Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,^(A) set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.^{(B) 2} Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.^{(C) 3} For you died,^(D) and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your^[a] life,^(E) appears,^(F) then you also will appear with him in glory.^(G)

⁵ Put to death,^(H) therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:^(I) sexual immorality,^(J) impurity, lust, evil desires and greed,^(K) which is idolatry.^{(L) 6} Because of these, the wrath of God^(M) is coming.^{[b] 7} You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.^{(N) 8} But now you must also rid yourselves^(O) of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander,^(P) and filthy language from your lips.^{(Q) 9} Do not lie to each other,^(R) since you have taken off your old self^(S) with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self,^(T) which is being renewed^(U) in knowledge in the image of its Creator.^{(V) 11} Here there is no Gentile or Jew,^(W) circumcised or uncircumcised,^(X) barbarian, Scythian, slave or free,^(Y) but Christ is all,^(Z) and is in all.

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves^(AA) with compassion, kindness, humility,^(AB) gentleness and patience.^{(AC) 13} Bear with each other^(AD) and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.^{(AE) 14} And over all these virtues put on love,^(AF) which binds them all together in perfect unity.^(AG)

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ^(AH) rule in your hearts, since as members of one body^(AI) you were called to peace.^(AJ) And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ^(AK) dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom^(AL) through psalms,^(AM) hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.^{(AN) 17} And whatever you do,^(AO) whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks^(AP) to God the Father through him.

Instructions for Christian Households^(AQ)

¹⁸ Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands,^(AR) as is fitting in the Lord.

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

²¹ Fathers,^[c] do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

²² Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance^(AS) from the Lord as a reward.^(AT) It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ²⁵ Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.^(AU)

Setting Up the Lamps

8 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you set up the lamps, see that all seven light up the area in front of the lampstand.^(A)’”

³ Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the Lord commanded Moses. ⁴ This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold^(B)—from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern^(C) the Lord had shown Moses.

The Setting Apart of the Levites

⁵ The Lord said to Moses: ⁶ “Take the Levites from among all the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.^{(D) 7} To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing^(E) on them; then have them shave their whole bodies^(F) and wash their clothes.^(G) And so they will purify themselves.^{(H) 8} Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of the finest flour mixed with olive oil;^(I) then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.^{[a](J) 9} Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting^(K) and assemble the whole Israelite community.^{(L) 10} You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them.^{(M) 11} Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering^(N) from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the Lord.

¹² “Then the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls,^(O) using one for a sin offering^(P) to the Lord and the other for a burnt offering,^(Q) to make atonement^(R) for the Levites. ¹³ Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering^(S) to the Lord. ¹⁴ In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.^(T)

¹⁵ “After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering,^(U) they are to come to do their work at the tent of meeting.^{(V) 16} They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn,^(W) the first male offspring^(X) from every Israelite woman. ¹⁷ Every firstborn male in Israel, whether human or animal,^(Y) is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself.^{(Z) 18} And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel.^{(AA) 19} From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons^(AB) to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites^(AC) and to make atonement for them^(AD) so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”

²⁰ Moses, Aaron and the whole Israelite community did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses. ²¹ The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes.^(AE) Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement^(AF) for them to purify them.^{(AG) 22} After that, the Levites came to do their work^(AH) at the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses.

²³ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁴ “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more^(AI) shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting,^{(AJ) 25} but at the age of fifty,^(AK) they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. ²⁶ They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work.^(AL) This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.”

The Passover

9 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the first month^(AM) of the second year after they came out of Egypt.^(AN) He said, ² “Have the Israelites celebrate the Passover^(AO) at the appointed time.^{(AP) 3} Celebrate it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month,^(AQ) in accordance with all its rules and regulations.^(AR)”

⁴ So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover,^{(AS) 5} and they did so in the Desert of Sinai^(AT) at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.^(AU) The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.^(AV)

⁶ But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean^(AW) on account of a dead body.^(AX) So they came to Moses and Aaron^(AY) that same day ⁷ and said to Moses, “We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the Lord’s offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?^(AZ)”

⁸ Moses answered them, “Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you.”^(BA)

⁹ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹⁰ “Tell the Israelites: ‘When any of you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead body^(BB) or are away on a journey, they are still to celebrate^(BC) the Lord’s Passover, ¹¹ but they are to do it on the fourteenth day of the second month^(BD) at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.^{(BE) 12} They must not leave any of it till morning^(BF) or break any of its bones.^(BG) When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations.^{(BH) 13} But if anyone who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, they must be cut off from their people^(BI) for not presenting the Lord’s offering at the appointed time. They will bear the consequences of their sin.

¹⁴ “‘A foreigner^(BJ) residing among you is also to celebrate the Lord’s Passover in accordance with its rules and regulations. You must have the same regulations for both the foreigner and the native-born.’”

The Cloud Above the Tabernacle

¹⁵ On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law,^(BK) was set up,^(BL) the cloud^(BM) covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.^{(BN) 16} That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire.^{(BO) 17} Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out;^(BP) wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.^{(BQ) 18} At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained^(BR) in camp. ¹⁹ When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s order^(BS) and did not set out.^{(BT) 20} Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. ²¹ Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. ²² Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. ²³ At the Lord’s command they encamped, and at the Lord’s command they set out. They obeyed the Lord’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.

The Silver Trumpets

10 The Lord said to Moses: ² “Make two trumpets^(BU) of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community^(BV) together and for having the camps set out.^{(BW) 3} When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁴ If only one is sounded, the leaders^(BX)—the heads of the clans of Israel—are to assemble before you. ⁵ When a trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes camping on the east are to set out.^{(BY) 6} At the sounding of a second blast, the camps on the south are to set out.^(BZ) The blast will be the signal for setting out. ⁷ To gather the assembly, blow the trumpets,^(CA) but not with the signal for setting out.^(CB)

⁸ “The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come.^{(CC) 9} When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you,^(CD) sound a blast on the trumpets.^(CE) Then you will be remembered^(CF) by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies.^{(CG) 10} Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed festivals and New Moon feasts^(CH)—you are to sound the trumpets^(CI) over your burnt offerings^(CJ) and fellowship offerings,^(CK) and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the Lord your God.^(CL)”

The Israelites Leave Sinai

¹¹ On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year,^(CM) the cloud lifted^(CN) from above the tabernacle of the covenant law.^{(CO) 12} Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran.^{(CP) 13} They set out, this first time, at the Lord’s command through Moses.^(CQ)

¹⁴ The divisions of the camp of Judah went first, under their standard.^(CR) Nahshon son of Amminadab^(CS) was in command. ¹⁵ Nethanel son of Zuar was over the division of the tribe^(CT) of Issachar,^{(CU) 16} and Eliab son of Helon^(CV) was over the division of the tribe of Zebulun.^{(CW) 17} Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, set out.^(CX)

¹⁸ The divisions of the camp of Reuben^(CY) went next, under their standard.^(CZ) Elizur son of Shedeur^(DA) was in command. ¹⁹ Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of the tribe of Simeon,^{(DB) 20} and Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the tribe of Gad.^{(DC) 21} Then the Kohathites^(DD) set out, carrying the holy things.^(DE) The tabernacle was to be set up before they arrived.^(DF)

²² The divisions of the camp of Ephraim^(DG) went next, under their standard. Elishama son of Ammihud^(DH) was in command. ²³ Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of Manasseh,^{(DI) 24} and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin.^(DJ)

²⁵ Finally, as the rear guard^(DK) for all the units, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out under their standard. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai^(DL) was in command. ²⁶ Pagiel son of Okran was over the division of the tribe of Asher,^{(DM) 27} and Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of Naphtali.^{(DN) 28} This was the order of march for the Israelite divisions as they set out.

²⁹ Now Moses said to Hobab^(DO) son of Reuel^(DP) the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law,^(DQ) “We are setting out for the place about which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’^(DR) Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”

³⁰ He answered, “No, I will not go;^(DS) I am going back to my own land and my own people.^(DT)”

³¹ But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.^{(DU) 32} If you come with us, we will share with you^(DV) whatever good things the Lord gives us.^(DW)”

³³ So they set out^(DX) from the mountain of the Lord and traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of the Lord^(DY) went before them during those three days to find them a place to rest.^{(DZ) 34} The cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp.^(EA)

³⁵ Whenever the ark set out, Moses said,

³⁶ Whenever it came to rest, he said,

Psalm 28

Of David.