Matthew 21:23-32
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
[23] And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” [24] Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. [25] The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ [26] But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” [27] So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
[28] “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ [29] And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. [30] And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. [31] Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. [32] For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.
Romans 1:1-17
Greeting
[1] Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, [2] which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, [3] concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh [4] and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, [5] through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, [6] including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
[7] To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Longing to Go to Rome
[8] First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. [9] For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you [10] always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. [11] For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—[12] that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. [13] I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. [14] I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. [15] So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
[16] For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. [17] For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Psalm 48
Zion, the City of Our God
A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
[1] Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God!
His holy mountain, [2] beautiful in elevation,
is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.
[3] Within her citadels God
has made himself known as a fortress.
[4] For behold, the kings assembled;
they came on together.
[5] As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
they were in panic; they took to flight.
[6] Trembling took hold of them there,
anguish as of a woman in labor.
[7] By the east wind you shattered
the ships of Tarshish.
[8] As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the LORD of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God will establish forever. Selah
[9] We have thought on your steadfast love, O God,
in the midst of your temple.
[10] As your name, O God,
so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
[11] Let Mount Zion be glad!
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments!
[12] Walk about Zion, go around her,
number her towers,
[13] consider well her ramparts,
go through her citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
[14] that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
He will guide us forever.
Numbers 1
A Census of Israel’s Warriors
[1] The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, [2] “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. [3] From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company. [4] And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers. [5] And these are the names of the men who shall assist you. From Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; [6] from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; [7] from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab; [8] from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar; [9] from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon; [10] from the sons of Joseph, from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; [11] from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni; [12] from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; [13] from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran; [14] from Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel; [15] from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.” [16] These were the ones chosen from the congregation, the chiefs of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel.
[17] Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named, [18] and on the first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head, [19] as the LORD commanded Moses. So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai.
[20] The people of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: [21] those listed of the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.
[22] Of the people of Simeon, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, those of them who were listed, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: [23] those listed of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.
[24] Of the people of Gad, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: [25] those listed of the tribe of Gad were 45,650.
[26] Of the people of Judah, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: [27] those listed of the tribe of Judah were 74,600.
[28] Of the people of Issachar, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: [29] those listed of the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.
[30] Of the people of Zebulun, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: [31] those listed of the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.
[32] Of the people of Joseph, namely, of the people of Ephraim, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: [33] those listed of the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.
[34] Of the people of Manasseh, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: [35] those listed of the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.
[36] Of the people of Benjamin, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: [37] those listed of the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.
[38] Of the people of Dan, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: [39] those listed of the tribe of Dan were 62,700.
[40] Of the people of Asher, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: [41] those listed of the tribe of Asher were 41,500.
[42] Of the people of Naphtali, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: [43] those listed of the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.
[44] These are those who were listed, whom Moses and Aaron listed with the help of the chiefs of Israel, twelve men, each representing his fathers’ house. [45] So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel—[46] all those listed were 603,550.
Levites Exempted
[47] But the Levites were not listed along with them by their ancestral tribe. [48] For the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, [49] “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not list, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel. [50] But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it and shall camp around the tabernacle. [51] When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death. [52] The people of Israel shall pitch their tents by their companies, each man in his own camp and each man by his own standard. [53] But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the people of Israel. And the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony.” [54] Thus did the people of Israel; they did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.
Numbers 2
Arrangement of the Camp
[1] The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, [2] “The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. [3] Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab, [4] his company as listed being 74,600. [5] Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, the chief of the people of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar, [6] his company as listed being 54,400. [7] Then the tribe of Zebulun, the chief of the people of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon, [8] his company as listed being 57,400. [9] All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their companies, were 186,400. They shall set out first on the march.
[10] “On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their companies, the chief of the people of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur, [11] his company as listed being 46,500. [12] And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, the chief of the people of Simeon being Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, [13] his company as listed being 59,300. [14] Then the tribe of Gad, the chief of the people of Gad being Eliasaph the son of Reuel, [15] his company as listed being 45,650. [16] All those listed of the camp of Reuben, by their companies, were 151,450. They shall set out second.
[17] “Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; as they camp, so shall they set out, each in position, standard by standard.
[18] “On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their companies, the chief of the people of Ephraim being Elishama the son of Ammihud, [19] his company as listed being 40,500. [20] And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh, the chief of the people of Manasseh being Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, [21] his company as listed being 32,200. [22] Then the tribe of Benjamin, the chief of the people of Benjamin being Abidan the son of Gideoni, [23] his company as listed being 35,400. [24] All those listed of the camp of Ephraim, by their companies, were 108,100. They shall set out third on the march.
[25] “On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan by their companies, the chief of the people of Dan being Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, [26] his company as listed being 62,700. [27] And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, the chief of the people of Asher being Pagiel the son of Ochran, [28] his company as listed being 41,500. [29] Then the tribe of Naphtali, the chief of the people of Naphtali being Ahira the son of Enan, [30] his company as listed being 53,400. [31] All those listed of the camp of Dan were 157,600. They shall set out last, standard by standard.”
[32] These are the people of Israel as listed by their fathers’ houses. All those listed in the camps by their companies were 603,550. [33] But the Levites were not listed among the people of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses.
[34] Thus did the people of Israel. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, each one in his clan, according to his fathers’ house.
