Numbers 1; Numbers 2; Mark 3:1-19

Numbers 1

1 A year after Israel’s departure from Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Tabernacle in the wilderness of Sinai. On the first day of the second month of that year he said,

2 “From the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their clans and families. List all the men

3 twenty years old or older who are able to go to war. You and Aaron must register the troops,

4 and you will be assisted by one family leader from each tribe.

5 “These are the tribes and the names of the leaders who will assist you: Tribe Leader Reuben Elizur son of Shedeur

6 Simeon Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai

7 Judah Nahshon son of Amminadab

8 Issachar Nethanel son of Zuar

9 Zebulun Eliab son of Helon

10 Ephraim son of Joseph Elishama son of Ammihud Manasseh son of Joseph Gamaliel son of Pedahzur

11 Benjamin Abidan son of Gideoni

12 Dan Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai

13 Asher Pagiel son of Ocran

14 Gad Eliasaph son of Deuel

15 Naphtali Ahira son of Enan

16 These are the chosen leaders of the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel.”

17 So Moses and Aaron called together these chosen leaders,

18 and they assembled the whole community of Israel on that very day. All the people were registered according to their ancestry by their clans and families. The men of Israel who were twenty years old or older were listed one by one,

19 just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So Moses recorded their names in the wilderness of Sinai.

20 This is the number of men twenty years old or older who were able to go to war, as their names were listed in the records of their clans and families :

21

22 Simeon 59,300

23

24 Gad 45,650

25

26 Judah 74,600

27

28 Issachar 54,400

29

30 Zebulun 57,400

31

32 Ephraim son of Joseph 40,500

33

34 Manasseh son of Joseph 32,200

35

36 Benjamin 35,400

37

38 Dan 62,700

39

40 Asher 41,500

41

42 Naphtali 53,400

43

44 These were the men registered by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, all listed according to their ancestral descent.

45 They were registered by families—all the men of Israel who were twenty years old or older and able to go to war.

46 The total number was 603,550.

47 But this total did not include the Levites.

48 For the LORD had said to Moses,

49 “Do not include the tribe of Levi in the registration; do not count them with the rest of the Israelites.

50 Put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, along with all its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the Tabernacle and all its furnishings as you travel, and they must take care of it and camp around it.

51 Whenever it is time for the Tabernacle to move, the Levites will take it down. And when it is time to stop, they will set it up again. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the Tabernacle must be put to death.

52 Each tribe of Israel will camp in a designated area with its own family banner.

53 But the Levites will camp around the Tabernacle of the Covenant to protect the community of Israel from the LORD ’s anger. The Levites are responsible to stand guard around the Tabernacle.”

54 So the Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Numbers 2

1 Then the LORD gave these instructions to Moses and Aaron:

2 “When the Israelites set up camp, each tribe will be assigned its own area. The tribal divisions will camp beneath their family banners on all four sides of the Tabernacle, but at some distance from it.

3 “The divisions of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun are to camp toward the sunrise on the east side of the Tabernacle, beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops: Tribe Leader Number Judah Nahshon son of Amminadab 74,600

4

5 Issachar Nethanel son of Zuar 54,400

6

7 Zebulun Eliab son of Helon 57,400

8

9 So the total of all the troops on Judah’s side of the camp is 186,400. These three tribes are to lead the way whenever the Israelites travel to a new campsite.

10 “The divisions of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad are to camp on the south side of the Tabernacle, beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops: Tribe Leader Number Reuben Elizur son of Shedeur 46,500

11

12 Simeon Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai 59,300

13

14 Gad Eliasaph son of Deuel 45,650

15

16 So the total of all the troops on Reuben’s side of the camp is 151,450. These three tribes will be second in line whenever the Israelites travel.

17 “Then the Tabernacle, carried by the Levites, will set out from the middle of the camp. All the tribes are to travel in the same order that they camp, each in position under the appropriate family banner.

18 “The divisions of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin are to camp on the west side of the Tabernacle, beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops: Tribe Leader Number Ephraim Elishama son of Ammihud 40,500

19

20 Manasseh Gamaliel son of Pedahzur 32,200

21

22 Benjamin Abidan son of Gideoni 35,400

23

24 So the total of all the troops on Ephraim’s side of the camp is 108,100. These three tribes will be third in line whenever the Israelites travel.

25 “The divisions of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali are to camp on the north side of the Tabernacle, beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops: Tribe Leader Number Dan Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai 62,700

26

27 Asher Pagiel son of Ocran 41,500

28

29 Naphtali Ahira son of Enan 53,400

30

31 So the total of all the troops on Dan’s side of the camp is 157,600. These three tribes will be last, marching under their banners whenever the Israelites travel.”

32 In summary, the troops of Israel listed by their families totaled 603,550.

33 But as the LORD had commanded, the Levites were not included in this registration.

34 So the people of Israel did everything as the LORD had commanded Moses. Each clan and family set up camp and marched under their banners exactly as the LORD had instructed them.

Mark 3:1-19

1 Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand.

2 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.

3 Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.”

4 Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him.

5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!

6 At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.

7 Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea,

8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him.

9 Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him.

10 He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him.

11 And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!”

12 But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was.

13 Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him.

14 Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach,

15 giving them authority to cast out demons.

16 These are the twelve he chose: Simon (whom he named Peter),

17 James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder” ),

18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the zealot ),

19 Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).