The One Year Bible TLB (62 page)
Read The One Year Bible TLB Online
Authors: Tyndale
March 17After the plague had ended, Jehovah said to Moses and to Eleazar (son of Aaron the priest),
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“Take a census of all the men of Israel who are twenty years old or older, to find out how many of each tribe and clan are able to go to war.”
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So Moses and Eleazar issued census instructions to the leaders of Israel. (The entire nation was camped in the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, opposite Jericho.) Here are the results of the census:
5-11
The tribe of Reuben:
43,730.
(Reuben was Israel’s oldest son.) In this tribe were the following clans, named after Reuben’s sons:
The Hanochites, named after their ancestor Hanoch.
The Palluites, named after their ancestor Pallu. (In the subclan of Eliab—who was one of the sons of Pallu—were the families of Nemuel, Abiram, and Dathan. This Dathan and Abiram were the two leaders who conspired with Korah against Moses and Aaron, and in fact challenged the very authority of God! But the earth opened and swallowed them; and 250 men were destroyed by fire from the Lord that day, as a warning to the entire nation.)
The Hezronites, named after their ancestor Hezron.
The Carmites, named after their ancestor Carmi.
12-14
The tribe of Simeon:
22,200.
In this tribe were the following clans, founded by Simeon’s sons:
The Nemuelites, named after their ancestor Nemuel.
The Jaminites, named after their ancestor Jamin.
The Jachinites, named after their ancestor Jachin.
The Zerahites, named after their ancestor Zerah.
The Shaulites, named after their ancestor Shaul.
15-18
The tribe of Gad:
40,500.
In this tribe were the following clans founded by the sons of Gad:
The Zephonites, named after their ancestor Zephon.
The Haggites, named after their ancestor Haggi.
The Shunites, named after their ancestor Shuni.
The Oznites, named after their ancestor Ozni.
The Erites, named after their ancestor Eri.
The Arodites, named after their ancestor Arod.
The Arelites, named after their ancestor Areli.
19-22
The tribe of Judah:
76,500.
In this tribe were the following clans named after the sons of Judah—but not including Er and Onan who died in the land of Canaan:
The Shelanites, named after their ancestor Shelah.
The Perezites, named after their ancestor Perez.
The Zerahites, named after their ancestor Zerah.
This census also included the subclans of Perez:
The Hezronites, named after their ancestor Hezron.
The Hamulites, named after their ancestor Hamul.
23-25
The tribe of Issachar:
64,300.
In this tribe were the following clans named after the sons of Issachar:
The Tolaites, named after their ancestor Tola.
The Punites, named after their ancestor Puvah.
The Jashubites, named after their ancestor Jashub.
The Shimronites, named after their ancestor Shimron.
26-27
The tribe of Zebulun:
60,500.
In this tribe were the following clans named after the sons of Zebulun:
The Seredites, named after their ancestor Sered.
The Elonites, named after their ancestor Elon.
The Jahleelites, named after their ancestor Jahleel.
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The tribe of Joseph:
32,500
in the half-tribe of Ephraim; and
52,700
in the half-tribe of Manasseh.
In the half-tribe of Manasseh was the clan of Machirites, named after their ancestor Machir.
The subclan of the Machirites was the Gileadites, named after their ancestor Gilead.
The tribes of the Gileadites:
The Jezerites, named after their ancestor Jezer.
The Helekites, named after their ancestor Helek.
The Asrielites, named after their ancestor Asriel.
The Shechemites, named after their ancestor Shechem.
The Shemidaites, named after their ancestor Shemida.
The Hepherites, named after their ancestor Hepher. (Hepher’s son, Zelophehad, had no sons. Here are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, Tirzah.)
The 32,500 registered in the half-tribe of Ephraim included the following clans, named after the sons of Ephraim:
The Shuthelahites, named after their ancestor Shuthelah. (A subclan of the Shuthelahites was the Eranites, named after their ancestor Eran, a son of Shuthelah.)
The Becherites, named after their ancestor Becher.
The Tahanites, named after their ancestor Tahan.
38-41
The tribe of Benjamin:
45,600.
In this tribe were the following clans named after the sons of Benjamin:
The Belaites, named after their ancestor Bela.
Subclans named after sons of Bela were:
The Ardites, named after their ancestor Ard.
The Naamites, named after their ancestor Naaman.
The Ashbelites, named after their ancestor Ashbel.
The Ahiramites, named after their ancestor Ahiram.
The Shuphamites, named after their ancestor Shephupham.
The Huphamites, named after their ancestor Hupham.
42-43
The tribe of Dan:
64,400.
In this tribe was the clan of the Shuhamites, named after Shuham, the son of Dan.
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The tribe of Asher:
53,400.
In this tribe were the following clans named after the sons of Asher:
The Imnites, named after their ancestor Imnah.
The Ishvites, named after their ancestor Ishvi.
The Beriites, named after their ancestor Beriah.
Subclans named after the sons of Beriah were:
The Heberites, named after their ancestor Heber.
The Malchielites, named after their ancestor Malchiel.
Asher also had a daughter named Serah.
48-50
The tribe of Naphtali:
45,400.
In this tribe were the following clans, named after the sons of Naphtali:
The Jahzeelites, named after their ancestor Jahzeel.
The Gunites, named after their ancestor Guni.
The Jezerites, named after their ancestor Jezer.
The Shillemites, named after their ancestor Shillem.
51
So the total number of the men of draft age throughout Israel was 601,730.
Anna, a prophetess, was also there in the Temple that day. She was the daughter of Phanuel, of the Jewish tribe of Asher, and was very old, for she had been a widow for eighty-four years following seven years of marriage. She never left the Temple but stayed there night and day, worshiping God by praying and often fasting.
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She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she also began thanking God and telling everyone in Jerusalem who had been awaiting the coming of the Savior
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that the Messiah had finally arrived.
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When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the Law of God, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee.
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There the child became a strong, robust lad, and was known for wisdom beyond his years; and God poured out his blessings on him.
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When Jesus was twelve years old, he accompanied his parents to Jerusalem for the annual Passover Festival, which they attended each year.
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After the celebration was over they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him the first day,
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for they assumed he was with friends among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started to look for him among their relatives and friends;
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and when they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there.
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Three days later they finally discovered him. He was in the Temple, sitting among the teachers of Law, discussing deep questions with them and amazing everyone with his understanding and answers.
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His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son!” his mother said to him. “Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”
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“But why did you need to search?”
he asked.
“Didn’t you realize that I would be here at the Temple, in my Father’s House?”
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But they didn’t understand what he meant.
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Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them; and his mother stored away all these things in her heart.
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So Jesus grew both tall and wise, and was loved by God and man.
Written by David at the time he was at war with Syria, with the outcome still uncertain; this was when Joab, captain of his forces, slaughtered twelve thousand men of Edom in Salt Valley.
O God, you have rejected us and broken our defenses; you have become angry and deserted us. Lord, restore us again to your favor.
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You have caused this nation to tremble in fear; you have torn it apart. Lord, heal it now, for it is shaken to its depths.
3
You have been very hard on us and made us reel beneath your blows.
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But you have given us a banner to rally to; all who love truth will rally to it;
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then you can deliver your beloved people. Use your strong right arm to rescue us.
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God has promised to help us. He has vowed it by his holiness! No wonder I exult! “Shechem, Succoth, Gilead, Manasseh—still are mine!” he says. “Judah shall continue to produce kings, and Ephraim great warriors.
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Moab shall become my lowly servant, and Edom my slave. And I will shout in triumph over the Philistines.”
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Who will bring me in triumph into Edom’s strong cities? God will! He who cast us off! He who abandoned us to our foes!
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Yes, Lord, help us against our enemies, for man’s help is useless.
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With God’s help we shall do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes.
Be sure you know a person well before you vouch for his credit! Better refuse than suffer later.
March 18Then the Lord told Moses to divide the land among the tribes in proportion to their population, as indicated by the census—
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the larger tribes to be given more land, the smaller tribes less land.
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“Let the representatives of the larger tribes have a lottery, drawing for the larger sections,” the Lord instructed, “and let the smaller tribes draw for the smaller sections.”
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These are the clans of the Levites numbered in the census:
The Gershonites, named after their ancestor Gershon.
The Kohathites, named after their ancestor Kohath.
The Merarites, named after their ancestor Merari.
58-59
These are the families of the tribe of Levi: the Libnites, the Hebronites, the Mahlites, the Mushites, the Korahites.
While Levi was in Egypt, a daughter, Jochebed, was born to him and she became the wife of Amram, son of Kohath. They were the parents of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.
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To Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
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But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized incense before the Lord.
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The total number of Levites in the census was 23,000, counting all the males a month old and upward. But the Levites were not included in the total census figure of the people of Israel, for the Levites were given no land when it was divided among the tribes.
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So these are the census figures as prepared by Moses and Eleazar the priest, in the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho.
64-65
Not one person in this entire census had been counted in the previous census
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taken in the wilderness of Sinai! For all who had been counted then had died, as the Lord had decreed when he said of them, “They shall die in the wilderness.” The only exceptions were Caleb (son of Jephunneh) and Joshua (son of Nun).
27:
1-2
One day the daughters of Zelophehad came to the entrance of the Tabernacle to give a petition to Moses, Eleazar the priest, the tribal leaders, and others who were there. The names of these women were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They were members of the half-tribe of Manasseh (a son of Joseph). Their ancestor was Machir, son of Manasseh. Manasseh’s son Gilead was their great-grandfather, his son Hepher was their grandfather, and his son Zelophehad was their father.
3-4
“Our father died in the wilderness,” they said, “and he was not one of those who perished in Korah’s revolt against the Lord—it was a natural death, but he had no sons. Why should the name of our father disappear just because he had no son? We feel that we should be given property along with our father’s brothers.”
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So Moses brought their case before the Lord.
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And the Lord replied to Moses, “The daughters of Zelophehad are correct. Give them land along with their uncles; give them the property that would have been given to their father if he had lived.
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Moreover, this is a general law among you, that if a man dies and has no sons, then his inheritance shall be passed on to his daughters.
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And if he has no daughter, it shall belong to his brothers.
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And if he has no brother, then it shall go to his uncles.
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But if he has no uncles, then it shall go to the nearest relative.”
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One day the Lord said to Moses, “Go up into Mount Abarim and look across the river to the land I have given to the people of Israel.
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After you have seen it, you shall die as Aaron your brother did,
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for you rebelled against my instructions in the wilderness of Zin. When the people of Israel rebelled, you did not glorify me
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before them by following my instructions to order water to come out of the rock.” He was referring to the incident at the waters of Meribah (“Place of Strife”) in Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin.
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Then Moses said to the Lord,
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“O Jehovah, the God of the spirits of all mankind, before I am taken away
*
please appoint a new leader for the people,
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a man who will lead them into battle and care for them, so that the people of the Lord will not be as sheep without a shepherd.”
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The Lord replied, “Go and get Joshua (son of Nun), who has the Spirit in him,
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and take him to Eleazar the priest, and as all the people watch, charge him with the responsibility of leading the people.
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Publicly give him your authority so that all the people of Israel will obey him.
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He shall be the one to consult with Eleazar the priest in order to get directions from the Lord. The Lord will speak to Eleazar through the use of the Urim, and Eleazar will pass on these instructions to Joshua and the people. In this way the Lord will continue to give them guidance.”
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So Moses did as Jehovah commanded and took Joshua to Eleazar the priest. As the people watched,
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Moses laid his hands upon him and dedicated him to his responsibilities, as the Lord had commanded.
28:
1-2
The Lord gave Moses these instructions to give to the people of Israel: “The offerings which you burn on the altar for me are my food, and are a pleasure to me; so see to it that they are brought regularly and are offered as I have instructed you.
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“When you make offerings by fire, you shall use yearling male lambs—each without defect. Two of them shall be offered each day as a regular burnt offering.
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One lamb shall be sacrificed in the morning, the other in the evening.
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With them shall be offered a grain offering of three quarts of finely ground flour mixed with three pints of oil.
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This is the burnt offering ordained at Mount Sinai, to be regularly offered as a fragrant odor, an offering made by fire to the Lord.
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Along with it shall be the drink offering, consisting of three pints of strong wine with each lamb, poured out in the holy place before the Lord.
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Offer the second lamb in the evening with the same grain offering and drink offering. It too is a fragrant odor to the Lord, an offering made by fire.
9-10
“On the Sabbath day, sacrifice two yearling male lambs—both without defect—in addition to the regular offerings. They are to be accompanied by a grain offering of six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil, and the usual drink offering.
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“Also, on the first day of each month there shall be an extra burnt offering to the Lord of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male yearling lambs—all without defect.
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Accompany them with nine quarts of finely ground flour mixed with oil as a grain offering with each bull; and six quarts of finely ground flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for the ram;
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and for each lamb, three quarts of finely ground flour mixed with oil for a grain offering. This burnt offering shall be presented by fire and will please the Lord very much.
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Along with each sacrifice shall be a drink offering—six pints of wine with each bull, four pints for a ram, and three pints for a lamb. This, then, will be the burnt offering each month throughout the year.
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“Also on the first day of each month you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord. This is in addition to the regular daily burnt offering and its drink offering.”
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius Caesar, a message came from God to John (the son of Zacharias), as he was living out in the deserts. (Pilate was governor over Judea at that time; Herod, over Galilee; his brother Philip, over Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias, over Abilene; and Annas and Caiaphas were high priests.)
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Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned to God and away from their sins, in order to be forgiven.
*
4
In the words of Isaiah the prophet, John was “a voice shouting from the barren wilderness, ‘Prepare a road for the Lord to travel on! Widen the pathway before him!
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Level the mountains! Fill up the valleys! Straighten the curves! Smooth out the ruts!
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And then all mankind shall see the Savior sent from God.’”
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Here is a sample of John’s preaching to the crowds that came for baptism: “You brood of snakes! You are trying to escape hell without truly turning to God! That is why you want to be baptized!
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First go and prove by the way you live that you really have repented. And don’t think you are safe because you are descendants of Abraham. That isn’t enough. God can produce children of Abraham from these desert stones!
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The ax of his judgment is poised over you, ready to sever your roots and cut you down. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”
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The crowd replied, “What do you want us to do?”
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“If you have two coats,” he replied, “give one to the poor. If you have extra food, give it away to those who are hungry.”
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Even tax collectors—notorious for their corruption—came to be baptized and asked, “How shall we prove to you that we have abandoned our sins?”
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“By your honesty,” he replied. “Make sure you collect no more taxes than the Roman
*
government requires you to.”
14
“And us,” asked some soldiers, “what about us?”
John replied, “Don’t extort money by threats and violence; don’t accuse anyone of what you know he didn’t do; and be content with your pay!”
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Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and eager to know whether or not John was he. This was the question of the hour and was being discussed everywhere.
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John answered the question by saying, “I baptize only with water; but someone is coming soon who has far higher authority than mine; in fact, I am not even worthy of being his slave.
*
He will baptize you with fire—with the Holy Spirit.
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He will separate chaff from grain, and burn up the chaff with eternal fire and store away the grain.”
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He used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people.
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(But after John had publicly criticized Herod, governor of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done, Herod put John in prison, thus adding this sin to all his many others.)
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Then one day, after the crowds had been baptized, Jesus himself was baptized; and as he was praying, the heavens opened,
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and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove settled upon him, and a voice from heaven said, “You are my much loved Son, yes, my delight.”
O God, listen to me! Hear my prayer!
2
For wherever I am, though far away at the ends of the earth, I will cry to you for help. When my heart is faint and overwhelmed, lead me to the mighty, towering Rock of safety.
3
For you are my refuge, a high tower where my enemies can never reach me.
4
I shall live forever in your tabernacle; oh, to be safe beneath the shelter of your wings!
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For you have heard my vows, O God, to praise
*
you every day, and you have given me the blessings you reserve for those who reverence your name.
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You will give me
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added years of life, as rich and full as those of many generations, all packed into one.
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And I shall live before the Lord forever. Oh, send your loving-kindness and truth to guard and watch over me,
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and I will praise your name continually, fulfilling my vow of praising you each day.
Honor goes to kind and gracious women, mere
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money to cruel men.
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Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel.