Numbers 9; Numbers 10; Numbers 11; Mark 5:1-20

Numbers 9

1 The LORD spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert in the first month of the second year after they had left the land of Egypt:

2 Let the Israelites keep the Passover at its appointed time.

3 On the fourteenth day of this month at twilight you will keep it at its appointed time. Keep it according to all its regulations and its customary practices.

4 Moses instructed the Israelites to keep the Passover.

5 At twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month they kept the Passover in the Sinai desert. The Israelites did everything just as the LORD commanded Moses.

6 But there were persons who were unclean from contact with a human corpse, and they were unable to keep the Passover on that day. They approached Moses and Aaron that day.

7 These persons said to him, "Although we are unclean from contact with a human corpse, why must we be prohibited from presenting the LORD's offering at its appointed time with the rest of the Israelites?"

8 Moses said to them, "Wait while I listen for what the LORD will command concerning you."

9 The LORD spoke to Moses:

10 Tell the Israelites: When any of you or your descendants are unclean from contact with a corpse or are on a long trip, they may still keep the Passover to the LORD.

11 They will keep it at twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month. They will eat the Passover lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

12 They must not leave any of it until morning, nor break any of its bones. They will keep the Passover according to all its regulations.

13 But any persons who are clean and not on a trip, yet don't keep the Passover, those persons will be cut off from their people, because they didn't present the LORD's offering at its appointed time. Those persons will bear their sin.

14 If an immigrant resides among you and wishes to keep the Passover to the LORD, that one also will keep it according to its regulations and its customary practices. There will be one set of regulations for both of you, for the immigrant and for the native of the land.

15 On the day the dwelling was erected, the cloud covered the dwelling, the covenant tent. At night until morning, the cloud appeared with lightning over the dwelling.

16 It was always there. The cloud covered it by day, appearing with lightning at night.

17 Whenever the cloud ascended from the tent, the Israelites would march. And the Israelites would camp wherever the cloud settled.

18 At the LORD's command, the Israelites would march, and at the LORD's command they would camp. As long as the cloud settled on the dwelling, they would camp.

19 When the cloud lingered on the meeting tent for many days, the Israelites would observe the LORD's direction and they wouldn't march.

20 Sometimes the cloud would be over the dwelling for a number of days, so they would camp at the LORD's command, marching again only at the LORD's command.

21 Sometimes the cloud would settle only overnight, and they would march when the cloud ascended in the morning. Whether it was day or night, they would march when the cloud ascended.

22 Whether it was two days, or a month, or a long time, the Israelites would camp so long as the cloud lingered on the dwelling and settled on it. They wouldn't march. But when it ascended, they would march.

23 They camped at the LORD's command and they marched at the LORD's command. They followed the LORD's direction according to the LORD's command through Moses.

Numbers 10

1 The LORD spoke to Moses:

2 Make two silver trumpets and make them from hammered metalwork. Use them for summoning the community and for breaking camp.

3 When both are blown, the entire community will meet you at the entrance of the meeting tent.

4 When one is blown, the chiefs, the leaders of Israel's divisions, will meet you.

5 When you blow a series of short blasts, the camp on the east side will march.

6 And when you blow a second series of short blasts, the camp on the south side will march. You will blow a series of short blasts to announce their march.

7 To gather the assembly, blow a long blast, not a series of short blasts.

8 Aaron's sons the priests will blow the trumpets. This will be a permanent regulation for you throughout time.

9 When you go to war in your land against an enemy who is attacking you, you will blow short blasts with the trumpets so that you may be remembered by the LORD your God and be saved from your enemies.

10 On your festival days, your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you will blow the trumpets over your entirely burned offerings and your well-being sacrifices. They will serve as a reminder of you to your God. I am the LORD your God.

11 On the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, the cloud ascended from the covenant dwelling.

12 The Israelites set out on their march from the Sinai desert, and the cloud settled in the Paran desert.

13 They marched for the first time at the LORD's command through Moses.

14 The banner of Judah's camp marched first with its military units. Nahshon, Amminadab's son, commanded its military.

15 Nethanel, Zuar's son, commanded the military of the tribe of Issachar.

16 Eliab, Helon's son, commanded the military of the tribe of Zebulun.

17 The dwelling was taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites, who carried the dwelling, marched.

18 The banner of Reuben's camp marched with its military units. Elizur, Shedeur's son, commanded its military.

19 Shelumiel, Zurishaddai's son, commanded the military of the tribe of Simeon.

20 Eliasaph, Deuel's son, commanded the military of the tribe of Gad.

21 The Kohathites, who carried the holy things, marched. The dwelling would be set up before their arrival.

22 The banner of Ephraim's camp marched with its military units. Elishama, Ammihud's son, commanded its military.

23 Gamaliel, Pedahzur's son, commanded the military of the tribe of Manasseh.

24 Abidan, Gideoni's son, commanded the military of the tribe of Benjamin.

25 The banner of Dan's camp, at the rear of the whole camp, marched with its military units. Ahiezer, Ammishaddai's son, commanded its military.

26 Pagiel, Ochran's son, commanded the military of the tribe of Asher.

27 Ahira, Enan's son, commanded the military of the tribe of Naphtali.

28 This was the order of departure of the Israelites with their military units when they set out.

29 Moses said to Hobab the Midianite, Reuel's son and Moses' father-in-law, "We're marching to the place about which the LORD has said, ‘I'll give it to you.' Come with us and we'll treat you well, for the LORD has promised to treat Israel well."

30 Hobab said to him, "I won't go; I'd rather go to my land and to my folk."

31 Moses said, "Please don't abandon us, for you know where we can camp in the desert, and you can be our eyes.

32 If you go with us, whatever good the LORD does for us, we'll do for you."

33 They marched from the LORD's mountain for three days. The LORD's chest containing the covenant marched ahead of them for three days to look for a resting place for them.

34 Now the LORD's cloud was over them by day when they marched from the camp.

35 When the chest set out, Moses would say, "Arise, LORD, let your enemies scatter, and those who hate you flee."

36 When it rested, he would say, "Return, LORD of the ten thousand thousands of Israel."

Numbers 11

1 When the people complained intensely in the LORD's hearing, the LORD heard and became angry. Then the LORD's fire burned them and consumed the edges of the camp.

2 When the people cried out to Moses, Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire subsided.

3 The name of that place was called Taberah, because the LORD's fire burned against them.

4 The riffraff among them had a strong craving. Even the Israelites cried again and said, "Who will give us meat to eat?

5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt for free, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.

6 Now our lives are wasting away. There is nothing but manna in front of us."

7 The manna was like coriander seed and its color was like resin.

8 The people would roam around and collect it and grind it with millstones or pound it in a mortar. Then they would boil it in pots and make it into cakes. It tasted like cakes baked in olive oil.

9 When the dew fell on the camp during the night, the manna would fall with it.

10 Moses heard the people crying throughout their clans, each at his tent's entrance. The LORD was outraged, and Moses was upset.

11 Moses said to the LORD, "Why have you treated your servant so badly? And why haven't I found favor in your eyes, for you have placed the burden of all these people on me?

12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give birth to them, that you would say to me, ‘Carry them at the breast, as a nurse carries an unweaned child,' to the fertile land that you promised their ancestors?

13 Where am I to get meat for all these people? They are crying before me and saying, ‘Give us meat, so we can eat.'

14 I can't bear this people on my own. They're too heavy for me.

15 If you're going to treat me like this, please kill me. If I've found favor in your eyes, then don't let me endure this wretched situation."

16 The LORD said to Moses, "Gather before me seventy men from Israel's elders, whom you know as elders and officers of the people. Take them to the meeting tent, and let them stand there with you.

17 Then I'll descend and speak with you there. I'll take some of the spirit that is on you and place it on them. Then they will carry the burden of the people with you so that you won't bear it alone.

18 To the people you will say, ‘Make yourselves holy for tomorrow; then you will eat meat, for you've cried in the LORD's hearing, 'Who will give us meat to eat? It was better for us in Egypt.' The LORD will give you meat, and you will eat.

19 You won't eat for just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days,

20 but for a whole month until it comes out of your nostrils and nauseates you. You've rejected the LORD who's been with you and you have cried before him, saying, 'Why did we leave Egypt?' '"

21 Moses said, "The people I'm with are six hundred thousand on foot and you're saying, ‘I will give them meat, and they will eat for a month.'

22 Can flocks and herds be found and slaughtered for them? Or can all the fish in the sea be found and caught for them?"

23 The LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD's power too weak? Now you will see whether my word will come true for you or not."

24 So Moses went out and told the people the LORD's words. He assembled seventy men from the people's elders and placed them around the tent.

25 The LORD descended in a cloud, spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and placed it on the seventy elders. When the spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but only this once.

26 Two men had remained in the camp, one named Eldad and the second named Medad, and the spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they hadn't gone out to the tent, so they prophesied in the camp.

27 A young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp."

28 Joshua, Nun's son and Moses' assistant since his youth, responded, "My master Moses, stop them!"

29 Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? If only all the LORD's people were prophets with the LORD placing his spirit on them!"

30 Moses and Israel's elders were assembled in the camp.

31 A wind from the LORD blew up and brought quails from the sea. It let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey all around the camp and about three feet deep on the ground.

32 Then the people arose and gathered the quail all that day, all night, and all the next day. The least collected was ten homers, and they laid them out around the camp.

33 While the meat was still between their teeth and not yet consumed, the LORD's anger blazed against the people. The LORD struck the people with a very great punishment.

34 The name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving.

35 From Kibroth-hattaavah the people marched to Hazeroth.

Mark 5:1-20

1 Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the lake, to the region of the Gerasenes.

2 As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out of the tombs.

3 This man lived among the tombs, and no one was ever strong enough to restrain him, even with a chain.

4 He had been secured many times with leg irons and chains, but he broke the chains and smashed the leg irons. No one was tough enough to control him.

5 Night and day in the tombs and the hills, he would howl and cut himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus from far away, he ran and knelt before him,

7 shouting, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!"

8 He said this because Jesus had already commanded him, "Unclean spirit, come out of the man!"

9 Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He responded, "Legion is my name, because we are many."

10 They pleaded with Jesus not to send them out of that region.

11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the hillside.

12 "Send us into the pigs!" they begged. "Let us go into the pigs!"

13 Jesus gave them permission, so the unclean spirits left the man and went into the pigs. Then the herd of about two thousand pigs rushed down the cliff into the lake and drowned.

14 Those who tended the pigs ran away and told the story in the city and in the countryside. People came to see what had happened.

15 They came to Jesus and saw the man who used to be demon-possessed. They saw the very man who had been filled with many demons sitting there fully dressed and completely sane, and they were filled with awe.

16 Those who had actually seen what had happened to the demon-possessed man told the others about the pigs.

17 Then they pleaded with Jesus to leave their region.

18 While he was climbing into the boat, the one who had been demon-possessed pleaded with Jesus to let him come along as one of his disciples.

19 But Jesus wouldn't allow it. "Go home to your own people," Jesus said, "and tell them what the Lord has done for you and how he has shown you mercy."

20 The man went away and began to proclaim in the Ten Cities all that Jesus had done for him, and everyone was amazed.