Consecration, Judgment, and the Shepherd's Care

1. “This is the thing that you shall do to them to make them holy, to minister to me in the priest’s office: take one young bull and two rams without defect, 2. unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil: you shall make them of fine wheat flour. 3. You shall put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bull and the two rams. 4. You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall wash them with water. 5. You shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the coat, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and clothe him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod; 6. and you shall set the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban. 7. Then you shall take the anointing oil, and pour it on his head, and anoint him. 8. You shall bring his sons, and put coats on them. 9. You shall clothe them with belts, Aaron and his sons, and bind headbands on them: and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute: and you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons. 10. “You shall bring the bull before the Tent of Meeting: and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. 11. You shall kill the bull before Yahweh, at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 12. You shall take of the blood of the bull, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out all the blood at the base of the altar. 13. You shall take all the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. 14. But the meat of the bull, and its skin, and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside of the camp: it is a sin offering. 15. “You shall also take the one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. 16. You shall kill the ram, and you shall take its blood, and sprinkle it around on the altar. 17. You shall cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its innards, and its legs, and put them with its pieces, and with its head. 18. You shall burn the whole ram on the altar: it is a burnt offering to Yahweh; it is a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to Yahweh. 19. “You shall take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. 20. Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood, and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the big toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood around on the altar. 21. You shall take of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron, and on his garments, and on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be made holy, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him. 22. Also you shall take some of the ram’s fat, the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration), 23. and one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before Yahweh. 24. You shall put all of this in Aaron’s hands, and in his sons’ hands, and shall wave them for a wave offering before Yahweh. 25. You shall take them from their hands, and burn them on the altar on the burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma before Yahweh: it is an offering made by fire to Yahweh. 26. “You shall take the breast of Aaron’s ram of consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before Yahweh: and it shall be your portion. 27. You shall sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the thigh of the wave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons: 28. and it shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel; for it is a wave offering: and it shall be a wave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, even their wave offering to Yahweh. 29. “The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them, and to be consecrated in them. 30. Seven days shall the son who is priest in his place put them on, when he comes into the Tent of Meeting to minister in the holy place. 31. “You shall take the ram of consecration, 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 door of the Tent of Meeting. 33. They shall eat those things with which atonement was made, to consecrate and sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat of it, because they are holy. 34. If anything of the meat of the consecration, or of the bread, remains to the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy. 35. “You shall do so to Aaron, and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. You shall consecrate them seven days. 36. Every day you shall offer the bull of sin offering for atonement: and you shall cleanse the altar, when you make atonement for it; and you shall anoint it, to sanctify it. 37. Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar, and sanctify it: and the altar shall be most holy; whatever touches the altar shall be holy. 38. “Now this is that which you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day continually. 39. The one lamb you shall offer in the morning; and the other lamb you shall offer at evening: 40. and with the one lamb a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mixed with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil, and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink offering. 41. The other lamb you shall offer at evening, and shall do to it according to the meal offering of the morning, and according to its drink offering, for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to Yahweh. 42. It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the Tent of Meeting before Yahweh, where I will meet with you, to speak there to you. 43. There I will meet with the children of Israel; and the place shall be sanctified by my glory. 44. I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar: Aaron also and his sons I will sanctify, to minister to me in the priest’s office. 45. I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. 46. They shall know that I am Yahweh their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them: I am Yahweh their God. 1. “You shall make an altar to burn incense on. You shall make it of acacia wood. 2. Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit. It shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3. You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding around it. 4. You shall make two golden rings for it under its molding; on its two ribs, on its two sides you shall make them; and they shall be for places for poles with which to bear it. 5. You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 6. You shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7. Aaron shall burn incense of sweet spices on it every morning. When he tends the lamps, he shall burn it. 8. When Aaron lights the lamps at evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations. 9. You shall offer no strange incense on it, nor burnt offering, nor meal offering; and you shall pour no drink offering on it. 10. Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once in the year; with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once in the year he shall make atonement for it throughout your generations. It is most holy to Yahweh.” 11. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 12. “When you take a census of the children of Israel, according to those who are counted among them, then each man shall give a ransom for his soul to Yahweh, when you count them; that there be no plague among them when you count them. 13. They shall give this, everyone who passes over to those who are counted, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs); half a shekel for an offering to Yahweh. 14. Everyone who passes over to those who are counted, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering to Yahweh. 15. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls. 16. You shall take the atonement money from the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the Tent of Meeting; that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls.” 17. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18. “You shall also make a basin of brass, and its base of brass, in which to wash. You shall put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it. 19. Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in it. 20. When they go into the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water, that they not die; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to Yahweh. 21. So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they not die: and it shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his descendants throughout their generations.” 22. Moreover Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 23. “Also take fine spices: of liquid myrrh, five hundred shekels; and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, even two hundred and fifty; and of fragrant cane, two hundred and fifty; 24. and of cassia five hundred, after the shekel of the sanctuary; and a hin of olive oil. 25. You shall make it into a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26. You shall use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the testimony, 27. the table and all its articles, the lamp stand and its accessories, the altar of incense, 28. the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its base. 29. You shall sanctify them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy. 30. You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest’s office. 31. You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to me throughout your generations. 32. It shall not be poured on man’s flesh, and do not make any like it, according to its composition. It is holy. It shall be holy to you. 33. Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.’” 34. Yahweh said to Moses, “Take to yourself sweet spices, gum resin, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices with pure frankincense: there shall be an equal weight of each; 35. and you shall make incense of it, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy: 36. and you shall beat some of it very small, and put some of it before the testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be to you most holy. 37. The incense which you shall make, according to its composition you shall not make for yourselves: it shall be to you holy for Yahweh. 38. Whoever shall make any like that, to smell of it, he shall be cut off from his people.” 1. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2. “Behold, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: 3. and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all kinds of workmanship, 4. to devise skillful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 5. and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all kinds of workmanship. 6. Behold, I myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the heart of all who are wise-hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7. the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the testimony, the mercy seat that is on it, all the furniture of the Tent, 8. the table and its vessels, the pure lamp stand with all its vessels, the altar of incense, 9. the altar of burnt offering with all its vessels, the basin and its base, 10. the finely worked garments—the holy garments for Aaron the priest—the garments of his sons to minister in the priest’s office, 11. the anointing oil, and the incense of sweet spices for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded you they shall do.” 12. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 13. “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Most certainly you shall keep my Sabbaths: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that you may know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies you. 14. You shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15. Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to Yahweh. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall surely be put to death. 16. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.’” 18. He gave to Moses, when he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets, written with God’s finger.

1. He entered and was passing through Jericho. 2. There was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3. He was trying to see who Jesus was, and couldn’t because of the crowd, because he was short. 4. He ran on ahead, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was going to pass that way. 5. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” 6. He hurried, came down, and received him joyfully. 7. When they saw it, they all murmured, saying, “He has gone in to lodge with a man who is a sinner.” 8. Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much.” 9. Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham. 10. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” 11. As they heard these things, he went on and told a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that God’s Kingdom would be revealed immediately. 12. He said therefore, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13. He called ten servants of his, and gave them ten mina coins, and told them, ‘Conduct business until I come.’ 14. But his citizens hated him, and sent an envoy after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to reign over us.’ 15. “When he had come back again, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by conducting business. 16. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten more minas.’ 17. “He said to him, ‘Well done, you good servant! Because you were found faithful with very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18. “The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, Lord, has made five minas.’ 19. “So he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20. Another came, saying, ‘Lord, behold, your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief, 21. for I feared you, because you are an exacting man. You take up that which you didn’t lay down, and reap that which you didn’t sow.’ 22. “He said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant! You knew that I am an exacting man, taking up that which I didn’t lay down, and reaping that which I didn’t sow. 23. Then why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank, and at my coming, I might have earned interest on it?’ 24. He said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina away from him, and give it to him who has the ten minas.’ 25. “They said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26. ‘For I tell you that to everyone who has, will more be given; but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him. 27. But bring those enemies of mine who didn’t want me to reign over them here, and kill them before me.’” 28. Having said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29. When he came near to Bethsphage and Bethany, at the mountain that is called Olivet, he sent two of his disciples, 30. saying, “Go your way into the village on the other side, in which, as you enter, you will find a colt tied, which no man had ever sat upon. Untie it, and bring it. 31. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say to him: ‘The Lord needs it.’” 32. Those who were sent went away, and found things just as he had told them. 33. As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34. They said, “The Lord needs it.” 35. They brought it to Jesus. They threw their cloaks on the colt, and set Jesus on them. 36. As he went, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37. As he was now getting near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen, 38. saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!” 39. Some of the Pharisees from the multitude said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40. He answered them, “I tell you that if these were silent, the stones would cry out.” 41. When he came near, he saw the city and wept over it, 42. saying, “If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes. 43. For the days will come on you, when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, surround you, hem you in on every side, 44. and will dash you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave in you one stone on another, because you didn’t know the time of your visitation.” 45. He entered into the temple, and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, 46. saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of robbers’!” 47. He was teaching daily in the temple, but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people sought to destroy him. 48. They couldn’t find what they might do, for all the people hung on to every word that he said. 1. On one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the Good News, the priests and scribes came to him with the elders. 2. They asked him, “Tell us: by what authority do you do these things? Or who is giving you this authority?” 3. He answered them, “I also will ask you one question. Tell me: 4. the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?” 5. They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6. But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” 7. They answered that they didn’t know where it was from. 8. Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” 9. He began to tell the people this parable. “A man planted a vineyard, and rented it out to some farmers, and went into another country for a long time. 10. At the proper season, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him, and sent him away empty. 11. He sent yet another servant, and they also beat him, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. 12. He sent yet a third, and they also wounded him, and threw him out. 13. The lord of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that seeing him, they will respect him.’ 14. “But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15. They threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them? 16. He will come and destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.” When they heard it, they said, “May it never be!” 17. But he looked at them, and said, “Then what is this that is written, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the chief cornerstone?’ 18. Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush whomever it falls on to dust.” 19. The chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him that very hour, but they feared the people—for they knew he had spoken this parable against them. 20. They watched him, and sent out spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might trap him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor. 21. They asked him, “Teacher, we know that you say and teach what is right, and aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. 22. Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 23. But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test me? 24. Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” They answered, “Caesar’s.” 25. He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26. They weren’t able to trap him in his words before the people. They marveled at his answer, and were silent. 27. Some of the Sadducees came to him, those who deny that there is a resurrection. 28. They asked him, “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should take the wife, and raise up children for his brother. 29. There were therefore seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died childless. 30. The second took her as wife, and he died childless. 31. The third took her, and likewise the seven all left no children, and died. 32. Afterward the woman also died. 33. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them will she be? For the seven had her as a wife.” 34. Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry, and are given in marriage. 35. But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage. 36. For they can’t die any more, for they are like the angels, and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37. But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord ‘The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38. Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.” 39. Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you speak well.” 40. They didn’t dare to ask him any more questions. 41. He said to them, “Why do they say that the Christ is David’s son? 42. David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 43. until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.”’ 44. “David therefore calls him Lord, so how is he his son?” 45. In the hearing of all the people, he said to his disciples, 46. “Beware of those scribes who like to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts; 47. who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these will receive greater condemnation.” 1. He looked up, and saw the rich people who were putting their gifts into the treasury. 2. He saw a certain poor widow casting in two small brass coins. 3. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them, 4. for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.” 5. As some were talking about the temple and how it was decorated with beautiful stones and gifts, he said, 6. “As for these things which you see, the days will come, in which there will not be left here one stone on another that will not be thrown down.” 7. They asked him, “Teacher, so when will these things be? What is the sign that these things are about to happen?” 8. He said, “Watch out that you don’t get led astray, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is at hand.’ Therefore don’t follow them. 9. When you hear of wars and disturbances, don’t be terrified, for these things must happen first, but the end won’t come immediately.” 10. Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11. There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places. There will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12. But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. 13. It will turn out as a testimony for you. 14. Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15. for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or to contradict. 16. You will be handed over even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will cause some of you to be put to death. 17. You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake. 18. And not a hair of your head will perish. 19. “By your endurance you will win your lives. 20. “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand. 21. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the middle of her depart. Let those who are in the country not enter therein. 22. For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land, and wrath to this people. 24. They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 25. There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves; 26. men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28. But when these things begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.” 29. He told them a parable. “See the fig tree, and all the trees. 30. When they are already budding, you see it and know by your own selves that the summer is already near. 31. Even so you also, when you see these things happening, know that God’s Kingdom is near. 32. Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things are accomplished. 33. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. 34. “So be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day will come on you suddenly. 35. For it will come like a snare on all those who dwell on the surface of all the earth. 36. Therefore be watchful all the time, praying that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.” 37. Every day Jesus was teaching in the temple, and every night he would go out and spend the night on the mountain that is called Olivet. 38. All the people came early in the morning to him in the temple to hear him.

1. Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. 2. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3. He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. 6. Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in Yahweh’s house forever.