Matthew 16; Numbers 1; Numbers 2; Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

Matthew 16

1 The Pharisees and Sadducees approached, and as a test, asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.

2 He answered them: "When evening comes you say, 'It will be good weather because the sky is red.'

3 And in the morning, 'Today will be stormy because the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you can't read the signs of the times.

4 An evil and adulterous generation wants a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." Then He left them and went away.

5 The disciples reached the other shore, and they had forgotten to take bread.

6 Then Jesus told them, "Watch out and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

7 And they discussed among themselves, "We didn't bring any bread."

8 Aware of this, Jesus said, "You of little faith! Why are you discussing among yourselves that you do not have bread?

9 Don't you understand yet? Don't you remember the five loaves for the 5,000 and how many baskets you collected?

10 Or the seven loaves for the 4,000 and how many large baskets you collected?

11 Why is it you don't understand that when I told you, 'Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees,' it wasn't about bread?"

12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the yeast in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

14 And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

15 "But you," He asked them, "who do you say that I am?"

16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!"

17 And Jesus responded, "Simon son of Jonah, you are blessed because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in heaven.

18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the forces of Hades will not overpower it.

19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in heaven."

20 And He gave the disciples orders to tell no one that He was the Messiah.

21 From then on Jesus began to point out to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.

22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, "Oh no, Lord! This will never happen to You!"

23 But He turned and told Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me because you're not thinking about God's concerns, but man's."

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.

25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it.

26 What will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?

27 For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will reward each according to what he has done.

28 I assure you: There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

Numbers 1

1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai, on the first [day] of the second month of the second year after Israel's departure from the land of Egypt:

2 "Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of every male one by one.

3 You and Aaron are to register those who are 20 years old or more by their military divisions-everyone who can serve in Israel's army.

4 A man from each tribe is to be with you, each one the head of his ancestral house.

5 These are the names of the men who are to assist you: Elizur son of Shedeur from Reuben;

6 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai from Simeon;

7 Nahshon son of Amminadab from Judah;

8 Nethanel son of Zuar from Issachar;

9 Eliab son of Helon from Zebulun;

10 from the sons of Joseph: Elishama son of Ammihud from Ephraim, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur from Manasseh;

11 Abidan son of Gideoni from Benjamin;

12 Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai from Dan;

13 Pagiel son of Ochran from Asher;

14 Eliasaph son of Deuel from Gad;

15 Ahira son of Enan from Naphtali.

16 These are the men called from the community; they are leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of Israel's clans."

17 So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name,

18 and they assembled the whole community on the first day of the second month. They recorded their ancestry by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting one by one the names of those 20 years old or more,

19 just as the Lord commanded Moses. He registered them in the Wilderness of Sinai:

20 The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting one by one the names of every male 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,

21 those registered for the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.

22 The descendants of Simeon: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, those registered counting one by one the names of every male 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,

23 those registered for the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300.

24 The descendants of Gad: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,

25 those registered for the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650.

26 The descendants of Judah: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,

27 those registered for the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.

28 The descendants of Issachar: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,

29 those registered for the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.

30 The descendants of Zebulun: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,

31 those registered for the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.

32 The descendants of Joseph: The descendants of Ephraim: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,

33 those registered for the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500.

34 The descendants of Manasseh: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,

35 those registered for the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200.

36 The descendants of Benjamin: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,

37 those registered for the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400.

38 The descendants of Dan: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,

39 those registered for the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700.

40 The descendants of Asher: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,

41 those registered for the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500.

42 The descendants of Naphtali: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,

43 those registered for the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400.

44 These are the men Moses and Aaron registered, with [the assistance of] the 12 leaders of Israel; each represented his ancestral house.

45 So all the Israelites 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in Israel's army, were registered by their ancestral houses.

46 All those registered numbered 603,550.

47 But the Levites were not registered with them by their ancestral tribe.

48 For the Lord had told Moses:

49 "Do not register or take a census of the tribe of Levi with the [other] Israelites.

50 Appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They are to transport the tabernacle and all its articles, take care of it, and camp around it.

51 Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to stop at a campsite, the Levites are to set it up. Any unauthorized person who comes near [it] must be put to death.

52 "The Israelites are to camp by their military divisions, each man with his encampment and under his banner.

53 The Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the Israelite community."

54 The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Numbers 2

1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:

2 "The Israelites are to camp under their respective banners beside the flags of their ancestral houses. They are to camp around the tent of meeting at a distance [from it]:

3 Judah's military divisions will camp on the east side toward the sunrise under their banner. The leader of the descendants of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab.

4 His military division numbers 74,600.

5 The tribe of Issachar will camp next to it. The leader of the Issacharites is Nethanel son of Zuar.

6 His military division numbers 54,400.

7 The tribe of Zebulun [will be next]. The leader of the Zebulunites is Eliab son of Helon.

8 His military division numbers 57,400.

9 The total number in their military divisions who belong to Judah's encampment is 186,400; they will move out first.

10 Reuben's military divisions will camp on the south side under their banner. The leader of the Reubenites is Elizur son of Shedeur.

11 His military division numbers 46,500.

12 The tribe of Simeon will camp next to it. The leader of the Simeonites is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

13 His military division numbers 59,300.

14 The tribe of Gad [will be next]. The leader of the Gadites is Eliasaph son of Deuel.

15 His military division numbers 45,650.

16 The total number in their military divisions who belong to Reuben's encampment is 151,450; they will move out second.

17 The tent of meeting is to move out with the Levites' camp, which is in the middle of the camps. They are to move out just as they camp, each in his place, with their banners.

18 Ephraim's military divisions will camp on the west side under their banner. The leader of the Ephraimites is Elishama son of Ammihud.

19 His military division numbers 40,500.

20 The tribe of Manasseh will be next to it. The leader of the Manassites is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.

21 His military division numbers 32,200.

22 The tribe of Benjamin [will be next]. The leader of the Benjaminites is Abidan son of Gideoni.

23 His military division numbers 35,400.

24 The total in their military divisions who belong to Ephraim's encampment number 108,100; they will move out third.

25 Dan's military divisions will camp on the north side under their banner. The leader of the Danites is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

26 His military division numbers 62,700.

27 The tribe of Asher will camp next to it. The leader of the Asherites is Pagiel son of Ochran.

28 His military division numbers 41,500.

29 The tribe of Naphtali [will be next]. The leader of the Naphtalites is Ahira son of Enan.

30 His military division numbers 53,400.

31 The total number who belong to Dan's encampment is 157,600; they are to move out last, with their banners."

32 These are the Israelites registered by their ancestral houses. The total number in the camps by their military divisions is 603,550.

33 But the Levites were not registered among the Israelites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

34 The Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; they camped by their banners in this way and moved out the same way, each man by his clan and by his ancestral house.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

1 There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot;

3 a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build;

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;

5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;

6 a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away;

7 a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak;

8 a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What does the worker gain from his struggles?

10 I have seen the task that God has given people to keep them occupied.

11 He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end.

12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life.

13 It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts.

14 I know that all God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. God works so that people will be in awe of Him.

15 Whatever is, has already been, and whatever will be, already is. God repeats what has passed.