Mar 23rd

Indeed they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel.

And Yahweh said to Moses, “Take all who are the heads of the people and execute them in broad daylight before Yahweh, so that the burning anger of Yahweh may turn away from Israel.”

So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.”

Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought near to his brothers a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

And Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, so he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand,

and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. Then the plague on the sons of Israel was checked.

So those who died by the plague were 24,000.

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the sons of Israel in My jealousy.

Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give him My covenant of peace;

and it shall be for him and his seed after him, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.’ ”

Now the name of the slain man of Israel who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s household among the Simeonites.

And the name of the Midianite woman, who was struck down, was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was head of the people of a father’s household in Midian.

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

“Be hostile to the Midianites and strike them,

for they have been hostile to you with their deceptive tricks, with which they have deceived you in the affair of Peor and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister who was slain on the day of the plague because of Peor.”

Then it happened after the plague, that Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,

“Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ households, whoever is able to go out to war in Israel.”

So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,

“Take a census of the people from twenty years old and upward, as Yahweh has commanded Moses.”

Now the sons of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt were:

Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, the sons of Reuben:

of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites;

of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;

of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites;

of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.

These are the families of the Reubenites, and those who were numbered of them were 43,730.

And the son of Pallu: Eliab.

And the sons of Eliab:

Nemuel and Dathan and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram who were called upon by the congregation, who contended against Moses and against Aaron in the congregation of Korah, when they contended against Yahweh,

and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up along with Korah, when that congregation died, when the fire consumed 250 men, so that they became a warning.

The sons of Korah, however, did not die.

¶The sons of Simeon according to their families:

of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites;

of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites;

of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites;

of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites;

of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.

These are the families of the Simeonites, 22,200.

¶The sons of Gad according to their families:

of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites;

of Haggi, the family of the Haggites;

of Shuni, the family of the Shunites;

of Ozni, the family of the Oznites;

of Eri, the family of the Erites;

of Arod, the family of the Arodites;

of Areli, the family of the Arelites.

These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them, 40,500.

¶The sons of Judah were Er and Onan, but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.

And the sons of Judah according to their families were:

of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites;

of Perez, the family of the Perezites;

of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.

And the sons of Perez were:

of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites;

of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.

These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them, 76,500.

¶The sons of Issachar according to their families:

of Tola, the family of the Tolaites;

of Puvah, the family of the Punites;

of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites;

of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.

These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them, 64,300.

¶The sons of Zebulun according to their families:

of Sered, the family of the Seredites;

of Elon, the family of the Elonites;

of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.

These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them, 60,500.

¶The sons of Joseph according to their families: Manasseh and Ephraim.

The sons of Manasseh:

of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir became the father of Gilead:

of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.

These are the sons of Gilead:

of Iezer, the family of the Iezerites;

of Helek, the family of the Helekites;

and of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites;

and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;

and of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites;

and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.

Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but only daughters;

and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.

These are the families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were 52,700.

¶These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families:

of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites;

of Becher, the family of the Becherites;

of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.

And these are the sons of Shuthelah:

of Eran, the family of the Eranites.

And when the days for their cleansing according to the Law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”),

and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the comfort of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to carry out for Him the custom of the Law,

then he took Him into his arms and blessed God, and said,

And His father and mother were marveling at the things which were being said about Him.

And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—

and a sword will pierce through your own soul as well—that the thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin,

and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.

And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

And when they had finished everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth.

Now the Child continued to grow and become strong, being filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

And His parents would go to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.

And when He became twelve years old, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast;

and as they were returning, after finishing the days of the Feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents did not know.

But supposing Him to be in the caravan, they went a day’s journey, and they began searching for Him among their relatives and acquaintances.

When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem searching for Him.

And it happened that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.

And all who heard Him were astounded at His understanding and His answers.

When they saw Him, they were astonished, and His mother said to Him, “Child, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously searching for You.”

And He said to them, “Why is it that you were searching for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”

But they did not understand the statement which He had spoken to them.

And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them, and His mother was treasuring all these things in her heart.