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Weekly Torah Reading
Chukat
Numbers 19:1 - 22:1
Judges 11:1 - 33
John 3:10 - 21
Numbers
19:1-:22:1
1 ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon,
2 “This is the regulation from the Torah which ADONAI has commanded. Tell the
people of Isra’el to bring you a young red female cow without fault or defect
and which has never borne a yoke.
3 You are to give it to El‘azar the cohen; it is to be brought outside the camp
and slaughtered in front of him.
4 El‘azar the cohen is to take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle
this blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times.
5 The heifer is to be burned to ashes before his eyes–– its skin, meat, blood
and dung is to be burned to ashes.
6 The cohen is to take cedar–wood, hyssop and scarlet yarn and throw them onto
the heifer as it is burning up.
7 Then the cohen is to wash his clothes and himself in water, after which he may
re–enter the camp; but the cohen will remain unclean until evening.
8 The person who burned up the heifer is to wash his clothes and himself in
water, but he will remain unclean until evening.
9 A man who is clean is to collect the ashes of the heifer and store them
outside the camp in a clean place. They are to be kept for the community of the
people of Isra’el to prepare water for purification from sin.
10 The one who collected the ashes of the heifer is to wash his clothes and be
unclean until evening. For the people of Isra’el and for the foreigner staying
with them this will be a permanent regulation.
11 “Anyone who touches a corpse, no matter whose dead body it is, will be
unclean for seven days.
12 He must purify himself with (these ashes) on the third and seventh days; then
he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself the third and seventh days,
he will not be clean.
13 Anyone who touches a corpse, no matter whose dead body it is, and does not
purify himself has defiled the tabernacle of ADONAI. That person will be cut off
from Isra’el, because the water for purification was not sprinkled on him. He
will be unclean; his uncleanness is still on him.
14 “This is the law: when a person dies in a tent, everyone who enters the tent
and everything in the tent will be unclean for seven days.
15 Every open container without a cover closely attached is unclean.
16 Also whoever is in an open field and touches a corpse, whether of someone
killed by a weapon or of someone who died naturally, or the bone of a person, or
a grave, will be unclean for seven days.
17 “For the unclean person they are to take some of the ashes of the animal
burned up as a purification from sin and add them to fresh water in a container.
18 A clean person is to take a bunch of hyssop leaves, dip it in the water and
sprinkle it on the tent, on all the containers, on the people who were there,
and on the person who touched the bone or the person killed or the one who died
naturally or the grave.
19 The clean person will sprinkle the unclean person on the third and seventh
days. On the seventh day he will purify him; then he will wash his clothes and
himself in water; and he will be clean at evening.
20 The person who remains unclean and does not purify himself will be cut off
from the community because he has defiled the sanctuary of ADONAI. The water for
purification has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean.
21 This is to be a permanent regulation for them. The person who sprinkles the
water for purification is to wash his clothes. Whoever touches the water for
purification will be unclean until evening.
22 Anything the unclean person touches will be unclean, and anyone who touches
him will be unclean until evening.”
Numbers 20:1- 29
1 The people of Isra’el, the whole community, entered the Tzin Desert in the
first month, and they stayed in Kadesh. There Miryam died, and there she was
buried.
2 Because the community had no water, they assembled themselves against Moshe
and Aharon.
3 The people quarreled with Moshe and said, “We wish we had died when our
brothers died before ADONAI.
4 Why did you bring ADONAI‘ s community into this desert? To die there, we and
our livestock?
5 Why did you make us leave Egypt? To bring us to this terrible place without
seed, figs, grapevines, pomegranates or even water to drink?”
6 Moshe and Aharon left the assembly, went to the entrance of the tent of
meeting and fell on their faces; and the glory of ADONAI appeared to them.
7 ADONAI said to Moshe,
8 “Take the staff, assemble the community, you and Aharon your brother; and
before their eyes, tell the rock to produce its water. You will bring them water
out of the rock and thus enable the community and their livestock to drink.”
9 Moshe took the staff from the presence of ADONAI, as he had ordered him.
10 But after Moshe and Aharon had assembled the community in front of the rock,
he said to them, “Listen here, you rebels! Are we supposed to bring you water
from this rock?”
11 Then Moshe raised his hand and hit the rock twice with his staff. Water
flowed out in abundance, and the community and their livestock drank.
12 But ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon, “Because you did not trust in me, so as
to cause me to be regarded as holy by the people of Isra’el, you will not bring
this community into the land I have given them.”
13 This is M’rivah Spring, where the people of Isra’el disputed with ADONAI, and
he was caused to be regarded as holy by them.
14 Moshe sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “This is what
your brother Isra’el says: you know all the troubles we have gone through––
15 that our ancestors went down into Egypt, we lived in Egypt a long time, and
the Egyptians treated us and our ancestors badly.
16 But when we cried out to ADONAI, he heard us, sent an angel and brought us
out of Egypt. Now here we are in Kadesh, a city at the edge of your territory.
17 Please let us pass through your land. We will not go through fields or
vineyards, and we won’t drink any water from the wells. We will go along the
King’s Highway, not turning aside either to the right or to the left until we
have left your territory.”
18 But Edomanswered, “You are not to pass through my land; if you do, I will
come out against you with the sword.”
19 The people of Isra’el replied, “We will keep to the highway; if we do drink
the water, either we or our livestock, we will pay for it. Just let us pass
through on foot––it’s nothing.”
20 But he said, “You are not to pass through”; and Edom came out against them
with many people and much force.
21 Thus Edom refused to allow Isra’el passage through its territory, so Isra’el
turned away.
22 They traveled on from Kadesh; and the people of Isra’el, the whole community,
arrived at Mount Hor.
23 At Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, ADONAI said to Moshe and
Aharon,
24 “Aharon is about to be gathered to his people, because he is not to enter the
land I have given to the people of Isra’el, inasmuch as you rebelled against
what I said at the M’rivah Spring.
25 Take Aharon and El‘azar his son, bring them up to Mount Hor,
26 remove the garments from Aharon and put them on El‘azar his son. Aharon will
be gathered to his people–– he will die there.”
27 Moshe did as ADONAI had ordered. They went up onto Mount Hor before the eyes
of the whole community.
28 Moshe removed the garments from Aharon, and put them on El‘azar his son, and
Aharon died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moshe and El‘azar came down
the mountain.
29 When the entire community saw that Aharon was dead, they mourned Aharon
thirty days, the whole house of Isra’el.
Numbers 21:1- 35
1 Then the king of ‘Arad, a Kena‘ani who lived in the Negev,
heard that Isra’el was approaching by way of Atarim, so he attacked Isra’el and
took some of them captive.
2 Isra’el made a vow to ADONAI, “If you will hand this people over to me, I will
completely destroy their cities.”
3 ADONAI listened to what Isra’el said and handed over the Kena‘anim, so they
completely destroyed them and their cities and named the place Hormah. (complete
destruction)
4 Then they traveled from Mount Hor on the road toward the Sea of Suf in order
to go around the land of Edom; but the people’s tempers grew short because of
the detour.
5 The people spoke against God and against Moshe: “Why did you bring us up out
of Egypt? To die in the desert? There’s no real food, there’s no water, and
we’re sick of this miserable stuff we’re eating!”
6 In response, ADONAI sent poisonous snakes among the people; they bit the
people, and many of Isra’el’s people died.
7 The people came to Moshe and said, “We sinned by speaking against ADONAI and
against you. Pray to ADONAI that he rid us of these snakes.” Moshe prayed for
the people,
8 and ADONAI answered Moshe: “Make a poisonous snake and put it on a pole. When
anyone who has been bitten sees it, he will live.”
9 Moshe made a bronze snake and put it on the pole; if a snake had bitten
someone, then, when he looked toward the bronze snake, he stayed alive.
10 The people of Isra’el traveled on and camped at Ovot.
11 From Ovot they traveled and camped at ‘Iyei–Ha‘avarim, in the desert fronting
Mo’av on the east.
12 From there they traveled and camped in Vadi Zered.
13 From there they traveled and camped on the other side of the Arnon, in the
desert; this river comes out of the territory of the Emori; for the Arnon is the
boundary between Mo’av and the Emori.
14 This is why it says, in the Book of the Wars of ADONAI, “… Vahev at Sufah,
the vadi s of Arnon,
15 and the slope of the vadi s extending as far as the site of ‘Ar, which lie
next to the territory of Mo’av.”
16 From there they went on to Be’er (well) ; that is the well about which ADONAI
said to Moshe, “Assemble the people, and I will give them water.”
17 Then Isra’el sang this song: “Spring up, oh well! Sing to the well
18 sunk by the princes, dug by the people’s leaders with the scepter, with their
staffs!” From the desert they went to Mattanah,
19 from Mattanah to Nachali’el, from Nachali’el to Bamot,
20 and from Bamot to the valley by the plain of Mo’av at the start of the Pisgah
range, where it overlooks the desert.
21 Isra’el sent messengers to Sichon, king of the Emori, with this message:
22 “Let me pass through your land. We won’t turn aside into fields or vineyards,
and we won’t drink any water from the wells. We will go along the King’s Highway
until we have left your territory.”
23 But Sichon would not allow Isra’el to pass through his territory. Instead,
Sichon mustered all his people and went out into the desert to fight Isra’el. On
reaching Yachatz, he fought Isra’el.
24 Isra’el defeated him by force of arms and took control of his land from the
Arnon to the Yabok River, but only as far as the people of ‘Amon, because the
territory of the people of ‘Amon was well defended.
25 Isra’el took all these cities–– Isra’el lived in all the cities of the Emori,
in Heshbon and all its surrounding towns.
26 Heshbon was the city of Sichon, the king of the Emori, who had fought against
the former king of Mo’av and conquered all his land up to the Arnon.
27 This is why the storytellers say, “Come to Heshbon! Let it be rebuilt! Let
Sichon’s city be restored!
28 “For fire burst out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sichon. It consumed
‘Ar of Mo’av, the lords of Arnon’s high places.
29 “Woe to you, Mo’av! You are destroyed, people of K’mosh! He let his sons be
fugitives and his daughters captives of Sichon, king of the Emori.
30 “We shot them down; Heshbon is destroyed, all the way to Divon. We even laid
waste to Nofach, which extends as far as Meidva.”
31 Thus Isra’el lived in the land of the Emori.
32 Moshe sent men to reconnoiter Ya‘zer; they captured its towns and drove out
the Emori who were there.
33 Then they turned and went up along the road to Bashan; and ‘Og, the king of
Bashan, marched out against them, he with all his people, to fight at Edre‘i.
34 ADONAI said to Moshe, “Don’t be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to
you with all his people and his land. You will treat him just as you did Sichon,
king of the Emori, who lived at Heshbon.”
35 So they struck him down, with his sons and all his people, until there was no
one left alive; and then they took control of his land.
Numbers
22:1
1 Then the people of Isra’el traveled on and camped in the plains of Mo’av
beyond the Yarden River, opposite Yericho.
Judges 11:1 - 33
1 Now Yiftach, a brave soldier from Gil‘ad, was the son of a
prostitute. His father, Gil‘ad,
2 had other sons by his wife; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove
Yiftach away and told him, “You will not inherit from our father, because you
are another woman’s son.”
3 Then Yiftach fled from his brothers and lived in the territory of Tov, where
he enlisted a gang of rowdies who would go out raiding with him.
4 After a while the people of ‘Amon made war against Isra’el.
5 When the army of ‘Amon attacked Isra’el, the leaders of Gil‘ad went to fetch
Yiftach from the territory of Tov
6 and said to him, “Come and be our chief, so that we can fight the army of ‘Amon.”
7 Yiftach answered the leaders of Gil‘ad, “Didn’t you hate me so much that you
forced me out of my father’s house? Why are you coming to me now, when you’re in
trouble?”
8 The leaders of Gil‘ad replied, “Here is why we’ve come back to you now: if you
lead us in war with the people of ‘Amon, you will be head over everyone living
in Gil‘ad.”
9 Yiftach answered them, “If you bring me back home to fight the army of ‘Amon,
and ADONAI defeats them for me, I will be your head.”
10 The leaders of Gil‘ad said to Yiftach, “ADONAI is witness that we promise to
do what you have said.”
11 Then Yiftach went with the leaders of Gil‘ad, and the people made him head
and chief over them. Yiftach repeated all these conditions at Mitzpah in the
presence of ADONAI.
12 Yiftach sent messengers to the king of the people of ‘Amon to say, “What’s
your problem with us? Why are you invading our territory?”
13 The king of ‘Amon answered the messengers of Yiftach, “Because Isra’el took
away my territory when they came up from Egypt. They took everything from the
Arnon to the Yabok and the Yarden. Now, restore it peacefully.”
14 Yiftach sent messengers again to the king of the people of ‘Amon
15 with this response, “Here is what Yiftach has to say: ‘Isra’el captured
neither the territory of Mo’av nor the territory of the people of ‘Amon.
16 But when Isra’el came up from Egypt, walked through the desert to the Red Sea
and arrived at Kadesh,
17 then Isra’el sent messengers to the king of Edom, to say, “Please let us pass
through your land.” But the king of Edom wouldn’t let them. He sent a similar
message to the king of Mo’av, but neither would he, so Isra’el stayed at Kadesh.
18 Then they walked through the desert, around the territory of Edom and the
territory of Mo’av, past the east border of the territory of Mo’av, and pitched
camp on the other side of the Arnon; but they did not cross the border into
Mo’av, for the Arnon was the border of Mo’av.
19 Isra’el sent messengers to Sichon king of the Emori and king of Heshbon with
this message, “Please let us pass through your land to our own place.”
20 But Sichon did not trust that Isra’el would only pass through his land, so he
gathered all his people together, pitched camp in Yahatz and fought against
Isra’el.
21 ADONAI the God of Isra’el handed Sichon and all his people over to Isra’el,
and they killed them. Thus Isra’el possessed all the territory of the Emori who
lived there.
22 They took possession of all the territory of the Emori from the Arnon to the
Yabok and from the desert to the Yarden.
23 So now that ADONAI the God of Isra’el has expelled the Emori before his
people Isra’el, do you think that you will expel us?
24 You should just keep the territory your god K’mosh has given you; while we,
for our part, will hold onto whatever ADONAI our God has given us of the lands
that belonged to others before us.
25 Really, are you better than Balak the son of Tzippor, king of Mo’av? Did he
ever pick a quarrel with Isra’el or fight with us?
26 Isra’el lived in Heshbon and its villages, in ‘Aro‘er and its villages and in
all the cities on the banks of the Arnon for three hundred years. Why didn’t you
take them back during that time?
27 No, I have done you no wrong. But you are doing me wrong to war against me.
May ADONAI the Judge be judge today between the people of Isra’el and the people
of ‘Amon.’”
28 But the king of the people of ‘Amon paid no attention to the message Yiftach
sent him.
29 Then the spirit of ADONAI came upon Yiftach; and he passed through Gil‘ad and
M’nasheh, on through Mitzpeh of Gil‘ad, and from there over to the people of
‘Amon.
30 Yiftach made a vow to ADONAI: “If you will hand the people of ‘Amon over to
me,
31 then whatever comes out the doors of my house to meet me when I return in
peace from the people of ‘Amon will belong to ADONAI; I will sacrifice it as a
burnt offering.”
32 So Yiftach crossed over to fight the people of ‘Amon, and ADONAI handed them
over to him.
33 He killed them from ‘Aro‘er until you reach Minnit, twenty cities, all the
way to Avel–K’ramim; it was a massacre. So the people of ‘Amon were defeated
before the people of Isra’el.
John 3:10 - 21
10 Yeshua answered him, “You hold the office of teacher in Isra’el, and
you don’t know this?
11 Yes, indeed! I tell you that what we speak about, we know; and what we give
evidence of, we have seen; but you people don’t accept our evidence!
12 If you people don’t believe me when I tell you about the things of the world,
how will you believe me when I tell you about the things of heaven?
13 No one has gone up into heaven; there is only the one who has come down from
heaven, the Son of Man.
14 Just as Moshe lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be
lifted up;
15 so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that
everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly
destroyed.
17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so
that through him, the world might be saved.
18 Those who trust in him are not judged; those who do not trust have been
judged already, in that they have not trusted in the one who is God’s only and
unique Son.
19 “Now this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, but people
loved the darkness rather than the light. Why? Because their actions were
wicked.
20 For everyone who does evil things hates the light and avoids it, so that his
actions won’t be exposed.
21 But everyone who does what is true comes to the light, so that all may see
that his actions are accomplished through God.”
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