Monday, 15 April

1.   Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: 2.   "Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually, 3.   "from twenty years old and above––all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies. 4.   "And with you there shall be a man from every tribe, each one the head of his father’s house. 5.   "These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: from Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; 6.   "from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; 7.   "from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab; 8.   "from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar; 9.   "from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon; 10.   "from the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; 11.   "from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni; 12.   "from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; 13.   "from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran; 14.   "from Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel; 15.   "from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan." 16.   These were chosen from the congregation, leaders of their fathers’ tribes, heads of the divisions in Israel. 17.   Then Moses and Aaron took these men who had been mentioned by name, 18.   and they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they recited their ancestry by families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, each one individually. 19.   As the LORD commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai. 20.   Now the children of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 21.   those who were numbered of the tribe of Reuben were forty–six thousand five hundred. 22.   From the children of Simeon, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, of those who were numbered, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 23.   those who were numbered of the tribe of Simeon were fifty–nine thousand three hundred. 24.   From the children of Gad, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 25.   those who were numbered of the tribe of Gad were forty–five thousand six hundred and fifty. 26.   From the children of Judah, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 27.   those who were numbered of the tribe of Judah were seventy–four thousand six hundred. 28.   From the children of Issachar, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 29.   those who were numbered of the tribe of Issachar were fifty–four thousand four hundred. 30.   From the children of Zebulun, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 31.   those who were numbered of the tribe of Zebulun were fifty–seven thousand four hundred. 32.   From the sons of Joseph, the children of Ephraim, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 33.   those who were numbered of the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred. 34.   From the children of Manasseh, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 35.   those who were numbered of the tribe of Manasseh were thirty–two thousand two hundred. 36.   From the children of Benjamin, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 37.   those who were numbered of the tribe of Benjamin were thirty–five thousand four hundred. 38.   From the children of Dan, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 39.   those who were numbered of the tribe of Dan were sixty–two thousand seven hundred. 40.   From the children of Asher, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 41.   those who were numbered of the tribe of Asher were forty–one thousand five hundred. 42.   From the children of Naphtali, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 43.   those who were numbered of the tribe of Naphtali were fifty–three thousand four hundred. 44.   These are the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each one representing his father’s house. 45.   So all who were numbered of the children of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war in Israel–– 46.   all who were numbered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. 47.   But the Levites were not numbered among them by their fathers’ tribe; 48.   for the LORD had spoken to Moses, saying: 49.   "Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor take a census of them among the children of Israel; 50.   "but you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, over all its furnishings, and over all things that belong to it; they shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they shall attend to it and camp around the tabernacle. 51.   "And when the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The outsider who comes near shall be put to death. 52.   "The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, everyone by his own camp, everyone by his own standard, according to their armies; 53.   "but the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony." 54.   Thus the children of Israel did; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they did.

1.   Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2.   Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? Who can declare all His praise? 3.   Blessed are those who keep justice, And he who does righteousness at all times! 4.   Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people; Oh, visit me with Your salvation, 5.   That I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones, That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, That I may glory with Your inheritance. 6.   We have sinned with our fathers, We have committed iniquity, We have done wickedly. 7.   Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, But rebelled by the sea––the Red Sea. 8.   Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake, That He might make His mighty power known. 9.   He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up; So He led them through the depths, As through the wilderness. 10.   He saved them from the hand of him who hated them , And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. 11.   The waters covered their enemies; There was not one of them left. 12.   Then they believed His words; They sang His praise. 13.   They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, 14.   But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tested God in the desert. 15.   And He gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul. 16.   When they envied Moses in the camp, And Aaron the saint of the LORD, 17.   The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan, And covered the faction of Abiram. 18.   A fire was kindled in their company; The flame burned up the wicked. 19.   They made a calf in Horeb, And worshiped the molded image. 20.   Thus they changed their glory Into the image of an ox that eats grass. 21.   They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt, 22.   Wondrous works in the land of Ham, Awesome things by the Red Sea. 23.   Therefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them . 24.   Then they despised the pleasant land; They did not believe His word, 25.   But complained in their tents, And did not heed the voice of the LORD. 26.   Therefore He raised up His hand in an oath against them, To overthrow them in the wilderness, 27.   To overthrow their descendants among the nations, And to scatter them in the lands. 28.   They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor, And ate sacrifices made to the dead. 29.   Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds, And the plague broke out among them. 30.   Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, And the plague was stopped. 31.   And that was accounted to him for righteousness To all generations forevermore. 32.   They angered Him also at the waters of strife, So that it went ill with Moses on account of them; 33.   Because they rebelled against His Spirit, So that he spoke rashly with his lips. 34.   They did not destroy the peoples, Concerning whom the LORD had commanded them, 35.   But they mingled with the Gentiles And learned their works; 36.   They served their idols, Which became a snare to them. 37.   They even sacrificed their sons And their daughters to demons, 38.   And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with blood. 39.   Thus they were defiled by their own works, And played the harlot by their own deeds. 40.   Therefore the wrath of the LORD was kindled against His people, So that He abhorred His own inheritance. 41.   And He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles, And those who hated them ruled over them. 42.   Their enemies also oppressed them, And they were brought into subjection under their hand. 43.   Many times He delivered them; But they rebelled in their counsel, And were brought low for their iniquity. 44.   Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, When He heard their cry; 45.   And for their sake He remembered His covenant, And relented according to the multitude of His mercies. 46.   He also made them to be pitied By all those who carried them away captive. 47.   Save us, O LORD our God, And gather us from among the Gentiles, To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise. 48.   Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD!

1.   I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2.   God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3.   "LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life"? 4.   But what does the divine response say to him? "I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5.   Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6.   And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. 7.   What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8.   Just as it is written: "God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day." 9.   And David says: "Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a recompense to them. 10.   Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, and bow down their back always." 11.   I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12.   Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! 13.   For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14.   if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15.   For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16.   For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy ; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17.   And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18.   do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19.   You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." 20.   Well said . Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21.   For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22.   Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23.   And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24.   For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches , be grafted into their own olive tree?