Behaalotecha, בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ

Passages

Torah: Numbers 9:15 - 10:10
Gospel: Luke 9:46-62

Torah — Numbers 9:15 - 10:10

9:15 The Cloud and the Fire And on a day setting up the tabernacle, the cloud covered the tent of the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony; in the evening it was on the tabernacle as an appearance of fire until morning.

9:16 So it was continually; the cloud would cover it and the appearance of fire by night.

9:17 Whenever the cloud lifted up from on the tent, after that the Israelites would set out, and in the place where the cloud dwelled, there the Israelites camped.

9:18 On the command of Yahweh the Israelites would set out, and on the command of Yahweh they encamped; all the days that the cloud dwelled on the tabernacle they encamped.

9:19 And when the cloud prolonged on the tabernacle many days the Israelites kept the kept requirement of Yahweh and did not set out.

9:20 When the cloud remained a number of days on the tabernacle, on the command of Yahweh they encamped; and on the command of Yahweh they set out.

9:21 When the cloud remained from evening until morning, and the cloud lifted up in the morning, they would set out, or if it remained in the daytime and at night, when the cloud lifted up they set out.

9:22 When it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud prolonged to dwell on the tabernacle, the Israelites encamped, and they did not set out; when it lifted up they set out.

9:23 On the command of Yahweh they encamped, and on the command of Yahweh they set out. They kept the requirement of Yahweh, on the command of Yahweh in the hand of Moses.

10:1 The Silver Trumpets Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

10:2 “Make yourself two silver trumpets; make them of hammered-work. You will use them for calling the community and for breaking the camp.

10:3 You will blow them, and all the community will assemble to the doorway of the tent of assembly.

10:4 But if they blow only one, the leaders, the heads of the thousands of Israel, will assemble to you.

10:5 When you will blow a blast, the camps that are camping on the east will set out;

10:6 when you blow a second blast, the camps that are camping on the south will set out; they will blow a blast for their journeys.

10:7 But when summoning the assembly, you will blow, but you will not signal with a loud noise.

10:8 The sons of Aaron, the priests, will blow on the trumpets; this will be an eternal decree for your generations.

10:9 If you go to war in your land against the enemy who attacks you, you will signal with a loud noise on the trumpets. You will be remembered before Yahweh your God, and you will be rescued from your enemies.

10:10 “And on the day of your joy and in your appointed times, at the beginning of your months, you will blow on the trumpets in addition to your burnt offerings and in addition to the sacrifices of your fellowship offerings. And they will be as a memorial for you before your God; I am Yahweh your God.”

9:15 The Cloud Covers the Holy Tent The holy tent was set up. It was the tent where the tablets of the covenant were kept. On the day it was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening until morning the cloud that was above the tent looked like fire.

9:16 That’s what continued to happen. The cloud covered the tent. At night the cloud looked like fire.

9:17 When the cloud lifted from its place above the tent, the people of Israel started out. Where the cloud settled, the people of Israel camped.

9:18 When the Lord gave the command, the people of Israel started out. And when he gave the command, they camped. As long as the cloud stayed above the holy tent, they remained in camp.

9:19 Sometimes the cloud remained above the tent for a long time. Then the people of Israel obeyed the Lord’s order. They didn’t start out.

9:20 Sometimes the cloud was above the tent for only a few days. When the Lord would give the command, they would camp. Then when he would give the command, they would start out.

9:21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening until morning. When it lifted in the morning, they started out. It didn’t matter whether it was day or night. When the cloud lifted, the people started out.

9:22 It didn’t matter whether the cloud stayed above the holy tent for two days or a month or a year. The people of Israel would remain in camp. They wouldn’t start out. But when the cloud lifted, they would start out.

9:23 When the Lord gave the command, they camped. And when he gave the command, they started out. They obeyed the Lord’s order. They obeyed him, just as he had commanded them through Moses.

10:1 The Silver Trumpets The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,

10:2 “Make two trumpets out of hammered silver. Blow them when you want the community to gather together. And blow them when you want the camps to start out.

10:3 When both trumpets are blown, the whole community must gather in front of you. They must come to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

10:4 Suppose only one trumpet is blown. Then the leaders must gather in front of you. They are the heads of the tribes of Israel.

10:5 When a trumpet blast is blown, the tribes that are camped on the east side must start out.

10:6 When the second blast is blown, the camps on the south side must start out. The blast will tell them when to start.

10:7 Blow the trumpets to gather the people together. But do not use the same kind of blast.

10:8 “The sons of Aaron, the priests, must blow the trumpets. That is a law for you and your children after you for all time to come.

10:9 Suppose you go into battle in your own land. And suppose it is against an enemy who is beating you down. Then blow a blast on the trumpets. If you do, I will remember you. I will save you from your enemies. I am the Lord your God.

10:10 You must also blow the trumpets when you are happy. Blow them at your appointed feasts. Blow them at your New Moon Feasts. Blow them when you sacrifice your burnt offerings. Blow them when you sacrifice your friendship offerings. They will remind me of you. I am the Lord your God.”

Gospel — Luke 9:46-62

9:46 The Question About Who Is Greatest And an argument developed among them as to who of them might be greatest.

9:47 But Jesus, because he knew the thoughts of their hearts, took hold of a child and had him stand beside him

9:48 and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For the one who is least among you all—this one is great.”

9:49 Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us And John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone expelling demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him, because he does not follow in company with us.”

9:50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not prevent him, because whoever is not against you is for you.”

9:51 Jesus Rejected in a Samaritan Village Now it happened that when the days were approaching for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.

9:52 And he sent messengers before him, and they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans in order to prepare for him.

9:53 And they did not welcome him because he was determined to go to Jerusalem.

9:54 Now when the disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”

9:55 But he turned around and rebuked them,

9:56 and they proceeded to another village.

9:57 Would-be Followers And as they were traveling on the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go!”

9:58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

9:59 And he said to another, “Follow me!” But he said, “Lord, first allow me to go and bury my father.”

9:60 But he said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead! But you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

9:61 And another person also said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say farewell to those in my house.”

9:62 But Jesus said, “No one who puts his hand on the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God!”

9:46 Who Is the Most Important Person? The disciples began to argue about which one of them would be the most important person.

9:47 Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he took a little child and had the child stand beside him.

9:48 Then he spoke to them. “Anyone who welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me,” he said. “And anyone who welcomes me welcomes the One who sent me. The least important person among all of you is the most important.”

9:49 “Master,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name. We tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”

9:50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “Anyone who is not against you is for you.”

9:51 The Samaritans Do Not Welcome Jesus The time grew near for Jesus to be taken up to heaven. So he made up his mind to go to Jerusalem.

9:52 He sent messengers on ahead. They went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him.

9:53 But the people there did not welcome Jesus. That was because he was heading for Jerusalem.

9:54 The disciples James and John saw this. They asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy them?”

9:55 But Jesus turned and commanded them not to do it.

9:56 They went on to another village.

9:57 It Costs to Follow Jesus Once Jesus and those who were with him were walking along the road. A man said to Jesus, “I will follow you no matter where you go.”

9:58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes. Birds of the air have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

9:59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

9:60 Jesus said to him, “Let dead people bury their own dead. You go and tell others about God’s kingdom.”

9:61 Still another man said, “I will follow you, Lord. But first let me go back and say good-by to my family.”

9:62 Jesus replied, “Suppose you start to plow and then look back. If you do, you are not fit for service in God’s kingdom.”

Passages

Torah — Numbers 9:15 - 10:10

LEB translation

NIRV translation

Gospel — Luke 9:46-62

LEB translation

NIRV translation