Wednesday, 4 Tammuz 5784 / July 10, 2024
Day 557 Readings
Torah: Parshat Chukat, 4th Portion (Bamidbar (Numbers) 20:14-20:21)
Numbers 20:14-21
English Standard Version
Edom Refuses Passage
14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met: 15 how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers. 16 And when we cried to the Lord, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink water from a well. We will go along the King's Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.” 18 But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.” 19 And the people of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.” 20 But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force. 21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him.
Bible Study Together
Jeremiah 3
English Standard Version
11 And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say,
“‘Return, faithless Israel,declares the Lord.I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful,declares the Lord;I will not be angry forever.13 Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your Godand scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice,declares the Lord.14 Return, O faithless children,declares the Lord; for I am your master;I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
15 “‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16 And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the Lord, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again. 17 At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart. 18 In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage.
19 “‘I said, How I would set you among my sons,and give you a pleasant land, a heritage most beautiful of all nations.And I thought you would call me, My Father, and would not turn from following me.20 Surely, as a treacherous wife leaves her husband, so have you been treacherous to me, O house of Israel,declares the Lord.’”
21 A voice on the bare heights is heard, the weeping and pleading of Israel's sonsbecause they have perverted their way; they have forgotten the Lord their God.22 “Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.”“Behold, we come to you, for you are the Lord our God.23 Truly the hills are a delusion, the orgies[a] on the mountains.Truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.
24 “But from our youth the shameful thing has devoured all for which our fathers labored, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our dishonor cover us. For we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.”
Jeremiah 4
1 “If you return, O Israel, declares the Lord, to me you should return. If you remove your detestable things from my presence, and do not waver, 2 and if you swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.”
3 For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem:
“Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. 4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.”
Disaster from the North
5 Declare in Judah, and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say,
“Blow the trumpet through the land; cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble, and let us go into the fortified cities!’6 Raise a standard toward Zion, flee for safety, stay not,for I bring disaster from the north, and great destruction.7 A lion has gone up from his thicket, a destroyer of nations has set out; he has gone out from his placeto make your land a waste; your cities will be ruins without inhabitant.8 For this put on sackcloth, lament and wail,for the fierce anger of the Lord has not turned back from us.”
9 “In that day, declares the Lord, courage shall fail both king and officials. The priests shall be appalled and the prophets astounded.” 10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God, surely you have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘It shall be well with you,’ whereas the sword has reached their very life.”
11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind from the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or cleanse, 12 a wind too full for this comes for me. Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them.”
13 Behold, he comes up like clouds; his chariots like the whirlwind;his horses are swifter than eagles— woe to us, for we are ruined!14 O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil, that you may be saved.How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you?15 For a voice declares from Dan and proclaims trouble from Mount Ephraim.16 Warn the nations that he is coming; announce to Jerusalem,“Besiegers come from a distant land; they shout against the cities of Judah.17 Like keepers of a field are they against her all around, because she has rebelled against me,declares the Lord.18 Your ways and your deeds have brought this upon you.This is your doom, and it is bitter; it has reached your very heart.”
John 21:1-14
English Standard Version
Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples
1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards[a] off.
9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
ESV Readings
Scripture
Ecclesiastes 5:8-17
English Standard Version
The Vanity of Wealth and Honor
8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.[a]
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
13 There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15 As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? 17 Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.
Joshua 7
Jeremiah 2:1-37
English Standard Version
Israel Forsakes the Lord
1 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord,
“I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride,how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.3 Israel was holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of his harvest.All who ate of it incurred guilt; disaster came upon them,declares the Lord.”
4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord:
“What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me,and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?6 They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt,who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits,in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that none passes through, where no man dwells?’7 And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things.But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination.8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who handle the law did not know me;the shepherds[a] transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit.
9 “Therefore I still contend with you,declares the Lord, and with your children's children I will contend.10 For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see, or send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has been such a thing.11 Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods?But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate,declares the Lord,13 for my people have committed two evils:they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters,and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.
14 “Is Israel a slave? Is he a homeborn servant? Why then has he become a prey?15 The lions have roared against him; they have roared loudly.They have made his land a waste; his cities are in ruins, without inhabitant.16 Moreover, the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved[b] the crown of your head.17 Have you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the Lord your God, when he led you in the way?18 And now what do you gain by going to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile?Or what do you gain by going to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates?[c]19 Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you.Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God; the fear of me is not in you,declares the Lord God of hosts.
20 “For long ago I broke your yoke and burst your bonds; but you said, ‘I will not serve. ’Yes, on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed down like a whore.21 Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine?22 Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me, declares the Lord God.23 How can you say, ‘I am not unclean, I have not gone after the Baals’?Look at your way in the valley; know what you have done—a restless young camel running here and there,24 a wild donkey used to the wilderness, in her heat sniffing the wind! Who can restrain her lust?None who seek her need weary themselves; in her month they will find her.25 Keep your feet from going unshod and your throat from thirst.But you said, ‘It is hopeless, for I have loved foreigners, and after them I will go.’
26 “As a thief is shamed when caught, so the house of Israel shall be shamed:they, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets,27 who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’For they have turned their back to me, and not their face.But in the time of their trouble they say, ‘Arise and save us!’28 But where are your gods that you made for yourself?Let them arise, if they can save you, in your time of trouble;for as many as your cities are your gods, O Judah.
29 “Why do you contend with me? You have all transgressed against me,declares the Lord.30 In vain have I struck your children; they took no correction;your own sword devoured your prophets like a ravening lion.31 And you, O generation, behold the word of the Lord.Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of thick darkness?Why then do my people say, ‘We are free, we will come no more to you’?32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire?Yet my people have forgotten me days without number.
33 “How well you direct your course to seek love!So that even to wicked women you have taught your ways.34 Also on your skirts is found the lifeblood of the guiltless poor;you did not find them breaking in. Yet in spite of all these things35 you say, ‘I am innocent; surely his anger has turned from me.’Behold, I will bring you to judgment for saying, ‘I have not sinned.’36 How much you go about, changing your way!You shall be put to shame by Egypt as you were put to shame by Assyria.37 From it too you will come away with your hands on your head, for the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust, and you will not prosper by them.
Jeremiah 3:1-5
English Standard Version
1 “If[a] a man divorces his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man's wife, will he return to her?Would not that land be greatly polluted? You have played the whore with many lovers; and would you return to me? declares the Lord.2 Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see! Where have you not been ravished?By the waysides you have sat awaiting lovers like an Arab in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your vile whoredom.3 Therefore the showers have been withheld, and the spring rain has not come;yet you have the forehead of a whore; you refuse to be ashamed.4 Have you not just now called to me, ‘My father, you are the friend of my youth—5 will he be angry forever, will he be indignant to the end?’Behold, you have spoken, but you have done all the evil that you could.”
Matthew 18