Reading for May 4                                         Index

 

Numbers

11:1And the people were as murmurers, speaking evil in the ears of Jehovah: and when Jehovah heard it, his anger was kindled; and the fire of Jehovah burnt among them, and devoured in the uttermost part of the camp. 11:2And the people cried unto Moses; and Moses prayed unto Jehovah, and the fire abated. 11:3And the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of Jehovah burnt among them.

11:4And the mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? 11:5We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt for nought; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic: 11:6but now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all save this manna to look upon. 11:7And the manna was like coriander seed, and the appearance thereof as the appearance of bdellium. 11:8The people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. 11:9And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it. 11:10And Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled greatly; and Moses was displeased. 11:11And Moses said unto Jehovah, Wherefore hast thou dealt ill with thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favor in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? 11:12Have I conceived all this people? have I brought them forth, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing-father carrieth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers? 11:13Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat. 11:14I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. 11:15And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

11:16And Jehovah said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with thee. 11:17And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. 11:18And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow, and ye shall eat flesh; for ye have wept in the ears of Jehovah, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore Jehovah will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. 11:19Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days, 11:20but a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you; because that ye have rejected Jehovah who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt? 11:21And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month. 11:22Shall flocks and herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them? 11:23And Jehovah said unto Moses, Is Jehovah's hand waxed short? now shalt thou see whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

11:24And Moses went out, and told the people the words of Jehovah: and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the Tent. 11:25And Jehovah came down in the cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and put it upon the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, but they did so no more.

11:26But there remained two men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the Spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but had not gone out unto the Tent; and they prophesied in the camp. 11:27And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. 11:28And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. 11:29And Moses said unto him, Art thou jealous for my sake? would that all Jehovah's people were prophets, that Jehovah would put his Spirit upon them! 11:30And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

11:31And there went forth a wind from Jehovah, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth. 11:32And the people rose up all that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. 11:33While the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the people, and Jehovah smote the people with a very great plague. 11:34And the name of that place was called Kibrothhattaavah, because there they buried the people that lusted. 11:35From Kibrothhattaavah the people journeyed unto Hazeroth; and they abode at Hazeroth.

Psalms

A Song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah.

 48:1Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised,

 In the city of our God, in his holy mountain.

 48:2Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth,

 Is mount Zion, on the sides of the north,

 The city of the great King.

 48:3God hath made himself known in her palaces for a refuge.

 48:4For, lo, the kings assembled themselves,

 They passed by together.

 48:5They saw it, then were they amazed;

 They were dismayed, they hasted away.

 48:6Trembling took hold of them there,

 Pain, as of a woman in travail.

 48:7With the east wind

 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish.

 48:8As we have heard, so have we seen

 In the city of Jehovah of hosts, in the city of our God:

 God will establish it for ever.

Selah

 48:9We have thought on thy lovingkindness, O God,

 In the midst of thy temple.

 48:10As is thy name, O God,

 So is thy praise unto the ends of the earth:

 Thy right hand is full of righteousness.

 48:11Let mount Zion be glad,

 Let the daughters of Judah rejoice,

 Because of thy judgments.

 48:12Walk about Zion, and go round about her;

 Number the towers thereof;

 48:13Mark ye well her bulwarks;

 Consider her palaces:

 That ye may tell it to the generation following.

 48:14For this God is our God for ever and ever:

 He will be our guide even unto death.

Isaiah

 

1:1The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 1:2Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for Jehovah hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. 1:3The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. 1:4Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that deal corruptly! they have forsaken Jehovah, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are estranged and gone backward. 1:5Why will ye be still stricken, that ye revolt more and more? the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 1:6From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and fresh stripes: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with oil. 1:7Your country is desolate; your cities are burned with fire; your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. 1:8And the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. 1:9Except Jehovah of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah. 1:10Hear the word of Jehovah, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. 1:11What unto me is the multitude of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah: I have had enough of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats. 1:12When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to trample my courts? 1:13Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; new moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies,- I cannot away with iniquity and the solemn meeting. 1:14Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are a trouble unto me; I am weary of bearing them. 1:15And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. 1:16Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 1:17learn to do well; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 1:18Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 1:19If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 1:20but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it. 1:21How is the faithful city become a harlot! she that was full of justice! righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. 1:22Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water. 1:23Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth bribes, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. 1:24Therefore saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies; 1:25and I will turn my hand upon thee, and thoroughly purge away thy dross, and will take away all thy tin; 1:26and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called The city of righteousness, a faithful town. 1:27Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness. 1:28But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together, and they that forsake Jehovah shall be consumed. 1:29For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen. 1:30For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water. 1:31And the strong shall be as tow, and his work as a spark; and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

 

Hebrews

 

9:1Now even a first covenant had ordinances of divine service, and its sanctuary, a sanctuary of this world. 9:2For there was a tabernacle prepared, the first, wherein were the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the Holy place. 9:3And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holy of holies; 9:4having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was a golden pot holding the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; 9:5and above it cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy-seat; of which things we cannot now speak severally. 9:6Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the services; 9:7but into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offereth for himself, and for the errors of the people: 9:8the Holy Spirit this signifying, that the way into the holy place hath not yet been made manifest, while the first tabernacle is yet standing; 9:9which is a figure for the time present; according to which are offered both gifts and sacrifices that cannot, as touching the conscience, make the worshipper perfect, 9:10being only (with meats and drinks and divers washings) carnal ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation. 9:11But Christ having come a high priest of the good things to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, 9:12nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption. 9:13For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling them that have been defiled, sanctify unto the cleanness of the flesh: 9:14how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 9:15And for this cause he is the mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 9:16For where a testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him that made it. 9:17For a testament is of force where there hath been death: for it doth never avail while he that made it liveth. 9:18Wherefore even the first covenant hath not been dedicated without blood. 9:19For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses unto all the people according to the law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 9:20saying, This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded to you-ward. 9:21Moreover the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry he sprinkled in like manner with the blood. 9:22And according to the law, I may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission. 9:23It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 9:24For Christ entered not into a holy place made with hands, like in pattern to the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us: 9:25nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place year by year with blood not his own; 9:26else must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once at the end of the ages hath he been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 9:27And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment; 9:28so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him, unto salvation.