The Berean Pursuit
Then Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel, "This is what the LORD has commanded: If a man makes a vow to the LORD or swears an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word; he must do everything he has promised.
And if a woman in her father's house during her youth makes a vow to the LORD or obligates herself by a pledge, and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all the vows or pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand. But if her father prohibits her on the day he hears about it, then none of the vows or pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand. The LORD will absolve her because her father has prohibited her.
If a woman marries while under a vow or rash promise by which she has bound herself, and her husband hears of it but says nothing to her on that day, then the vows or pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand. But if her husband prohibits her when he hears of it, he nullifies the vow that binds her or the rash promise she has made, and the LORD will absolve her.
Every vow a widow or divorced woman pledges to fulfill is binding on her.
If a woman in her husband's house has made a vow or put herself under an obligation with an oath, and her husband hears of it but says nothing to her and does not prohibit her, then all the vows or pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand. But if her husband nullifies them on the day he hears of them, then nothing that came from her lips, whether her vows or pledges, shall stand. Her husband has nullified them, and the LORD will absolve her.
Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow or any sworn pledge to deny herself. But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day, then he confirms all the vows and pledges that bind her. He has confirmed them, because he said nothing to her on the day he heard about them. But if he nullifies them after he hears of them, then he will bear her iniquity."
These are the statutes that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the relationship between a man and his wife, and between a father and a young daughter still in his home.
And the LORD said to Moses, "Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people."
So Moses told the people, "Arm some of your men for war, that they may go against the Midianites and execute the LORD's vengeance on them. Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel."
So a thousand men were recruited from each tribe of Israel-twelve thousand armed for war. And Moses sent the thousand from each tribe into battle, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who took with him the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.
Then they waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male. Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba-the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.
The Israelites captured the Midianite women and their children, and they plundered all their herds, flocks, and goods. Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites had lived, as well as all their encampments, and carried away all the plunder and spoils, both people and animals.
They brought the captives, spoils, and plunder to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of Israel at the camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho. And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp.
But Moses was angry with the officers of the army-the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds-who were returning from the battle. "Have you spared all the women?" he asked them. "Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD. So now, kill all the boys, as well as every woman who has had relations with a man, but spare for yourselves every girl who has never had relations with a man.
All of you who have killed a person or touched the dead are to remain outside the camp for seven days. On the third day and the seventh day you are to purify both yourselves and your captives. And purify every garment and leather good, everything made of goat's hair, and every article of wood."
Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, "This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moses: Only the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead- everything that can withstand the fire-must be put through the fire, and it will be clean. But it must still be purified with the water of purification. And everything that cannot withstand the fire must pass through the water. On the seventh day you are to wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp."
The LORD said to Moses, "You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the congregation are to take a count of what was captured, both of man and beast. Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to battle and the rest of the congregation.
Set aside a tribute for the LORD from what belongs to the soldiers who went into battle: one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, or sheep. Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the LORD.
From the Israelites' half, take one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or other animals, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD."
So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD had commanded Moses, and this plunder remained from the spoils the soldiers had taken:
675,000 sheep,
72,000 cattle,
61,000 donkeys,
and 32,000 women who had not slept with a man.
This was the half portion for those who had gone to war:
337,500 sheep, including a tribute to the LORD of 675,
36,000 cattle, including a tribute to the LORD of 72,
30,500 donkeys, including a tribute to the LORD of 61,
and 16,000 people, including a tribute to the LORD of 32.
Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as an offering for the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
From the Israelites' half, which Moses had set apart from the men who had gone to war, this half belonged to the congregation:
337,500 sheep,
36,000 cattle,
30,500 donkeys,
and 16,000 people.
From the Israelites' half, Moses took one out of every fifty persons and animals and gave them to the Levites who kept charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD had commanded him.
Then the officers who were over the units of the army-the commanders of thousands and of hundreds-approached Moses and said, "Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one of us is missing. So we have brought to the LORD an offering of the gold articles each man acquired-armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces-to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD."
So Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them all the articles made out of gold. All the gold that the commanders of thousands and of hundreds presented as an offering to the LORD weighed 16,750 shekels. Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself. And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD.
Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock. So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, and said, "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, which the LORD conquered before the congregation of Israel, are suitable for livestock-and your servants have livestock."
"If we have found favor in your sight," they said, "let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan."
But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, "Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here? Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land that the LORD has given them? This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land.
For when your fathers went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land that the LORD had given them. So the anger of the LORD was kindled that day, and He swore an oath, saying, 'Because they did not follow Me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years of age or older who came out of Egypt will see the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob- not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun-because they did follow the LORD wholeheartedly.' The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation who had done evil in His sight was gone.
Now behold, you, a brood of sinners, have risen up in place of your fathers to further stoke the burning anger of the LORD against Israel. For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction."
Then the Gadites and Reubenites approached Moses and said, "We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones. But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our little ones will remain in the fortified cities for protection from the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has taken possession of his inheritance. Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan."
Moses replied, "If you will do this-if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle, and if every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the LORD, until He has driven His enemies out before Him, then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the LORD. But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD-and be assured that your sin will find you out. Build cities for your little ones and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised."
The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, "Your servants will do just as our lord commands. Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead. But your servants are equipped for war, and every man will cross over to the battle before the LORD, just as our lord says."
So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel. And Moses said to them, "If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, with every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession. But if they do not arm themselves and go across with you, then they must accept their possession among you in the land of Canaan."
The Gadites and Reubenites replied, "As the LORD has spoken to your servants, so we will do. We will cross over into the land of Canaan armed before the LORD, that we may have our inheritance on this side of the Jordan."
So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan-the land including its cities and the territory surrounding them.
And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and they built folds for their flocks.
The Reubenites built up Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. And they renamed the cities they rebuilt.
The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there. So Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled there. Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair. And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah, after his own name.
These are the journeys of the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt by their divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. At the LORD's command, Moses recorded the stages of their journey. These are the stages listed by their starting points:
On the fifteenth day of the first month, on the day after the Passover, the Israelites set out from Rameses. They marched out defiantly in full view of all the Egyptians, who were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck down among them; for the LORD had executed judgment against their gods. The Israelites set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth.
They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness.
They set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon, and they camped near Migdol.
They set out from Pi-hahiroth and crossed through the sea, into the wilderness, and they journeyed three days into the Wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.
They set out from Marah and came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there.
They set out from Elim and camped by the Red Sea.
They set out from the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin.
They set out from the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah.
They set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush.
They set out from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.
They set out from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai.
They set out from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.
They set out from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.
They set out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.
They set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.
They set out from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah.
They set out from Libnah and camped at Rissah.
They set out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.
They set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.
They set out from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.
They set out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth.
They set out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.
They set out from Tahath and camped at Terah.
They set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah.
They set out from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.
They set out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.
They set out from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan.
They set out from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad.
They set out from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.
They set out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.
They set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.
They set out from Ezion-geber and camped at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.
They set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the outskirts of the land of Edom. At the LORD's command, Aaron the priest climbed Mount Hor and died there on the first day of the fifth month, in the fortieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt. Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.
Now the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming. And the Israelites set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.
They set out from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.
They set out from Punon and camped at Oboth.
They set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim on the border of Moab.
They set out from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad.
They set out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.
They set out from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim facing Nebo.
They set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.
And there on the plains of Moab they camped by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim.
On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, you must drive out before you all the inhabitants of the land, destroy all their carved images and cast idols, and demolish all their high places.
You are to take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. And you are to divide the land by lot according to your clans. Give a larger inheritance to a larger clan and a smaller inheritance to a smaller one. Whatever falls to each one by lot will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers.
But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you in the land where you settle. And then I will do to you what I had planned to do to them."
Of David.
Contend with my opponents, O LORD;
fight against those who fight against me.
Take up Your shield and buckler;
arise and come to my aid.
Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers;
say to my soul: "I am your salvation."
May those who seek my life
be disgraced and put to shame;
may those who plan to harm me
be driven back and confounded.
May they be like chaff in the wind,
as the angel of the LORD drives them away.
May their path be dark and slick,
as the angel of the LORD pursues.
For without cause they laid their net for me;
without reason they dug a pit for my soul.
May ruin befall them by surprise;
may the net they hid ensnare them;
may they fall into the hazard they created.
Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD
and exult in His salvation.
All my bones will exclaim,
"Who is like You, O LORD,
who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor,
the poor and needy from the robber?"
Hostile witnesses come forward;
they make charges I know nothing about.
They repay me evil for good,
to the bereavement of my soul.
Yet when they were ill,
I put on sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting,
but my prayers returned unanswered.
I paced about
as for my friend or brother;
I was bowed down with grief,
like one mourning for his mother.
But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee;
they gathered together against me.
Assailants I did not know
slandered me without ceasing.
Like godless jesters at a feast,
they gnashed their teeth at me.
How long, O Lord, will You look on?
Rescue my soul from their ravages,
my precious life from these lions.
Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly;
I will praise You among many people.
Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause,
nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.
For they do not speak peace,
but they devise deceitful schemes
against those who live quietly in the land.
They gape at me and say,
"Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!"
O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent.
O Lord, be not far from me.
Awake and rise to my defense,
to my cause, my God and my Lord!
Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God,
and do not let them gloat over me.
Let them not say in their hearts,
"Aha, just what we wanted!"
Let them not say,
"We have swallowed him up!"
May those who gloat in my distress
be ashamed and confounded;
may those who exalt themselves over me
be clothed in shame and reproach.
May those who favor my vindication
shout for joy and gladness;
may they always say, "Exalted be the LORD
who delights in His servant's well-being."
Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness
and Your praises all day long.
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
He went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
"A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
'Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for Him.
Every valley shall be filled in,
and every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked ways shall be made straight,
and the rough ways smooth.
And all humanity will see God's salvation.'?"
Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."
The crowds asked him, "What then should we do?"
John replied, "Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same."
Even tax collectors came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?"
"Collect no more than you are authorized," he answered.
Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?"
"Do not take money by force or false accusation," he said. "Be content with your wages."
The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John could be the Christ. John answered all of them: "I baptize you with water, but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
With these and many other exhortations, John proclaimed the good news to the people. But when he rebuked Herod the tetrarch regarding his brother's wife Herodias and all the evils he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."
Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His ministry.
He was regarded as the son of Joseph,
the son of Heli,
the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi,
the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum,
the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,
the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel,
the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim,
the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,
the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha,
the son of Nathan, the son of David,
the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,
the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon,
the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni,
the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,
the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg,
the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,
the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,
the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared,
the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan,
the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God.