Bible Reading Plan – Day 25

₁₇The LORD said to Moses, ₁₈“Make a bronze basin with a bronze base. Place it between the Tent and the altar, and put water in it. ₁₉Aaron and his sons are to use the water to wash their hands and feet ₂₀before they go into the Tent or approach the altar to offer the food offering. Then they will not be killed. ₂₁They must wash their hands and feet, so that they will not die. This is a rule which they and their descendants are to observe for ever.”

₂₂The LORD said to Moses, ₂₃“Take the finest spices — six kilogrammes of liquid myrrh, three kilogrammes of sweet-smelling cinnamon, three kilogrammes of sweet-smelling cane, ₂₄and six kilogrammes of cassia (all weighed according to the official standard). Add four litres of olive oil, ₂₅and make a sacred anointing oil, mixed like perfume. ₂₆Use it to anoint the Tent of my presence, the Covenant Box, ₂₇the table and all its equipment, the lampstand and its equipment, the altar for burning incense, ₂₈the altar for burning offerings, together with all its equipment, and the washbasin with its base. ₂₉Dedicate these things in this way, and they will be completely holy, and anyone or anything that touches them will be harmed by the power of their holiness. ₃₀Then anoint Aaron and his sons, and ordain them as priests in my service. ₃₁Say to the people of Israel, ‘This holy anointing oil is to be used in my service for all time to come. ₃₂It must not be poured on ordinary men, and you must not use the same formula to make any mixture like it. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy. ₃₃Whoever makes any like it or uses any of it on anyone who is not a priest will no longer be considered one of my people.’ ”

₃₄The LORD said to Moses, “Take an equal part of each of the following sweet spices — stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense. ₃₅Use them to make incense, mixed like perfume. Add salt to keep it pure and holy. ₃₆Beat part of it into a fine powder, take it into the Tent of my presence, and sprinkle it in front of the Covenant Box. Treat this incense as completely holy. ₃₇Do not use the same formula to make any incense like it for yourselves. Treat it as a holy thing dedicated to me. ₃₈If anyone makes any like it for use as perfume, he will no longer be considered one of my people.”

₁The LORD said to Moses, ₂“I have chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah, ₃and I have filled him with my power. I have given him understanding, skill, and ability for every kind of artistic work — ₄for planning skilful designs and working them in gold, silver, and bronze; ₅for cutting jewels to be set; for carving wood; and for every other kind of artistic work. ₆I have also selected Oholiab son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, to work with him. I have also given great ability to all the other skilled workers, so that they can make everything I have commanded to be made: ₇the Tent of my presence, the Covenant Box and its lid, all the furnishings of the Tent, ₈the table and its equipment, the lampstand of pure gold and all its equipment, the altar for burning incense, ₉the altar for burnt offerings and all its equipment, the washbasin and its base, ₁₀the magnificent priestly garments for Aaron and his sons to use when they serve as priests, ₁₁the anointing oil, and the sweet-smelling incense for the Holy Place. In making all these things, they are to do exactly as I have commanded you.”

₁₂The LORD commanded Moses ₁₃to say to the people of Israel, “Keep the Sabbath, my day of rest, because it is a sign between you and me for all time to come, to show that I, the LORD, have made you my own people. ₁₄You must keep the day of rest, because it is sacred. Whoever does not keep it, but works on that day, is to be put to death. ₁₅You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a solemn day of rest dedicated to me. Whoever does any work on that day is to be put to death. ₁₆The people of Israel are to keep this day as a sign of the covenant. ₁₇It is a permanent sign between the people of Israel and me, because I, the LORD, made heaven and earth in six days, and on the seventh day I stopped working and rested.”

₁₈When God had finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets on which God himself had written the commandments.

₁When the people saw that Moses had not come down from the mountain but was staying there a long time, they gathered round Aaron and said to him, “We do not know what has happened to this man Moses, who led us out of Egypt; so make us a god to lead us.”

₂Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold earrings which your wives, your sons, and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” ₃So all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. ₄He took the earrings, melted them, poured the gold into a mould, and made a gold bull calf.

The people said, “Israel, this is our god, who led us out of Egypt!”

₅Then Aaron built an altar in front of the gold bull calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to honour the LORD.” ₆Early the next morning they brought some animals to burn as sacrifices and others to eat as fellowship offerings. The people sat down to a feast, which turned into an orgy of drinking and sex.

₇The LORD said to Moses, “Go back down at once, because your people, whom you led out of Egypt, have sinned and rejected me. ₈They have already left the way that I commanded them to follow; they have made a bull calf out of melted gold and have worshipped it and offered sacrifices to it. They are saying that this is their god, who led them out of Egypt. ₉I know how stubborn these people are. ₁₀Now, don't try to stop me. I am angry with them, and I am going to destroy them. Then I will make you and your descendants into a great nation.”

₁₁But Moses pleaded with the LORD his God and said, “LORD, why should you be so angry with your people, whom you rescued from Egypt with great might and power? ₁₂Why should the Egyptians be able to say that you led your people out of Egypt, planning to kill them in the mountains and destroy them completely? Stop being angry; change your mind and do not bring this disaster on your people. ₁₃Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Remember the solemn promise you made to them to give them as many descendants as there are stars in the sky and to give their descendants all that land you promised would be their possession for ever.” ₁₄So the LORD changed his mind and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

₁₅Moses went back down the mountain, carrying the two stone tablets with the commandments written on both sides. ₁₆God himself had made the tablets and had engraved the commandments on them.

₁₇Joshua heard the people shouting and said to Moses, “I hear the sound of battle in the camp.”

₁₈Moses said, “That doesn't sound like a shout of victory or a cry of defeat; it's the sound of singing.”

₁₉When Moses came close enough to the camp to see the bull calf and to see the people dancing, he was furious. There at the foot of the mountain, he threw down the tablets he was carrying and broke them. ₂₀He took the bull calf which they had made, melted it, ground it into fine powder, and mixed it with water. Then he made the people of Israel drink it. ₂₁He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you have made them commit such a terrible sin?”

₂₂Aaron answered, “Don't be angry with me; you know how determined these people are to do evil. ₂₃They said to me, ‘We don't know what has happened to this man Moses, who brought us out of Egypt; so make us a god to lead us.’ ₂₄I asked them to bring me their gold ornaments, and those who had any took them off and gave them to me. I threw the ornaments into the fire and out came this bull calf!”

₂₅Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get out of control and make fools of themselves in front of their enemies. ₂₆So he stood at the gate of the camp and shouted, “Everyone who is on the LORD's side come over here!” So all the Levites gathered round him, ₂₇and he said to them, “The LORD God of Israel commands every one of you to put on his sword and go through the camp from this gate to the other and kill his brothers, his friends, and his neighbours.” ₂₈The Levites obeyed, and killed about 3,000 men that day. ₂₉Moses said to the Levites, “Today you have consecrated yourselves as priests in the service of the LORD by killing your sons and brothers, so the LORD has given you his blessing.”

₃₀The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin. But now I will again go up the mountain to the LORD; perhaps I can obtain forgiveness for your sin.” ₃₁Moses then returned to the LORD and said, “These people have committed a terrible sin. They have made a god out of gold and worshipped it. ₃₂Please forgive their sin; but if you won't, then remove my name from the book in which you have written the names of your people.”

₃₃The LORD answered, “It is those who have sinned against me whose names I will remove from my book. ₃₄Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Remember that my angel will guide you, but the time is coming when I will punish these people for their sin.”

₃₅So the LORD sent a disease on the people, because they had caused Aaron to make the gold bull calf.

₁The LORD said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought out of Egypt, and go to the land that I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and to their descendants. ₂I will send an angel to guide you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ₃You are going to a rich and fertile land. But I will not go with you myself, because you are a stubborn people, and I might destroy you on the way.”

₄When the people heard this, they began to mourn and did not wear jewellery any more. ₅For the LORD had commanded Moses to say to them, “You are a stubborn people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I would completely destroy you. Now take off your jewellery, and I will decide what to do with you.” ₆So after they left Mount Sinai, the people of Israel no longer wore jewellery.

₇Whenever the people of Israel set up camp, Moses would take the sacred Tent and put it up some distance away from the camp. It was called the Tent of the LORD's presence, and anyone who wanted to consult the LORD would go out to it. ₈Whenever Moses went out there, the people would stand at the door of their tents and watch Moses until he entered it. ₉After Moses had gone in, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the door of the Tent, and the LORD would speak to Moses from the cloud. ₁₀As soon as the people saw the pillar of cloud at the door of the Tent, they would bow down. ₁₁The LORD would speak with Moses face to face, just as someone speaks with a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp. But the young man who was his helper, Joshua son of Nun, stayed in the Tent.

₁₂Moses said to the LORD, “It is true that you have told me to lead these people to that land, but you did not tell me whom you would send with me. You have said that you know me well and are pleased with me. ₁₃Now if you are, tell me your plans, so that I may serve you and continue to please you. Remember also that you have chosen this nation to be your own.”

₁₄The LORD said, “I will go with you, and I will give you victory.”

₁₅Moses replied, “If you do not go with us, don't make us leave this place. ₁₆How will anyone know that you are pleased with your people and with me if you do not go with us? Your presence with us will distinguish us from any other people on earth.”

₁₇The LORD said to Moses, “I will do just as you have asked, because I know you very well and I am pleased with you.”

₁₈Then Moses requested, “Please, let me see the dazzling light of your presence.”

₁₉The LORD answered, “I will make all my splendour pass before you and in your presence I will pronounce my sacred name. I am the LORD, and I show compassion and pity on those I choose. ₂₀I will not let you see my face, because no one can see me and stay alive, ₂₁but here is a place beside me where you can stand on a rock. ₂₂When the dazzling light of my presence passes by, I will put you in an opening in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. ₂₃Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back but not my face.”