Day 43 of 365
Exod 30:1–38, Matt 26:38–58, Ps 20:1–9
Old Testament
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 breadth 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 the Lord 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 the Lord."
11 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
12 "When you take a census of the children of Israel, according to those who are numbered among them, then each man shall give a ransom for his soul to the Lord, when you number them; that there be no plague among them when you number them.
13 They shall give this, everyone who passes over to those who are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary; (the shekel is twenty gerahs;) half a shekel for an offering to the Lord.
14 Everyone who passes over to those who are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering to the Lord.
15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of the Lord, 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 the Lord, to make atonement for your souls."
17 The Lord 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 the Lord.
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 the Lord 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 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 menorah 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, neither shall you 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 The Lord said to Moses, "Take to yourself sweet spices, gum resin, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be an equal weight;
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 the Lord.
38 Whoever shall make any like that, to smell of it, he shall be cut off from his people."
New Testament
38 Then he said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch with me."
39 He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire."
40 He came to the disciples, and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What, could not you watch with me for one hour?
41 Watch and pray, that you do not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
42 Again, a second time he went away, and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away from me unless I drink it, your desire be done."
43 He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
44 He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time, saying the same words.
45 Then he came to the disciples, and said to them, "Sleep on now, and take your rest. Behold, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46 Arise, let us be going. Behold, he who betrays me is near."
47 While he was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priest and elders of the people.
48 Now he who betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, "Whoever I kiss, he is the one. Seize him."
49 Immediately he came to Jesus, and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed him.
50 Jesus said to him, "Friend, why are you here?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
51 Behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear.
52 Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take the sword will die by the sword.
53 Or do you think that I could not ask my Father, and he would even now send me more than twelve legions of angels?
54 How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so?"
55 In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to seize me? I sat daily in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me.
56 But all this has happened, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left him, and fled.
57 Those who had taken Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.
58 But Peter followed him from a distance, to the court of the high priest, and entered in and sat with the officers, to see the end.
Psalm
1 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high,
2 send you help from the sanctuary, grant you support from Zion,
3 remember all your offerings, and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah.
4 May He grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill all your counsel.
5 We will triumph in your salvation. In the name of our God, we will set up our banners. May the Lord grant all your requests.
6 Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed. He will answer him from his holy heaven, with the saving strength of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are bowed down and fallen, but we rise up, and stand upright.
9 Save, Lord! Let the King answer us when we call!
Text: New Heart English Bible.