Today’s Reading : Numbers 19 – 20  and Luke 23 (KJV)

 

 

Numbers 19

Num 19:1  And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

Num 19:2  This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:

Num 19:3  And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face:

Num 19:4  And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:

Num 19:5  And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:

Num 19:6  And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.

Num 19:7  Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.

Num 19:8  And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.

Num 19:9  And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.

Num 19:10  And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute forever.

Num 19:11  He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.

Num 19:12  He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.

Num 19:13  Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.

Num 19:14  This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.

Num 19:15  And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean.

Num 19:16  And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

Num 19:17  And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:

Num 19:18  And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:

Num 19:19  And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.

Num 19:20  But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.

Num 19:21  And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.

Num 19:22  And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.

 

Numbers 20

Num 20:1  Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

Num 20:2  And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

Num 20:3  And the people chided with Moses, and spoke, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

Num 20:4  And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?

Num 20:5  And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

Num 20:6  And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.

Num 20:7  And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

Num 20:8  Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

Num 20:9  And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

Num 20:10  And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

Num 20:11  And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

Num 20:12  And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

Num 20:13  This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

Num 20:14  And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:

Num 20:15  How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers:

Num 20:16  And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:

Num 20:17  Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.

Num 20:18  And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.

Num 20:19  And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet.

Num 20:20  And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.

Num 20:21  Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

Num 20:22  And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.

Num 20:23  And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,

Num 20:24  Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.

Num 20:25  Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor:

Num 20:26  And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.

Num 20:27  And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

Num 20:28  And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.

Num 20:29  And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

 

Luke 23

Luk 23:1  And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.

Luk 23:2  And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.

Luk 23:3  And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.

Luk 23:4  Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.

Luk 23:5  And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.

Luk 23:6  When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean.

Luk 23:7  And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.

Luk 23:8  And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.

Luk 23:9  Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.

Luk 23:10  And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.

Luk 23:11  And Herod with his men of war set him at naught, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.

Luk 23:12  And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.

Luk 23:13  And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,

Luk 23:14  Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:

Luk 23:15  No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him.

Luk 23:16  I will therefore chastise him, and release him.

Luk 23:17  (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)

Luk 23:18  And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:

Luk 23:19  (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)

Luk 23:20  Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.

Luk 23:21  But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.

Luk 23:22  And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.

Luk 23:23  And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.

Luk 23:24  And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.

Luk 23:25  And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

Luk 23:26  And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.

Luk 23:27  And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.

Luk 23:28  But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.

Luk 23:29  For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.

Luk 23:30  Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

Luk 23:31  For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

Luk 23:32  And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.

Luk 23:33  And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

Luk 23:34  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

Luk 23:35  And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.

Luk 23:36  And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,

Luk 23:37  And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

Luk 23:38  And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Luk 23:39  And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

Luk 23:40  But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

Luk 23:41  And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

Luk 23:42  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

Luk 23:43  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Luk 23:44  And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

Luk 23:45  And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

Luk 23:46  And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Luk 23:47  Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.

Luk 23:48  And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.

Luk 23:49  And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

Luk 23:50  And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just:

Luk 23:51  (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.

Luk 23:52  This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.

Luk 23:53  And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.

Luk 23:54  And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

Luk 23:55  And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.

Luk 23:56  And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.