Matthew 24:1-31; Numbers 25; Numbers 26; Numbers 27; Song of Songs 6:4-13; Song of Songs 7; Song of Songs 8:1-4

Matthew 24:1-31

1 As Jesus left and was going out of the temple complex, His disciples came up and called His attention to the temple buildings.

2 Then He replied to them, "Don't you see all these things? I assure you: Not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down!"

3 While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached Him privately and said, "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?"

4 Then Jesus replied to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you.

5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Messiah,' and they will deceive many.

6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

8 All these events are the beginning of birth pains.

9 "Then they will hand you over for persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name.

10 Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another.

11 Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

12 Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold.

13 But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.

14 This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come.

15 "So when you see the abomination that causes desolation , spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place" (let the reader understand) ,

16 "then those in Judea must flee to the mountains!

17 A man on the housetop must not come down to get things out of his house.

18 And a man in the field must not go back to get his clothes.

19 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days!

20 Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.

21 For at that time there will be great tribulation, the kind that hasn't taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again!

22 Unless those days were limited, no one would survive. But those days will be limited because of the elect.

23 "If anyone tells you then, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'Over here!' do not believe it!

24 False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

25 Take note: I have told you in advance.

26 So if they tell you, 'Look, he's in the wilderness!' don't go out; 'Look, he's in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.

27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

28 Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.

29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days: The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the celestial powers will be shaken.

30 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31 He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Numbers 25

1 While Israel was staying in Acacia Grove, the people began to have sexual relations with the women of Moab.

2 The women invited them to the sacrifices for their gods, and the people ate and bowed in worship to their gods.

3 So Israel aligned itself with Baal of Peor, and the Lord's anger burned against Israel.

4 The Lord said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the Lord so that His burning anger may turn away from Israel."

5 So Moses told Israel's judges, "Kill each of the men who aligned themselves with Baal of Peor."

6 An Israelite man came bringing a Midianite woman to his relatives in the sight of Moses and the whole Israelite community while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw [this], he got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand,

8 followed the Israelite man into the tent, and drove it through both the Israelite man and the woman-through her belly. Then the plague on the Israelites was stopped,

9 but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

10 The Lord spoke to Moses,

11 "Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the Israelites because he was zealous among them with My zeal, so that I did not destroy the Israelites in My zeal.

12 Therefore declare: I grant him My covenant of peace.

13 It will be a covenant of perpetual priesthood for him and his descendants, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites."

14 The name of the slain Israelite man, who was struck dead with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite ancestral house.

15 The name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal head of an ancestral house in Midian.

16 The Lord told Moses:

17 "Attack the Midianites and strike them dead.

18 For they attacked you with the treachery that they used against you in the Peor incident. They did the same in the case involving their sister Cozbi, daughter of the Midianite leader who was killed the day the plague came at Peor."

Numbers 26

1 After the plague, the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron the priest,

2 "Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their ancestral houses of those 20 years old or more who can serve in Israel's army."

3 So Moses and Eleazar the priest said to them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan [across from] Jericho,

4 "[Take a census of] those 20 years old or more, as the Lord had commanded Moses and the Israelites who came out of the land of Egypt."

5 Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. Reuben's descendants: the Hanochite clan [from] Hanoch; the Palluite clan from Pallu;

6 the Hezronite clan from Hezron; the Carmite clan from Carmi.

7 These were the Reubenite clans, and their registered men numbered 43,730.

8 The son of Pallu was Eliab.

9 The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. (It was Dathan and Abiram, chosen by the community, who fought against Moses and Aaron; they and Korah's followers fought against the Lord.

10 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them with Korah, when his followers died and the fire consumed 250 men. They [serve as] a warning sign.

11 The sons of Korah, however, did not die.)

12 Simeon's descendants by their clans: the Nemuelite clan from Nemuel; the Jaminite clan from Jamin; the Jachinite clan from Jachin;

13 the Zerahite clan from Zerah; the Shaulite clan from Shaul.

14 These were the Simeonite clans, numbering 22,200 men.

15 Gad's descendants by their clans: the Zephonite clan from Zephon; the Haggite clan from Haggi; the Shunite clan from Shuni;

16 the Oznite clan from Ozni; the Erite clan from Eri;

17 the Arodite clan from Arod; the Arelite clan from Areli.

18 These were the Gadite clans [numbered] by their registered men: 40,500.

19 Judah's sons included Er and Onan, but they died in the land of Canaan.

20 Judah's descendants by their clans: the Shelanite clan from Shelah; the Perezite clan from Perez; the Zerahite clan from Zerah.

21 The descendants of Perez: the Hezronite clan from Hezron; the Hamulite clan from Hamul.

22 These were Judah's clans [numbered] by their registered men: 76,500.

23 Issachar's descendants by their clans: the Tolaite clan from Tola; the Punite clan from Puvah;

24 the Jashubite clan from Jashub; the Shimronite clan from Shimron.

25 These were Issachar's clans [numbered] by their registered men: 64,300.

26 Zebulun's descendants by their clans: the Seredite clan from Sered; the Elonite clan from Elon; the Jahleelite clan from Jahleel.

27 These were the Zebulunite clans [numbered] by their registered men: 60,500.

28 Joseph's descendants by their clans [from] Manasseh and Ephraim:

29 Manasseh's descendants: the Machirite clan from Machir. Machir fathered Gilead; the Gileadite clan from Gilead.

30 These were Gilead's descendants: the Iezerite clan [from] Iezer; the Helekite clan from Helek;

31 The Asrielite clan [from] Asriel; the Shechemite clan [from] Shechem;

32 the Shemidaite clan [from] Shemida; the Hepherite clan [from] Hepher;

33 Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons-only daughters. The names of Zelophehad's daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

34 These were Manasseh's clans, numbered by their registered men: 52,700.

35 These were Ephraim's descendants by their clans: the Shuthelahite clan from Shuthelah; the Becherite clan from Becher; the Tahanite clan from Tahan.

36 These were Shuthelah's descendants: the Eranite clan from Eran.

37 These were the Ephraimite clans [numbered] by their registered men: 32,500. These were Joseph's descendants by their clans.

38 Benjamin's descendants by their clans: the Belaite clan from Bela; the Ashbelite clan from Ashbel; the Ahiramite clan from Ahiram;

39 the Shuphamite clan from Shupham; the Huphamite clan from Hupham.

40 Bela's descendants [from] Ard and Naaman: the Ardite clan [from] Ard; the Naamite clan from Naaman.

41 These were the Benjaminite clans numbered by their registered men: 45,600.

42 These were Dan's descendants by their clans: the Shuhamite clan from Shuham. These were the clans of Dan by their clans.

43 All the Shuhamite clans [numbered] by their registered men were 64,400.

44 Asher's descendants by their clans: the Imnite clan from Imnah; the Ishvite clan from Ishvi; the Beriite clan from Beriah.

45 From Beriah's descendants: the Heberite clan from Heber; the Malchielite clan from Malchiel.

46 And the name of Asher's daughter was Serah.

47 These were the Asherite clans [numbered] by their registered men: 53,400.

48 Naphtali's descendants by their clans: the Jahzeelite clan from Jahzeel; the Gunite clan from Guni;

49 the Jezerite clan from Jezer; the Shillemite clan from Shillem.

50 These were the Naphtali clans numbered by their registered men: 45,400.

51 These registered Israelite men numbered 601,730.

52 The Lord spoke to Moses,

53 "The land is to be divided among them as an inheritance based on the number of names.

54 Increase the inheritance for a large [tribe], and decrease it for a small one. Each is to be given its inheritance according to those who were registered in it.

55 The land must be divided by lot; they will receive an inheritance according to the names of their ancestral tribes.

56 Each inheritance will be divided by lot among the larger and smaller [tribes]."

57 These were the Levites registered by their clans: the Gershonite clan from Gershon; the Kohathite clan from Kohath; the Merarite clan from Merari.

58 These were the Levite family groups: the Libnite clan, the Hebronite clan, the Mahlite clan, the Mushite clan, and the Korahite clan. Kohath was the ancestor of Amram.

59 The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, a descendant of Levi, born to Levi in Egypt. She bore to Amram: Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam.

60 Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar were born to Aaron,

61 but Nadab and Abihu died when they presented unauthorized fire before the Lord.

62 Those registered were 23,000, every male one month old or more; they were not registered among the [other] Israelites, because no inheritance was given to them among the Israelites.

63 These were the ones registered by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they registered the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan [across from] Jericho.

64 But among them there was not one of those who had been registered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they registered the Israelites in the Wilderness of Sinai.

65 For the Lord had said to them that they would all die in the wilderness. None of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

Numbers 27

1 The daughters of Zelophehad approached; [Zelophehad was the] son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh from the clans of Manasseh, the son of Joseph. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

2 They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the entire community at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said,

3 "Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among Korah's followers, who gathered together against the Lord. Instead, he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons.

4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan? Since he had no son, give us property among our father's brothers."

5 Moses brought their case before the Lord,

6 and the Lord answered him,

7 "What Zelophehad's daughters say is correct. You are to give them hereditary property among their father's brothers and transfer their father's inheritance to them.

8 Tell the Israelites: When a man dies without having a son, transfer his inheritance to his daughter.

9 If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers.

10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers.

11 If his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative of his clan, and he will take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the Israelites as the Lord commanded Moses."

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go up this mountain of the Abarim [range] and see the land that I have given the Israelites.

13 After you have seen it, you will also be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was.

14 When the community quarreled in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you rebelled against My command to show My holiness in their sight at the waters." Those were the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.

15 So Moses appealed to the Lord,

16 "May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the community

17 who will go out before them and come back in before them, and who will bring them out and bring them in, so that the Lord's community won't be like sheep without a shepherd."

18 The Lord replied to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a man who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him.

19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole community, and commission him in their sight.

20 Confer some of your authority on him so that the entire Israelite community will obey [him].

21 He will stand before Eleazar who will consult the Lord for him with the decision of the Urim. He and all the Israelites with him, even the entire community, will go out and come back in at his command."

22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua, had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire community,

23 laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as the Lord had spoken through Moses.

Song of Songs 6:4-13

4 You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling, lovely as Jerusalem, awe-inspiring as an army with banners.

5 Turn your eyes away from me, for they captivate me. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down from Gilead.

6 Your teeth are like a flock of ewes coming up from washing, each one having a twin, and not one missing.

7 Behind your veil, your brow is like a slice of pomegranate.

8 There are 60 queens and 80 concubines and young women without number.

9 But my dove, my virtuous one, is unique; she is the favorite of her mother, perfect to the one who gave her birth. Women see her and declare her fortunate; queens and concubines also, and they sing her praises:

10 Who is thiswho shines like the dawn- as beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awe-inspiring as an army with banners?

11 I came down to the walnut grove to see the blossoms of the valley, to see if the vines were budding and the pomegranates blooming.

12 Before I knew it, my desire put me [among] the chariots of my noble people.

13 Come back, come back, Shulammite! Come back, come back, that we may look at you! Why are you looking at the Shulammite, as you [look] at the dance of the two camps?

Song of Songs 7

1 How beautiful are your sandaled feet, princess! The curves of your thighs are like jewelry, the handiwork of a master.

2 Your navel is a rounded bowl; it never lacks mixed wine. Your waist is a mound of wheat surrounded by lilies.

3 Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle.

4 Your neck is like a tower of ivory, your eyes like pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus.

5 Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, the hair of your head like purple cloth- a king could be held captive in your tresses.

6 How beautiful you are and how pleasant, [my] love, with such delights!

7 Your stature is like a palm tree; your breasts are clusters [of fruit].

8 I said, "I will climb the palm tree and take hold of its fruit." May your breasts be like clusters of grapes, and the fragrance of your breath like apricots.

9 Your mouth is like fine wine- flowing smoothly for my love gliding past my lips and teeth!

10 I belong to my love, and his desire is for me.

11 Come, my love, let's go to the field; let's spend the night among the henna blossoms.

12 Let's go early to the vineyards; let's see if the vine has budded, if the blossom has opened, if the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love.

13 The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our doors is every delicacy- new as well as old. I have treasured them up for you, my love.

Song of Songs 8:1-4

1 If only I could treat you like my brother, one who nursed at my mother's breasts, I would find you in public and kiss you, and no one would scorn me.

2 I would lead you, I would take you, to the house of my mother who taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drink from my pomegranate juice.

3 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me.

4 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you: do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time.