Daily Bible GNT March 17 Scroll

The Transfiguration
(Mark 9.2-13; Luke 9.28-36)

Matthew 17 Six days later Jesus took with him Peter and the brothers James and John and led them up a high mountain where they were alone. ²As they looked on, a change came over Jesus: his face was shining like the sun, and his clothes were dazzling white. ³Then the three disciples saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. ⁴So Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, "Lord, how good it is that we are here! If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

⁵While he was talking, a shining cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased--listen to him!"

⁶When the disciples heard the voice, they were so terrified that they threw themselves face downward on the ground. ⁷Jesus came to them and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid!" ⁸So they looked up and saw no one there but Jesus.

⁹As they came down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Don't tell anyone about this vision you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from death."

¹⁰Then the disciples asked Jesus, "Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah has to come first?"

¹¹"Elijah is indeed coming first," answered Jesus, "and he will get everything ready. ¹²But I tell you that Elijah has already come and people did not recognize him, but treated him just as they pleased. In the same way they will also mistreat the Son of Man."

¹³Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon
(Mark 9.14-29; Luke 9.37-43a)

¹⁴When they returned to the crowd, a man came to Jesus, knelt before him, ¹⁵and said, "Sir, have mercy on my son! He is an epileptic and has such terrible attacks that he often falls in the fire or into water. ¹⁶I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."

¹⁷Jesus answered, "How unbelieving and wrong you people are! How long must I stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy here to me!" ¹⁸Jesus gave a command to the demon, and it went out of the boy, and at that very moment he was healed.

¹⁹Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked him, "Why couldn't we drive the demon out?"

²⁰"It was because you do not have enough faith," answered Jesus. "I assure you that if you have faith as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this hill, 'Go from here to there!' and it will go. You could do anything!"

Jesus Speaks Again about His Death
(Mark 9.30-32; Luke 9.43b-45)

²²When the disciples all came together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be handed over to those ²³who will kill him; but three days later he will be raised to life."

The disciples became very sad.

Payment of the Temple Tax

²⁴When Jesus and his disciples came to Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked, "Does your teacher pay the Temple tax?"

²⁵"Of course," Peter answered.

When Peter went into the house, Jesus spoke up first, "Simon, what is your opinion? Who pays duties or taxes to the kings of this world? The citizens of the country or the foreigners?"

²⁶"The foreigners," answered Peter.

"Well, then," replied Jesus, "that means that the citizens don't have to pay. ²⁷But we don't want to offend these people. So go to the lake and drop in a line. Pull up the first fish you hook, and in its mouth you will find a coin worth enough for my Temple tax and yours. Take it and pay them our taxes."

Aaron's Sons

Numbers 3 This is the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. ²Aaron had four sons: Nadab, the oldest, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ³They were anointed and ordained as priests, ⁴but Nadab and Abihu were killed when they offered unholy fire to the LORD in the Sinai Desert. They had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during Aaron's lifetime.

The Levites Are Appointed to Serve the Priests

⁵The LORD said to Moses, ⁶"Bring forward the tribe of Levi and appoint them as servants of Aaron the priest. ⁷They shall do the work required for the Tent of my presence and perform duties for the priests and for the whole community. ⁸They shall take charge of all the equipment of the Tent and perform the duties for the rest of the Israelites. ⁹The only responsibility the Levites have is to serve Aaron and his sons. ¹⁰You shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; anyone else who tries to do so shall be put to death."

¹¹The LORD said to Moses, ^12-13"The Levites are now to be mine. When I killed all the first-born of the Egyptians, I consecrated as my own the oldest son of each Israelite family and the first-born of every animal. Now, instead of having the first-born sons of Israel as my own, I have the Levites; they will belong to me. I am the LORD."

The Census of the Levites

¹⁴In the Sinai Desert the LORD commanded Moses ¹⁵to register the Levites by clans and families, enrolling every male a month old or older, ¹⁶and Moses did so. ^17-20Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, who were the ancestors of the clans that bear their names. Gershon had two sons: Libni and Shimei; Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel; and Merari had two sons: Mahli and Mushi. They were the ancestors of the families that bear their names.

²¹The clan of Gershon was composed of the families of Libni and Shimei. ²²The total number of males one month old or older that were enrolled was 7,500. ²³This clan was to camp on the west behind the Tent, ²⁴with Eliasaph son of Lael as chief of the clan. ²⁵They were responsible for the Tent, its inner cover, its outer cover, the curtain for the entrance, ²⁶the curtains for the court which is around the Tent and the altar, and the curtain for the entrance of the court. They were responsible for all the service connected with these items.

²⁷The clan of Kohath was composed of the families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ²⁸The total number of males one month old or older that were enrolled was 8,600. ²⁹This clan was to camp on the south side of the Tent, ³⁰with Elizaphan son of Uzziel as chief of the clan. ³¹They were responsible for the Covenant Box, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils the priests use in the Holy Place, and the curtain at the entrance to the Most Holy Place. They were responsible for all the service connected with these items.

³²The chief of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest. He was in charge of those who carried out the duties in the Holy Place.

³³The clan of Merari was composed of the families of Mahli and Mushi. ³⁴The total number of males one month old or older that were enrolled was 6,200. ³⁵This clan was to camp on the north side of the Tent, with Zuriel son of Abihail as chief of the clan. ³⁶They were assigned responsibility for the frames for the Tent, its bars, posts, bases, and all its fittings. They were responsible for all the service connected with these items. ³⁷They were also responsible for the posts, bases, pegs, and ropes for the outer court.

³⁸Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp in front of the Tent on the east. They were responsible for carrying out the services performed in the Holy Place for the people of Israel. Anyone else who tried to do so was to be put to death. ³⁹The total number of all the Levite males one month old or older that Moses enrolled by clans at the command of the LORD, was 22,000.

The Levites Take the Place of the First-Born Sons

^40-41The LORD said to Moses, "All of Israel's first-born sons belong to me. So register by name every first-born male Israelite, one month old or older. But in place of them I claim all the Levites as mine! I am the LORD! I also claim the livestock of the Levites in place of all the first-born of the livestock." ⁴²Moses obeyed, and registered all the first-born males ⁴³one month old or older; the total was 22,273.

⁴⁴The LORD said to Moses, ⁴⁵"Now dedicate the Levites as mine in place of all the first-born Israelite sons, and dedicate the livestock of the Levites in place of the first-born of the Israelites' livestock. ⁴⁶Since the first-born Israelite sons outnumber the Levites by 273, you must buy back the extra sons. ⁴⁷For each one pay five pieces of silver, according to the official standard, ⁴⁸and give this money to Aaron and his sons." ⁴⁹Moses obeyed and took ⁵⁰the 1,365 pieces of silver ⁵¹and gave them to Aaron and his sons.

The Duties of the Levite Clan of Kohath

Numbers 4 The LORD told Moses ²to take a census of the Levite clan of Kohath by subclans and families, ³and to register all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who were qualified to work in the Tent of the LORD's presence. ⁴Their service involves the most holy things.

⁵The LORD gave Moses the following instructions. When it is time to break camp, Aaron and his sons shall enter the Tent, take down the curtain in front of the Covenant Box, and cover the Box with it. ⁶They shall put a fine leather cover over it, spread a cloth of solid blue on top, and then insert the carrying poles.

⁷They shall spread a blue cloth over the table for the bread offered to the LORD and put on it the dishes, the incense bowls, the offering bowls, and the jars for the wine offering. There shall always be bread on the table. ⁸They shall spread a red cloth over all of this, put a fine leather cover over it, and then insert the carrying poles.

⁹They shall take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand, with its lamps, tongs, trays, and all the olive oil containers. ¹⁰They shall wrap it and all its equipment in a fine leather cover and place it on a carrying frame.

¹¹Next they shall spread a blue cloth over the gold altar, put a fine leather cover over it, and then insert the carrying poles. ¹²They shall take all the utensils used in the Holy Place, wrap them in a blue cloth, put a fine leather cover over them, and place them on a carrying frame. ¹³They shall remove the greasy ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. ¹⁴They shall put on it all the equipment used in the service at the altar: fire pans, hooks, shovels, and basins. Then they shall put a fine leather cover over it and insert the carrying poles. ¹⁵When it is time to break camp, the clan of Kohath shall come to carry the sacred objects only after Aaron and his sons have finished covering them and all their equipment. The Kohath clan must not touch the sacred objects, or they will die.

These are the responsibilities of the Kohath clan whenever the Tent is moved.

¹⁶Eleazar son of Aaron the priest shall be responsible for the whole Tent and for the oil for the lamps, the incense, the grain offerings, the anointing oil, and everything else in the Tent that has been consecrated to the LORD.

¹⁷The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ¹⁸"Do not let the clan of Kohath ¹⁹be killed by coming near these most sacred objects. To prevent this from happening, Aaron and his sons shall go in and assign each man his task and tell him what to carry. ²⁰But if the Kohathites enter the Tent and see the priests preparing the sacred objects for moving, they will die."

The Duties of the Levite Clan of Gershon

²¹The LORD told Moses ²²to take a census of the Levite clan of Gershon by subclans and families, ²³and to register all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who were qualified to work in the Tent of the LORD's presence. ²⁴They shall be responsible for carrying the following objects: ²⁵the Tent, its inner cover, its outer cover, the fine leather cover on top of it, the curtain for the entrance, ²⁶the curtains and ropes for the court that is around the Tent and the altar, the curtains for the entrance of the court, and all the fittings used in setting up these objects. They shall perform all the tasks required for these things. ²⁷Moses and Aaron shall see to it that the Gershonites perform all the duties and carry everything that Aaron and his sons assign to them. ²⁸These are the responsibilities of the Gershon clan in the Tent; they shall carry them out under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

The Duties of the Levite Clan of Merari

²⁹The LORD told Moses to take a census of the Levite clan of Merari by subclans and families, ³⁰and to register all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who were qualified to work in the Tent of the LORD's presence. ³¹They shall be responsible for carrying the frames, bars, posts, and bases of the Tent, ³²and the posts, bases, pegs, and ropes of the court around the Tent, with all the fittings used in setting them up. Each man will be responsible for carrying specific items. ³³These are the responsibilities of the Merari clan in their service in the Tent; they shall carry them out under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

The Census of the Levites

^34-48Following the LORD's command, Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the community took a census of the three Levite clans, Kohath, Gershon, and Merari. They did this by subclans and families and registered all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who were qualified to work in the Tent of the LORD's presence, as follows:

Clan --- Number

Kohath --- 2,750
Gershon --- 2,630
Merari --- 3,200

Total: --- 8,580

⁴⁹Each man was registered as the LORD had commanded Moses; and at the command of the LORD given through Moses, each man was assigned responsibility for his task of serving or carrying.

Injustice in the World

Ecclesiastes 3¹⁶In addition, I have also noticed that in this world you find wickedness where justice and right ought to be. ¹⁷I told myself, "God is going to judge the righteous and the evil alike, because every thing, every action, will happen at its own set time." ¹⁸I decided that God is testing us, to show us that we are no better than animals. ¹⁹After all, the same fate awaits human beings and animals alike. One dies just like the other. They are the same kind of creature. A human being is no better off than an animal, because life has no meaning for either. ²⁰They are both going to the same place--the dust. They both came from it; they will both go back to it. ²¹How can anyone be sure that the human spirit goes upward while an animal's spirit goes down into the ground? ²²So I realized then that the best thing we can do is enjoy what we have worked for. There is nothing else we can do. There is no way for us to know what will happen after we die.
Ecclesiastes 4 Then I looked again at all the injustice that goes on in this world. The oppressed were crying, and no one would help them. No one would help them, because their oppressors had power on their side. ²I envy those who are dead and gone; they are better off than those who are still alive. ³But better off than either are those who have never been born, who have never seen the injustice that goes on in this world.

⁴I have also learned why people work so hard to succeed: it is because they envy the things their neighbors have. But it is useless. It is like chasing the wind. ⁵They say that we would be fools to fold our hands and let ourselves starve to death. ⁶Maybe so, but it is better to have only a little, with peace of mind, than be busy all the time with both hands, trying to catch the wind.

⁷I have noticed something else in life that is useless. ⁸Here is someone who lives alone. He has no son, no brother, yet he is always working, never satisfied with the wealth he has. For whom is he working so hard and denying himself any pleasure? This is useless, too--and a miserable way to live.

⁹Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. ¹⁰If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls, it's just too bad, because there is no one to help him. ¹¹If it is cold, two can sleep together and stay warm, but how can you keep warm by yourself ? ¹²Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone. A rope made of three cords is hard to break.

^13-14Someone may rise from poverty to become king of his country, or go from prison to the throne, but if in his old age he is too foolish to take advice, he is not as well off as a young man who is poor but intelligent. ¹⁵I thought about all the people who live in this world, and I realized that somewhere among them there is a young man who will take the king's place. ¹⁶There may be no limit to the number of people a king rules; when he is gone, no one will be grateful for what he has done. It is useless. It is like chasing the wind.

This reading is from The Holy Bible, Today's English Version, Second Edition copyright © American Bible Society, 1992;
Old Testament copyright © American Bible Society, 1976, 1992; New Testament © American Bible Society, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992.

These daily Bible readings from the Good News Translation (GNT), formerly the Today's English Version (TEV), are published by BibleNetUSA. The web site and BibleCard® designs are by iCreative. All BibleCard® images are copyrighted by iCreative. All rights reserved.