypt.”

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram Lead a Rebellion

16 1-2 Korah son of Izhar was a Levite from the Kohathite clan. One day he called together Dathan, Abiram, and On[b] from the Reuben tribe, and the four of them decided to rebel against Moses. So they asked two hundred fifty respected Israelite leaders for their support, and together they went to Moses 3 and Aaron and said, “Why do you think you’re so much better than anyone else? We’re part of the Lord’s holy people, and he’s with all of us. What makes you think you’re the only ones in charge?”

4 When Moses heard this, he knelt down to pray.[c] 5 Then he said to Korah and his followers:

Tomorrow morning the Lord will show us the person he has chosen to be his priest, and that man will faithfully serve him.

6-7 Korah, now here is what you and your followers must do: Get some fire pans, fill them with coals and incense, and place them near the sacred tent. And the man the Lord chooses will be his priest.[d] Korah, this time you Levites have gone too far!

8-9 You know that the God of Israel has chosen you Levites from all Israel to serve him by being in charge of the sacred tent and by helping the community to worship in the proper way. What more do you want? 10 The Lord has given you a special responsibility, and now, Korah, you think you should also be his priest. 11 You and your followers have rebelled against the Lord, not against Aaron.

12 Then Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, but they sent back this message: “We won’t come! 13 It’s bad enough that you took us from our rich farmland in Egypt to let us die here in the desert. Now you also want to boss us around! 14 You keep promising us rich farmlands with fertile fields and vineyards—but where are they? Stop trying to trick these people. No, we won’t come to see you.”

15 Moses was very angry and said to the Lord, “Don’t listen to these men! I haven’t done anything wrong to them. I haven’t taken as much as a donkey.”

16 Then he said to Korah, “Tomorrow you and your followers must go with Aaron to the Lord’s sacred tent. 17 Each of you take along your fire pan with incense in it and offer the incense to the Lord.”

18 The next day the men placed incense and coals in their fire pans and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the sacred tent. 19 Meanwhile, Korah had convinced the rest of the Israelites to rebel against their two leaders.

When that happened, the Lord appeared in all his glory 20 and said to Moses and Aaron, 21 “Get away from the rest of the Israelites so I can kill them right now!”

22 But the two men bowed down and prayed, “Our God, you gave these people life. Why would you punish everyone here when only one man has sinned?”

23 The Lord answered Moses, 24 “Tell the people to stay away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”

25 Moses walked over to Dathan and Abiram, and the other leaders of Israel followed. 26 Then Moses warned the people, “Get away from the tents of these sinful men! Don’t touch anything that belongs to them or you’ll be wiped out.” 27 So everyone moved away from those tents, except Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their families.

28 Moses said to the crowd, “The Lord has chosen me and told me to do these things—it wasn’t my idea. And here’s how you will know: 29 If these men die a natural death, it means the Lord hasn’t chosen me. 30 But suppose the Lord does something that has never been done before. For example, what if a huge crack appears in the ground, and these men and their families fall into it and are buried alive, together with everything they own? Then you will know they have turned their backs on the Lord!”

31 As soon as Moses said this, the ground under the men opened up 32-33 and swallowed them alive, together with their families and everything they owned. Then the ground closed back up, and they were gone.

34 The rest of the Israelites heard their screams, so they ran off, shouting, “We don’t want that to happen to us!”

35 Suddenly the Lord sent a fire that burned up the two hundred fifty men who had offered incense to him.

36 Then the Lord said to Moses, 37 “Tell Aaron’s son Eleazar to take the fire pans from the smoldering fire and scatter the coals. The pans are now sacred, 38 because they were used for offering incense to me. Have them hammered into a thin layer of bronze as a covering for the altar. Those men died because of their sin, and now their fire pans will become a warning for the rest of the community.”

39 Eleazar collected the pans and had them hammered into a thin layer of bronze as a covering for the altar, 40 just as the Lord had told Moses. The pans were a warning to the Israelites that only Aaron’s descendants would be allowed to offer incense to the Lord. Anyone else who tried would be punished like Korah and his followers.

Footnotes:

  1. 15.32 a man. . . Sabbath: No work was to be done on the Sabbath (see Exodus 31.12-17).
  2. 16.1,2 Dathan, Abiram, and On: Hebrew “Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth.”
  3. 16.4 he knelt down to pray: Or “he fell to his knees in sorrow.”
  4. 16.6,7 Get some fire pans. . . his priest: Only priests could offer incense at the sacred altar; anyone else who tried would be killed. In this case, the man who lived would be the one the Lord had chosen.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Mark 15

Pilate Questions Jesus

15 Early the next morning the chief priests, the nation’s leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses met together with the whole Jewish council. They tied up Jesus and led him off to Pilate.

2 He asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Those are your words,” Jesus answered.

3 The chief priests brought many charges against Jesus. 4 Then Pilate questioned him again, “Don’t you have anything to say? Don’t you hear what crimes they say you have done?” 5 But Jesus did not answer, and Pilate was amazed.

The Death Sentence

6 During Passover, Pilate always freed one prisoner chosen by the people. 7 And at that time there was a prisoner named Barabbas. He and some others had been arrested for murder during a riot. 8 The crowd now came and asked Pilate to set a prisoner free, just as he usually did.

9 Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to free the king of the Jews?” 10 Pilate knew that the chief priests had brought Jesus to him because they were jealous.

11 But the chief priests told the crowd to ask Pilate to free Barabbas.

12 Then Pilate asked the crowd, “What do you want me to do with this man you say is[a] the king of the Jews?”

13 They yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”

14 Pilate asked, “But what crime has he done?”

“Nail him to a cross!” they yelled even louder.

15 Pilate wanted to please the crowd. So he set Barabbas free. Then he ordered his soldiers to beat Jesus with a whip and nail him to a cross.

Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus

16 The soldiers led Jesus inside the courtyard of the fortress[b] and called together the rest of the troops. 17 They put a purple robe[c] on him, and on his head they placed a crown that they had made out of thorn branches. 18 They made fun of Jesus and shouted, “Hey, you king of the Jews!” 19 Then they beat him on the head with a stick. They spit on him and knelt down and pretended to worship him.

20 When the soldiers had finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the purple robe. They put his own clothes back on him and led him off to be nailed to a cross. 21 Simon from Cyrene happened to be coming in from a farm, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross. Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

22 The soldiers took Jesus to Golgotha, which means “Place of a Skull.”[d] 23 There they gave him some wine mixed with a drug to ease the pain, but he refused to drink it.

24 They nailed Jesus to a cross and gambled to see who would get his clothes. 25 It was about nine o’clock in the morning when they nailed him to the cross. 26 On it was a sign that told why he was nailed there. It read, “This is the King of the Jews.” 27-28 The soldiers also nailed two criminals on crosses, one to the right of Jesus and the other to his left.[e]

29 People who passed by said terrible things about Jesus. They shook their heads and shouted, “Ha! So you’re the one who claimed you could tear down the temple and build it again in three days. 30 Save yourself and come down from the cross!”

31 The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses also made fun of Jesus. They said to each other, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself. 32 If he is the Messiah, the king of Israel, let him come down from the cross! Then we will see and believe.” The two criminals also said cruel things to Jesus.

The Death of Jesus

33 About noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until around three o’clock. 34 Then about that time Jesus shouted, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”[f] which means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”

35 Some of the people standing there heard Jesus and said, “He is calling for Elijah.”[g] 36 One of them ran and grabbed a sponge. After he had soaked it in wine, he put it on a stick and held it up to Jesus. He said, “Let’s wait and see if Elijah will come[h] and take him down!” 37 Jesus shouted and then died.

38 At once the curtain in the temple[i] tore in two from top to bottom.

39 A Roman army officer was standing in front of Jesus. When the officer saw how Jesus died, he said, “This man really was the Son of God!”

40-41 Some women were looking on from a distance. They had come with Jesus to Jerusalem. But even before this they had been his followers and had helped him while he was in Galilee. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joseph were two of these women. Salome was also one of them.

Jesus Is Buried

42 It was now the evening before the Sabbath, and the Jewish people were getting ready for that sacred day. 43 A man named Joseph from Arimathea was brave enough to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus. Joseph was a highly respected member of the Jewish council, and he was also waiting for God’s kingdom to come.

44 Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead, and he called in the army officer to find out if Jesus had been dead very long. 45 After the officer told him, Pilate let Joseph have Jesus' body.

46 Joseph bought a linen cloth and took the body down from the cross. He had it wrapped in the cloth, and he put it in a tomb that had been cut into solid rock. Then he rolled a big stone against the entrance to the tomb.

47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph were watching and saw where the body was placed.

Footnotes:

  1. 15.12 this man you say is: These words are not in some manuscripts.
  2. 15.16 fortress: The place where the Roman governor stayed. It was probably at Herod’s palace west of Jerusalem, though it may have been Fortress Antonia, north of the temple, where the Roman troops were stationed.
  3. 15.17 purple robe: This was probably a Roman soldier’s robe.
  4. 15.22 Place of a Skull: The place was probably given this name because it was near a large rock in the shape of a human skull.
  5. 15.27-28 left: Some manuscripts add, “So the Scriptures came true which say, ‘He was accused of being a criminal.’ “
  6. 15.34 Eloi. . . sabachthani: These words are in Aramaic, a language spoken in Palestine during the time of Jesus.
  7. 15.35 Elijah: The name “Elijah” sounds something like “Eloi,” which means “my God.”
  8. 15.36 see if Elijah will come: See the note at 6.15.
  9. 15.38 curtain in the temple: There were two curtains in the temple. One was at the entrance, and the other separated the holy place from the most holy place that the Jewish people thought of as God’s home on earth. The second curtain is probably the one which is meant.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Psalm 54

(For the music leader. Use with stringed instruments. A special psalm that David wrote when the people of Ziph went to Saul and said, “David is hiding here with us.”)

Trusting God in Times of Trouble

54 Save me, God, by your power
and prove that I am right.
2 Listen to my prayer
and hear what I say.
3 Cruel strangers have attacked
and want me dead.
Not one of them cares
about you.

4 You will help me, Lord God,
and keep me from falling;
5 you will punish my enemies
for their evil deeds.
Be my faithful friend
and destroy them.

6 I will bring a gift
and offer a sacrifice
to you, Lord.
I will praise your name
because you are good.
7 You have rescued me
from all of my troubles,
and my own eyes have seen
my enemies fall.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 11:5-6

5 If you are truly good,
you will do right;
if you are wicked,
you will be destroyed
by your own sin.
6 Honesty can keep you safe,
but if you can’t be trusted,
you trap yourself.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Posted on

03/10/2020 DAB Transcript

Numbers 14:1-15:16, Mark 14:53-72, Psalms 53:1-6, Proverbs 11:4

Today is the 10th day of March, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s great to be here with you as we continue the journey, the next step forward into the week, into the Bible, into our lives. And what an honor that we get to do this together with each other around the Global Campfire. So, let’s get to what we’ve come here for which is…which is God’s word. We’re reading from the Contemporary English Version this week. Today, numbers chapter 14 verse 1 through 15, verse 16.

Commentary:

Okay. We've…we’ve talked about this before. We’re in a season on the Christian calendar called lent and this is a time of fasting and contemplation, meditation. It's…it’s an ancient tradition. And yeah there’s fasting. And yeah maybe it’s, you know, candy bars that you’re fasting or television or whatever, but the point of the fasting is to remove something from our lives that maybe brings us pleasure, and use that time, use that space to contemplate the price of sin, to contemplate our lives, separated from God, to contemplate the state of the world in separation from God. And yes, this is a year where we’re looking for the good, where we’re looking for the kingdom, we’re asking for eyes to see and ears to hear. And yes, it’s all around us. But no, this is not how things were intended to be. And there’s a reason, it’s our rebellion, it’s our willingness to stay separated. And we see that on such clear display today as Jesus is the high priest’s quarters. And yeah, while we were in Israel, like this story is really, really vivid because it’s like less…less than two weeks standing in this place where this story happens and being down in the pit, you know, where Jesus is being held and understanding they’re spitting on Him and smacking Him around and blindfolding Him and asking Him to prophesy who hit Him. Just…I mean the cruelty…the cruelty of it all. And the people perpetrating this cruelty are God’s people, are the people that…that are in charge of the soul care of…of the people, of the Hebrew people. They’re instigating all of this. They’re missing that God was right in front of them. And, so, the high priest is like, “are you…are you the Messiah? Are you the Son of the glorious God?” And Jesus answers them directly, “I am.” And it’s utterly and completely rejected outright, and He is sentenced to die. They missed it so badly and it’s so sad and that’s our story. That’s our story friends. It’s been staring at us in the face and we’ve missed it so badly over the course of our lives in so many instances on so many occasions and it’s so sad. And this season is for that. Like it’s a place in the year to go with that, sit with that, sit with the kinds of things that are actually painful about sin, like the things that we just try to repent and avoid go on. We’re supposed to actually sit here and understand, “this cost something. What kind of love is this? What kind of love is this that we’re talking about, that God would come as a human and be utterly rejected by creation and killed to reveal the state of the world and how backward things are to the way they were intended and to bridge that gap and make a way?” And, so as we go through this story in the Gospel of Mark, and as we go through this season…and believe me…like whether you’re observing lent or not…like, that’s not in the Bible. Nobody’s telling you that you should be doing this. There’s just a reason there are rhythms that have traditionally been in the Christian year and this is one of those, for us to truly, truly appreciate what we’re talking about when we talk about what it took to bring us back, to rescue us from the darkness. And, so, as we go through this story this is an appropriate time to really focus our hearts attention and meditate upon this.

Prayer:

Jesus, as we go into this day, we’re considering You before the religious leaders who missed and we confess we’ve done the same thing. We’ve done the same thing many times and we are sorry. We, as Peter, have denied You more than three times, many more than three times whether in thought or word or deed. And we sit with that and we understand that this is what separates us and separation from You is indeed hopeless. And, so, Holy Spirit come. And as we move through our day help us to continue to remember this story - Jesus before the high priest, Jesus in the pit tied up waiting for what would come next. Help us to contemplate this moment and give it the gravity and reverence it is due. And we pray this in the mighty name of our Savior, Jesus our Lord. Amen.

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Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday March 10, 2020 (NIV)

Numbers 14:1-15:16

The Israelites Rebel against Moses

14 After the Israelites heard the report from the twelve men who had explored Canaan, the people cried all night 2 and complained to Moses and Aaron, “We wish we had died in Egypt or somewhere out here in the desert! 3 Is the Lord leading us into Canaan, just to have us killed and our women and children captured? We’d be better off in Egypt.” 4 Then they said to one another, “Let’s choose our own leader and go back.”

5 Moses and Aaron bowed down to pray in front of the crowd. 6 Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes in sorrow 7 and said:

We saw the land ourselves, and it’s very good. 8 If we obey the Lord, he will surely give us that land rich with milk and honey. 9 So don’t rebel. We have no reason to be afraid of the people who live there. The Lord is on our side, and they won’t stand a chance against us!

10 The crowd threatened to stone Moses and Aaron to death. But just then, the Lord appeared in a cloud at the sacred tent.

Moses Prays for the People

11 The Lord said to Moses, “I have done great things for these people, and they still reject me by refusing to believe in my power. 12 So they will no longer be my people. I will destroy them, but I will make you the ancestor of a nation even stronger than theirs.”

13-16 Moses replied:

With your mighty power you rescued your people from Egypt, so please don’t destroy us here in the desert. If you do, the Egyptians will hear about it and tell the people of Canaan. Those Canaanites already know that we are your people, and that we see you face to face. And they have heard how you lead us with a thick cloud during the day and flaming fire at night. But if you kill us, they will claim it was because you weren’t powerful enough to lead us into Canaan as you promised.

17 Show us your great power, Lord. You promised 18 that you love to show mercy and kindness. And you said that you are very patient, but that you will punish everyone guilty of doing wrong—not only them but their children and grandchildren as well.

19 You are merciful, and you treat people better than they deserve. So please forgive these people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.

20 Then the Lord said to Moses:

In answer to your prayer, I do forgive them. 21 But as surely as I live and my power has no limit, 22-23 I swear that not one of these Israelites will enter the land I promised to give their ancestors. These people have seen my power in Egypt and in the desert, but they will never see Canaan. They have disobeyed and tested me too many times.

24 But my servant Caleb isn’t like the others. So because he has faith in me, I will allow him to cross into Canaan, and his descendants will settle there.

25 Now listen, Moses! The Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys of Canaan.[a] And tomorrow morning, you’ll need to turn around and head back into the desert toward the Red Sea.[b]

The Israelites Are Punished for Complaining

26 The Lord told Moses and Aaron 27-28 to give this message to the people of Israel:

You sinful people have complained against me too many times! Now I swear by my own life that I will give you exactly what you wanted.[c] 29 You will die right here in the desert, and your dead bodies will cover the ground. You have insulted me, and none of you men who are over twenty years old 30 will enter the land that I solemnly promised to give you as your own—only Caleb and Joshua[d] will go in.

31 You were worried that your own children would be captured. But I, the Lord, will let them enter the land you have rejected. 32 You will die here in the desert! 33 Your children will wander around in this desert forty years, suffering because of your sins, until all of you are dead. 34 I will cruelly punish you every day for the next forty years—one year for each day that the land was explored. 35 You sinful people who ganged up against me will die here in the desert.

36 Ten of the men sent to explore the land had brought back bad news and had made the people complain against the Lord. 37 So he sent a deadly disease that killed those men, 38 but he let Joshua and Caleb live.

The Israelites Fail To Enter Canaan

39 The people of Israel were very sad after Moses gave them the Lord’s message. 40 So they got up early the next morning and got ready to head toward the hill country of Canaan. They said, “We were wrong to complain about the Lord. Let’s go into the land that he promised us.”

41 But Moses replied, “You’re disobeying the Lord! Your plan won’t work, 42-43 so don’t even try it. The Lord refuses to help you, because you turned your backs on him. The Amalekites and the Canaanites are your enemies, and they will attack and defeat you.”

44 But the Israelites ignored Moses[e] and marched toward the hill country, even though the sacred chest and Moses did not go with them. 45 The Amalekites and the Canaanites came down from the hill country, defeated the Israelites, and chased them as far as the town of Hormah.

Laws about Sacrifices

15 The Lord told Moses 2 to give the Israelites the following laws about offering sacrifices:

3 Bulls or rams or goats[f] are the animals that you may burn on the altar as sacrifices to please me.[g] You may also offer sacrifices voluntarily or because you made a promise, or because they are part of your regular religious ceremonies. The smell of the smoke from these sacrifices is pleasing to me.

4-5 If you sacrifice a young ram or goat, you must also offer two pounds of your finest flour mixed with a quart of olive oil as a grain sacrifice. A quart of wine must also be poured on the altar.

6-7 And if the animal is a full-grown ram, you must offer four pounds of flour mixed with one and a half quarts of olive oil. One and a half quarts of wine must also be poured on the altar. The smell of this smoke is pleasing to me.

8 If a bull is offered as a sacrifice to please me or to ask my blessing,[h] 9 you must offer six pounds of flour mixed with two quarts of olive oil. 10 Two quarts of wine must also be poured on the altar. The smell of this smoke is pleasing to me.

11-13 If you are a native Israelite, you must obey these rules each time you offer a bull, a ram, or a goat as a sacrifice. 14 And the foreigners who live among you must also follow these rules. 15-16 This law will never change. I am the Lord, and I consider all people the same, whether they are Israelites or foreigners living among you.

Footnotes:

  1. 14.25 The Amalekites and the Canaanites. . . valleys of Canaan: That is, all possible ways into Canaan were blocked.
  2. 14.25 Red Sea: Hebrew yam suph, here referring to the Gulf of Aqaba, since the term is extended to include the northeastern arm of the Red Sea (see also the note at Exodus 13.18).
  3. 14.27,28 wanted: See verse 2.
  4. 14.30 Caleb and Joshua: Hebrew “Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.”
  5. 14.44 ignored Moses: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  6. 15.3 goats: See the note at 7.12-83.
  7. 15.3 sacrifices to please me: See the note at 6.11.
  8. 15.8 to ask my blessing: See the note at 6.14.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Mark 14:53-72

Jesus Is Questioned by the Council

53 Jesus was led off to the high priest. Then the chief priests, the nation’s leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses all met together. 54 Peter had followed at a distance. And when he reached the courtyard of the high priest’s house, he sat down with the guards to warm himself beside a fire.

55 The chief priests and the whole council tried to find someone to accuse Jesus of a crime, so they could put him to death. But they could not find anyone to accuse him. 56 Many people did tell lies against Jesus, but they did not agree on what they said. 57 Finally, some men stood up and lied about him. They said, 58 “We heard him say he would tear down this temple that we built. He also claimed that in three days he would build another one without any help.” 59 But even then they did not agree on what they said.

60 The high priest stood up in the council and asked Jesus, “Why don’t you say something in your own defense? Don’t you hear the charges they are making against you?” 61 But Jesus kept quiet and did not say a word. The high priest asked him another question, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the glorious God?”[a]

62 “Yes, I am!” Jesus answered.

“Soon you will see
the Son of Man
sitting at the right side[b]
of God All-Powerful,
and coming with the clouds
of heaven.”

63 At once the high priest ripped his robe apart and shouted, “Why do we need more witnesses? 64 You heard him claim to be God! What is your decision?” They all agreed that he should be put to death.

65 Some of the people started spitting on Jesus. They blindfolded him, hit him with their fists, and said, “Tell us who hit you!” Then the guards took charge of Jesus and beat him.

Peter Says He Doesn’t Know Jesus

66 While Peter was still in the courtyard, a servant girl of the high priest came up 67 and saw Peter warming himself by the fire. She stared at him and said, “You were with Jesus from Nazareth!”

68 Peter replied, “That isn’t true! I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have any idea what you mean.” He went out to the gate, and a rooster crowed.[c]

69 The servant girl saw Peter again and said to the people standing there, “This man is one of them!”

70 “No, I’m not!” Peter replied.

A little while later some of the people said to Peter, “You certainly are one of them. You’re a Galilean!”

71 This time Peter began to curse and swear, “I don’t even know the man you’re talking about!”

72 Right away the rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had told him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” So Peter started crying.

Footnotes:

  1. 14.61 Son of the glorious God: “Son of God” was one of the titles used for the kings of Israel.
  2. 14.62 right side: See the note at 12.36.
  3. 14.68 a rooster crowed: These words are not in some manuscripts.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Psalm 53

(A special psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune “Mahalath.”[a])

No One Can Ignore God

53 Only a fool would say,
“There is no God!”
People like that are worthless!
They are heartless and cruel
and never do right.

2 From heaven God
looks down to see
if anyone is wise enough
to search for him.
3 But all of them
are crooked and corrupt.
Not one of them does right.

4 Won’t you lawbreakers learn?
You refuse to pray,
and you gobble down
the people of God.
5 But you will be terrified
worse than ever before.
God will scatter the bones
of his enemies,
and you will be ashamed
when God rejects you.

6 I long for someone from Zion
to come and save Israel!
Our God, when you bless
your people again,
Jacob’s family will be glad,
and Israel will celebrate.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 53 Mahalath: Or “For flutes,” one possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 11:4

4 When God is angry,
money won’t help you.
Obeying God is the only way
to be saved from death.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday March 9, 2020 (NIV)

Numbers 11:24-13:33

24 Moses told the people what the Lord had said. Then he chose seventy respected leaders and went with them to the sacred tent. While the leaders stood in a circle around the tent, Moses went inside, 25 and the Lord spoke with him. Then the Lord took some authority[a] from Moses and gave it to the seventy leaders. And when the Lord’s Spirit took control of them, they started shouting like prophets. But they did it only this one time.

26 Eldad and Medad were two leaders who had not gone to the tent. But when the Spirit took control of them, they began shouting like prophets right there in camp. 27 A boy ran to Moses and told him about Eldad and Medad.

28 Joshua[b] was there helping Moses, as he had done since he was young. And he said to Moses, “Sir, you must stop them!”

29 But Moses replied, “Are you concerned what this might do to me? I wish the Lord would give his Spirit to all his people so everyone could be a prophet.” 30 Then Moses and the seventy leaders went back to camp.

The Lord Sends Quails

31 Some time later the Lord sent a strong wind that blew quails in from the sea until Israel’s camp was completely surrounded with birds, piled up about three feet high for miles in every direction. 32 The people picked up quails for two days—each person filled at least fifty bushels. Then they spread them out to dry. 33 But before the meat could be eaten, the Lord became angry and sent a disease through the camp.

34 After they had buried the people who had been so greedy for meat, they called the place “Graves for the Greedy.”[c]

35 Israel then broke camp and traveled to Hazeroth.

Miriam and Aaron Are Jealous of Moses

12 1-3 Although Moses was the most humble person in all the world, Miriam and Aaron started complaining, “Moses had no right to marry that woman from Ethiopia![d] Who does he think he is? The Lord has spoken to us, not just to him.”

The Lord heard their complaint 4 and told Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to come to the entrance of the sacred tent. 5 There the Lord appeared in a cloud and told Aaron and Miriam to come closer. 6 Then after commanding them to listen carefully, he said:

“I, the Lord, speak to prophets
in visions and dreams.
7 But my servant Moses
is the leader of my people.
8 He sees me face to face,
and everything I say to him
is perfectly clear.
You have no right to criticize
my servant Moses.”

9 The Lord became angry at Aaron and Miriam. And after the Lord left 10 and the cloud disappeared from over the sacred tent, Miriam’s skin turned white with leprosy.[e] When Aaron saw what had happened to her, 11 he said to Moses, “Sir, please don’t punish us for doing such a foolish thing. 12 Don’t let Miriam’s flesh rot away like a child born dead!”

13 Moses prayed, “Lord God, please heal her.”

14 But the Lord replied, “Miriam would be disgraced for seven days if her father had punished her by spitting in her face. So make her stay outside the camp for seven days, before coming back.”

15 The people of Israel did not move their camp until Miriam returned seven days later. 16 Then they left Hazeroth and set up camp in the Paran Desert.

Twelve Men Are Sent into Canaan

13 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Choose a leader from each tribe and send them into Canaan to explore the land I am giving you.”

3 So Moses sent twelve tribal leaders from Israel’s camp in the Paran Desert 4-16 with orders to explore the land of Canaan. And here are their names:

Shammua son of Zaccur
from Reuben,
Shaphat son of Hori
from Simeon,
Caleb son of Jephunneh
from Judah,
Igal son of Joseph
from Issachar,
Joshua son of Nun
from Ephraim,[f]
Palti son of Raphu
from Benjamin,
Gaddiel son of Sodi
from Zebulun,
Gaddi son of Susi
from Manasseh,
Ammiel son of Gemalli
from Dan,
Sethur son of Michael
from Asher,
Nahbi son of Vophsi
from Naphtali,
and Geuel son of Machi
from Gad.

17 Before Moses sent them into Canaan, he said:

After you go through the Southern Desert of Canaan, continue north into the hill country 18 and find out what those regions are like. Be sure to remember how many people live there, how strong they are, 19-20 and if they live in open towns or walled cities. See if the land is good for growing crops and find out what kinds of trees grow there. It’s time for grapes to ripen, so try to bring back some of the fruit that grows there.

21 The twelve men left to explore Canaan from the Zin Desert in the south all the way to the town of Rehob near Lebo-Hamath in the north. 22 As they went through the Southern Desert, they came to the town of Hebron, which was seven years older than the Egyptian town of Zoan. In Hebron, they saw the three Anakim[g] clans of Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai. 23-24 When they got to Bunch Valley,[h] they cut off a branch with such a huge bunch of grapes, that it took two men to carry it on a pole. That’s why the place was called Bunch Valley. Along with the grapes, they also took back pomegranates[i] and figs.

The Men Report Back to the People

25 After exploring the land of Canaan forty days, 26 the twelve men returned to Kadesh in the Paran Desert and told Moses, Aaron, and the people what they had seen. They showed them the fruit 27 and said:

Look at this fruit! The land we explored is rich with milk and honey. 28 But the people who live there are strong, and their cities are large and walled. We even saw the three Anakim[j] clans. 29 Besides that, the Amalekites live in the Southern Desert; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites are in the hill country; and the Canaanites[k] live along the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.

30 Caleb calmed down the crowd and said, “Let’s go and take the land. I know we can do it!”

31 But the other men replied, “Those people are much too strong for us.” 32 Then they started spreading rumors and saying, “We won’t be able to grow anything in that soil. And the people are like giants. 33 In fact, we saw the Nephilim who are the ancestors of the Anakim. They were so big that we felt as small as grasshoppers.”

Footnotes:

  1. 11.25 some authority: Or “some of the Spirit’s power.”
  2. 11.28 Joshua: Hebrew “Joshua son of Nun.”
  3. 11.34 Graves for the Greedy: Or “Kibroth-Hattaavah.”
  4. 12.1-3 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has “Cush,” which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.
  5. 12.10 leprosy: See the note at 5.2,3.
  6. 13.4-16 Joshua. . . Ephraim: Hebrew “Hoshea son of Nun from Ephraim; Moses renamed him Joshua.”
  7. 13.22 Anakim: Perhaps a group of very large people (see Deuteronomy 2.10,11,20,21).
  8. 13.23,24 Bunch Valley: Or “Eshcol Valley.”
  9. 13.23,24 pomegranates: A bright red fruit that looks like an apple.
  10. 13.28 Anakim: See the note at verse 22.
  11. 13.29 Amalekites. . . Hittites. . . Jebusites. . . Amorites. . . Canaanites: These people lived in Canaan before the Israelites.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Mark 14:22-52

The Lord’s Supper

22 During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this. It is my body.”

23 Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He gave it to his disciples, and they all drank some. 24 Then he said, “This is my blood, which is poured out for many people, and with it God makes his agreement. 25 From now on I will not drink any wine, until I drink new wine in God’s kingdom.” 26 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Peter’s Promise

27 Jesus said to his disciples, “All of you will reject me, as the Scriptures say,

‘I will strike down
the shepherd,
and the sheep
will be scattered.’

28 But after I am raised to life, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

29 Peter spoke up, “Even if all the others reject you, I never will!”

30 Jesus replied, “This very night before a rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don’t know me.”

31 But Peter was so sure of himself that he said, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never say that I don’t know you!”

All the others said the same thing.

Jesus Prays

32 Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he told them, “Sit here while I pray.”

33 Jesus took along Peter, James, and John. He was sad and troubled and 34 told them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.”

35-36 Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt down on the ground and prayed, “Father,[a] if it is possible, don’t let this happen to me! Father, you can do anything. Don’t make me suffer by having me drink from this cup.[b] But do what you want, and not what I want.”

37 When Jesus came back and found the disciples sleeping, he said to Simon Peter, “Are you asleep? Can’t you stay awake for just one hour? 38 Stay awake and pray that you won’t be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.”

39 Jesus went back and prayed the same prayer. 40 But when he returned to the disciples, he found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open, and they did not know what to say.

41 When Jesus returned to the disciples the third time, he said, “Are you still sleeping and resting?[c] Enough of that! The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. 42 Get up! Let’s go. The one who will betray me is already here.”

Jesus Is Arrested

43 Jesus was still speaking, when Judas the betrayer came up. He was one of the twelve disciples, and a mob of men armed with swords and clubs were with him. They had been sent by the chief priests, the nation’s leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses. 44 Judas had told them ahead of time, “Arrest the man I greet with a kiss.[d] Tie him up tight and lead him away.”

45 Judas walked right up to Jesus and said, “Teacher!” Then Judas kissed him, 46 and the men grabbed Jesus and arrested him.

47 Someone standing there pulled out a sword. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

48 Jesus said to the mob, “Why do you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like a criminal? 49 Day after day I was with you and taught in the temple, and you didn’t arrest me. But what the Scriptures say must come true.”

50 All of Jesus' disciples ran off and left him. 51 One of them was a young man who was wearing only a linen cloth. And when the men grabbed him, 52 he left the cloth behind and ran away naked.

Footnotes:

  1. 14.35,36 Father: The Greek text has “Abba,” which is an Aramaic word meaning “father.”
  2. 14.35,36 by having me drink from this cup: See the note at 10.38.
  3. 14.41 Are you still sleeping and resting: Or “You may as well keep on sleeping and resting.”
  4. 14.44 greet with a kiss: It was the custom for people to greet each other with a kiss on the cheek.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Psalm 52

(A special psalm by David for the music leader. He wrote this when Doeg from Edom went to Saul and said, “David has gone to Ahimelech’s house.”)

God Is in Control

52 You people may be strong
and brag about your sins,
but God can be trusted
day after day.
2 You plan brutal crimes,
and your lying words cut
like a sharp razor.
3 You would rather do evil
than good,
and tell lies
than speak the truth.
4 You love to say cruel things,
and your words are a trap.

5 God will destroy you forever!
He will grab you and drag you
from your homes.
You will be uprooted
and left to die.
6 When good people see
this fearsome sight,
they will laugh and say,
7 “Just look at them now!
Instead of trusting God,
they trusted their wealth
and their cruelty.”

8 But I am like an olive tree
growing in God’s house,
and I can count on his love
forever and ever.
9 I will always thank God
for what he has done;
I will praise his good name
when his people meet.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 11:1-3

Watch What You Say and Do

11 The Lord hates anyone
who cheats,
but he likes everyone
who is honest.
2 Too much pride
can put you to shame.
It’s wiser to be humble.
3 If you do the right thing,
honesty will be your guide.
But if you are crooked,
you will be trapped
by your own dishonesty.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society