Numbers 32:1-15 and Acts 3:11-26 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 32:1-15
THE TRIBES EAST OF THE JORDAN

1    The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned vast numbers of livestock. So when they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideally suited for their flocks and herds, 

2    they came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the other leaders of the community. They said, 

3    “Notice the towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sibmah, Nebo, and Beon. 

4    The Lord has conquered this whole area for the community of Israel, and it is ideally suited for all our livestock.

5    If we have found favor with you, please let us have this land as our property instead of giving us land across the Jordan River.”

6    “Do you intend to stay here while your brothers go across and do all the fighting?” Moses asked the men of Gad and Reuben. 

7    “Why do you want to discourage the rest of the people of Israel from going across to the land the Lord has given them? 

8    Your ancestors did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land. 

9    After they went up to the valley of Eshcol and explored the land, they discouraged the people of Israel from entering the land the Lord was giving them. 

10  Then the Lord was very angry with them, and he vowed, 

11  ‘Of all those I rescued from Egypt, no one who is twenty years old or older will ever see the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for they have not obeyed me wholeheartedly. 

12  The only exceptions are Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholeheartedly followed the Lord.’

13  “The Lord was angry with Israel and made them wander in the wilderness for forty years until the entire generation that sinned in the Lord’s sight had died. 

14  But here you are, a brood of sinners, doing exactly the same thing! You are making the Lord even angrier with Israel. 

15  If you turn away from him like this and he abandons them again in the wilderness, you will be responsible for destroying this entire nation!”

ACTS 3:11-26

PETER'S MESSAGE IN THE TEMPLE

11  They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John. 

12  Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness? 

13  For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors—who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s decision to release him. 

14  You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer. 

15  You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!

16  “Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.

17  “Friends, I realize that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was done in ignorance.  

18  But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah—that he must suffer these things. 

19  Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.

20  Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. 

21  For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets. 

22  Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.’

23  Then Moses said, ‘Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from God’s people.’

24  “Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. 

25  You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendants all the families on earth will be blessed.’

26  When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways.”

Numbers 31:25-54 and Acts 3:1-10 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 31:25-54
DIVISION OF THE LOOT

25  And the Lord said to Moses, 

26  “You and Eleazar the priest and the family leaders of each tribe are to make a list of all the plunder taken in the battle, including the people and animals. 

27  Then divide the plunder into two parts, and give half to the men who fought the battle and half to the rest of the people. 

28  From the army’s portion, first give the Lord his share of the plunder—one of every 500 of the prisoners and of the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats. 

29  Give this share of the army’s half to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the Lord. 

30  From the half that belongs to the people of Israel, take one of every fifty of the prisoners and of the cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, and other animals. Give this share to the Levites, who are in charge of maintaining the Lord’s Tabernacle.” 

31  So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

32  The plunder remaining from everything the fighting men had taken totaled 675,000 sheep and goats, 

33  72,000 cattle, 

34  61,000 donkeys, 

35  and 32,000 virgin girls.

36  Half of the plunder was given to the fighting men. It totaled 337,500 sheep and goats, 

37  of which 675 were the Lord’s share; 

38  36,000 cattle, of which 72 were the Lord’s share; 

39  30,500 donkeys, of which 61 were the Lord’s share; 

40  and 16,000 virgin girls, of whom 32 were the Lord’s share. 

41  Moses gave all the Lord’s share to Eleazar the priest, just as the Lord had directed him.

42  Half of the plunder belonged to the people of Israel, and Moses separated it from the half belonging to the fighting men. 

43  It totaled 337,500 sheep and goats, 

44  36,000 cattle, 

45  30,500 donkeys, 

46  and 16,000 virgin girls. 

47  From the half-share given to the people, Moses took one of every fifty prisoners and animals and gave them to the Levites, who maintained the Lord’s Tabernacle. All this was done as the Lord had commanded Moses.

48  Then all the generals and captains came to Moses 

49  and said, “We, your servants, have accounted for all the men who went out to battle under our command; not one of us is missing! 

50  So we are presenting the items of gold we captured as an offering to the Lord from our share of the plunder—armbands, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces. This will purify our lives before the Lord and make us right with him.”

51  So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from all the military commanders—all kinds of jewelry and crafted objects. 

52  In all, the gold that the generals and captains presented as a gift to the Lord weighed about 420 pounds.

53  All the fighting men had taken some of the plunder for themselves. 

54  So Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gifts from the generals and captains and brought the gold to the Tabernacle as a reminder to the Lord that the people of Israel belong to him.

ACTS 3:1-10

A LAME MAN IS HEALED

1    Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service.

2    As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. 

3    When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.

4    Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” 

5    The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. 

6    But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”

7    Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. 

8    He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.

9    All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. 

10  When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded!

Numbers 31:13-24 and Acts 2:43-47 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 31:13-24
THE ARMY RETURNS
13  Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp.
14  But Moses was furious with all the generals and captains who had returned from the battle.
15  “Why have you let all the women live?” he demanded.
16  “These are the very ones who followed Balaam’s advice and caused the people of Israel to rebel against the Lord at Mount Peor. They are the ones who caused the plague to strike the Lord’s people.
17  So kill all the boys and all the women who have had intercourse with a man.
18  Only the young girls who are virgins may live; you may keep them for yourselves.
19  And all of you who have killed anyone or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp for seven days. You must purify yourselves and your captives on the third and seventh days.
20  Purify all your clothing, too, and everything made of leather, goat hair, or wood.”
21  Then Eleazar the priest said to the men who were in the battle, “The Lord has given Moses this legal requirement:
22  Anything made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead—
23  that is, all metals that do not burn—must be passed through fire in order to be made ceremonially pure. These metal objects must then be further purified with the water of purification. But everything that burns must be purified by the water alone.
24  On the seventh day you must wash your clothes and be purified. Then you may return to the camp.”

ACTS 2:43-47
LIFE AMONG THE BELIEVERS
43  A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.
44  And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.
45  They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.
46  They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—
47  all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Numbers 31:1-12 and Acts 2:25-42 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 31:1-12
THE HOLY WAR AGAINST MIDIAN

1    Then the Lord said to Moses, 

2    “On behalf of the people of Israel, take revenge on the Midianites for leading them into idolatry. After that, you will die and join your ancestors.”

3    So Moses said to the people, “Choose some men, and arm them to fight the Lord’s war of revenge against Midian. 

4    From each tribe of Israel, send 1,000 men into battle.” 

5    So they chose 1,000 men from each tribe of Israel, a total of 12,000 men armed for battle. 

6    Then Moses sent them out, 1,000 men from each tribe, and Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest led them into battle. They carried along the holy objects of the sanctuary and the trumpets for sounding the charge.

7    They attacked Midian as the Lord had commanded Moses, and they killed all the men. 

8    All five of the Midianite kings—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—died in the battle. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.

9    Then the Israelite army captured the Midianite women and children and seized their cattle and flocks and all their wealth as plunder. 

10  They burned all the towns and villages where the Midianites had lived.

11  After they had gathered the plunder and captives, both people and animals, 

12  they brought them all to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and to the whole community of Israel, which was camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho.

ACTS 2:25-42

PETER'S MESSAGE (Continued)

25  King David said this about him:  ‘I see that the Lord is always with me.  I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

26  No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises!  My body rests in hope.

27  For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.

28  You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’

29  “Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. 

30  But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. 

31  David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave.

32  “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 

33  Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. 

34  For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said, The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand

35  until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.”’

36  “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”

37  Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

38  Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39  This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” 

40  Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”

41  Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

42  All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. 

Numbers 30:1-16 and Acts 2:14-24 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 30:1-16
RULES ABOUT VOWS

1    Then Moses summoned the leaders of the tribes of Israel and told them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: 

2    A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do.

3    “If a young woman makes a vow to the Lord or a pledge under oath while she is still living at her father’s home, 

4    and her father hears of the vow or pledge and does not object to it, then all her vows and pledges will stand. 

5    But if her father refuses to let her fulfill the vow or pledge on the day he hears of it, then all her vows and pledges will become invalid. The Lord will forgive her because her father would not let her fulfill them.

6    “Now suppose a young woman makes a vow or binds herself with an impulsive pledge and later marries.

7    If her husband learns of her vow or pledge and does not object on the day he hears of it, her vows and pledges will stand. 

8    But if her husband refuses to accept her vow or impulsive pledge on the day he hears of it, he nullifies her commitments, and the Lord will forgive her. 

9    If, however, a woman is a widow or is divorced, she must fulfill all her vows and pledges.

10  “But suppose a woman is married and living in her husband’s home when she makes a vow or binds herself with a pledge. 

11  If her husband hears of it and does not object to it, her vow or pledge will stand. 

12  But if her husband refuses to accept it on the day he hears of it, her vow or pledge will be nullified, and the Lord will forgive her. 

13  So her husband may either confirm or nullify any vows or pledges she makes to deny herself. 

14  But if he does not object on the day he hears of it, then he is agreeing to all her vows and pledges. 

15  If he waits more than a day and then tries to nullify a vow or pledge, he will be punished for her guilt.”

16  These are the regulations the Lord gave Moses concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and a young daughter who still lives at home.

ACTS 2:14-24

PETER PREACHES TO THE CROWD

14  Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. 

15  These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. 

16  No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel:

17  ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy.  Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.

18  In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike—and they will prophesy.

19  And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below—blood and fire and clouds of smoke.

20  The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives.

21  But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

22  “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. 

23  But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. 

24  But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.

Numbers 29:12-40 and Acts 2:1-13 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 29:12-40
THE OFFERING AT THE FESTIVAL OF SHELTERS
12  “Five days later, on the fifteenth day of the same month, you must call another holy assembly of all the people, and you may do no ordinary work on that day. It is the beginning of the Festival of Shelters, a seven-day festival to the Lord.
13  On the first day of the festival, you must present a burnt offering as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It will consist of thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.
14  Each of these offerings must be accompanied by a grain offering of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts for each of the thirteen bulls, four quarts for each of the two rams,
15  and two quarts for each of the fourteen lambs.
16  You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.
17  “On the second day of this seven-day festival, sacrifice twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.
18  Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering.
19  You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.
20  “On the third day of the festival, sacrifice eleven young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.
21  Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering.
22  You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.
23  “On the fourth day of the festival, sacrifice ten young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.
24  Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering.
25  You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.
26   “On the fifth day of the festival, sacrifice nine young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.
27  Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering.
28  You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.
29  “On the sixth day of the festival, sacrifice eight young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.
30  Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering.
31  You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.
32  “On the seventh day of the festival, sacrifice seven young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.
33  Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering.
34  You must also sacrifice one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.
35  “On the eighth day of the festival, proclaim another holy day. You must do no ordinary work on that day.
36  You must present a burnt offering as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It will consist of one young bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.
37  Each of these offerings must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering.
38  You must also sacrifice one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.
39  “You must present these offerings to the Lord at your annual festivals. These are in addition to the sacrifices and offerings you present in connection with vows, or as voluntary offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, liquid offerings, or peace offerings.”
40  So Moses gave all of these instructions to the people of Israel as the Lord had commanded him.

ACTS 2:1-13
THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

1    On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 

2    Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 

3    Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 

4    And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

5    At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 

6    When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.

7    They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee,

8    and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! 

9    Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 

10  Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome 

11  (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” 

12  They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.

13   But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!”

Numbers 29:7-11 and Acts 1:12-26 New Living Translation

NUMBERS 29:7-11
THE OFFERINGS AT THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
7    “Ten days later, on the tenth day of the same month, you must call another holy assembly. On that day, the Day of Atonement, the people must go without food and must do no ordinary work.
8    You must present a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It will consist of one young bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.
9    These offerings must be accompanied by the prescribed grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts of choice flour with the bull, four quarts of choice flour with the ram,
10  and two quarts of choice flour with each of the seven lambs.
11  You must also sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering. This is in addition to the sin offering of atonement and the regular daily burnt offering with its grain offering, and their accompanying liquid offerings.

ACTS 1:12-26
JUDAS' SUCCESSOR

12  Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile.

13  When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying.

Here are the names of those who were present: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the Zealot), and Judas (son of James).
14  They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.
15  During this time, when about 120 believers were together in one place, Peter stood up and addressed them.
16  “Brothers,” he said, “the Scriptures had to be fulfilled concerning Judas, who guided those who arrested Jesus. This was predicted long ago by the Holy Spirit, speaking through King David.
17  Judas was one of us and shared in the ministry with us.”
18  (Judas had bought a field with the money he received for his treachery. Falling headfirst there, his body split open, spilling out all his intestines.
19  The news of his death spread to all the people of Jerusalem, and they gave the place the Aramaic name Akeldama, which means “Field of Blood.”)
20  Peter continued, “This was written in the book of Psalms, where it says, ‘Let his home become desolate, with no one living in it.’ It also says, ‘Let someone else take his position.’
21  “So now we must choose a replacement for Judas from among the men who were with us the entire time we were traveling with the Lord Jesus—
22  from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us. Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness of Jesus’ resurrection.”
23  So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias.
24  Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen
25  as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs.”
26  Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven.

Numbers 29:1-6 and Acts 1:6-11 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 29:1-6
THE OFFERINGS AT THE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL
1  Celebrate the Festival of Trumpets each year on the first day of the appointed month in early autumn.You must call an official day for holy assembly, and you may do no ordinary work.
2  On that day you must present a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It will consist of one young bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.
3  These must be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts with the bull, four quarts with the ram,
4  and two quarts with each of the seven lambs.
5  In addition, you must sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering to purify yourselves and make yourselves right with the Lord.
6  These special sacrifices are in addition to your regular monthly and daily burnt offerings, and they must be given with their prescribed grain offerings and liquid offerings. These offerings are given as a special gift to the Lord, a pleasing aroma to him.

ACTS 1:6-11
JESUS IS TAKEN UP TO HEAVEN

6    So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”

7    He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 

8    But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

9    After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 

10  As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them.

11  “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

Numbers 28:26-31 and Acts 1:1-5 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 28:26-31
OFFERINGS AT THE HARVEST FESTIVAL
26  “At the Festival of Harvest, when you present the first of your new grain to the Lord, you must call an official day for holy assembly, and you may do no ordinary work on that day.
27  Present a special burnt offering on that day as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It will consist of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs.
28  These will be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram,
29  and two quarts with each of the seven lambs.
30  Also, offer one male goat to purify yourselves and make yourselves right with the Lord.
31  Prepare these special burnt offerings, along with their liquid offerings, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying grain offering. Be sure that all the animals you sacrifice have no defects.

ACTS 1:1-5
THE PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

1  In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach 

2  until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. 

3  During the forty days after his crucifixion, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.

4  Once when He was eating with them, He commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 

5  John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Numbers 28:16-25 and John 21:20-25 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 28:16-25
OFFERINGS FOR THE PASSOVER
16  “On the fourteenth day of the first month, you must celebrate the Lord’s Passover.
17  On the following day—the fifteenth day of the month—a joyous, seven-day festival will begin, but no bread made with yeast may be eaten.
18  The first day of the festival will be an official day for holy assembly, and no ordinary work may be done on that day.
19  As a special gift you must present a burnt offering to the Lord—two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.
20  These will be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram,
21  and two quarts with each of the seven lambs.
22  You must also offer a male goat as a sin offering to purify yourselves and make yourselves right with the Lord.
23  Present these offerings in addition to your regular morning burnt offering.
24  On each of the seven days of the festival, this is how you must prepare the food offering that is presented as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. These will be offered in addition to the regular burnt offerings and liquid offerings.
25  The seventh day of the festival will be another official day for holy assembly, and no ordinary work may be done on that day.

JOHN 21:20-25
JESUS AND THE OTHER DISCIPLE
20  Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray you?”
21  Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”
22  Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”
23  So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”
24  This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate.
25  Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.

Numbers 28:11-15 and John 21:15-19 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 28:11-15
THE MONTHLY OFFERINGS

11  “On the first day of each month, present an extra burnt offering to the Lord of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. 

12  These must be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram, 

13  and two quarts with each lamb. This burnt offering will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

14  You must also present a liquid offering with each sacrifice: two quarts of wine for each bull, a third of a gallon for the ram, and one quart for each lamb. Present this monthly burnt offering on the first day of each month throughout the year.

15  “On the first day of each month, you must also offer one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord. This is in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying liquid offering.

JOHN 21:15-19

JESUS AND PETER

15  After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”  “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”  “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
16  Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”  “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
17  A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”  Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.
18  “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” 
19  Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”

Numbers 28:9-10 and John 21:1-14 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 28:9-10
THE SABBATH OFFERING
9    “On the Sabbath day, sacrifice two one-year-old male lambs with no defects. They must be accompanied by a grain offering of four quarts of choice flour moistened with olive oil, and a liquid offering.
10  This is the burnt offering to be presented each Sabbath day, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying liquid offering. 

JOHN 21:1-14
JESUS APPEARS TO SEVEN DISCIPLES

1    Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. 

2    Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.

3    Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”  “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.

4    At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. 

5    He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?”  “No,” they replied.

6    Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.

7    Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. 

8    The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. 

9    When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.

10  “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. 

11  So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.

12  “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 

13  Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. 

14  This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.

Numbers 28:1-8 and John 20:30-31 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 28:1-8
THE REGULAR OFFERINGS

1  The Lord said to Moses, 

2  “Give these instructions to the people of Israel: The offerings you present as special gifts are a pleasing aroma to me; they are my food. See to it that they are brought at the appointed times and offered according to my instructions.

3  “Say to the people: This is the special gift you must present to the Lord as your daily burnt offering. You must offer two one-year-old male lambs with no defects. 

4  Sacrifice one lamb in the morning and the other in the evening. 

5  With each lamb you must offer a grain offering of two quarts of choice flour mixed with one quart of pure oil of pressed olives. 

6  This is the regular burnt offering instituted at Mount Sinai as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

7  Along with it you must present the proper liquid offering of one quart of alcoholic drink with each lamb, poured out in the Holy Place as an offering to the Lord. 

8  Offer the second lamb in the evening with the same grain offering and liquid offering. It, too, is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

JOHN 20:30-31

THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK

30  The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. 

31  But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

Numbers 27:12-23 and John 20:24-29 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 27:12-23
JOSHUA IS CHOSEN AS SUCCESSOR TO MOSES

12  One day the Lord said to Moses, “Climb one of the mountains east of the river, and look out over the land I have given the people of Israel. 

13  After you have seen it, you will die like your brother, Aaron, 

14  for you both rebelled against my instructions in the wilderness of Zin. When the people of Israel rebelled, you failed to demonstrate my holiness to them at the waters.” (These are the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

15  Then Moses said to the Lord, 

16  “O Lord, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community.

17  Give them someone who will guide them wherever they go and will lead them into battle, so the community of the Lord will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

18  The Lord replied, “Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. 

19  Present him to Eleazar the priest before the whole community, and publicly commission him to lead the people. 

20  Transfer some of your authority to him so the whole community of Israel will obey him. 

21  When direction from the Lord is needed, Joshua will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will use the Urim—one of the sacred lots cast before the Lord—to determine his will. This is how Joshua and the rest of the community of Israel will determine everything they should do.”

22  So Moses did as the Lord commanded. He presented Joshua to Eleazar the priest and the whole community. 

23  Moses laid his hands on him and commissioned him to lead the people, just as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

JOHN 20:24-29

JESUS AND THOMAS

24  One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came.

25  They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”  But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

26  Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 

27  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

28  “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

29  Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Numbers 27:1-11 and John 20:19-23 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 27:1-11
THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD

1    One day a petition was presented by the daughters of Zelophehad—Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Their father, Zelophehad, was a descendant of Hepher son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, son of Joseph. 

2    These women stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the tribal leaders, and the entire community at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 

3    “Our father died in the wilderness,” they said. “He was not among Korah’s followers, who rebelled against the Lord; he died because of his own sin. But he had no sons. 

4    Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan just because he had no sons? Give us property along with the rest of our relatives.”

5    So Moses brought their case before the Lord. 

6    And the Lord replied to Moses, 

7    “The claim of the daughters of Zelophehad is legitimate. You must give them a grant of land along with their father’s relatives. Assign them the property that would have been given to their father.

8    “And give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If a man dies and has no son, then give his inheritance to his daughters. \

9    And if he has no daughter either, transfer his inheritance to his brothers. 

10  If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 

11  But if his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan. This is a legal requirement for the people of Israel, just as the Lord commanded Moses.”

JOHN 20:19-23

JESUS APPEARS TO HIS DISCIPLES

19  That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 

20  As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! 

21  Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 

22  Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 

23  If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Numbers 26:42-65 and John 20:11-18 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 26:42-65
THE SECOND CENSUS (Continued)

Tribe of Dan

42  These were the clans descended from the sons of Dan:  The Shuhamite clan, named after their ancestor Shuham.

43  These were the Shuhamite clans of Dan. Their registered troops numbered 64,400.

TRIBE OF ASHER

44  These were the clans descended from the sons of Asher:  The Imnite clan, named after their ancestor Imnah.  The Ishvite clan, named after their ancestor Ishvi.  The Beriite clan, named after their ancestor Beriah.

45  These were the subclans descended from the Beriites:  The Heberites, named after their ancestor Heber.

The Malkielites, named after their ancestor Malkiel.

46  Asher also had a daughter named Serah.

47  These were the clans of Asher. Their registered troops numbered 53,400.

TRIBE OF NAPHTALI

48  These were the clans descended from the sons of Naphtali:  The Jahzeelite clan, named after their ancestor Jahzeel. The Gunite clan, named after their ancestor Guni.

49  The Jezerite clan, named after their ancestor Jezer.  The Shillemite clan, named after their ancestor Shillem.

50  These were the clans of Naphtali. Their registered troops numbered 45,400.

RESULTS OF THE REGISTRATION

51  In summary, the registered troops of all Israel numbered 601,730.

52  Then the Lord said to Moses, 

53  “Divide the land among the tribes, and distribute the grants of land in proportion to the tribes’ populations, as indicated by the number of names on the list. 

54  Give the larger tribes more land and the smaller tribes less land, each group receiving a grant in proportion to the size of its population. 

55  But you must assign the land by lot, and give land to each ancestral tribe according to the number of names on the list. 

56  Each grant of land must be assigned by lot among the larger and smaller tribal groups.”

TRIBE OF LEVI

57  This is the record of the Levites who were counted according to their clans:  The Gershonite clan, named after their ancestor Gershon.  The Kohathite clan, named after their ancestor Kohath.  The Merarite clan, named after their ancestor Merari.

58  The Libnites, the Hebronites, the Mahlites, the Mushites, and the Korahites were all subclans of the Levites.  Now Kohath was the ancestor of Amram, 

59  and Amram’s wife was named Jochebed. She also was a descendant of Levi, born among the Levites in the land of Egypt. Amram and Jochebed became the parents of Aaron, Moses, and their sister, Miriam.

60  To Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 

61  But Nadab and Abihu died when they burned before the Lord the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded.

62  The men from the Levite clans who were one month old or older numbered 23,000. But the Levites were not included in the registration of the rest of the people of Israel because they were not given an allotment of land when it was divided among the Israelites.

63  So these are the results of the registration of the people of Israel as conducted by Moses and Eleazar the priest on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho. 

64  Not one person on this list had been among those listed in the previous registration taken by Moses and Aaron in the wilderness of Sinai. 

65  For the Lord had said of them, “They will all die in the wilderness.” Not one of them survived except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

JOHN 20:11-18

JESUS APPEARS TO MARY MAGDALENE

11  Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 

12  She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 

13  “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.  “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

14  She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 

15  "Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”  She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

16  “Mary!” Jesus said.  She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

17  “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18  Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.

Numbers 26:19-41 and John 20:1-10 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 26:19-41
THE SECOND CENSUS (Continued)

THE TRIBE OF JUDAH

19  Judah had two sons, Er and Onan, who had died in the land of Canaan. 

20  These were the clans descended from Judah’s surviving sons:  The Shelanite clan, named after their ancestor Shelah.  The Perezite clan, named after their ancestor Perez.  The Zerahite clan, named after their ancestor Zerah.

21  These were the subclans descended from the Perezites:  The Hezronites, named after their ancestor Hezron.  The Hamulites, named after their ancestor Hamul.

22  These were the clans of Judah. Their registered troops numbered 76,500.

THE TRIBE OF ISSACHAR

23  These were the clans descended from the sons of Issachar:  The Tolaite clan, named after their ancestor Tola.  The Puite clan, named after their ancestor Puah.

24  The Jashubite clan, named after their ancestor Jashub.  The Shimronite clan, named after their ancestor Shimron.

25  These were the clans of Issachar. Their registered troops numbered 64,300.

THE TRIBE OF ZEBULUN

26  These were the clans descended from the sons of Zebulun:  The Seredite clan, named after their ancestor Sered.  The Elonite clan, named after their ancestor Elon.  The Jahleelite clan, named after their ancestor Jahleel.

27  These were the clans of Zebulun. Their registered troops numbered 60,500.

THE TRIBE OF MANASSEH

28  Two clans were descended from Joseph through Manasseh and Ephraim.

29  These were the clans descended from Manasseh:  The Makirite clan, named after their ancestor Makir.

The Gileadite clan, named after their ancestor Gilead, Makir’s son.  

30  These were the subclans descended from the Gileadites:  The Iezerites, named after their ancestor Iezer.

The Helekites, named after their ancestor Helek.

31  The Asrielites, named after their ancestor Asriel.  The Shechemites, named after their ancestor Shechem.

32  The Shemidaites, named after their ancestor Shemida.  The Hepherites, named after their ancestor Hepher.

33  (One of Hepher’s descendants, Zelophehad, had no sons, but his daughters’ names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.)

34  These were the clans of Manasseh. Their registered troops numbered 52,700.

THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM

35  These were the clans descended from the sons of Ephraim:  The Shuthelahite clan, named after their ancestor Shuthelah.  The Bekerite clan, named after their ancestor Beker.  The Tahanite clan, named after their ancestor Tahan.

36  This was the subclan descended from the Shuthelahites:  The Eranites, named after their ancestor Eran.

37  These were the clans of Ephraim. Their registered troops numbered 32,500.  These clans of Manasseh and Ephraim were all descendants of Joseph.

THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN

38  These were the clans descended from the sons of Benjamin:  The Belaite clan, named after their ancestor Bela.  The Ashbelite clan, named after their ancestor Ashbel.  The Ahiramite clan, named after their ancestor Ahiram.

39  The Shuphamite clan, named after their ancestor Shupham.  The Huphamite clan, named after their ancestor Hupham.

40  These were the subclans descended from the Belaites:  The Ardites, named after their ancestor Ard.

The Naamites, named after their ancestor Naaman.

41  These were the clans of Benjamin. Their registered troops numbered 45,600.

JOHN 20:1-10

THE EMPTY TOMB

1    Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 

2    She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

3    Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 

4    They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 

5    He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. 

6    Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 

7    while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. 

8    Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed—

9    for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. 

10  Then they went home.

Numbers 26:1-18 and John 19:38-42 New Living Translation

NUMBERS 26:1-18

THE SECOND CENSUS

1    After the plague had ended, the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, 

2    “From the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their families. List all the men twenty years old or older who are able to go to war.”

3    So there on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest issued these instructions to the leaders of Israel: 

4    “List all the men of Israel twenty years old and older, just as the Lord commanded Moses.”  This is the record of all the descendants of Israel who came out of Egypt.

THE TRIBE OF REUBEN

5    These were the clans descended from the sons of Reuben, Jacob’s oldest son:  The Hanochite clan, named after their ancestor Hanoch.  The Palluite clan, named after their ancestor Pallu.

6    The Hezronite clan, named after their ancestor Hezron.  The Carmite clan, named after their ancestor Carmi.

7    These were the clans of Reuben. Their registered troops numbered 43,730.

8    Pallu was the ancestor of Eliab, 

9    and Eliab was the father of Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. This Dathan and Abiram are the same community leaders who conspired with Korah against Moses and Aaron, rebelling against the Lord. 

10  But the earth opened up its mouth and swallowed them with Korah, and fire devoured 250 of their followers. This served as a warning to the entire nation of Israel. 

11  However, the sons of Korah did not die that day.

THE TRIBE OF SIMEON

12  These were the clans descended from the sons of Simeon:  The Jemuelite clan, named after their ancestor Jemuel.  The Jaminite clan, named after their ancestor Jamin.  The Jakinite clan, named after their ancestor Jakin.

13  The Zoharite clan, named after their ancestor Zohar.  The Shaulite clan, named after their ancestor Shaul.

14  These were the clans of Simeon. Their registered troops numbered 22,200.

THE TRIBE OF GAD

15  These were the clans descended from the sons of Gad:  The Zephonite clan, named after their ancestor Zephon.  The Haggite clan, named after their ancestor Haggi.  The Shunite clan, named after their ancestor Shuni.

16  The Oznite clan, named after their ancestor Ozni.  The Erite clan, named after their ancestor Eri.

17  The Arodite clan, named after their ancestor Arodi.  The Arelite clan, named after their ancestor Areli.

18  These were the clans of Gad. Their registered troops numbered 40,500.

JOHN 19:38-42

THE BURIAL OF JESUS

38  Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. 

39  With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. 

40  Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth.

41  The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. 

42  And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.