151 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 2 'Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, When ye come in unto the land of your dwellings, which I am giving to you, 3 then ye have prepared a fire-offering to Jehovah, a burnt-offering, or a sacrifice, at separating a vow or free-will-offering, or in your appointed things, to make a sweet fragrance to Jehovah, out of the herd, or out of the flock. 4 'And he who is bringing near his offering to Jehovah hath brought near a present of flour, a tenth deal, mixed with a fourth of the hin of oil; 5 and wine for a libation, a fourth of the hin thou dost prepare for the burnt-offering or for a sacrifice, for the one lamb; 6 or for a ram thou dost prepare a present of flour, two-tenth deals, mixed with oil, a third of the hin; 7 and wine for a libation, a third part of the hin, thou dost bring near—a sweet fragrance to Jehovah. 8 'And when thou makest a son of the herd a burnt-offering or a sacrifice, at separating a vow or peace-offerings to Jehovah, 9 then he hath brought near for the son of the herd a present of flour, three-tenth deals, mixed with oil, a half of the hin; 10 and wine thou bringest near for a libation, a half of the hin—a fire-offering of sweet fragrance to Jehovah; 11 thus it is done for the one ox, or for the one ram, or for a lamb of the sheep or of the goats. 12 'According to the number that ye prepare, so ye do to each, according to their number; 13 every native doth thus with these, at bringing near a fire-offering of sweet fragrance to Jehovah; 14 and when a sojourner sojourneth with you, or whoso 'is' in your midst to your generations, and he hath made a fire-offering of sweet fragrance to Jehovah, as ye do so he doth. 15 'One statute is for you of the congregation and for the sojourner who is sojourning, a statute age-during to your generations: as ye 'are' so is the sojourner before Jehovah; 16 one law and one ordinance is to you and to the sojourner who is sojourning with you.' 17 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 18 'Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, In your coming in unto the land whither I am bringing you in, 19 then it hath been, in your eating of the bread of the land, ye heave up a heave-offering to Jehovah; 20 the beginning of your dough a cake ye heave up—a heave-offering; as the heave-offering of a threshing-floor, so ye do heave it. 21 Of the beginning of your dough ye do give to Jehovah a heave-offering—to your generations.
22 'And when ye err, and do not all these commands which Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses, 23 the whole that Jehovah hath charged upon you by the hand of Moses, from the day that Jehovah hath commanded, and henceforth, to your generations, 24 then it hath been, if from the eyes of the company it hath been done in ignorance, that all the company have prepared one bullock, a son of the herd, for a burnt-offering, for sweet fragrance to Jehovah, and its present, and its libation, according to the ordinance, and one kid of the goats for a sin-offering. 25 'And the priest hath made atonement for all the company of the sons of Israel, and it hath been forgiven them, for it 'is' ignorance, and they—they have brought in their offering, a fire-offering to Jehovah, even their sin-offering before Jehovah for their ignorance; 26 and it hath been forgiven to all the company of the sons of Israel, and to the sojourner who is sojourning in their midst; for to all the company 'it is done' in ignorance. 27 'And if one person sin in ignorance, then he hath brought near a she-goat, daughter of a year, for a sin-offering; 28 and the priest hath made atonement for the person who is erring, in his sinning in ignorance before Jehovah, by making atonement for him, and it hath been forgiven him; 29 for the native among the sons of Israel, and for the sojourner who is sojourning in their midst—one law is to you, for him who is doing 'anything' through ignorance.
30 'And the person who doth 'aught' with a high hand—of the native or of the sojourner—Jehovah he is reviling, and that person hath been cut off from the midst of his people; 31 because the word of Jehovah he despised, and His command hath broken—that person is certainly cut off; his iniquity 'is' on him.'
32 And the sons of Israel are in the wilderness, and they find a man gathering wood on the sabbath-day, 33 and those finding him gathering wood bring him near unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto all the company, 34 and they place him in ward, for it 'is' not explained what is 'to be' done to him. 35 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'The man is certainly put to death, all the company stoning him with stones, at the outside of the camp.' 36 And all the company bring him out unto the outside of the camp, and stone him with stones, and he dieth, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.
37 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 38 'Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, and they have made for themselves fringes on the skirts of their garments, to their generations, and they have put on the fringe of the skirt a ribbon of blue, 39 and it hath been to you for a fringe, and ye have seen it, and have remembered all the commands of Jehovah, and have done them, and ye search not after your heart, and after your eyes, after which ye are going a-whoring; 40 so that ye remember and have done all My commands, and ye have been holy to your God; 41 I 'am' Jehovah your God, who hath brought you out from the land of Egypt to become your God; I, Jehovah, 'am' your God.'
161 And Korah, son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, taketh both Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, 2 and they rise up before Moses, with men of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty, princes of the company, called of the convention, men of name, 3 and they are assembled against Moses and against Aaron, and say unto them, 'Enough of you! for all the company—all of them 'are' holy, and in their midst 'is' Jehovah; and wherefore do ye lift yourselves up above the assembly of Jehovah?' 4 And Moses heareth, and falleth on his face, 5 and he speaketh unto Korah, and unto all his company, saying, 'Morning!—and Jehovah is knowing those who are his, and him who is holy, and hath brought near unto Him; even him whom He doth fix on He bringeth near unto Him. 6 This do: take to yourselves censers, Korah, and all his company, 7 and put in them fire, and put on them perfume, before Jehovah to-morrow, and it hath been, the man whom Jehovah chooseth, he 'is' the holy one;—enough of you, sons of Levi.' 8 And Moses saith unto Korah, 'Hear ye, I pray you, sons of Levi; 9 is it little to you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the company of Israel to bring you near unto Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of Jehovah, and to stand before the company to serve them?— 10 yea, He doth bring thee near, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee—and ye have sought also the priesthood! 11 Therefore, thou and all thy company who are met 'are' against Jehovah; and Aaron, what 'is' he, that ye murmur against him?'
12 And Moses sendeth to call for Dathan and for Abiram sons of Eliab, and they say, 'We do not come up; 13 is it little that thou hast brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to put us to death in a wilderness that thou also certainly makest thyself prince over us? 14 Yea, unto a land flowing with milk and honey thou hast not brought us in, nor dost thou give to us an inheritance of field and vineyard; the eyes of these men dost thou pick out? we do not come up.' 15 And it is very displeasing to Moses, and he saith unto Jehovah, 'Turn not Thou unto their present; not one ass from them have I taken, nor have I afflicted one of them.' 16 And Moses saith unto Korah, 'Thou and all thy company, be ye before Jehovah, thou, and they, and Aaron, to-morrow; 17 and take ye each his censer, and ye have put on them perfume, and brought near before Jehovah, each his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; and thou and Aaron, each his censer.' 18 And they take each his censer, and put on them fire, and lay on them perfume, and they stand at the opening of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron. 19 And Korah assembleth against them all the company unto the opening of the tent of meeting, and the honour of Jehovah is seen by all the company. 20 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 21 'Be ye separated from the midst of this company, and I consume them in a moment;' 22 and they fall on their faces, and say, 'God, God of the spirits of all flesh—the one man sinneth, and against all the company Thou art wroth!'
23 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 24 'Speak unto the company, saying, Go ye up from round about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.' 25 And Moses riseth, and goeth unto Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel go after him, 26 and he speaketh unto the company, saying, 'Turn aside, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and come not against anything that they have, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.' 27 And they go up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, from round about, and Dathan, and Abiram have come out, standing at the opening of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their infants. 28 And Moses saith, 'By this ye do know that Jehovah hath sent me to do all these works, that 'they are' not from my own heart; 29 if according to the death of all men these die—or the charge of all men is charged upon them—Jehovah hath not sent me; 30 and if a strange thing Jehovah do, and the ground hath opened her mouth and swallowed them, and all that they have, and they have gone down alive to Sheol—then ye have known that these men have despised Jehovah.' 31 And it cometh to pass at his finishing speaking all these words, that the ground which 'is' under them cleaveth, 32 and the earth openeth her mouth, and swalloweth them, and their houses, and all the men who 'are' for Korah, and all the goods, 33 and they go down, they, and all that they have, alive to Sheol, and the earth closeth over them, and they perish from the midst of the assembly; 34 and all Israel who 'are' round about them have fled at their voice, for they said, 'Lest the earth swallow us;'
35 and fire hath come out from Jehovah, and consumeth the two hundred and fifty men bringing near the perfume. 36 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 37 'Say unto Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, and he lifteth up the censers from the midst of the burning, and the fire scatter thou yonder, for they have been hallowed, 38 'even' the censers of these sinners against their own souls; and they have made them spread-out plates, a covering for the altar, for they have brought them near before Jehovah, and they are hallowed; and they are become a sign to the sons of Israel.' 39 And Eleazar the priest taketh the brazen censers which they who are burnt had brought near, and they spread them out, a covering for the altar— 40 a memorial to the sons of Israel, so that a stranger who is not of the seed of Aaron doth not draw near to make a perfume before Jehovah, and is not as Korah, and as his company,—as Jehovah hath spoken by the hand of Moses to him.
41 And all the company of the sons of Israel murmur, on the morrow, against Moses and against Aaron, saying, 'Ye—ye have put to death the people of Jehovah.' 42 And it cometh to pass, in the company being assembled against Moses and against Aaron, that they turn towards the tent of meeting, and lo, the cloud hath covered it, and the honour of Jehovah is seen; 43 and Moses cometh—Aaron also—unto the front of the tent of meeting. 44 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 45 'Get you up from the midst of this company, and I consume them in a moment;' and they fall on their faces, 46 and Moses saith unto Aaron, 'Take the censer, and put on it fire from off the altar, and place perfume, and go, hasten unto the company, and make atonement for them, for the wrath hath gone out from the presence of Jehovah—the plague hath begun.' 47 And Aaron taketh as Moses hath spoken, and runneth unto the midst of the assembly, and lo, the plague hath begun among the people; and he giveth the perfume, and maketh atonement for the people, 48 and standeth between the dead and the living, and the plague is restrained; 49 and those who die by the plague are fourteen thousand and seven hundred, apart from those who die for the matter of Korah; 50 and Aaron turneth back unto Moses, unto the opening of the tent of meeting, and the plague hath been restrained.
61 And he went forth thence, and came to his own country, and his disciples do follow him, 2 and sabbath having come, he began in the synagogue to teach, and many hearing were astonished, saying, 'Whence hath this one these things? and what the wisdom that was given to him, that also such mighty works through his hands are done? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?'—and they were being stumbled at him. 4 And Jesus said to them—'A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his kindred, and in his own house;' 5 and he was not able there any mighty work to do, except on a few infirm people having put hands he did heal 'them'; 6 and he wondered because of their unbelief. And he was going round the villages, in a circle, teaching,
7 and he doth call near the twelve, and he began to send them forth two by two, and he was giving them power over the unclean spirits, 8 and he commanded them that they may take nothing for the way, except a staff only—no scrip, no bread, no brass in the girdle, 9 but having been shod with sandals, and ye may not put on two coats. 10 And he said to them, 'Whenever ye may enter into a house, there remain till ye may depart thence, 11 and as many as may not receive you, nor hear you, going out thence, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony to them; verily I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom or Gomorrah in a day of judgment than for that city.' 12 And having gone forth they were preaching that 'men' might reform, 13 and many demons they were casting out, and they were anointing with oil many infirm, and they were healing 'them'.
14 And the king Herod heard, (for his name became public,) and he said—'John the Baptist out of the dead was raised, and because of this the mighty powers are working in him.' 15 Others said—'It is Elijah,' and others said—'It is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.' 16 And Herod having heard, said—'He whom I did behead—John—this is he; he was raised out of the dead.' 17 For Herod himself, having sent forth, did lay hold on John, and bound him in the prison, because of Herodias the wife of Philip his brother, because he married her, 18 for John said to Herod—'It is not lawful to thee to have the wife of thy brother;' 19 and Herodias was having a quarrel with him, and was willing to kill him, and was not able, 20 for Herod was fearing John, knowing him a man righteous and holy, and was keeping watch over him, and having heard him, was doing many things, and hearing him gladly. 21 And a seasonable day having come, when Herod on his birthday was making a supper to his great men, and to the chiefs of thousands, and to the first men of Galilee, 22 and the daughter of that Herodias having come in, and having danced, and having pleased Herod and those reclining (at meat) with him, the king said to the damsel, 'Ask of me whatever thou wilt, and I will give to thee,' 23 and he sware to her—'Whatever thou mayest ask me, I will give to thee—unto the half of my kingdom.' 24 And she, having gone forth, said to her mother, 'What shall I ask for myself?' and she said, 'The head of John the Baptist;' 25 and having come in immediately with haste unto the king, she asked, saying, 'I will that thou mayest give me presently, upon a plate, the head of John the Baptist.' 26 And the king—made very sorrowful—because of the oaths and of those reclining (at meat) with him, would not put her away, 27 and immediately the king having sent a guardsman, did command his head to be brought, 28 and he having gone, beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head upon a plate, and did give it to the damsel, and the damsel did give it to her mother; 29 and having heard, his disciples came and took up his corpse, and laid it in the tomb.
(Read Mark 6:1-6)
Our Lord's countrymen tried to prejudice the minds of people against him. Is not this the carpenter? Our Lord Jesus probably had worked in that business with his father. He thus put honour upon mechanics, and encouraged all persons who eat by the labour of their hands. It becomes the followers of Christ to content themselves with the satisfaction of doing good, although they are denied the praise of it. How much did these Nazarenes lose by obstinate prejudices against Jesus! May Divine grace deliver us from that unbelief, which renders Christ a savour of death, rather than of life to the soul. Let us, like our Master, go and teach cottages and peasants the way of salvation.
(Read Mark 6:7-13)
Though the apostles were conscious to themselves of great weakness, and expected no wordly advantage, yet, in obedience to their Master, and in dependence upon his strength, they went out. They did not amuse people with curious matters, but told them they must repent of their sins, and turn to God. The servants of Christ may hope to turn many from darkness unto God, and to heal souls by the power of the Holy Ghost.
(Read Mark 6:14-29)
Herod feared John while he lived, and feared him still more when he was dead. Herod did many of those things which John in his preaching taught him; but it is not enough to do many things, we must have respect to all the commandments. Herod respected John, till he touched him in his Herodias. Thus many love good preaching, if it keep far away from their beloved sin. But it is better that sinners persecute ministers now for faithfulness, than curse them eternally for unfaithfulness. The ways of God are unsearchable; but we may be sure he never can be at a loss to repay his servants for what they endure or lose for his sake. Death could not come so as to surprise this holy man; and the triumph of the wicked was short.
