喬碩諾爸碎碎念

Bible reading note

Numbers 21

When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them. The Lord listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites over to them. They completely destroyed them and their towns; so the place was named Hormah. They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” The Israelites moved on and camped at Oboth. From there they continued on to Beer, the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.” and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah overlooks the wasteland. “Let us pass through your country. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.” Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites and occupied them, including Heshbon and all its surrounding settlements. That is why the poets say: “Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt; let Sihon’s city be restored. Then they turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei. So they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors. And they took possession of his land.

Numbers 22

Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho. Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in his native land. Balak said: “A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said. God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?” Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.” When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road. Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” “No,” he said. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.” “Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.” The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.

Numbers 23

Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height. The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.” Then Balaam spoke his message: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.’ Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my final end be like theirs!” Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp. And from there, curse them for me.” Then he spoke his message: “Arise, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor. “No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The Lord their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them. Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?” Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”

Numbers 24

Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not resort to divination as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness. “Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters. “God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. They devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces; with their arrows they pierce them. Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth. Then Balaam saw Amalek and spoke his message: “Amalek was first among the nations, but their end will be utter destruction.” Then he spoke his message: “Alas! Who can live when God does this? Then Balaam got up and returned home, and Balak went his own way.

Numbers 25

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the Lord’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.” Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites. Since he was as zealous for my honor among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. The Lord said to Moses, “Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them.

Numbers 26

After the plague the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, “Take a census of the whole Israelite community by families—all those twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army of Israel.” The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel, were: through Hanok, the Hanokite clan; through Pallu, the Palluite clan; and the sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. The same Dathan and Abiram were the community officials who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and were among Korah’s followers when they rebelled against the Lord. through Zerah, the Zerahite clan; through Shaul, the Shaulite clan. These were the clans of Gad; those numbered were 40,500. Er and Onan were sons of Judah, but they died in Canaan. The descendants of Issachar by their clans were: through Tola, the Tolaite clan; through Puah, the Puite clan; These were the clans of Issachar; those numbered were 64,300. These were the clans of Zebulun; those numbered were 60,500. These were the clans of Manasseh; those numbered were 52,700. These were the clans of Ephraim; those numbered were 32,500. These were the descendants of Joseph by their clans. These were the clans of Benjamin; those numbered were 45,600. All of them were Shuhamite clans; and those numbered were 64,400. The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730. “The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names. These were the Levites who were counted by their clans: through Gershon, the Gershonite clan; through Kohath, the Kohathite clan; through Merari, the Merarite clan. All the male Levites a month old or more numbered 23,000. They were not counted along with the other Israelites because they received no inheritance among them. For the Lord had told those Israelites they would surely die in the wilderness, and not one of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

Numbers 27

The daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They came forward “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. “Say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim Range and see the land I have given the Israelites. “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.

Numbers 28

Give this command to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Make sure that you present to me at the appointed time my food offerings, as an aroma pleasing to me.’ The accompanying drink offering is to be a quarter of a hin of fermented drink with each lamb. Pour out the drink offering to the Lord at the sanctuary. “ ‘On the Sabbath day, make an offering of two lambs a year old without defect, together with its drink offering and a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with olive oil. and with each lamb, a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil. This is for a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord. “ ‘On the fourteenth day of the first month the Lord’s Passover is to be held. Offer these in addition to the regular morning burnt offering. “ ‘On the day of firstfruits, when you present to the Lord an offering of new grain during the Festival of Weeks, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Offer these together with their drink offerings, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. Be sure the animals are without defect.

Numbers 29

On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets. Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. “ ‘On the tenth day of this seventh month hold a sacred assembly. You must deny yourselves and do no work. and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. “ ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Celebrate a festival to the Lord for seven days. Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings. Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. “ ‘On the seventh day offer seven bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. Present as an aroma pleasing to the Lord a food offering consisting of a burnt offering of one bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. “ ‘In addition to what you vow and your freewill offerings, offer these to the Lord at your appointed festivals: your burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings and fellowship offerings.’ ”

Numbers 30

Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel: “This is what the Lord commands: “When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge “If she marries after she makes a vow or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself “Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her. But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand. Her husband has nullified them, and the Lord will release her. If, however, he nullifies them some time after he hears about them, then he must bear the consequences of her wrongdoing.”