የዛሬ ንባቦች፡- August 2

[1] The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, [2] “The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. [3] Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab, [4] his company as listed being 74,600. [5] Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, the chief of the people of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar, [6] his company as listed being 54,400. [7] Then the tribe of Zebulun, the chief of the people of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon, [8] his company as listed being 57,400. [9] All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their companies, were 186,400. They shall set out first on the march.

[10] “On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their companies, the chief of the people of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur, [11] his company as listed being 46,500. [12] And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, the chief of the people of Simeon being Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, [13] his company as listed being 59,300. [14] Then the tribe of Gad, the chief of the people of Gad being Eliasaph the son of Reuel, [15] his company as listed being 45,650. [16] All those listed of the camp of Reuben, by their companies, were 151,450. They shall set out second.

[17] “Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; as they camp, so shall they set out, each in position, standard by standard.

[18] “On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their companies, the chief of the people of Ephraim being Elishama the son of Ammihud, [19] his company as listed being 40,500. [20] And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh, the chief of the people of Manasseh being Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, [21] his company as listed being 32,200. [22] Then the tribe of Benjamin, the chief of the people of Benjamin being Abidan the son of Gideoni, [23] his company as listed being 35,400. [24] All those listed of the camp of Ephraim, by their companies, were 108,100. They shall set out third on the march.

[25] “On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan by their companies, the chief of the people of Dan being Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, [26] his company as listed being 62,700. [27] And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, the chief of the people of Asher being Pagiel the son of Ochran, [28] his company as listed being 41,500. [29] Then the tribe of Naphtali, the chief of the people of Naphtali being Ahira the son of Enan, [30] his company as listed being 53,400. [31] All those listed of the camp of Dan were 157,600. They shall set out last, standard by standard.”

[32] These are the people of Israel as listed by their fathers’ houses. All those listed in the camps by their companies were 603,550. [33] But the Levites were not listed among the people of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses.

[34] Thus did the people of Israel. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, each one in his clan, according to his fathers’ house.

[1] And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, [2] “And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then declare to her all her abominations. [3] You shall say, Thus says the Lord GOD: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself! [4] You have become guilty by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought your days near, the appointed time of your years has come. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all the countries. [5] Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you; your name is defiled; you are full of tumult.

[6] “Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. [7] Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. [8] You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths. [9] There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you who eat on the mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst. [10] In you men uncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity. [11] One commits abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another in you violates his sister, his father’s daughter. [12] In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.

[13] “Behold, I strike my hand at the dishonest gain that you have made, and at the blood that has been in your midst. [14] Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it. [15] I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will consume your uncleanness out of you. [16] And you shall be profaned by your own doing in the sight of the nations, and you shall know that I am the LORD.”

[17] And the word of the LORD came to me: [18] “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are dross of silver. [19] Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. [20] As one gathers silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into a furnace, to blow the fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will put you in and melt you. [21] I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it. [22] As silver is melted in a furnace, so you shall be melted in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the LORD; I have poured out my wrath upon you.”

[23] And the word of the LORD came to me: [24] “Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of indignation. [25] The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. [26] Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. [27] Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. [28] And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ when the LORD has not spoken. [29] The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice. [30] And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. [31] Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord GOD.”

[1] Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
[2] The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion;
whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.
[3] It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife,
but every fool will be quarreling.
[4] The sluggard does not plow in the autumn;
he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
[5] The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water,
but a man of understanding will draw it out.
[6] Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love,
but a faithful man who can find?
[7] The righteous who walks in his integrity—
blessed are his children after him!
[8] A king who sits on the throne of judgment
winnows all evil with his eyes.
[9] Who can say, “I have made my heart pure;
I am clean from my sin”?
[10] Unequal weights and unequal measures
are both alike an abomination to the LORD.
[11] Even a child makes himself known by his acts,
by whether his conduct is pure and upright.
[12] The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
the LORD has made them both.
[13] Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty;
open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.
[14] “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
but when he goes away, then he boasts.
[15] There is gold and abundance of costly stones,
but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
[16] Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.
[17] Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.
[18] Plans are established by counsel;
by wise guidance wage war.
[19] Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets;
therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.
[20] If one curses his father or his mother,
his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
[21] An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning
will not be blessed in the end.
[22] Do not say, “I will repay evil”;
wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.
[23] Unequal weights are an abomination to the LORD,
and false scales are not good.
[24] A man’s steps are from the LORD;
how then can man understand his way?
[25] It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,”
and to reflect only after making vows.
[26] A wise king winnows the wicked
and drives the wheel over them.
[27] The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD,
searching all his innermost parts.
[28] Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,
and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.
[29] The glory of young men is their strength,
but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.
[30] Blows that wound cleanse away evil;
strokes make clean the innermost parts.

[1] Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” [2] But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. [3] The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. [4] For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. [5] Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

[6] Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. [7] I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.

[8] To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. [9] But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

[10] To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband [11] (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.

[12] To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. [13] If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. [14] For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. [15] But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. [16] For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

[17] Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. [18] Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. [19] For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. [20] Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. [21] Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) [22] For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. [23] You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. [24] So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.

[25] Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. [26] I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. [27] Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. [28] But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. [29] This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, [30] and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, [31] and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

[32] I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. [33] But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, [34] and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. [35] I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

[36] If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. [37] But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. [38] So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

[39] A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. [40] Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.