Through the Bible – Day 45

₁The people of Israel had left Egypt and were living in the Sinai Desert. Then on the first day of the second month of the second year, Moses was in the sacred tent when the LORD said:

_16-17Moses and Aaron, together with these twelve tribal leaders, ₁₈called together the people that same day. They were counted according to their clans and families. Then Moses and the others listed the names of the men twenty years and older, ₁₉just as the LORD had commanded. _20-46The number of men from each tribe who were at least twenty years old and strong enough to fight in Israel's army was as follows:

The total number of men registered by Moses, Aaron, and the twelve leaders was 603,550.

₄₇But those from the Levi tribe were not included ₄₈because the LORD had said to Moses:

₅₄The people of Israel did everything the LORD had commanded.

₁The LORD told Moses and Aaron ₂how the Israelites should arrange their camp:

Each tribe must set up camp under its own banner and under the flags of its ancestral families. These camps will be arranged around the sacred tent, but not close to it.

_3-4Judah and the tribes that march with it must set up camp on the east side of the sacred tent, under their own banner. The 74,600 troops of the tribe of Judah will be arranged by divisions and led by Nahshon son of Amminadab. _5-6On one side of Judah will be the tribe of Issachar, with Nethanel son of Zuar as the leader of its 54,400 troops. _7-8On the other side will be the tribe of Zebulun, with Eliab son of Helon as the leader of its 57,400 troops. ₉These 186,400 troops will march into battle first.

_10-11Reuben and the tribes that march with it must set up camp on the south side of the sacred tent, under their own banner. The 46,500 troops of the tribe of Reuben will be arranged by divisions and led by Elizur son of Shedeur. _12-13On one side of Reuben will be the tribe of Simeon, with Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai as the leader of its 59,300 troops. _14-15On the other side will be the tribe of Gad, with Eliasaph son of Deuel as the leader of its 45,650 troops. ₁₆These 151,450 troops will march into battle second.

₁₇Marching behind Reuben will be the Levites, arranged in groups, just as they are camped. They will carry the sacred tent and their own banners.

_18-19Ephraim and the tribes that march with it must set up camp on the west side of the sacred tent, under their own banner. The 40,500 troops of the tribe of Ephraim will be arranged by divisions and led by Elishama son of Ammihud. _20-21On one side of Ephraim will be the tribe of Manasseh, with Gamaliel son of Pedahzur as the leader of its 32,200 troops. _22-23On the other side will be the tribe of Benjamin, with Abidan son of Gideoni as the leader of its 35,400 troops. ₂₄These 108,100 troops will march into battle third.

_25-26Dan and the tribes that march with it must set up camp on the north side of the sacred tent, under their own banner. The 62,700 troops of the tribe of Dan will be arranged by divisions and led by Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. _27-28On one side of Dan will be the tribe of Asher, with Pagiel son of Ochran as the leader of its 41,500 troops. _29-30On the other side will be the tribe of Naphtali with Ahira son of Enan as the leader of its 53,400 troops. ₃₁These 157,600 troops will march into battle last.

₃₂So all the Israelites in the camp were counted according to their ancestral families. The troops were arranged by divisions and totalled 603,550. ₃₃The only Israelites not included were the Levites, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

₃₄Israel did everything the LORD had told Moses. They arranged their camp according to clans and families, with each tribe under its own banner. And that was the order by which they marched into battle.

₁When the LORD talked with Moses on Mount Sinai, ₂Aaron's four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, ₃were the ones to be ordained as priests. ₄But the LORD killed Nadab and Abihu in the Sinai Desert when they used fire that was unacceptable in their offering to the LORD. And because Nadab and Abihu had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests with their father Aaron.

₅The LORD said to Moses:

₁₄In the Sinai Desert the LORD said to Moses, ₁₅“Now I want you to count the men and boys in the Levi tribe by families and by clans. Include every one at least a month old.” ₁₆So Moses obeyed and counted them.

₁₇Levi's three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, had become the heads of their own clans. ₁₈Gershon's sons were Libni and Shimei. ₁₉Kohath's sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ₂₀And Merari's sons were Mahli and Mushi. These were the sons and grandsons of Levi, and they had become the leaders of the Levite clans.

₂₁The two Gershon clans were the Libnites and Shimeites, ₂₂and they had seven thousand five hundred men and boys at least one month old. ₂₃The Gershonites were to camp on the west side of the sacred tent, ₂₄under the leadership of Eliasaph son of Lael. ₂₅Their duties at the tent included taking care of the tent itself, along with its outer covering, the curtain for the entrance, ₂₆the curtains hanging inside the courtyard around the tent, as well as the curtain and ropes for the entrance to the courtyard and its altar. The Gershonites were responsible for setting these things up and taking them down.

₂₇The four Kohath clans were the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and the Uzzielites, ₂₈and they had eight thousand six hundred men and boys at least one month old. ₂₉The Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the sacred tent, ₃₀under the leadership of Elizaphan son of Uzziel. ₃₁Their duties at the tent included taking care of the sacred chest, the table for the sacred bread, the lampstand, the altars, the objects used for worship, and the curtain in front of the most holy place. The Kohathites were responsible for setting these things up and taking them down.

₃₂Eleazar son of Aaron was the head of the Levite leaders, and he made sure that the work at the sacred tent was done.

₃₃The two Merari clans were the Mahlites and the Mushites, ₃₄and they had six thousand two hundred men and boys at least one month old. ₃₅The Merarites were to camp on the north side of the sacred tent, under the leadership of Zuriel son of Abihail. _36-37Their duties included taking care of the tent frames and the pieces that held the tent up: the bars, the posts, the stands, and its other equipment. They were also in charge of the posts that supported the courtyard, as well as their stands, tent pegs, and ropes. The Merari clans were responsible for setting these things up and taking them down.

₃₈Moses, Aaron, and his sons were to camp in front of the sacred tent, on the east side, and to make sure that the Israelites worshipped in the proper way. Anyone else who tried to do the work of Moses and Aaron was to be put to death.

₃₉So Moses and Aaron obeyed the LORD and counted the Levites by their clans. The total number of Levites at least one month old was twenty-two thousand.

₄₀The LORD said to Moses, “Make a list and count the firstborn sons at least one month old in each of the Israelite families. ₄₁They belong to me, but I will accept the Levites as substitutes for them, and I will accept the Levites' livestock as substitutes for the Israelites' firstborn livestock.”

₄₂Moses obeyed the LORD and counted the firstborn sons; ₄₃there were 22,273 of them.

₄₄Then the LORD said, ₄₅“The Levites will belong to me and will take the place of the firstborn sons; their livestock will take the place of the Israelites' firstborn livestock. ₄₆But since there are more firstborn sons than Levites, the extra two hundred and seventy-three men and boys must be bought back from me. ₄₇For each one, you are to collect five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. ₄₈This money must then be given to Aaron and his sons.”

₄₉Moses collected the silver from the extra two hundred and seventy-three firstborn men and boys, ₅₀and it amounted to one thousand three hundred and sixty-five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. ₅₁Then he gave it to Aaron and his sons, just as the LORD had commanded.

₃₁Jesus said to his disciples, “During this very night, all of you will reject me, as the Scriptures say,

₃₃Peter spoke up, “Even if all the others reject you, I never will!”

₃₄Jesus replied, “I promise you that before a cock crows tonight, you will say three times that you don't know me.” ₃₅But Peter said, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never say I don't know you.”

All the others said the same thing.

₃₆Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. When they got there, he told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”

₃₇Jesus took along Peter and the two brothers, James and John. He was very sad and troubled, ₃₈and he said to them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.”

₃₉Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, don't make me suffer by making me drink from this cup. But do what you want, and not what I want.”

₄₀He came back and found his disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, “Can't any of you stay awake with me for just one hour? ₄₁Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.”

₄₂Again Jesus went to pray and said, “My Father, if there is no other way, and I must suffer, I will still do what you want.”

₄₃Jesus came back and found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open. ₄₄He left them and prayed the same prayer once more.

₄₅Finally, Jesus returned to his disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. ₄₆Get up! Let's go. The one who will betray me is already here.”

₄₇Jesus was still speaking, when Judas the betrayer came up. He was one of the twelve disciples, and a large mob armed with swords and clubs was with him. They had been sent by the chief priests and the nation's leaders. ₄₈Judas had told them beforehand, “Arrest the man I greet with a kiss.”

₄₉Judas walked right up to Jesus and said, “Hello, teacher.” Then Judas kissed him.

₅₀Jesus replied, “My friend, why are you here?”

The men grabbed Jesus and arrested him. ₅₁One of Jesus' followers pulled out a sword. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

₅₂But Jesus told him, “Put your sword away. Anyone who lives by fighting will die by fighting. ₅₃Don't you know that I could ask my Father, and straight away he would send me more than twelve armies of angels? ₅₄But then, how could the words of the Scriptures come true, which say that this must happen?”

₅₅Jesus said to the mob, “Why do you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like a criminal? Day after day I sat and taught in the temple, and you didn't arrest me. ₅₆But all this happened, so that what the prophets wrote would come true.”

All Jesus' disciples left him and ran away.