NUMBERS 35

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Cities for the Levites  35:1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, 2 “Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to live in; and you shall give to the Levites pasture lands around the cities. 3 The cities shall be theirs to live in; and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle and for their herds and for all their beasts.
    4 “The pasture lands of the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits around. 5 You shall also measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, with the city in the center. This shall become theirs as pasture lands for the cities.
Cities of Refuge6 The cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee to; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. 7 All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, together with their pasture lands. 8 As for the cities which you shall give from the possession of the sons of Israel, you shall take more from the larger and you shall take less from the smaller; each shall give some of his cities to the Levites in proportion to his possession which he inherits.”
    9 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, that the manslayer who has killed any person unintentionally may flee there. 12 The cities shall be to you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands before the congregation for trial. 13 The cities which you are to give shall be your six cities of refuge. 14 You shall give three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan; they are to be cities of refuge. 15 These six cities shall be for refuge for the sons of Israel, and for the alien and for the sojourner among them; that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.
    16 ‘But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 17 If he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which he will die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 18 Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he might die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 19 The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him. 20 If he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him lying in wait and as a result he died, 21 or if he struck him down with his hand in enmity, and as a result he died, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death, he is a murderer; the blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
    22 ‘But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or threw something at him without lying in wait, 23 or with any deadly object of stone, and without seeing it dropped on him so that he died, while he was not his enemy nor seeking his injury, 24 then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the blood avenger according to these ordinances. 25 The congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he fled; and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the manslayer at any time goes beyond the border of his city of refuge to which he may flee, 27 and the blood avenger finds him outside the border of his city of refuge, and the blood avenger kills the manslayer, he will not be guilty of blood 28 because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the manslayer shall return to the land of his possession.
    29 ‘These things shall be for a statutory ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
    30 ‘If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death at the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 31 Moreover, you shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death. 32 You shall not take ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to live in the land before the death of the priest. 33 So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. 34 You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.’”

NUMBERS 36

« Numbers 35 | Numbers 36 | Deuteronomy 1 »

Inheritance by Marriage  36:1 And the heads of the fathers’ households of the family of the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the leaders, the heads of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, 2 and they said, “The LORD commanded my lord to give the land by lot to the sons of Israel as an inheritance, and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. 3 But if they marry one of the sons of the other tribes of the sons of Israel, their inheritance will be withdrawn from the inheritance of our fathers and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong; thus it will be withdrawn from our allotted inheritance. 4 When the jubilee of the sons of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong; so their inheritance will be withdrawn from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.”
    5 Then Moses commanded the sons of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, “The tribe of the sons of Joseph are right in their statements. 6 This is what the LORD has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them marry whom they wish; only they must marry within the family of the tribe of their father.’ 7 Thus no inheritance of the sons of Israel shall be transferred from tribe to tribe, for the sons of Israel shall each hold to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8 Every daughter who comes into possession of an inheritance of any tribe of the sons of Israel shall be wife to one of the family of the tribe of her father, so that the sons of Israel each may possess the inheritance of his fathers. 9 Thus no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another tribe, for the tribes of the sons of Israel shall each hold to his own inheritance.”
    10 Just as the LORD had commanded Moses, so the daughters of Zelophehad did: 11 Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad married their uncles’ sons. 12 They married those from the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained with the tribe of the family of their father.
    13 These are the commandments and the ordinances which the LORD commanded to the sons of Israel through Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho.

PROVERBS 14

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Contrast the Upright and the Wicked14:1 The wise woman builds her house,

But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.

2 He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD,

But he who is devious in his ways despises Him.

3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,

But the lips of the wise will protect them.

4 Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,

But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.

5 A trustworthy witness will not lie,

But a false witness utters lies.

6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,

But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding.

7 Leave the presence of a fool,

Or you will not discern words of knowledge.

8 The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way,

But the foolishness of fools is deceit.

9 Fools mock at sin,

But among the upright there is good will.

10 The heart knows its own bitterness,

And a stranger does not share its joy.

11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,

But the tent of the upright will flourish.

12 There is a way which seems right to a man,

But its end is the way of death.

13 Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,

And the end of joy may be grief.

14 The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways,

But a good man will be satisfied with his.

15 The naive believes everything,

But the sensible man considers his steps.

16 A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil,

But a fool is arrogant and careless.

17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,

And a man of evil devices is hated.

18 The naive inherit foolishness,

But the sensible are crowned with knowledge.

19 The evil will bow down before the good,

And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20 The poor is hated even by his neighbor,

But those who love the rich are many.

21 He who despises his neighbor sins,

But happy is he who is gracious to the poor.

22 Will they not go astray who devise evil?

But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.

23 In all labor there is profit,

But mere talk leads only to poverty.

24 The crown of the wise is their riches,

But the folly of fools is foolishness.

25 A truthful witness saves lives,

But he who utters lies is treacherous.

26 In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,

And his children will have refuge.

27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,

That one may avoid the snares of death.

28 In a multitude of people is a king’s glory,

But in the dearth of people is a prince’s ruin.

29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding,

But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.

30 A tranquil heart is life to the body,

But passion is rottenness to the bones.

31 He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker,

But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.

32 The wicked is thrust down by his wrongdoing,

But the righteous has a refuge when he dies.

33 Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,

But in the hearts of fools it is made known.

34 Righteousness exalts a nation,

But sin is a disgrace to any people.

35 The king’s favor is toward a servant who acts wisely,

But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.

PSALM 32

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Blessedness of Forgiveness and of Trust in God.A Psalm of David. A Maskil.
32:1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,

Whose sin is covered!

2 How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,

And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away

Through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;

My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.

5 I acknowledged my sin to You,

And my iniquity I did not hide;

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”;

And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.

6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;

Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.

7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;

You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;

I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

9 Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,

Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,

Otherwise they will not come near to you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,

But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him.

11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones;

And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

PSALM 33

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Praise to the Creator and Preserver.33:1 Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming to the upright.

2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;

Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.

3 Sing to Him a new song;

Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

4 For the word of the LORD is upright,

And all His work is done in faithfulness.

5 He loves righteousness and justice;

The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.

6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,

And by the breath of His mouth all their host.

7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;

He lays up the deeps in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;

Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

9 For He spoke, and it was done;

He commanded, and it stood fast.

10 The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations;

He frustrates the plans of the peoples.

11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever,

The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,

The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.

13 The LORD looks from heaven;

He sees all the sons of men;

14 From His dwelling place He looks out

On all the inhabitants of the earth,

15 He who fashions the hearts of them all,

He who understands all their works.

16 The king is not saved by a mighty army;

A warrior is not delivered by great strength.

17 A horse is a false hope for victory;

Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope for His lovingkindness,

19 To deliver their soul from death

And to keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the LORD;

He is our help and our shield.

21 For our heart rejoices in Him,

Because we trust in His holy name.

22 Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us,

According as we have hoped in You.