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Exodus 40

The Tabernacle Set Up
1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. 4 And you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 And you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 6 You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, 7 and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.
9 “Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy.
10 You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, so that the altar may become most holy. 11 You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. 12 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water 13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. 14 You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, 15 and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”
16 This Moses did; according to all that the LORD commanded him, so he did.
17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected.
18 Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars. 19 And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 20 He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark. 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 22 He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, 23 and arranged the bread on it before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 24 He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, 25 and set up the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 26 He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 28 He put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 29 And he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 30 He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, 31 with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. 32 When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the LORD commanded Moses. 33 And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
The Glory of the Lord
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 36 Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

Jeremiah 9

A Lament over Zion
1 Oh that my head were waters,
 and my eyes a fountain of tears,
that I might weep day and night
 for the slain of the daughter of my people!
2 Oh that I had in the desert
 a travelers' lodging place,
that I might leave my people
 and go away from them!
For they are all adulterers,
 a company of treacherous men.
3 They bend their tongue like a bow;
 falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land;
for they proceed from evil to evil,
 and they do not know me, declares the LORD.

4 Let everyone beware of his neighbor,
 and put no trust in any brother,
for every brother is a deceiver,
 and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer.
5 Everyone deceives his neighbor,
 and no one speaks the truth;
they have taught their tongue to speak lies;
 they weary themselves committing iniquity.
6 Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit,
 they refuse to know me, declares the LORD.

7 Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts:
“Behold, I will refine them and test them,
 for what else can I do, because of my people?
8 Their tongue is a deadly arrow;
 it speaks deceitfully;
with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor,
 but in his heart he plans an ambush for him.
9 Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD,
 and shall I not avenge myself
 on a nation such as this?

10 “I will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains,
 and a lamentation for the pastures of the wilderness,
because they are laid waste so that no one passes through,
 and the lowing of cattle is not heard;
both the birds of the air and the beasts
 have fled and are gone.
11 I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,
 a lair of jackals,
and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation,
 without inhabitant.”

12 Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the LORD spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through?
13 And the LORD says: “Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it,
14 but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them. 15 Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed this people with bitter food, and give them poisonous water to drink. 16 I will scatter them among the nations whom neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them.”

17 Thus says the LORD of hosts:
“Consider, and call for the mourning women to come;
 send for the skillful women to come;
18 let them make haste and raise a wailing over us,
 that our eyes may run down with tears
 and our eyelids flow with water.
19 For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion:
 ‘How we are ruined!
 We are utterly shamed,
because we have left the land,
 because they have cast down our dwellings.’”


20 Hear, O women, the word of the LORD,
 and let your ear receive the word of his mouth;
teach to your daughters a lament,
 and each to her neighbor a dirge.
21 For death has come up into our windows;
 it has entered our palaces,
cutting off the children from the streets
 and the young men from the squares.
22 Speak: “Thus declares the LORD,
‘The dead bodies of men shall fall
 like dung upon the open field,
like sheaves after the reaper,
 and none shall gather them.’”

23 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,
24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”
25 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh—
26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.”

Job 12

Job's Response to Zophar
1 Then Job answered and said:

2 “No doubt you are the people,
 and wisdom will die with you.
3 But I have understanding as well as you;
 I am not inferior to you.
 Who does not know such things as these?
4 I am a laughingstock to my friends;
 I, who called to God and he answered me,
 a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock.
5 In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune;
 it is ready for those whose feet slip.
6 The tents of robbers are at peace,
 and those who provoke God are secure,
 who bring their god in their hand.

7 “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
 the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
8 or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;
 and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
9 Who among all these does not know
 that the hand of the LORD has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every living thing
 and the breath of all mankind.
11 Does not the ear test words
 as the palate tastes food?
12 Wisdom is with the aged,
 and understanding in length of days.

13 “With God are wisdom and might;
 he has counsel and understanding.
14 If he tears down, none can rebuild;
 if he shuts a man in, none can open.
15 If he withholds the waters, they dry up;
 if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
16 With him are strength and sound wisdom;
 the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leads counselors away stripped,
 and judges he makes fools.
18 He looses the bonds of kings
 and binds a waistcloth on their hips.
19 He leads priests away stripped
 and overthrows the mighty.
20 He deprives of speech those who are trusted
 and takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 He pours contempt on princes
 and loosens the belt of the strong.
22 He uncovers the deeps out of darkness
 and brings deep darkness to light.
23 He makes nations great, and he destroys them;
 he enlarges nations, and leads them away.
24 He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth
 and makes them wander in a trackless waste.
25 They grope in the dark without light,
 and he makes them stagger like a drunken man.

Acts 5

Ananias and Sapphira
1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,
2 and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.
The Apostles Heal Many
12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico.
13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
The Apostles Arrested and Freed
17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy
18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.
Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.”
The Apostles before the Sanhedrin
24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to.
25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them,
28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Gamaliel’s Advice
33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.
34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.