Day 67 of 365

Num 3:1–51

1 Now this is the history of the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the Lord spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai.

2 These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office.

4 Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord, when they offered strange fire before the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the presence of Aaron their father.

5 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

6 "Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.

7 They shall keep his requirements, and the requirements of the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.

8 They shall keep all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, and the obligations of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

9 You shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him on the behalf of the children of Israel.

10 You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death."

11 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

12 "Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine:

13 for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I made holy to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be mine. I am the Lord."

14 The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

15 "Count the children of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families. You shall count every male from a month old and upward."

16 Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded.

17 These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

18 These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.

19 The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, and Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

20 The sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' houses.

21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites: these are the families of the Gershonites.

22 Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those who were numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred.

23 The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward.

24 The prince of the fathers' house of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.

25 The duty of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting,

26 and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and around the altar, and its cords for all of its service.

27 Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.

28 According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred, keeping the requirements of the sanctuary.

29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the south side of the tabernacle.

30 The prince of the fathers' house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

31 Their duty shall be the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all its service.

32 Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be prince of the princes of the Levites, with the oversight of those who keep the requirements of the sanctuary.

33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari.

34 Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred.

35 The prince of the fathers' house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They shall encamp on the north side of the tabernacle.

36 The appointed duty of the sons of Merari shall be the tabernacle's boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its instruments, all its service,

37 the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins, and their cords.

38 Those who encamp before the tabernacle eastward, in front of the Tent of Meeting toward the sunrise, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the requirements of the sanctuary for the duty of the children of Israel. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.

39 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.

40 The Lord said to Moses, "Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

41 You shall take the Levites for me (I am the Lord) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel."

42 Moses numbered, as the Lord commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

43 All the firstborn males according to the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.

44 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

45 "Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock; and the Levites shall be mine. I am the Lord.

46 For the redemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who exceed the number of the Levites,

47 you shall take five shekels apiece for each one; after the shekel of the sanctuary you shall take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs):

48 and you shall give the money, with which the remainder of them is redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons."

49 Moses took the redemption money from those who exceeded the number of those who were redeemed by the Levites;

50 from the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:

51 and Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Mark 11:1–33

1 When they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,

2 and said to them, "Go your way into the village that is opposite you. Immediately as you enter into it, you will find a young donkey tied, on which no one has yet sat. Untie him, and bring him.

3 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs him;' and immediately he will send him back here."

4 They went away, and found a colt tied at the door outside in the open street, and they untied him.

5 Some of those who stood there asked them, "What are you doing, untying the young donkey?"

6 They said to them just as Jesus had said, and they let them go.

7 They brought the young donkey to Jesus, and threw their garments on it, and Jesus sat on it.

8 Many spread their garments on the way, and others cut down branches from the trees.

9 Those who went in front, and those who followed, shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David. Hosanna in the highest!"

11 And he entered into the temple in Jerusalem. When he had looked around at everything, it being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

12 The next day, when they had come out from Bethany, he was hungry.

13 Seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came to see if perhaps he might find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

14 Jesus told it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" and his disciples heard it.

15 They came to Jerusalem, and he entered into the temple, and began to throw out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of those who sold the doves.

16 He would not allow anyone to carry a container through the temple.

17 He taught, saying to them, "Is not it written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations?' But you have made it a den of robbers!"

18 The chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him. For they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching.

19 When evening came, he went out of the city.

20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots.

21 Peter, remembering, said to him, "Teacher, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away."

22 Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God.

23 Truly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; it will be done for him.

24 Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them.

25 Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions."

27 They came again to Jerusalem, and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders came to him,

28 and they began saying to him, "By what authority do you do these things? And who gave you this authority to do these things?"

29 Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30 The baptism of John-was it from heaven, or from man? Answer me."

31 They reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we should say, 'From heaven;' he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'

32 If we should say, 'From man'"-they feared the crowd, for all held John to really be a prophet.

33 They answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know." Jesus said to them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Ps 30:1–12

1 I will extol you, Lord, for you have raised me up, and have not made my foes to rejoice over me.

2 Lord my God, I cried to you, and you have healed me.

3 Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol. You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

4 Sing praise to the Lord, you holy ones of his. Give thanks to his holy name.

5 For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved."

7 You, Lord, when you favored me, made my mountain stand strong; but when you hid your face, I was troubled.

8 I cried to you, Lord. To the Lord I made supplication:

9 "What profit is there in my destruction, if I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise you? Shall it declare your truth?

10 Hear, Lord, and have mercy on me. Lord, be my helper."

11 You have turned my mourning into dancing for me. You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness,

12 To the end that my heart may sing praise to you, and not be silent. Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!