Numbers 17-18; Psalms 45

Numbers 17

The Budding of Aaron’s Staff

Then the LORD said to Moses,H3068H1696H4872H5592"Tell the people of Israel to bring you twelve wooden staffs, one from each leader of Israel's ancestral tribes, and inscribe each leader's name on his staff.H1696H1121H3478H3947H4294H4294H1004H1H5387H1004H1H8147H6240H4294H3789H376H8034H42943Inscribe Aaron's name on the staff of the tribe of Levi, for there must be one staff for the leader of each ancestral tribe.H3789H175H8034H4294H3878H259H4294H7218H1004H14Place these staffs in the Tabernacle in front of the Ark containing the tablets of the Covenant

, where I meet with you.H3240H168H4150H6440H5715H32595Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to the people's murmuring and complaining against you."H376H4294H977H6524H7918H8519H1121H3478H38856So Moses gave the instructions to the people of Israel, and each of the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron, brought Moses a staff.H4872H1696H1121H3478H5387H5414H4294H4294H5387H5387H259H259H1H1004H6240H8147H4294H4294H175H8432H42947Moses placed the staffs in the LORD's presence in the Tabernacle of the Covenant

.H4872H3240H4294H6440H3068H168H57158When he went into the Tabernacle of the Covenant the next day, he found that Aaron's staff, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds!H4283H4872H935H168H5715H4294H175H1004H3878H6524H3318H6525H6692H6731H1580H82479When Moses brought all the staffs out from the LORD's presence, he showed them to the people. Each man claimed his own staff.H4872H3318H4294H6440H3068H1121H3478H7200H3947H376H429410And the LORD said to Moses: "Place Aaron's staff permanently before the Ark of the Covenant

to serve as a warning to rebels. This should put an end to their complaints against me and prevent any further deaths."H3068H559H4872H7725H175H4294H7725H6440H5715H4931H226H4805H1121H3615H8519H419111So Moses did as the LORD commanded him.H4872H6213H3068H6680H621312Then the people of Israel said to Moses, "Look, we are doomed! We are dead! We are ruined!H1121H3478H559H4872H559H1478H6H613Everyone who even comes close to the Tabernacle of the LORD dies. Are we all doomed to die?"H7131H4908H3068H4191H8552H1478

Numbers 18

Duties of Priests and Levites

18Then the LORD said to Aaron: "You, your sons, and your relatives from the tribe of Levi will be held responsible for any offenses related to the sanctuary. But you and your sons alone will be held responsible for violations connected with the priesthood.H3068H559H175H1121H1H1004H5375H5771H4720H1121H5375H5771H35502"Bring your relatives of the tribe of Levi—your ancestral tribe—to assist you and your sons as you perform the sacred duties in front of the Tabernacle of the Covenant

.H251H4294H3878H7626H1H7126H3867H8334H1121H6440H168H57153But as the Levites go about all their assigned duties at the Tabernacle, they must be careful not to go near any of the sacred objects or the altar. If they do, both you and they will die.H8104H4931H4931H168H7126H3627H6944H4196H41914The Levites must join you in fulfilling their responsibilities for the care and maintenance of the Tabernacle

, but no unauthorized person may assist you.H3867H8104H4931H168H4150H5656H168H2114H71265"You yourselves must perform the sacred duties inside the sanctuary and at the altar. If you follow these instructions, the LORD's anger will never again blaze against the people of Israel.H8104H4931H6944H4931H4196H7110H1121H34786I myself have chosen your fellow Levites from among the Israelites to be your special assistants. They are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD for service in the Tabernacle.H3947H251H3881H8432H1121H3478H5414H4979H3068H5647H5656H168H41507But you and your sons, the priests, must personally handle all the priestly rituals associated with the altar and with everything behind the inner curtain. I am giving you the priesthood as your special privilege of service. Any unauthorized person who comes too near the sanctuary will be put to death."H1121H8104H3550H1697H4196H1004H6532H5647H5414H3550H5656H4979H2114H7131H4191

Support for the Priests and Levites

8The LORD gave these further instructions to Aaron: "I myself have put you in charge of all the holy offerings that are brought to me by the people of Israel. I have given all these consecrated offerings to you and your sons as your permanent share.H3068H1696H175H5414H4931H8641H6944H1121H3478H5414H4888H1121H2706H57699You are allotted the portion of the most holy offerings that is not burned on the fire. This portion of all the most holy offerings—including the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings—will be most holy, and it belongs to you and your sons.H6944H6944H784H7133H4503H2403H817H7725H6944H6944H112110You must eat it as a most holy offering. All the males may eat of it, and you must treat it as most holy.H6944H6944H398H2145H398H694411"All the sacred offerings and special offerings presented to me when the Israelites lift them up before the altar also belong to you. I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters as your permanent share. Any member of your family who is ceremonially clean may eat of these offerings.H8641H4976H8573H1121H3478H5414H1121H1323H2706H5769H2889H1004H39812"I also give you the harvest gifts brought by the people as offerings to the LORD—the best of the olive oil, new wine, and grain.H2459H3323H2459H8492H1715H7225H5414H3068H541413All the first crops of their land that the people present to the LORD belong to you. Any member of your family who is ceremonially clean may eat this food.H1061H776H935H3068H2889H1004H39814"Everything in Israel that is specially set apart for the LORD

also belongs to you.H2764H347815"The firstborn of every mother, whether human or animal, that is offered to the LORD will be yours. But you must always redeem your firstborn sons and the firstborn of ceremonially unclean animals.H6363H7358H1320H7126H3068H120H929H1060H120H6299H6299H1060H2931H929H629916Redeem them when they are one month old. The redemption price is five pieces of silver

(as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs).H6299H2320H1121H6299H6187H3701H2568H8255H8255H6944H6242H162617"However, you may not redeem the firstborn of cattle, sheep, or goats. They are holy and have been set apart for the LORD. Sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fat as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.H1060H7794H1060H3775H1060H5795H6299H6944H2236H1818H4196H6999H2459H801H5207H7381H306818The meat of these animals will be yours, just like the breast and right thigh that are presented by lifting them up as a special offering before the altar.H1320H8573H2373H3225H778519Yes, I am giving you all these holy offerings that the people of Israel bring to the LORD. They are for you and your sons and daughters, to be eaten as your permanent share. This is an eternal and unbreakable covenant

between the LORD and you, and it also applies to your descendants."H8641H6944H1121H3478H7311H3068H5414H1121H1323H2706H5769H1285H4417H5769H6440H3068H223320And the LORD said to Aaron, "You priests will receive no allotment of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your allotment.H3068H559H175H5157H776H2506H8432H2506H5159H8432H1121H347821As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will compensate them for their service in the Tabernacle. Instead of an allotment of land, I will give them the tithes from the entire land of Israel.H5414H1121H3878H4643H3478H5159H2500H5656H5647H5656H168H415022"From now on, no Israelites except priests or Levites may approach the Tabernacle. If they come too near, they will be judged guilty and will die.H1121H3478H5750H7126H168H4150H5375H2399H419123Only the Levites may serve at the Tabernacle, and they will be held responsible for any offenses against it. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation. The Levites will receive no allotment of land among the Israelites,H3881H5647H5656H168H4150H5375H5771H2708H5769H1755H8432H1121H3478H5157H515924because I have given them the Israelites' tithes, which have been presented as sacred offerings to the LORD. This will be the Levites' share. That is why I said they would receive no allotment of land among the Israelites."H4643H1121H3478H7311H8641H3068H5414H3881H5159H559H8432H1121H3478H5157H515925The LORD also told Moses,H3068H1696H4872H55926"Give these instructions to the Levites: When you receive from the people of Israel the tithes I have assigned as your allotment, give a tenth of the tithes you receive—a tithe of the tithe—to the LORD as a sacred offering.H1696H3881H559H3947H1121H3478H4643H5414H5159H7311H8641H3068H4643H464327The LORD will consider this offering to be your harvest offering, as though it were the first grain from your own threshing floor or wine from your own winepress.H8641H2803H1715H1637H4395H334228You must present one-tenth of the tithe received from the Israelites as a sacred offering to the LORD. This is the LORD's sacred portion, and you must present it to Aaron the priest.H7311H8641H3068H4643H3947H1121H3478H5414H3068H8641H175H354829Be sure to give to the LORD the best portions of the gifts given to you.H4979H7311H8641H3068H2459H472030"Also, give these instructions to the Levites: When you present the best part as your offering, it will be considered as though it came from your own threshing floor or winepress.H559H7311H2459H2803H3881H8393H1637H8393H334231You Levites and your families may eat this food anywhere you wish, for it is your compensation for serving in the Tabernacle.H398H4725H1004H7939H2500H5656H168H415032You will not be considered guilty for accepting the LORD's tithes if you give the best portion to the priests. But be careful not to treat the holy gifts of the people of Israel as though they were common. If you do, you will die."H5375H2399H7311H2459H2490H6944H1121H3478H4191

Psalms 45

45[For the choir director: A love song to be sung to the tune "Lilies." A psalm

of the descendants of Korah.] Beautiful words stir my heart. I will recite a lovely poem about the king, for my tongue is like the pen of a skillful poet.H5329H7799H1121H7141H4905H7892H3039H3820H7370H2896H1697H559H4639H4428H3956H5842H4106H56082You are the most handsome of all. Gracious words stream from your lips. God himself has blessed you forever.H3302H1121H120H2580H3332H8193H430H1288H57693Put on your sword, O mighty warrior! You are so glorious, so majestic!H2296H2719H3409H1368H1935H19264In your majesty, ride out to victory, defending truth, humility, and justice. Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds!H1926H7392H6743H1697H571H6037H6664H3225H3384H33725Your arrows are sharp, piercing your enemies' hearts. The nations fall beneath your feet.H2671H8150H3820H4428H341H5971H53076Your throne, O God

, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice.H3678H430H5769H5703H7626H4438H4334H76267You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.H157H6664H8130H7562H430H430H4886H8081H8342H22708Myrrh, aloes, and cassia perfume your robes. In ivory palaces the music of strings entertains you.H899H4753H174H7102H8127H1964H4482H80559Kings' daughters are among your noble women. At your right side stands the queen, wearing jewelry of finest gold from Ophir!H4428H1323H3368H3225H5324H7694H3800H21110Listen to me, O royal daughter; take to heart what I say. Forget your people and your family far away.H8085H1323H7200H5186H241H7911H5971H1H100411For your royal husband delights in your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.H4428H183H3308H113H781212The princess of Tyre

will shower you with gifts. The wealthy will beg your favor.H1323H6865H4503H6223H5971H2470H644013The bride, a princess, looks glorious in her golden gown.H4428H1323H3520H6441H3830H4865H209114In her beautiful robes, she is led to the king, accompanied by her bridesmaids.H2986H4428H7553H1330H7464H310H93515What a joyful and enthusiastic procession as they enter the king's palace!H8057H1524H2986H935H4428H196416Your sons will become kings like their father. You will make them rulers over many lands.H1H1121H7896H8269H77617I will bring honor to your name in every generation. Therefore, the nations will praise you forever and ever.H8034H2142H1755H1755H5971H3034H5769H5703