A Walk Through The Word

Making the Priestly Clothes

(Exodus 28.1-14)

39 Beautiful priestly clothes were made of blue, purple, and red wool for Aaron to wear when he performed his duties in the holy place. This was done exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses.

^2-3 The entire priestly vest was made of fine linen, woven with blue, purple, and red wool. Thin sheets of gold were hammered out and cut into threads that were skillfully woven into the vest. ^4-5 It had two shoulder straps to support it and a sash that fastened around the waist. ⁶ Onyx^[a] stones were placed in gold settings, and each one was engraved with the name of one of Israel's sons. ⁷ Then these were attached to the shoulder straps of the vest, so the Lord would never forget his people. Everything was done exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Breastpiece

(Exodus 28.15-30)

⁸ The breastpiece was made with the same materials and designs as the priestly vest. ⁹ It was 22 centimeters square and folded double ¹⁰ with four rows of three precious stones: A carnelian, a chrysolite, and an emerald were in the first row; ¹¹ a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond were in the second row; ¹² a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst were in the third row; ¹³ and a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper^[b] were in the fourth row. They were mounted in a delicate gold setting, ¹⁴ and on each of them was engraved the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

^15-18 Two gold rings were attached to the upper front corners of the breastpiece and fastened with two braided gold chains to gold settings on the shoulder straps. ¹⁹ Two other gold rings were attached to the lower inside corners next to the vest, ²⁰ and two more near the bottom of the shoulder straps right above the sash. ²¹ To keep the breastpiece in place, a blue cord was used to tie the two lower rings on the breastpiece to those on the vest. These things were done exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Clothes for the Priests

(Exodus 28.31-43)

²² The priestly robe was made of blue wool ²³ with an opening in the center for the head. The material around the collar was bound so as to keep it from wearing out. ^24-26 Along the hem of the robe were woven pomegranates^[c] of blue, purple, and red wool with a bell of pure gold between each of them. This robe was to be worn by Aaron when he performed his duties.

^27-29 Everything that Aaron and his sons wore was made of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool, including their robes and turbans, their fancy caps and underwear, and even their sashes that were embroidered with needlework.

³⁰ The words “Dedicated to the Lord” were engraved on a narrow strip of pure gold, ³¹ which was fastened to Aaron's turban. These things were done exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Work Is Completed

(Exodus 35.10-19)

³² So the people of Israel finished making everything the Lord had told Moses to make. ³³ Then they brought it all to Moses: the sacred tent and its equipment, including the hooks, the framework and crossbars, and its posts and stands; ³⁴ the covering of tanned ram skins and fine leather; the inside curtain; ³⁵ the sacred chest with its carrying poles and the place of mercy; ³⁶ the table with all that goes on it, including the sacred bread; ³⁷ the lampstand of pure gold, together with its equipment and oil; ³⁸ the gold-covered incense altar; the ordination oil and the sweet-smelling incense; the curtain for the entrance to the tent; ³⁹ the bronze altar for sacrifices with its bronze grating, its carrying poles, and its equipment; the large bronze bowl with its stand; ⁴⁰ the curtain with its posts and cords, and its pegs and stands that go around the courtyard; everything needed for the sacred tent; ⁴¹ and the finely woven priestly clothes for Aaron and his sons.

^42-43 When Moses saw that the people had done everything exactly as the Lord had commanded, he gave them his blessing.

The Lord's Tent Is Set Up

40 The Lord said to Moses:

² Set up my tent on the first day of the year^{[d] 3} and put the chest with the Ten Commandments behind the inside curtain.^{[e] 4} Bring in the table and set on it those things that are made for it. Also bring in the lampstand and attach the lamps to it. ⁵ Then place the gold altar of incense in front of the sacred chest and hang a curtain at the entrance to the tent. ⁶ Set the altar for burning sacrifices in front of the entrance to my tent. ⁷ Put the large bronze bowl between the tent and the altar and fill the bowl with water. ⁸ Surround the tent and the altar with the wall of curtains and hang the curtain that was made for the entrance.

⁹ Use the sacred olive oil to dedicate to me the tent and everything in it. ¹⁰ Do the same thing with the altar for offering sacrifices and its equipment ¹¹ and with the bowl and its stand. ¹² Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent and tell them to wash themselves. ¹³ Dress Aaron in the priestly clothes, then use the sacred olive oil to ordain him and dedicate him to me as my priest. ¹⁴ Put the priestly robes on Aaron's sons ¹⁵ and ordain them in the same way, so they and their descendants will always be my priests.

¹⁶ Moses followed the Lord's instructions. ¹⁷ And on the first day of the first month^[f] of the second year, the sacred tent was set up. ¹⁸ The posts, stands, and framework were put in place, ¹⁹ then the two layers of coverings were hung over them. ²⁰ The stones with the Ten Commandments written on them were stored in the sacred chest, the place of mercy^[g] was put on top of it, and the carrying poles were attached. ²¹ The chest was brought into the tent and set behind the curtain in the most holy place. These things were done exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²² The table for the sacred bread was put along the north wall of the holy place, ²³ after which the bread was set on the table. ²⁴ The lampstand was put along the south wall, ²⁵ then the lamps were attached to it there in the presence of the Lord. ²⁶ The gold incense altar was set up in front of the curtain, ²⁷ and sweet-smelling incense was burned on it. These things were done exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²⁸ The curtain was hung at the entrance to the sacred tent. ²⁹ Then the altar for offering sacrifices was put in front of the tent, and animal sacrifices and gifts of grain were offered there. ³⁰ The large bronze bowl was placed between the altar and the entrance to the tent. It was filled with water, ³¹ then Moses and Aaron, together with Aaron's sons, washed their hands and feet. ³² In fact, they washed each time before entering the tent or offering sacrifices at the altar. These things were done exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³³ Finally, Moses had the curtains hung around the courtyard and at the entrance.

The Glory of the Lord

^34 (A) Suddenly the sacred tent was covered by a thick cloud and filled with the glory of the Lord. ³⁵ And so, Moses could not enter the tent. ³⁶ Whenever the cloud moved from the tent, the people would break camp and follow; ³⁷ then they would set up camp and stay there, until it moved again. ³⁸ No matter where the people traveled, the Lord was with them. Each day his cloud was over the tent, and each night a fire could be seen in the cloud.

The Preaching of John the Baptist

(Matthew 3.1-12; Luke 3.1-18; John 1.19-28)

1 This is the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.^{[a] 2 (A)} It began just as God had said in the book written by Isaiah the prophet,

⁴ So John the Baptist showed up in the desert and told everyone, “Turn back to God and be baptized! Then your sins will be forgiven.”

⁵ From all Judea and Jerusalem crowds of people went to John. They told how sorry they were for their sins, and he baptized them in the Jordan River.

^6 (C) John wore clothes made of camel's hair. He had a leather strap around his waist and ate grasshoppers and wild honey.

⁷ John also told the people, “Someone more powerful is going to come. And I am not good enough even to stoop down and untie his sandals.^{[b] 8} I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”

The Baptism of Jesus

(Matthew 3.13-17; Luke 3.21,22)

⁹ About that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. ¹⁰ As soon as Jesus came out of the water, he saw the sky open and the Holy Spirit coming down to him like a dove. ^11 (D) A voice from heaven said, “You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you.”

Jesus and Satan

(Matthew 4.1-11; Luke 4.1-13)

¹² At once God's Spirit made Jesus go into the desert. ¹³ He stayed there for 40 days while Satan tested him. Jesus was with the wild animals, but angels took care of him.

Jesus Begins His Work

(Matthew 4.12-17; Luke 4.14,15)

¹⁴ After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee and told the good news that comes from God.^{[c] 15 (E)} He said, “The time has come! God's kingdom will soon be here.^[d] Turn back to God and believe the good news!”

Jesus Chooses Four Fishermen

(Matthew 4.18-22; Luke 5.1-11)

¹⁶ As Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were fishermen and were casting their nets into the lake. ¹⁷ Jesus said to them, “Follow me! I will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish.” ¹⁸ Right then the two brothers dropped their nets and went with him.

¹⁹ Jesus walked on and soon saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat, mending their nets. ²⁰ At once Jesus asked them to come with him. They left their father in the boat with the hired workers and went with him.

A Man with an Evil Spirit

(Luke 4.31-37)

²¹ Jesus and his disciples went to the town of Capernaum. Then on the next Sabbath he went into the synagogue and started teaching. ^22 (F) Everyone was amazed at his teaching. He taught with authority, and not like the teachers of the Law of Moses. ²³ Suddenly a man with an evil spirit^[e] in him entered the synagogue and yelled, ²⁴ “Jesus from Nazareth, what do you want with us? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are! You are God's Holy One.”

²⁵ Jesus told the evil spirit, “Be quiet and come out of the man!” ²⁶ The spirit shook him. Then it gave a loud shout and left.

²⁷ Everyone was completely surprised and kept saying to each other, “What is this? It must be some new kind of powerful teaching! Even the evil spirits obey him.” ²⁸ News about Jesus quickly spread all over Galilee.

(A psalm by David.)

A Prayer for Protection from Enemies

The Sacred Chest

(Exodus 25.10-22)

37 Bezalel built a chest of acacia wood 110 centimeters long, 66 centimeters wide, and 66 centimeters high. ² He covered it inside and out with pure gold and put a gold edging around the top. ³ He made four gold rings and attached one of them to each of the four legs of the chest. ⁴ Then he made two poles of acacia wood, covered them with gold, ⁵ and put them through the rings, so the chest could be carried by the poles.

⁶ The entire lid of the chest, which was made of pure gold, was the place of mercy.^{[a] 7-9} On each of the two ends of the chest he made a winged creature of hammered gold. They faced each other, and their wings covered the place of mercy.

The Table for the Sacred Bread

(Exodus 25.23-30)

¹⁰ Bezalel built a table of acacia wood 88 centimeters long, 44 centimeters wide, and 66 centimeters high. ^11-12 He covered it with pure gold and put a gold edging around it with a border 75 millimeters thick.^{[b] 13} He made four gold rings and attached one to each of the legs ¹⁴ near the edging. The poles for carrying the table were placed through these rings ¹⁵ and were made of acacia wood covered with gold. ¹⁶ Everything that was to be set on the table was made of pure gold—the bowls, plates, jars, and cups for wine offerings.

The Lampstand

(Exodus 25.31-40)

¹⁷ Bezalel made a lampstand of pure gold. The whole lampstand, including its decorative flowers, was made from a single piece of hammered gold, ¹⁸ with three branches on each of its two sides. ¹⁹ There were three decorative almond blossoms on each branch ²⁰ and four on the stem. ²¹ There was also a blossom where each pair of branches came out from the stem. ²² The lampstand, including its branches and decorative flowers, was made from a single piece of hammered pure gold. ^23-24 The lamp and its equipment, including the tongs and trays, were made of about 35 kilograms of pure gold.

The Altar for Burning Incense

(Exodus 30.1-5)

²⁵ For burning incense, Bezalel made an altar of acacia wood. It was 45 centimeters square and 90 centimeters high with each of its four corners sticking up like the horn of a bull. ²⁶ He covered it with pure gold and put a gold edging around it. ²⁷ Then below the edging on opposite sides he attached two gold rings through which he put the poles for carrying the altar. ²⁸ These poles were also made of acacia wood and covered with gold.

The Oil for Dedication and the Incense

(Exodus 30.22-38)

^29 (A) Bezalel mixed the sacred oil for dedication and the pure spices for the sweet-smelling incense.

The Altar for Offering Sacrifices

(Exodus 27.1-8)

38 Bezalel built an altar of acacia wood for offering sacrifices. It was 2.25 meters square and 1.34 meters high ² with each of its four corners sticking up like the horn of a bull, and it was completely covered with bronze. ³ The equipment for the altar was also made of bronze—the pans for the hot ashes, the shovels, the bowls, the meat forks, and the fire pans. ⁴ About halfway up the altar he built a ledge around it and covered the bottom half of the altar with a decorative bronze grating. ⁵ Then he attached a bronze ring beneath the ledge at the four corners to put the poles through. ⁶ He covered two acacia wood poles with bronze and ⁷ put them through the rings for carrying the altar, which was shaped like an open box.

The Large Bronze Bowl

(Exodus 30.18-21)

^8 (B) Bezalel made a large bowl and a stand out of bronze from the mirrors of the women who helped at the entrance to the sacred tent.

The Courtyard around the Sacred Tent

(Exodus 27.9-19)

^9-17 Around the sacred tent Bezalel built a courtyard 44 meters long on the south and north and 22 meters wide on the east and west. He used 20 bronze posts on bronze stands for the south and north and 10 for the west. Then he hung a curtain of fine linen on the posts along each of these three sides by using silver hooks and rods. He placed three bronze posts on each side of the entrance at the east and hung a curtain 6.67 meters wide on each set of posts.

^18-19 For the entrance to the courtyard, Bezalel made a curtain nine meters long, which he hung on four bronze posts that were set on bronze stands. This curtain was 2.25 meters high, the same height as the one for the rest of the courtyard, and was made of fine linen embroidered and woven with blue, purple, and red wool. He hung the curtain on the four posts, using silver hooks and rods. ²⁰ The pegs for the tent and for the curtain around the tent were made of bronze.

The Sacred Tent

^21-23 Bezalel had worked closely with Oholiab,^[c] who was an expert at designing and engraving, and at embroidering blue, purple, and red wool. The two of them completed the work that the Lord had commanded to be done.

Moses put Aaron's son Ithamar in charge of the Levites who kept record of the metals used for the sacred tent. ²⁴ According to the official weights, the amount of gold given was a ton, ^25 (C) and the silver that was collected when the people were counted^[d] came to 3.4 tons. ^26 (D) Everyone who was counted paid the required amount, and there was a total of 603,550 men who were 20 years old or older.

²⁷ Thirty-four kilograms of the silver were used to make each of the 100 stands for the sacred tent and the curtain. ²⁸ The remaining 30 kilograms of silver were used for the hooks and rods and for covering the tops of the posts.

²⁹ Two thousand four hundred and twenty-five kilograms of bronze were given. ³⁰ And it was used to make the stands for the entrance to the tent, the altar and its grating, the equipment for the altar, ³¹ the stands for the posts that surrounded the courtyard, including those at the entrance to the courtyard, and the pegs for the tent and the courtyard.

Jesus Is Alive

(Mark 16.1-8; Luke 24.1-12; John 20.1-10)

28 The Sabbath was over, and it was almost daybreak on Sunday when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ² Suddenly a strong earthquake struck, and the Lord's angel came down from heaven. He rolled away the stone and sat on it. ³ The angel looked as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards shook from fear and fell down, as though they were dead.

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Don't be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was nailed to a cross. ⁶ He isn't here! God has raised him to life, just as Jesus said he would. Come, see the place where his body was lying. ⁷ Now hurry! Tell his disciples he has been raised to life and is on his way to Galilee. Go there, and you will see him. This is what I came to tell you.”

⁸ The women were frightened and yet very happy, as they hurried from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them and greeted them. They went near him, held on to his feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said, “Don't be afraid! Tell my followers to go to Galilee. They will see me there.”

Report of the Guard

¹¹ While the women were on their way, some soldiers who had been guarding the tomb went into the city. They told the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² So the chief priests met with the leaders and decided to bribe the soldiers with a lot of money. ¹³ They said to the soldiers, “Tell everyone that Jesus' disciples came during the night and stole his body while you were asleep. ¹⁴ If the governor^[a] hears about this, we will talk to him. You won't have anything to worry about.” ¹⁵ The soldiers took the money and did what they were told. The people of Judea still tell each other this story.

What Jesus' Followers Must Do

(Mark 16.14-18; Luke 24.36-49; John 20.19-23; Acts 1.6-8)

^16 (A) Jesus' eleven disciples went to a mountain in Galilee, where Jesus had told them to meet him. ¹⁷ They saw him and worshiped him, but some of them doubted.

¹⁸ Jesus came to them and said:

I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! ^19 (B) Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.

¹⁰ If you have any skills, you should use them to help make what I have commanded: ¹¹ the sacred tent with its covering and hooks, its framework and crossbars, and its post and stands; ¹² the sacred chest with its carrying poles, its place of mercy, and the curtain in front of it; ¹³ the table with its carrying poles and all that goes on it, including the sacred bread; ¹⁴ the lamp with its equipment and oil; ¹⁵ the incense altar with its carrying poles and sweet-smelling incense; the ordination oil; the curtain for the entrance to the sacred tent; ¹⁶ the altar for sacrifices with its bronze grating, its carrying poles, and its equipment; the large bronze bowl with its stand; ¹⁷ the curtains with the posts and stands that go around the courtyard and the curtain at the entrance; ¹⁸ the pegs and ropes for the tent and the courtyard; ¹⁹ and the finely woven priestly clothes for Aaron and his sons.

Gifts for the Lord

²⁰ Moses finished speaking, and everyone left. ²¹ Then those who wanted to bring gifts to the Lord, brought them to be used for the sacred tent, the worship services, and the priestly clothes. ²² Men and women came willingly and gave all kinds of gold jewelry such as pins, earrings, rings, and necklaces. ²³ Everyone brought their blue, purple, and red wool, their fine linen, and their cloth made of goat hair, as well as their ram skins dyed red and their fine leather. ²⁴ Anyone who had silver or bronze or acacia wood brought it as a gift to the Lord.

²⁵ The women who were good at weaving cloth brought the blue, purple, and red wool and the fine linen they had made. ²⁶ And the women who knew how to make cloth from goat hair were glad to do so.

²⁷ The leaders brought different kinds of jewels to be sewn on the special clothes and the breastpiece for the high priest. ²⁸ They also brought sweet-smelling spices to be mixed with the incense and olive oil that were for the lamps and for ordaining the priests. ²⁹ Moses had told the people what the Lord wanted them to do, and many of them decided to bring their gifts.

Bezalel and Oholiab

(Exodus 31.1-11)

³⁰ Moses said to the people of Israel:

The Lord has chosen Bezalel^[a] of the Judah tribe. ^31-33 Not only has the Lord filled him with his Spirit, but he has given him wisdom and made him a skilled craftsman who can create objects of art with gold, silver, bronze, precious stones, and wood. ³⁴ The Lord is urging him and Oholiab^[b] from the tribe of Dan to teach others. ³⁵ And he has given them all kinds of artistic skills, including the ability to design and embroider with blue, purple, and red wool and to weave fine linen.

36 The Lord has given to Bezalel, Oholiab, and others the skills needed for building a place of worship, and they will follow the Lord's instructions.

² Then Moses brought together these workers who were eager to work, ³ and he gave them the gifts that the people of Israel had donated for building the place of worship. In fact, so much was being given each morning, ⁴ that finally everyone stopped working ⁵ and said, “Moses, there is already more than we need for what the Lord has assigned us to do.” ⁶ So Moses sent word for the people to stop giving, and they did. ⁷ But there was already more than enough to do what needed to be done.

The Curtains and Coverings for the Sacred Tent

(Exodus 26.1-14)

^8-9 The skilled workers got together to make the sacred tent and its linen curtains that were woven with blue, purple, and red wool and embroidered with figures of winged creatures. Each of the ten panels was twelve meters long and two meters wide, ¹⁰ and they were sewn together to make two curtains with five panels each. ^11-13 Then 50 loops of blue cloth were put along one of the wider sides of each curtain, and the two curtains were fastened together at the loops with 50 gold hooks.

^14-15 As the material for protecting the tent, goat hair was used to weave eleven sections 13 meters by 2 meters each. ¹⁶ These eleven sections were joined to make two panels, one with five and the other with six sections. ¹⁷ Fifty loops were put along one of the wider sides of each panel, ¹⁸ and the two panels were fastened at the loops with 50 bronze hooks. ¹⁹ Two other coverings were made—one with fine leather and the other with ram skins dyed red.

The Framework for the Sacred Tent

(Exodus 26.15-30)

²⁰ Acacia wood was used to build the framework for the walls of the sacred tent. ²¹ Each frame was 4 meters high and 66 centimeters wide ^22-26 with two wooden pegs near the bottom. Then two silver stands were placed under each frame with sockets for the pegs, so they could be joined together. Twenty of these frames were used along the south side and 20 more along the north. ²⁷ Six frames were used for the back wall along the west side ^28-29 with two more at the southwest and northwest corners. These corner frames were joined from top to bottom. ³⁰ Altogether, along the back wall there were eight frames with two silver stands under each of them.

^31-33 Five crossbars were made for each of the wooden frames, with the center crossbar running the full length of the wall. ³⁴ The frames and crossbars were covered with gold, and gold rings were attached to the frames to run the crossbars through.

The Inside Curtain for the Sacred Tent

(Exodus 26.31-37)

³⁵ They made the inside curtain^[c] of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool, and embroidered with figures of winged creatures. ³⁶ They also made four acacia wood posts and covered them with gold. Then gold rings were fastened to the posts, which were set on silver stands.

³⁷ For the entrance to the tent, they used a curtain of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool and embroidered with fancy needlework. ³⁸ They made five posts, covered them completely with gold, and set each of them on a gold-covered bronze stand. Finally, they attached hooks for the curtain.

³² On the way they met a man named Simon who was from Cyrene, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross.

³³ They came to a place named Golgotha, which means “Place of a Skull.”^{[a] 34 (A)} There they gave Jesus some wine mixed with a drug to ease the pain. But when Jesus tasted what it was, he refused to drink it.

^35 (B) The soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross and gambled to see who would get his clothes. ³⁶ Then they sat down to guard him. ³⁷ Above his head they put a sign that told why he was nailed there. It read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” ³⁸ The soldiers also nailed two criminals on crosses, one to the right of Jesus and the other to his left.

^39 (C) People who passed by said terrible things about Jesus. They shook their heads and ^40 (D) shouted, “So you're the one who claimed you could tear down the temple and build it again in three days! If you are God's Son, save yourself and come down from the cross!”

⁴¹ The chief priests, the leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses also made fun of Jesus. They said, ⁴² “He saved others, but he can't save himself. If he is the king of Israel, he should come down from the cross! Then we will believe him. ^43 (E) He trusted God, so let God save him, if he wants to. He even said he was God's Son.” ⁴⁴ The two criminals also said cruel things to Jesus.

The Death of Jesus

(Mark 15.33-41; Luke 23.44-49; John 19.28-30)

⁴⁵ At noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until three o'clock. ^46 (F) Then about that time Jesus shouted, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”^[b] which means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”

⁴⁷ Some of the people standing there heard Jesus and said, “He's calling for Elijah.”^{[c] 48 (G)} One of them at once ran and grabbed a sponge. He soaked it in wine, then put it on a stick and held it up to Jesus.

⁴⁹ Others said, “Wait! Let's see if Elijah will come^[d] and save him.” ⁵⁰ Once again Jesus shouted, and then he died.

^51 (H) At once the curtain in the temple^[e] was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, and rocks split apart. ⁵² Graves opened, and many of God's people were raised to life. ⁵³ They left their graves, and after Jesus had risen to life, they went into the holy city, where they were seen by many people.

⁵⁴ The officer and the soldiers guarding Jesus felt the earthquake and saw everything else that happened. They were frightened and said, “This man really was God's Son!”

^55 (I) Many women had come with Jesus from Galilee to be of help to him, and they were there, looking on at a distance. ⁵⁶ Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of James and John^[f] were some of these women.

Jesus Is Buried

(Mark 15.42-47; Luke 23.50-56; John 19.38-42)

⁵⁷ That evening a rich disciple named Joseph from the town of Arimathea ⁵⁸ went and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate gave orders for it to be given to Joseph, ⁵⁹ who took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. ⁶⁰ Then Joseph put the body in his own tomb that had been cut into solid rock^[g] and had never been used. He rolled a big stone against the entrance to the tomb and went away.

⁶¹ All this time Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb.

⁶² On the next day, which was a Sabbath, the chief priests and the Pharisees went together to Pilate. ^63 (J) They said, “Sir, we remember what this liar said while he was still alive. He claimed in three days he would come back from death. ⁶⁴ So please order the tomb to be carefully guarded for three days. If you don't, his disciples may come and steal his body. They will tell the people he has been raised to life, and this last lie will be worse than the first one.”^[h]

⁶⁵ Pilate said to them, “All right, take some of your soldiers and guard the tomb as well as you know how.” ⁶⁶ So they sealed it tight and placed soldiers there to guard it.

(Written by David when he pretended to be crazy in front of Abimelech, so that Abimelech would send him away, and David could leave.)

Honor the Lord

True Wisdom

The Second Set of Commandments

(Deuteronomy 10.1-5)

34 One day the Lord said to Moses, “Cut two flat stones like the first ones I made, and I will write on them the same commandments that were on the two you broke. ² Be ready tomorrow morning to come up Mount Sinai and meet me at the top. ³ No one is to come with you or to be on the mountain at all. Don't even let the sheep and cattle graze at the foot of the mountain.” ⁴ So Moses cut two flat stones like the first ones, and early the next morning he carried them to the top of Mount Sinai, just as the Lord had commanded.

⁵ The Lord God came down in a cloud and stood beside Moses there on the mountain. God spoke his holy name, “the Lord.”^{[a] 6 (A)} Then he passed in front of Moses and called out, “I am the Lord God. I am merciful and very patient with my people. I show great love, and I can be trusted. ⁷ I keep my promises to my people forever, but I also punish anyone who sins. When people sin, I punish them and their children, and also their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”

⁸ Moses quickly bowed down to the ground and worshiped the Lord. ⁹ He prayed, “Lord, if you really are pleased with me, I pray that you will go with us. It is true that these people are sinful and rebellious, but forgive our sin and let us be your people.”

A Promise and Its Demands

(Exodus 23.14-19; Deuteronomy 7.1-5; 16.1-17)

¹⁰ The Lord said:

I promise to perform miracles for you that have never been seen anywhere on earth. Neighboring nations will stand in fear and know that I was the one who did these marvelous things. ¹¹ I will force out the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, but you must do what I command you today. ¹² Don't make treaties with any of those people. If you do, it will be like falling into a trap. ^13 (B) Instead, you must destroy their altars and tear down the sacred poles^[b] they use in the worship of the goddess Asherah. ¹⁴ I demand your complete loyalty—you must not worship any other god! ¹⁵ Don't make treaties with the people there, or you will soon find yourselves worshiping their gods and taking part in their sacrificial meals. ¹⁶ Your men will even marry their women and be influenced to worship their gods.

^17 (C) Don't make metal images of gods.

^18 (D) Don't fail to observe the Festival of Thin Bread in the month of Abib.^[c] Obey me and eat bread without yeast for seven days during Abib, because that is the month you left Egypt.

^19 (E) The first-born males of your families and of your flocks and herds belong to me.

^20 (F) You can save the life of a first-born donkey^[d] by sacrificing a lamb; if you don't, you must break the donkey's neck. You must save every first-born son.

Bring an offering every time you come to worship.

^21 (G) Work for six days and rest on the seventh day, even during the seasons for plowing and harvesting. ^22 (H) Celebrate the Harvest Festival^[e] each spring when you start harvesting your wheat, and celebrate the Festival of Shelters^[f] each autumn when you pick your fruit.

²³ Your men must come to worship me three times a year, because I am the Lord God of Israel. ²⁴ As you advance, I will force the nations out of your land and enlarge your borders. Then no one will try to take your property when you come to worship me these three times each year.

^25 (I) When you sacrifice an animal on the altar, don't offer bread made with yeast. And don't save any part of the Passover meal for the next day.

^26 (J) I am the Lord your God, and you must bring the first part of your harvest to the place of worship.

Don't boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

²⁷ The Lord told Moses to put these laws in writing, as part of his agreement with Israel. ²⁸ Moses stayed on the mountain with the Lord for 40 days and nights, without eating or drinking. And he wrote down the Ten Commandments, the most important part of God's agreement with his people.

Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai

^29 (K) Moses came down from Mount Sinai, carrying the Ten Commandments. His face was shining brightly because the Lord had been speaking to him. But Moses did not know at first that his face was shining. ³⁰ When Aaron and the others looked at Moses, they saw this, and they were afraid to go near him. ³¹ Moses called out for Aaron and the leaders to come to him, and he spoke with them. ³² Then the rest of the people of Israel gathered around Moses, and he gave them the laws that the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.

³³ The face of Moses kept shining, and after he had spoken with the people, he covered his face with a veil. ³⁴ Moses would always remove the veil when he went into the sacred tent to speak with the Lord. And when he came out, he would tell the people everything the Lord had told him to say. ³⁵ They could see that his face was still shining. So after he had spoken with them, he would put the veil back on and leave it on until the next time he went to speak with the Lord.

Laws for the Sabbath

35 Moses called together the people of Israel and told them that the Lord had said:

^2 (L) You have six days in which to do your work. But the seventh day must be dedicated to me, your Lord, as a day of rest. Whoever works on the Sabbath will be put to death. ³ Don't even build a cooking fire at home on the Sabbath.

Offerings for the Sacred Tent

(Exodus 25.1-9; 35.10-19)

⁴ Moses told the people of Israel that the Lord had said:

⁵ I will welcome an offering from anyone who wants to give something. You may bring gold, silver, or bronze; ⁶ blue, purple, or red wool; fine linen; goat hair; ⁷ tanned ram skin or fine leather; acacia wood; ⁸ olive oil for the lamp; sweet-smelling spices for the oil of dedication and for the incense; or ⁹ onyx^[g] stones or other gems for the sacred vest and breastpiece.

The Death Sentence

(Mark 15.6-15; Luke 23.13-26; John 18.39—19.16)

¹⁵ During Passover the governor always freed a prisoner chosen by the people. ¹⁶ At that time a well-known terrorist named Jesus Barabbas^[a] was in jail. ¹⁷ So when the crowd came together, Pilate asked them, “Which prisoner do you want me to set free? Do you want Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” ¹⁸ Pilate knew the leaders had brought Jesus to him because they were jealous.

¹⁹ While Pilate was judging the case, his wife sent him a message. It said, “Don't have anything to do with that innocent man. I have had nightmares because of him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and the leaders convinced the crowds to ask for Barabbas to be set free and for Jesus to be killed. ²¹ Pilate asked the crowd again, “Which of these two men do you want me to set free?”

“Barabbas!” they shouted.

²² Pilate asked them, “What am I to do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?”

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

²³ Pilate answered, “But what crime has he done?”

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

^24 (A) Pilate saw that there was nothing he could do and that the people were starting to riot. So he took some water and washed his hands^[b] in front of them and said, “I won't have anything to do with killing this man. You are the ones doing it!”

²⁵ Everyone answered, “We and our own families will take the blame for his death!”

²⁶ Pilate 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

(Mark 15.16-21; John 19.2,3)

²⁷ The governor's soldiers led Jesus into the fortress^[c] and brought together the rest of the troops. ²⁸ They stripped off Jesus' clothes and put a scarlet robe^[d] on him. ²⁹ They made a crown out of thorn branches and placed it on his head, and they put a stick in his right hand. The soldiers knelt down and pretended to worship him. They made fun of him and shouted, “Hey, you king of the Jews!” ³⁰ Then they spit on him. They took the stick from him and beat him on the head with it.

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

(Mark 15.22-32; Luke 23.27-43; John 19.17-27)

³¹ When the soldiers had finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the robe. They put his own clothes back on him and led him off to be nailed to a cross.

Wisdom Gives a Feast

The People Make an Idol To Worship

(Deuteronomy 9.6-29)

32 ^(A) After the people saw that Moses had been on the mountain for a long time, they went to Aaron and said, “Make us an image of a god who will lead and protect us. Moses brought us out of Egypt, but nobody knows what has happened to him.”

² Aaron told them, “Bring me the gold earrings that your wives and sons and daughters are wearing.” ³ Everybody took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron, ^4 (B) then he melted them and made an idol in the shape of a young bull.

All the people said to one another, “This is the god who brought us out of Egypt!”

⁵ When Aaron saw what was happening, he built an altar in front of the idol and said, “Tomorrow we will celebrate in honor of the Lord.” ^6 (C) The people got up early the next morning and killed some animals to be used for sacrifices and others to be eaten. Then everyone ate and drank so much that they began to carry on like wild people.

⁷ The Lord said to Moses:

Hurry back down! Those people you led out of Egypt are acting like fools. ⁸ They have already stopped obeying me and have made themselves an idol in the shape of a young bull. They have bowed down to it, offered sacrifices, and said that it is the god who brought them out of Egypt. ⁹ Moses, I have seen how stubborn these people are, ¹⁰ and I'm angry enough to destroy them, so don't try to stop me. But I will make your descendants into a great nation.

^11 (D) Moses tried to get the Lord God to change his mind:

Our Lord, you used your mighty power to bring these people out of Egypt. Now don't become angry and destroy them. ¹² If you do, the Egyptians will say that you brought your people out here into the mountains just to get rid of them. Please don't be angry with your people. Don't destroy them!

^13 (E) Remember the solemn promise you made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You promised that someday they would have as many descendants as there are stars in the sky and that you would give them land.

¹⁴ So even though the Lord had threatened to destroy the people, he changed his mind and let them live.

^15-16 Moses went back down the mountain with the two flat stones on which God had written all of his laws with his own hand, using both sides of the stones.

¹⁷ When Joshua heard the noisy shouts of the people, he said to Moses, “A battle must be going on down in the camp.”

¹⁸ But Moses replied, “It doesn't sound like they are shouting because they have won or lost a battle. It sounds more like a wild party!”

¹⁹ As Moses got closer to the camp, he saw the idol, and he also saw the people dancing around. This made him so angry that he threw down the stones and broke them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. ²⁰ He melted the idol the people had made, and he ground it into powder. He scattered it in their water and made them drink it. ²¹ Moses asked Aaron, “What did these people do to harm you? Why did you make them sin in this terrible way?”

²² Aaron answered:

Don't be angry with me. You know as well as I do that they are determined to do evil. ²³ They even told me, “That man Moses led us out of Egypt, but now we don't know what has happened to him. Make us a god to lead us.” ²⁴ Then I asked them to bring me their gold earrings. They took them off and gave them to me. I threw the gold into a fire, and out came this bull.

²⁵ Moses knew that the people were out of control and that it was Aaron's fault. And now they had made fools of themselves in front of their enemies. ²⁶ So Moses stood at the gate of the camp and shouted, “Everyone who is on the Lord's side come over here!”

Then the men of the Levi tribe gathered around Moses, ²⁷ and he said to them, “The Lord God of Israel commands you to strap on your swords and go through the camp, killing your relatives, your friends, and your neighbors.”

²⁸ The men of the Levi tribe followed his orders, and that day they killed about 3,000 men. ²⁹ Moses said to them, “You obeyed the Lord and did what was right, and so you will serve as his priests for the people of Israel. It was hard for you to kill your own sons and brothers, but the Lord has blessed you and made you his priests today.”

³⁰ The next day Moses told the people, “This is a terrible thing you have done. But I will go back to the Lord to see if I can do something to keep this sin from being held against you.”

³¹ Moses returned to the Lord and said, “The people have committed a terrible sin. They have made a gold idol to be their god. ^32 (F) But I beg you to forgive them. If you don't, please wipe my name out of your book.”^[a]

³³ The Lord replied, “I will wipe out of my book the name of everyone who has sinned against me. ³⁴ Now take my people to the place I told you about, and my angel will lead you. But when the time comes, I will punish them for this sin.”

³⁵ So the Lord punished the people of Israel with a terrible disease for talking Aaron into making the gold idol.

The Lord Tells Israel To Leave Mount Sinai

33 ^(G) The Lord said to Moses:

You led the people of Israel out of Egypt. Now get ready to lead them to the land I promised their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ^2-3 It is a land rich with milk and honey, and I will send an angel to force out those people who live there—the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I will not go with my people. They are so rebellious that I would destroy them before they get there.

^4-5 Even before the Lord said these harsh things, he had told Moses, “These people really are rebellious, and I would kill them at once, if I went with them. But tell them to take off their fancy jewelry, then I'll decide what to do with them.” So the people started mourning, ⁶ and after leaving Mount Sinai,^[b] they stopped wearing fancy jewelry.

The Lord Is with His People

⁷ Moses used to set up a tent far from camp. He called it the “meeting tent,” and whoever needed some message from the Lord would go there. ⁸ Each time Moses went out to this tent, everyone would stand at the entrance to their own tents and watch him enter. ^9-11 Then they would bow down because a thick cloud would come down in front of the tent, and the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, just like a friend. Afterwards, Moses would return to camp, but his young assistant Joshua^[c] would stay at the tent.

The Lord Promises To Be with His People

¹² Moses said to the Lord, “I know that you have told me to lead these people to the land you promised them. But you have not said who will go along to help me. You have said that you are my friend and that you are pleased with me. ¹³ If this is true, let me know what your plans are, then I can obey and continue to please you. And don't forget that you have chosen this nation to be your own.”

¹⁴ The Lord said, “I will go with you and give you peace.”

¹⁵ Then Moses replied, “If you aren't going with us, please don't make us leave this place. ¹⁶ But if you do go with us, everyone will know that you are pleased with your people and with me. That way, we will be different from the rest of the people on earth.”

¹⁷ So the Lord told him, “I will do what you have asked, because I am your friend and I am pleased with you.”

¹⁸ Then Moses said, “I pray that you will let me see you in all of your glory.”

^19 (H) The Lord answered:

All right. I am the Lord, and I show mercy and kindness to anyone I choose. I will let you see my glory and hear my holy name, ²⁰ but I won't let you see my face, because anyone who sees my face will die. ²¹ There is a rock not far from me. Stand beside it, ²² and before I pass by in all of my shining glory, I will put you in a large crack in the rock. I will cover your eyes with my hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back. You will not see my face.

Peter Says He Doesn't Know Jesus

(Mark 14.66-72; Luke 22.56-62; John 18.15-18,25-27)

⁶⁹ While Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, a servant girl came up to him and said, “You were with Jesus from Galilee.”

⁷⁰ But in front of everyone Peter said, “That isn't so! I don't know what you are talking about!”

⁷¹ When Peter had gone out to the gate, another servant girl saw him and said to some people there, “This man was with Jesus from Nazareth.”

⁷² Again Peter denied it, and this time he swore, “I don't even know that man!”

⁷³ A little while later some people standing there walked over to Peter and said, “We know you are one of them. We can tell it because you talk like someone from Galilee.”

⁷⁴ Peter began to curse and swear, “I don't know that man!”

Right then a rooster crowed, ⁷⁵ and Peter remembered that Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will say three times you don't know me.” Then Peter went out and cried bitterly.

Jesus Is Taken to Pilate

(Mark 15.1; Luke 23.1,2; John 18.28-32)

27 Early the next morning all the chief priests and the nation's leaders met and decided that Jesus should be put to death. ² They tied him up and led him away to Pilate the governor.

The Death of Judas

(Acts 1.18,19)

^3 (A) Judas had betrayed Jesus, but when he learned that Jesus had been sentenced to death, he was sorry for what he had done. He returned the 30 silver coins to the chief priests and leaders ⁴ and said, “I have sinned by betraying a man who has never done anything wrong.”

“So what? That's your problem,” they replied. ⁵ Judas threw the money into the temple and then went out and hanged himself.

⁶ The chief priests picked up the money and said, “This money was paid to have a man killed. We can't put it in the temple treasury.” ⁷ Then they had a meeting and decided to buy a field that belonged to someone who made clay pots. They wanted to use it as a graveyard for foreigners. ⁸ This is why people still call that place “Field of Blood.” ^9 (B) So the words of the prophet Jeremiah came true,

Pilate Questions Jesus

(Mark 15.2-5; Luke 23.3-5; John 18.33-38)

¹¹ Jesus was brought before Pilate the governor, who asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Those are your words!” Jesus answered. ¹² And when the chief priests and leaders brought their charges against him, he did not say a thing.

¹³ Pilate asked him, “Don't you hear what crimes they say you have done?” ¹⁴ But Jesus did not say anything, and the governor was greatly amazed.

Sing Praises to the Lord

The Money for the Sacred Tent

¹¹ The Lord said to Moses:

¹² Find out how many grown men there are in Israel and require each of them to pay me to keep him safe from danger while you are counting them. ^13-15 (A) Each man over 19, whether rich or poor, must pay me the same amount of money, weighed according to the official standards. ¹⁶ This money is to be used for the upkeep of the sacred tent, and because of it, I will never forget my people.

The Large Bronze Bowl

(Exodus 38.8)

¹⁷ The Lord said to Moses:

^18-21 (B) Make a large bronze bowl and a bronze stand for it. Then put them between the altar for sacrifice and the sacred tent, so the priests can wash their hands and feet before entering the tent or offering a sacrifice on the altar. Each priest in every generation must wash himself in this way, or else he will die right there.

The Oil for Dedication and Ordination

(Exodus 37.29)

^22 (C) The Lord said to Moses:

^23-25 Mix four liters of olive oil with the following costly spices: six kilograms of myrrh, three kilograms of cinnamon, three kilograms of cane, and six kilograms of cassia. Measure these according to the official standards. Then use this sacred mixture ²⁶ for dedicating the tent and chest, ²⁷ the table with its equipment, the lampstand with its equipment, the incense altar with all its utensils, ²⁸ the altar for sacrifices, and the large bowl with its stand. ²⁹ By dedicating them in this way, you will make them so holy that anyone who even touches them will become holy.

³⁰ When you ordain Aaron and his sons as my priests, sprinkle them with some of this oil, ³¹ and say to the people of Israel: “This oil must always be used in the ordination service of a priest. It is holy because it is dedicated to the Lord. ³² So treat it as holy! Don't ever use it for everyday purposes or mix any for yourselves. ³³ If you do, you will no longer belong to the Lord's people.”

The Sweet-Smelling Incense

^34-35 Mix equal amounts of the costly spices stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense, then add salt to make the mixture pure and holy. ³⁶ Pound some of it into powder and sprinkle it in front of the sacred chest, where I meet with you. Be sure to treat this incense as something very holy. ³⁷ It is truly holy because it is dedicated to me, so don't ever make any for yourselves. ³⁸ If you ever make any of it to use as perfume, you will no longer belong to my people.

The Lord Chooses Bezalel and Oholiab

(Exodus 35.30—36.1)

31 The Lord said to Moses:

² I have chosen Bezalel^[a] from the Judah tribe to make the sacred tent and its furnishings. ^3-5 Not only have I filled him with my Spirit, but I have given him wisdom and made him a skilled craftsman who can create objects of art with gold, silver, bronze, precious stones, and wood. ⁶ I have appointed Oholiab^[b] from the tribe of Dan to work with him, and I have also given skills to those who will help them make everything exactly as I have commanded you: ^7-11 the sacred tent with its furnishings, the sacred chest with its place of mercy, the table with all that is on it, the lamp with its equipment, the incense altar, the altar for sacrifices with its equipment, the bronze bowl with its stand, the beautiful priestly clothes for Aaron and his sons, the oil for dedication and ordination services, and the sweet-smelling incense for the holy place.

Laws for the Sabbath

^12-13 Moses told the Israelites that the Lord had said:

The Sabbath belongs to me. Now I command you and your descendants to always obey the laws of the Sabbath. By doing this, you will know that I have chosen you as my own. ^14-15 (D) Keep the Sabbath holy. You have six days to do your work, but the Sabbath is mine, and it must remain a day of rest. If you work on the Sabbath, you will no longer be part of my people, and you will be put to death.

¹⁶ Every generation of Israelites must respect the Sabbath. ^17 (E) This day will always serve as a reminder, both to me and to the Israelites, that I made the heavens and the earth in six days, then on the seventh day I rested and relaxed.

¹⁸ When God had finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two flat stones on which he had written all his laws with his own hand.

Jesus Is Arrested

(Mark 14.43-50; Luke 22.47-53; John 18.3-12)

⁴⁷ Jesus was still speaking, when Judas the betrayer came up. He was one of the twelve disciples, and a large mob armed with swords and clubs was with him. They had been sent by the chief priests and the nation's leaders. ⁴⁸ Judas had told them ahead of time, “Arrest the man I greet with a kiss.”^[a]

⁴⁹ Judas walked right up to Jesus and said, “Hello, teacher.” Then Judas kissed him.

⁵⁰ Jesus replied, “My friend, do what you came for.”^[b]

The men grabbed Jesus and arrested him. ⁵¹ One of Jesus' followers pulled out a sword. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

⁵² But Jesus told him, “Put your sword away. Anyone who lives by fighting will die by fighting. ⁵³ Don't you know that I could ask my Father, and he would at once send me more than twelve armies of angels? ⁵⁴ But then, how could the words of the Scriptures come true, which say this must happen?”

^55 (A) Jesus said to the mob, “Why do you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like a criminal? Day after day I sat and taught in the temple, and you didn't arrest me. ⁵⁶ But all this happened, so that what the prophets wrote would come true.”

All Jesus' disciples left him and ran away.

Jesus Is Questioned by the Council

(Mark 14.53-65; Luke 22.54,55,63-71; John 18.13,14,19-24)

⁵⁷ After Jesus had been arrested, he was led off to the house of Caiaphas the high priest. The nation's leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses were meeting there. ⁵⁸ But Peter followed along at a distance and came to the courtyard of the high priest's palace. He went in and sat down with the guards to see what was going to happen.

⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole council wanted to put Jesus to death. So they tried to find some people who would tell lies about him in court.^{[c] 60} But they could not find any, even though many did come and tell lies. At last, two men came forward ^61 (B) and said, “This man claimed he could tear down God's temple and build it again in three days.”

⁶² The high priest stood up and asked Jesus, “Why don't you say something in your own defense? Don't you hear the charges they are making against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus did not answer. So the high priest said, “With the living God looking on, you must tell the truth. Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?”^[d]

^64 (C) “That is what you say!” Jesus answered. “But I tell all of you,

^65 (D) The high priest then tore his robe and said, “This man claims to be God! We don't need any more witnesses! You have heard what he said. ⁶⁶ What do you think?”

They answered, “He is guilty and deserves to die!” ^67 (E) Then they spit in his face and hit him with their fists. Others slapped him ⁶⁸ and said, “You think you are the Messiah! So tell us who hit you!”

(A special psalm by David.)

The Joy of Forgiveness

The Ordination of the Priests

29 This is what you shall do to them to set them apart as holy, so that they can minister to me in the priest’s office:

Take one young bull and two rams without defect, ² unleavened bread, unleavened rolls mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed^[a] with oil. Make them from fine wheat flour. ³ Put them into one basket and bring them in the basket when you bring the bull and the two rams. ⁴ Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. ⁵ Take the garments and put them on Aaron: the tunic, the robe to be worn under the vest, the vest, and the pouch. Clothe him with the sash of the vest. ⁶ Set the turban on his head and put the holy crest on the turban. ⁷ Then take the anointing oil and pour it on his head to anoint him. ⁸ You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them. ⁹ Clothe them with sashes—Aaron and his sons—and bind small pointed turbans on them. Then they shall possess the priesthood by means of a perpetual regulation. You shall ordain Aaron and his sons for their work.^[b]

¹⁰ Bring the bull in front of the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. ¹¹ Slaughter the bull in the presence of the Lord at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. ¹² Take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out all the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. ¹³ Take all the fat that covers the internal organs, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. ¹⁴ But the meat of the bull, its hide, and its intestines and their contents, you shall burn with fire outside of the camp. This is a sin offering.

¹⁵ Then take the first ram. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. ¹⁶ Slaughter the ram, and take its blood and splash it all around on the altar. ¹⁷ You shall cut the ram into pieces, wash its internal organs and its legs, and put them with the other pieces and with its head. ¹⁸ You shall burn the whole ram on the altar. This is a whole burnt offering to the Lord. It is a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire^[c] to the Lord.

¹⁹ Then take the other ram. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. ²⁰ Then you shall slaughter the ram. Take some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, on the tip of the right ear of his sons, on the thumb of their right hand, and on the big toe of their right foot, and splash the blood all around on the altar. ²¹ Take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil and spatter it on Aaron and on his garments and on his sons and on the garments of his sons, who are with him. So he and his garments and his sons and his sons’ garments shall be consecrated. ²² From this ram take the fat, the fat tail, the fat that covers the internal organs, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for this is a ram for the dedication), ²³ and one loaf of bread, one roll made with oil, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the Lord. ²⁴ You shall put all of this in Aaron’s hands and in his sons’ hands, and you shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord. ²⁵ Then you shall take them from their hands and burn them on the altar for the burnt offering as a pleasant aroma before the Lord. This is an offering made by fire to the Lord.

²⁶ Take the breast from Aaron’s ram of ordination and wave it as a wave offering before the Lord, and it shall be your portion of the sacrifice. ²⁷ Consecrate the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the elevated offering, which are waved and lifted up,^[d] from the ram of ordination. They are for Aaron and for his sons. ²⁸ It shall belong to Aaron and his sons perpetually as their portion of the offering from the people of Israel, because it is an elevated offering. It shall be an elevated offering from the people of Israel from their sacrifices, from their fellowship offerings, that is, their elevated offering to the Lord.

²⁹ The holy garments of Aaron shall belong to his descendants after him, so they are to wear them while they are being anointed and ordained for their work. ³⁰ The son who is to be high priest in Aaron’s place shall put them on for seven days when he comes into the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place.

³¹ Take the ram of ordination and boil its meat in a holy place. ³² Aaron and his sons shall eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. ³³ They shall eat those things with which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration, but a non-priest^[e] shall not eat them, because they are holy. ³⁴ If any of the meat or the bread from the ordination remains until the next morning, you shall burn the remainder with fire. It must not be eaten, because it is holy.

³⁵ This is what you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, exactly as I have commanded you. You shall ordain them^[f] for seven days. ³⁶ Every day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement, and you shall purify the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to make it holy. ³⁷ For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar to make it holy. The altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar shall become holy.

The Regular Daily Offerings

³⁸ Now this is what you shall offer on the altar regularly, every day: two lambs a year old. ³⁹ The first lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.^{[g] 40} With the first lamb offer two quarts^[h] of fine flour mixed with a quart^[i] of beaten olive oil,^[j] and a quart of wine for a drink offering. ⁴¹ The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and you shall offer with it the same grain offering and the same drink offering as in the morning, for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire^[k] to the Lord. ⁴² It shall be presented as a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before the Lord. There I will meet with you to speak to you. ⁴³ There I will meet with the people of Israel, and the place will be made holy by my glory. ⁴⁴ I will consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the altar. I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to minister to me in the priest’s office. ⁴⁵ I will dwell among the people of Israel and I will be their God. ⁴⁶ They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, so that I may dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

The Altar for Incense

30 You shall make an altar on which to burn incense. Make it of acacia wood. ² It is to be eighteen inches long and eighteen inches wide. It is to be square, and three feet high. Its horns are to be one piece with it. ³ Overlay it with pure gold—its top, all its sides, and its horns. Make a gold border^[l] around it. ⁴ Make two gold rings to place under its border. Make them for each of its two opposite sides. They will serve as holders for poles with which to carry it. ⁵ Make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.

⁶ Put the altar in front of the veil that hides the Ark of the Testimony, in front of the atonement seat that is above the Testimony, where I will meet with you. ⁷ Aaron shall burn incense made of fragrant spices on it every morning. When he tends the lamps, he shall burn the incense. ⁸ When Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it as the regular incense before the Lord throughout your generations. ⁹ You shall offer no other incense on it, no burnt offering, and no grain offering, and you shall pour no drink offering on it. ¹⁰ Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering for atonement, once a year he shall make atonement for it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.

Judas Plans to Betray Jesus

¹⁴ Then one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ From that time on Judas was looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Jesus Celebrates the Passover

¹⁷ On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

¹⁸ He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him the Teacher says, ‘My time is near. I will observe the Passover with my disciples at your house.’”

¹⁹ The disciples did as Jesus commanded them and prepared the Passover. ²⁰ When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve.^[a]

One Will Betray Jesus

²¹ As they were eating, he said, “Amen I tell you: One of you will betray me.”

²² They were very sad and began to say to him one after another, “Surely, not I, Lord?”

²³ He replied, “The one who dipped his hand in the bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of Man is going just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.”

²⁵ Judas, who betrayed him, replied, “Surely, not I, Rabbi?”

He said to him, “Yes, you are the one.”^[b]

The Lord’s Supper

²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples. He said, “Take, eat, this is my body.” ²⁷ Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it all of you, ²⁸ for this is my blood of the new^[c] testament,^[d] which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” ³⁰ After they sang a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

³¹ Then Jesus said to them, “This night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’^{[e] 32} But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

³³ Peter answered him, “Even if all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”

³⁴ Jesus said to him, “Amen I tell you: Tonight before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.”

³⁵ Peter said to him, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” And all the disciples said the same.

Gethsemane

³⁶ Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane. He told his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and he began to be sorrowful and distressed. ³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to the point of death. Stay here, and keep watch with me.”

³⁹ He went a little farther, fell on his face, and prayed. He said, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

⁴⁰ He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “So, were you not able to stay awake with me for one hour? ⁴¹ Watch and pray, so that you do not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

⁴² He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to pass from me^[f] unless I drink it, may your will be done.” ⁴³ Again he returned and found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time. He said the same words as before. ⁴⁵ Then he returned to his disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Rise. Let us go. Look, my betrayer is near.”

Closing Praise

Wisdom Is the Craftsman of Creation

The Priests and Their Vestments

28 Bring Aaron your brother near to you from among the people of Israel, and his sons with him, so that he may minister to me in the priest’s office. Bring Aaron and Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. ² You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother to give him honor and splendor. ³ Speak to all the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom,^[a] so that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, so that he may minister to me in the priest’s office. ⁴ These are the garments which they shall make: a chest pouch, a special vest, a robe, a specially woven tunic, a turban, and a sash.^[b] They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and for his sons, so that he may minister to me in the priest’s office. ⁵ The craftsmen shall use the gold, and the blue, purple, and scarlet material, and the fine linen.

The Special Vest

⁶ They shall make the special vest^[c] of gold and of blue, purple, and scarlet material and of fine woven linen, the work of a skillful craftsman. ⁷ It is to have two shoulder straps, one on each side, so that the vest can be fastened together. ⁸ The decorated band, which is attached to the vest, is to be just like it: made of gold, and of blue, purple, and scarlet material and of fine woven linen. ⁹ Take two onyx stones and engrave the names of the sons of Israel on them— ¹⁰ six of their names on one stone and the names of the other six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. ¹¹ Engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel, in the same way that a gem cutter engraves a seal. Mount them in settings of gold. ¹² Put the two stones on the shoulder straps of the vest to be memorial stones for the people of Israel. Aaron shall bear their names on his two shoulders as a memorial before the Lord. ¹³ Make settings of gold ¹⁴ and two chains of pure gold. Make them like braided cords, and attach the braided chains to the settings.

The Chest Pouch

¹⁵ You shall make a chest pouch to be used for making decisions, the work of a skillful craftsman. You shall make it with the same workmanship as the vest. Make it from gold and from blue, purple, and scarlet material and from fine woven linen. ¹⁶ It is to be square when it is folded, nine inches by nine inches. ¹⁷ You shall arrange settings for precious stones on it, four rows of stones: The first row is to be carnelian, diamond, and jacinth; ¹⁸ the second row agate, sapphire,^[d] and emerald; ¹⁹ the third row beryl, jasper, and ruby; ²⁰ and the fourth row topaz, onyx, and turquoise.^[e] They are to be mounted in gold settings. ²¹ There are to be twelve stones corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel. Each one shall be like an engraved seal, each with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

²² You shall make braided chains of pure gold as cords for the pouch. ²³ Make two gold rings for the pouch, and attach the two rings to the top corners of the pouch. ²⁴ Put the two braided chains of gold into the two rings at the top corners of the pouch. ²⁵ Attach the other ends of the two braided chains to the two settings, and then attach them to the shoulder straps on the front of the vest. ²⁶ Make two rings of gold, and put them on the two lower corners of the pouch, on its inside edge, which is toward the vest. ²⁷ Make two more gold rings, and attach them to the two shoulder straps of the vest in the front, close to the bottom where it is joined to the band of the vest. ²⁸ Tie the rings on the pouch to the rings on the vest with a blue cord, so that the pouch is right next to the band of the vest, so that the pouch does not swing out from the vest. ²⁹ Whenever he goes into the Holy Place, Aaron shall wear the pouch for making decisions, which bears the names of the sons of Israel, over his heart as a constant memorial before the Lord. ³⁰ You shall put the Urim and the Thummim^[f] into the pouch for making decisions, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart whenever he goes before the Lord. Aaron shall bear the means of making decisions for the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord continually.

The Robe

³¹ You shall make the robe that is to be worn under the vest. It is to be all blue. ³² It is to have an opening in the middle of the top of it for the head. It is to have a woven binding around the opening, like the opening of a collar,^[g] to prevent it from tearing. ³³ To be placed around its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet material. Alternate them with gold bells ³⁴ (a gold bell, then a pomegranate, a gold bell, then a pomegranate), all around the hem of the robe. ³⁵ The robe shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die.

The Gold Medallion

³⁶ You shall make a medallion of pure gold and engrave on it (like the engravings on a seal): Holy to the Lord. ³⁷ You shall attach it to a blue cord to fasten it to the turban. It is to be placed on the front of the turban. ³⁸ It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron will bear any guilt in regard to the holy things, which the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. The medallion shall always be on his forehead, so that the offerings may be accepted in the presence of the Lord.

Tunic, Turban, Sash

³⁹ You shall weave the tunic of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash, the work of an embroiderer.

The Tunics and Pants for the Other Priests

⁴⁰ You shall make tunics for Aaron’s sons, and you shall make sashes for them, and you shall make small pointed turbans for them, to give them honor and splendor. ⁴¹ Put them on your brother Aaron and on his sons along with him, anoint them, and ordain them for their work^[h] and consecrate them, so that they may minister to me in the priest’s office. ⁴² Make linen pants for them to cover their naked flesh. The pants shall reach from the waist to the thighs. ⁴³ They are to be worn by Aaron and his sons whenever they go into the Tent of Meeting, or whenever they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. This shall be a permanent regulation for him and for his descendants after him.

Jesus Will Judge the World

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. ³⁶ I was lacking clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or lacking clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will answer them, ‘Amen I tell you: Just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you did not give me food to eat. I was thirsty and you did not give me anything to drink. ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, lacking clothes and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not take care of me.’

⁴⁴ “Then they will also answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or lacking clothes or sick or in prison and did not serve you?’

⁴⁵ “At that time he will answer them, ‘Amen I tell you: Just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ ⁴⁶ And they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

26 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, ² “You know that after two days it will be the Passover, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

³ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas. ⁴ They plotted together how to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. ⁵ But they said, “Not during the Festival, or else there might be a riot among the people.”

Mary Anoints Jesus

⁶ When Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ a woman approached him holding an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She poured it on his head as he was reclining at the table. ⁸ But when his disciples saw this, they were upset and said, “Why this waste? ⁹ This perfume could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.”

¹⁰ Jesus was aware of this and said to them, “Why are you causing trouble for this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. ¹¹ You are always going to have the poor with you, but you are not always going to have me. ¹² When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³ Amen I tell you: Wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”

The Prayer for Delivery

Confident Petition

Wisdom’s Benefit

The Curtains and Covers for the Dwelling

26 The curtain that forms the dwelling^[a] itself you shall make with ten panels^[b] of fine woven linen,^[c] with blue, purple, and scarlet material. Decorate them with cherubim, which are to be the work of a skillful craftsman. ² The length of each panel of the curtain is to be forty-two feet, and the width of each panel six feet. All the panels are to be the same size. ³ Five panels of the curtain are to be connected together into one panel, and the other five panels are to be connected together into one. ⁴ Attach blue loops to the edge of the last panel in the first set of curtains. In the same way attach loops to the edge of the last panel of the second set. ⁵ Make fifty loops for the edge of the first set of curtains, and make fifty loops for the edge of the second set of curtains. The loops are to be opposite one another. ⁶ Make fifty gold clasps,^[d] and connect the two sets of curtains to each other with the clasps, so that the dwelling becomes one connected piece.

⁷ You shall make panels for a curtain made from goats’ hair to serve as a tent over the dwelling. Make eleven panels. ⁸ The length of each panel is to be forty-five feet, and the width of each panel six feet. The eleven panels are to be the same size. ⁹ Connect five panels of the curtain into one unit, and connect six panels into another unit. Fold the sixth panel of the curtain over the front edge of the Tent.^{[e] 10} Attach fifty loops to the edge of the last panel of one set of curtains, and fifty loops to the edge of the last panel in the second set. ¹¹ Make fifty bronze clasps, and put the clasps into the loops to join the two pieces of the tent^[f] together, so that it forms one unit. ¹² The excess part of the curtains that form the tent, which is left over, that is, the half curtain that is extra, is to hang down over the back of the Dwelling. ¹³ The eighteen inches left over on one side and the eighteen inches left over on the other side, all along the length of the tent coverings, are to be left hanging down over the sides of the Dwelling on either side to cover it.^[g]

¹⁴ You shall also make a covering for the tent made from rams’ skins dyed red and a covering made from hides of sea cows to go above that one.

The Framework for the Dwelling

¹⁵ You shall make upright boards^[h] of acacia wood to serve as a framework for the Dwelling. ¹⁶ The length of each board is to be fifteen feet, and the width of each board is to be twenty-seven inches. ¹⁷ There are to be two pegs on each board for connecting them to the next board.^[i] That is the way you are to make all the boards for the Dwelling.

¹⁸ Make these boards for the Dwelling:

Make twenty boards for the south side. ¹⁹ Make forty socket bases of silver to be placed under the twenty boards—two sockets to go under the first board to hold its two pegs, and two sockets to go under the next board for its two pegs.

²⁰ For the second side of the Dwelling, the north side, make twenty boards, ²¹ with forty socket bases of silver—two sockets to go under the first board, and two sockets to go under the next board.

²² For the far side of the Dwelling, the west side, make six boards. ²³ Then make two boards for each of the back corners of the Dwelling. ²⁴ For the two corners there are to be twin boards from the bottom to the top, but they are to be joined at the top by one ring^[j]—both cornerpieces are to be made like this. ²⁵ Altogether there will be eight boards with silver socket bases, sixteen socket bases—two socket bases to go under each board.

²⁶ You shall make crossbars of acacia wood—five crossbars for the boards on one side of the Dwelling, ²⁷ five crossbars for the boards on the other side of the Dwelling, and five crossbars for the boards on the backside of the Dwelling on the west. ²⁸ The middle bar, placed halfway up the boards, shall pass through from one end of the boards to the other end. ²⁹ Overlay the boards with gold. Attach gold rings to them to hold the crossbars, and overlay the crossbars with gold.

³⁰ You shall set up the Dwelling according to the design that is being shown to you on the mountain.

The Veil and the Screen

³¹ You shall make a special veil of blue, purple, and scarlet material and of fine woven linen, decorated with cherubim. It shall be made as the work of a skillful craftsman. ³² Hang it on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold, which stand on four socket bases of silver. The hooks are to be made of gold. ³³ Hang up the veil below the spot where the clasps join the two parts of the dwelling. Then bring the Ark of the Testimony inside the veil. The veil shall separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place for you. ³⁴ You shall put the atonement seat on top of the Ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place. ³⁵ You shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand opposite the table on the south side of the Dwelling. You shall put the table on the north side.

³⁶ You shall make a screen^[k] for the entry to the tent from blue, purple, and scarlet material and of fine woven linen, the work of an embroiderer. ³⁷ Make five posts of acacia wood to support the screen, and overlay them with gold. Their hooks shall be gold, and you shall cast five bronze socket bases for them.

The Altar for Sacrifices

27 You shall make the altar of acacia wood, seven and a half feet long and seven and a half feet wide. The altar shall be square, and it shall be four and a half feet high. ² You shall make horns on its four corners. These horns are to be made as one piece with the altar, and you are to overlay the altar with bronze.

³ Make pails to take away its fat-drenched ashes. Make shovels, basins, meat hooks,^[l] and fire pans for the altar. Make all its utensils of bronze.

⁴ Make a grate for it which is a latticework of bronze, and make four bronze rings for the four corners of the latticework grate. ⁵ Set the grate in place below the top edge of the altar, so that the grate rests halfway down from the top of the altar.^[m]

⁶ Make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. ⁷ These poles are to be put through the rings on the two sides of the altar whenever it is carried. ⁸ You are to make the altar hollow, with sides made of boards. They are to make it as it is being shown to you on the mountain.

The Courtyard

⁹ You shall make the courtyard for the Dwelling.

For the south side of the courtyard there shall be hangings of fine woven linen, one hundred fifty feet long for that side. ¹⁰ There shall be twenty posts for it, and their twenty socket bases shall be bronze. The hooks for the posts and the connectors^[n] shall be silver.

¹¹ In the same way, for the north side there shall be hangings one hundred fifty feet long, with twenty posts and twenty bronze socket bases. The hooks for the posts and their connectors shall be silver.

¹² For the courtyard on the west side there shall be hangings seventy-five feet wide, with ten posts and ten socket bases.

¹³ The width of the courtyard on the east side shall be seventy-five feet. ¹⁴ The hangings on one side of the entry gate shall be twenty-two feet six inches wide with three posts and three socket bases. ¹⁵ For the other side there shall be hangings twenty-two feet six inches wide with three posts and three socket bases.

¹⁶ For the entryway into the courtyard there shall be a screen thirty feet wide, made of blue, purple, and scarlet material and of fine woven linen, the work of an embroiderer. Make four posts for it and four socket bases. ¹⁷ All the posts around the courtyard shall be connected with silver.^[o] Their hooks shall be silver, and their socket bases bronze. ¹⁸ The length of the courtyard shall be one hundred fifty feet, and the width seventy-five feet on both ends. The height of the hangings of fine woven linen shall be seven and a half feet. Its socket bases shall be bronze. ¹⁹ All the utensils for all the services of the Dwelling, all its tent stakes, and all the stakes for the courtyard shall be bronze.

Oil for the Lamps

²⁰ You shall command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives^[p] for the Light so that the lamp may burn every night.^{[q] 21} In the Tent of Meeting, in front of the veil which is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend the lamp before the Lord from evening to morning. This shall be a permanent regulation throughout their generations for the people of Israel.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take any oil with them; ⁴ but the wise took oil in their containers with their lamps. ⁵ While the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. ⁶ But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ ⁷ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise answered, ‘No, there may not be enough for us and for you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ But while they were away buying oil, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. ¹¹ Later, the other virgins also came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, let us in.’ ¹² But he answered, ‘Amen I tell you: I do not know you.’ ¹³ Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

The Parable of the Talents

¹⁴ “You see, the kingdom of heaven is like a man going on a journey. He called his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents,^[a] to another two talents, and to still another one talent, each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶ The servant who had received the five talents immediately put them to work and gained five more talents. ¹⁷ In the same way, the servant who had received the two talents gained two more. ¹⁸ But the servant who had received one talent went away, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The servant who received the five talents came and brought five more talents. He said, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’

²¹ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’

²² “The servant who received the two talents came and said, ‘Master, you entrusted me with two talents. See, I have gained two more talents.’

²³ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’

²⁴ “Then the servant who received one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter seed. ²⁵ Since I was afraid, I went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

²⁶ “His master answered him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter seed? ²⁷ Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers so that when I came I would get my money back with interest. ²⁸ Take the talent away from him and give it to the servant who has the ten talents. ²⁹ Because everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ³⁰ Throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Psalm 31

Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit

Heading
For the choir director. A psalm by David.

A Declaration of Confidence

Petition

The Basis for Confidence

Wisdom’s Invitation

Three Annual Festivals

(Exodus 34.18-26; Deuteronomy 16.1-17)

The Lord said:

¹⁴ Celebrate three festivals each year in my honor.

^15 (A) Celebrate the Festival of Thin Bread by eating bread made without yeast, just as I have commanded.^[a] Do this at the proper time during the month of Abib,^[b] because it is the month when you left Egypt. And make certain that everyone brings the proper offerings.

^16 (B) Celebrate the Harvest Festival^[c] each spring when you start harvesting your wheat, and celebrate the Festival of Shelters^[d] each autumn when you pick your fruit.

¹⁷ Your men must come to these three festivals each year to worship me.

¹⁸ Do not offer bread made with yeast when you sacrifice an animal to me. And make sure that the fat of the animal is burned that same day.

^19 (C) Each year bring the best part of your first harvest to the place of worship.

Don't boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

A Promise and a Warning

The Lord said:

²⁰ I am sending an angel to protect you and to lead you into the land I have ready for you. ²¹ Carefully obey everything the angel says, because I am giving him complete authority, and he won't tolerate rebellion. ²² If you faithfully obey him, I will be a fierce enemy of your enemies. ²³ My angel will lead you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. ²⁴ Don't worship their gods or follow their customs. Instead, destroy their idols and shatter their stone images.

²⁵ Worship only me, the Lord your God! I will bless you with plenty of food and water and keep you strong. ²⁶ Your women will give birth to healthy children, and everyone will live a long life.

²⁷ I will terrify those nations and make your enemies so confused that they will run from you. ²⁸ I will make the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites panic as you approach. ²⁹ But I won't do all this in the first year, because the land would become poor, and wild animals would be everywhere. ³⁰ Instead, I will force out your enemies little by little and give your nation time to grow strong enough to take over the land.

³¹ I will see that your borders reach from the Red Sea^[e] to the Euphrates River and from the Mediterranean Sea to the desert. I will let you defeat the people who live there, and you will force them out of the land. ³² But you must not make any agreements with them or with their gods. ³³ Don't let them stay in your land. They will trap you into sinning against me and worshiping their gods.

The People Agree To Obey God

24 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on this mountain. Bring along Aaron, as well as his two sons Nadab and Abihu, and 70 of Israel's leaders. They must worship me at a distance, ² but you are to come near. Don't let anyone else come up.”

³ Moses gave the Lord's instructions to the people, and they all promised, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded!” ⁴ Then Moses wrote down what the Lord had said.

The next morning Moses got up early. He built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up a large stone for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁵ He also sent some young men to burn offerings and to sacrifice bulls as special offerings^[f] to the Lord. ⁶ Moses put half of the blood from the animals into bowls and sprinkled the rest on the altar. ⁷ Then he read aloud the Lord's commands and promises, and the people shouted, “We will obey the Lord and do everything he has commanded!”

^8 (D) Moses took the blood from the bowls and sprinkled it on the people. Next, he told them, “With this blood the Lord makes his agreement with you.”

⁹ Moses and Aaron, together with Nadab and Abihu and the 70 leaders, went up the mountain ¹⁰ and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something that looked like a pavement made out of sapphire,^[g] and it was as bright as the sky.

¹¹ Even though these leaders of Israel saw God, he did not punish them. So they ate and drank.

Moses on Mount Sinai

¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Come up on the mountain and stay here for a while. I will give you the two flat stones on which I have written the laws that my people must obey.” ¹³ Moses and Joshua his assistant got ready, then Moses started up the mountain to meet with God.

¹⁴ Moses had told the leaders, “Wait here until we come back. Aaron and Hur will be with you, and they can settle any arguments while we are away.”

¹⁵ When Moses went up on Mount Sinai, a cloud covered it, ¹⁶ and the bright glory of the Lord came down and stayed there. The cloud covered the mountain for six days, and on the seventh day the Lord told Moses to come into the cloud. ^17-18 (E) Moses did so and stayed there 40 days and nights. To the people, the Lord's glory looked like a blazing fire on top of the mountain.

The Sacred Tent

(Exodus 35.4-9)

25 The Lord said to Moses:

² Tell everyone in Israel who wants to give gifts that they must bring them to you. ³ Here is a list of what you are to collect: Gold, silver, and bronze; ⁴ blue, purple, and red wool; fine linen; goat hair; ⁵ tanned ram skins; fine leather; acacia wood; ⁶ olive oil for the lamp; sweet-smelling spices to mix with the incense and with the oil for dedicating the tent and ordaining the priests; ⁷ and onyx^[h] stones and other gems for the sacred vest and the breastpiece. ⁸ I also want them to build a special place where I can live among my people. ⁹ Make it and its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.

The Sacred Chest

(Exodus 37.1-9)

The Lord said to Moses:

¹⁰ Tell the people to build a chest of acacia wood 110 centimeters long, 66 centimeters wide, and 66 centimeters high. ¹¹ Cover it inside and out with pure gold and put a gold edging around the lid. ¹² Make four gold rings and attach one of them to each of the four legs of the chest. ¹³ Make two poles of acacia wood. Cover them with gold ¹⁴ and put them through the rings, so the chest can be carried by the poles. ¹⁵ Don't ever remove the poles from the rings. ¹⁶ When I give you the Ten Commandments written on two flat stones, put them inside the chest.

^17 (F) Make the lid of the chest out of pure gold. ^18-19 Then hammer out two winged creatures of pure gold and fasten them to the lid at the ends of the chest. ²⁰ The creatures must face each other with their wings spread over the chest. ²¹ Inside it place the two flat stones with the Ten Commandments on them and put the gold lid on top of the chest. ²² I will meet you there^[i] between the two creatures and tell you what my people must do and what they must not do.

The Table for the Sacred Bread

(Exodus 37.10-16)

The Lord said:

²³ Make a table of acacia wood 88 centimeters long, 44 centimeters wide, and 66 centimeters high. ^24-25 Cover it with pure gold and put a gold edging around it with a border 75 millimeters thick.^{[j] 26} Make four gold rings and attach one to each of the legs ^27-28 near the edging. The poles for carrying the table are to be placed through these rings and are to be made of acacia wood covered with gold. ^29-30 (G) The table is to be kept in the holy place, and the sacred loaves of bread must always be on it. All bowls, plates, jars, and cups for wine offerings are to be made of pure gold and set on this table.

The Lampstand

(Exodus 37.17-24)

The Lord said:

³¹ Make a lampstand of pure gold. The whole lampstand, including its decorative flowers, must be made from a single piece of hammered gold ³² with three branches on each of its two sides. ³³ There are to be three decorative almond blossoms on each branch ³⁴ and four on the stem. ³⁵ There must also be a blossom where each pair of branches comes out from the stem. ³⁶ The lampstand, including its branches and decorative flowers, must be made from a single piece of hammered pure gold. ³⁷ The lamp on the top and those at the end of each of its six branches must be made so as to shine toward the front of the lampstand. ³⁸ The tongs and trays for taking care of the lamps are to be made of pure gold. ³⁹ The lampstand and its equipment will require 35 kilograms of pure gold, ^40 (H) and they must be made according to the pattern I showed you on the mountain.

When the Son of Man Appears

(Mark 13.24-27; Luke 21.25-28)

^29 (A) Right after those days of suffering,

^30 (B) Then a sign will appear in the sky. And there will be the Son of Man.^[b] All nations on earth will weep when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹ At the sound of a loud trumpet, he will send his angels to bring his chosen ones together from all over the earth.

A Lesson from a Fig Tree

(Mark 13.28-31; Luke 21.29-33)

³² Learn a lesson from a fig tree. When its branches sprout and start putting out leaves, you know summer is near. ³³ So when you see all these things happening, you will know the time has almost come.^{[c] 34} I can promise you that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all this happens. ³⁵ The sky and the earth won't last forever, but my words will.

No One Knows the Day or Time

(Mark 13.32-37; Luke 17.26-30,34-36)

³⁶ No one knows the day or hour. The angels in heaven don't know, and the Son himself doesn't know.^[d] Only the Father knows. ^37 (C) When the Son of Man appears, things will be just as they were when Noah lived. ³⁸ People were eating, drinking, and getting married right up to the day the flood came and Noah went into the big boat. ^39 (D) They didn't know anything was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. This is how it will be when the Son of Man appears.

⁴⁰ Two men will be in the same field, but only one will be taken. The other will be left. ⁴¹ Two women will be together grinding grain, but only one will be taken. The other will be left. ⁴² So be on your guard! You don't know when your Lord will come. ^43 (E) Homeowners never know when a thief is coming, and they are always on guard to keep one from breaking in. ⁴⁴ Always be ready! You don't know when the Son of Man will come.

Faithful and Unfaithful Servants

(Luke 12.35-48)

⁴⁵ Who are faithful and wise servants? Who are the ones the master will put in charge of giving the other servants their food supplies at the proper time? ⁴⁶ Servants are fortunate if their master comes and finds them doing their job. ⁴⁷ You may be sure a servant who is always faithful will be put in charge of everything the master owns. ⁴⁸ But suppose one of the servants thinks the master won't return until late. ⁴⁹ Suppose this evil servant starts beating the other servants and eats and drinks with people who are drunk. ⁵⁰ If that happens, the master will surely come on a day and at a time when the servant least expects him. ⁵¹ This servant will then be punished and thrown out with the ones who only pretended to serve their master. There they will cry and grit their teeth in pain.

(A psalm by David for the dedication of the temple.)

A Prayer of Thanks