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

1 The LORD spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai. It was the first month of the second year after the people came out of Egypt. He said,

2 "Tell the people of Israel to celebrate the Passover Feast. Have them do it at the appointed time.

3 Celebrate it when the sun goes down on the 14th day of this month. Obey all of its rules and laws."

4 So Moses told the people of Israel to celebrate the Passover Feast.

5 They did it in the Desert of Sinai. They celebrated it when the sun went down on the 14th day of the first month. The people of Israel did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

6 But some of them couldn't celebrate the Passover Feast on that day. That's because they weren't "clean." They had gone near a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron that same day.

7 They said to Moses, "We went near a dead body. So we aren't 'clean.' But why should we be kept from bringing the LORD's offering at the appointed time? Why shouldn't we bring it along with the other people of Israel?"

8 Moses answered them, "Wait until I find out what the LORD wants you to do."

9 Then the LORD spoke to Moses. He said,

10 "Tell the people of Israel, 'Suppose any of you or your children are not "clean" because you have gone near a dead body. Or suppose you are away on a journey. You can still celebrate the LORD's Passover.

11 " 'I want you to celebrate it on the 14th day of the second month. You have to do it when the sun goes down. You have to eat the lamb together with bread that is made without yeast. Eat it with bitter plants.

12 Do not leave any of it until morning. Do not break any of its bones. When you celebrate the Passover Feast, follow all of the rules.

13 " 'But suppose a man is "clean." He is not on a journey. And he fails to celebrate the Passover Feast. Then he must be cut off from the community of Israel. He did not bring the LORD's offering at the appointed time. He will be punished for his sin.

14 " 'What if there is an outsider living among you? And what if he wants to celebrate the LORD's Passover? Then he must obey its rules and laws. You must have the same laws for outsiders as you do for the people of Israel.' "

15 The holy tent was set up. It was the tent where the tablets of the covenant were kept. On the day it was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening until morning the cloud that was above the tent looked like fire.

16 That's what continued to happen. The cloud covered the tent. At night the cloud looked like fire.

17 When the cloud lifted from its place above the tent, the people of Israel started out. Where the cloud settled, the people of Israel camped.

18 When the LORD gave the command, the people of Israel started out. And when he gave the command, they camped. As long as the cloud stayed above the holy tent, they remained in camp.

19 Sometimes the cloud remained above the tent for a long time. Then the people of Israel obeyed the LORD's order. They didn't start out.

20 Sometimes the cloud was above the tent for only a few days. When the LORD would give the command, they would camp. Then when he would give the command, they would start out.

21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening until morning. When it lifted in the morning, they started out. It didn't matter whether it was day or night. When the cloud lifted, the people started out.

22 It didn't matter whether the cloud stayed above the holy tent for two days or a month or a year. The people of Israel would remain in camp. They wouldn't start out. But when the cloud lifted, they would start out.

23 When the LORD gave the command, they camped. And when he gave the command, they started out. They obeyed the LORD's order. They obeyed him, just as he had commanded them through Moses.

1 The LORD spoke to Moses. He said,

2 "Make two trumpets out of hammered silver. Blow them when you want the community to gather together. And blow them when you want the camps to start out.

3 When both trumpets are blown, the whole community must gather in front of you. They must come to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

4 Suppose only one trumpet is blown. Then the leaders must gather in front of you. They are the heads of the tribes of Israel.

5 When a trumpet blast is blown, the tribes that are camped on the east side must start out.

6 When the second blast is blown, the camps on the south side must start out. The blast will tell them when to start.

7 Blow the trumpets to gather the people together. But do not use the same kind of blast.

8 "The sons of Aaron, the priests, must blow the trumpets. That is a law for you and your children after you for all time to come.

9 Suppose you go into battle in your own land. And suppose it is against an enemy who is beating you down. Then blow a blast on the trumpets. If you do, I will remember you. I will save you from your enemies. I am the LORD your God.

10 You must also blow the trumpets when you are happy. Blow them at your appointed feasts. Blow them at your New Moon Feasts. Blow them when you sacrifice your burnt offerings. Blow them when you sacrifice your friendship offerings. They will remind me of you. I am the LORD your God."

11 It was the 20th day of the second month of the second year. On that day the cloud began to move. It went up from above the holy tent where the tablets of the covenant were kept.

12 Then the people of Israel started out from the Desert of Sinai. They traveled from place to place. They kept going until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran.

13 The first time they started out, the LORD commanded Moses to tell them to do it. And they did it.

14 The companies of the camp of Judah went first. They went out under their flag. Nahshon was their commander. He was the son of Amminadab.

15 Nethanel was over the company of the tribe of Issachar. Nethanel was the son of Zuar.

16 Eliab was over the company of the tribe of Zebulun. Eliab was the son of Helon.

17 The holy tent was taken down. The men of Gershon and Merari started out. They carried the tent.

18 The companies of the camp of Reuben went next. They went out under their flag. Elizur was their commander. He was the son of Shedeur.

19 Shelumiel was over the company of the tribe of Simeon. Shelumiel was the son of Zurishaddai.

20 Eliasaph was over the company of the tribe of Gad. Eliasaph was the son of Deuel.

21 The men of Kohath started out. They carried the holy things. The holy tent had to be set up before they arrived.

22 The companies of the camp of Ephraim went next. They went out under their flag. Elishama was their commander. He was the son of Ammihud.

23 Gamaliel was over the company of the tribe of Manasseh. Gamaliel was the son of Pedahzur.

24 Abidan was over the company of the tribe of Benjamin. Abidan was the son of Gideoni.

25 Finally, the companies of the camp of Dan started out. They marched out under their flag. They followed behind all of the other companies and guarded them. Ahiezer was their commander. He was the son of Ammishaddai.

26 Pagiel was over the company of the tribe of Asher. Pagiel was the son of Ocran.

27 Ahira was over the company of the tribe of Naphtali. Ahira was the son of Enan.

28 As the companies of Israel started out, that was the order they marched in.

29 Moses spoke to Hobab, the son of Reuel. Reuel was Moses' father-in-law. Reuel was from Midian. Moses said to Hobab, "We're starting out for the place the LORD promised to us. He said to us, 'I will give it to you.' So come with us. We'll treat you well. The LORD has promised to give good things to Israel."

30 Hobab answered, "No. I can't go. I'm going back to my own land. I'm returning to my own people."

31 But Moses said, "Please don't leave us. You know where we should camp in the desert. You can be our guide.

32 So come with us. The LORD will give us good things. We'll share them with you."

33 So they started out from the mountain of the Lord. They traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of the LORD went in front of them during those three days. It went ahead of them to find a place for them to rest.

34 They started out from the camp by day. And the cloud of the LORD was above them.

35 When the ark started out, Moses said, "Lord, rise up! Let your enemies be scattered. Let them run away from you."

36 When the ark came to rest, Moses said, "Lord, return. Return to the many thousands of people in Israel."

1 The people weren't happy about the hard times they were having. The LORD heard what they were saying. It made him burn with anger. Then the LORD sent fire on them. It blazed out among the people. It burned up some of the outer edges of the camp.

2 The people cried out to Moses. Then he prayed to the Lord. And the fire died down.

3 So that place was named Taberah. That's because fire from the LORD had blazed out among them there.

4 Some people who were with them began to long for other food. Again the people of Israel began to cry out. They said, "We wish we had meat to eat.

5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt. It didn't cost us anything. We also remember the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.

6 But now we've lost all interest in eating. We never see anything but this manna!"

7 The manna was like coriander seeds. It looked like sap from a tree.

8 The people went around gathering it. Then they ground it in a small mill they held in their hands. Or they crushed it in a stone bowl. They cooked it in a pot. Or they made cakes out of it. It tasted like something made with olive oil.

9 When the dew came down on the camp at night, the manna also came down.

10 Moses heard people from every family crying. They were sobbing at the entrances to their tents. The LORD burned with hot anger. So Moses became troubled.

11 He asked the Lord, "Why have you brought this trouble on me? Why aren't you pleased with me? Why have you loaded me down with the troubles of all of these people?

12 "Am I like a mother to them? Are they my children? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms? Do I have to carry them the way a nurse carries a baby? Do I have to carry them to the land you promised? You took an oath and promised the land to their people of long ago.

13 "Where can I get meat for all of these people? They keep crying out to me. They say, 'Give us meat to eat!'

14 I can't carry all of these people by myself. The load is too heavy for me.

15 "Is this how you are going to treat me? If you are pleased with me, just put me to death right now. Don't let me live if I have to see myself destroyed anyway."

16 The LORD said to Moses, "Bring me 70 of Israel's elders. Bring men that you know are leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting. I want them to stand there with you.

17 I will come down. I will speak with you there. I will take some of my Spirit that is on you. And I will put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the people's load. Then you will not have to carry it alone.

18 "Tell the people, 'Set yourselves apart for tomorrow. At that time you will eat meat. The LORD heard you when you cried out. You said, "We wish we had meat to eat. We were better off in Egypt." " 'Now the LORD will give you meat. And you will eat it.

19 You will not eat it for just one or two days. You will not eat it for just five, ten or 20 days.

20 Instead, you will eat it for a whole month. You will eat it until it comes out of your nose. You will eat it until you hate it. " 'The LORD is among you. But you have turned your back on him. You have cried out while he was listening. You have said, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?" ' "

21 But Moses said, "Here I am among 600,000 men on the march. And you say, 'I will give them meat to eat for a whole month'!

22 Would they have enough if flocks and herds were killed for them? Would they have enough even if all of the fish in the ocean were caught for them?"

23 The LORD answered Moses, "Am I not strong enough? Now you will see whether what I say will come true for you."

24 So Moses went out. He told the people what the LORD had said. He gathered 70 of their elders together. He had them stand around the Tent of Meeting.

25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud. He spoke with Moses. He took some of his Spirit that was on Moses. And he put the Spirit on the 70 elders. When the Spirit came on them, they prophesied. But they didn't do it again.

26 Two men had remained in the camp. Their names were Eldad and Medad. They were listed among the elders. But they didn't go out to the Tent of Meeting. In spite of that, the Spirit came on them too. So they prophesied in the camp.

27 A young man ran up to Moses. He said, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp."

28 Joshua spoke up. He was the son of Nun. Joshua had been Moses' helper from the time he was young. He said, "Moses! Please stop them!"

29 But Moses replied, "Are you jealous for me? I wish that all of the LORD's people were prophets. And I wish that the LORD would put his Spirit on them."

30 Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

31 The LORD sent out a wind. It drove quail in from the Red Sea. It brought them down all around the camp. They were about three feet above the ground. They could be seen in every direction as far as a person could walk in a day.

32 The people went out all day and gathered quail. They gathered them all night and all the next day. No one gathered less than 60 bushels. Then they spread the quail out all around the camp.

33 But while the meat was still in their mouths, the LORD acted. Before the people could swallow it, his anger burned against them. He struck them with a terrible plague.

34 So the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah. That's where the bodies of the people who had longed for other food were buried.

35 From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth. And they stayed there.

1 They went across the Sea of Galilee to the area of the Gerasenes.

2 Jesus got out of the boat. A man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him.

3 The man lived in the tombs. No one could keep him tied up anymore. Not even a chain could hold him.

4 His hands and feet had often been chained. But he tore the chains apart. And he broke the iron cuffs on his ankles. No one was strong enough to control him.

5 Night and day he screamed among the tombs and in the hills. He cut himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus a long way off, he ran to him. He fell on his knees in front of him.

7 He shouted at the top of his voice, "Jesus, Son of the Most High God, what do you want with me? Promise before God that you won't hurt me!"

8 This was because Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"

9 Then Jesus asked the demon, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied. "There are many of us."

10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

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

12 The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs. Let us go into them."

13 Jesus allowed it. The evil spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs. There were about 2,000 pigs in the herd. The whole herd rushed down the steep bank. They ran into the lake and drowned.

14 Those who were tending the pigs ran off. They told the people in the town and countryside what had happened. The people went out to see for themselves.

15 Then they came to Jesus. They saw the man who had been controlled by many demons. He was sitting there. He was now dressed and thinking clearly. All this made the people afraid.

16 Those who had seen it told them what had happened to the man. They told about the pigs as well.

17 Then the people began to beg Jesus to leave their area.

18 Jesus was getting into the boat. The man who had been controlled by demons begged to go with him.

19 Jesus did not let him. He said, "Go home to your family. Tell them how much the Lord has done for you. Tell them how kind he has been to you."

20 So the man went away. In the area known as the Ten Cities, he began to tell how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.