Numbers 4, Psalm 38, Song of Solomon 2, Hebrews 2

Numbers 4,

1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron:
 
2 "Take a census of the Kohathite branch of the Levites by their clans and families.
 
3 Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting.
 
4 "This is the work of the Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting: the care of the most holy things.
 
5 When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and cover the ark of the Testimony with it.
 
6 Then they are to cover this with hides of sea cows, spread a cloth of solid blue over that and put the poles in place.
 
7 "Over the table of the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and put on it the plates, dishes and bowls, and the jars for drink offerings; the bread that is continually there is to remain on it.
 
8 Over these they are to spread a scarlet cloth, cover that with hides of sea cows and put its poles in place.
 
9 "They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand that is for light, together with its lamps, its wick trimmers and trays, and all its jars for the oil used to supply it.
 
10 Then they are to wrap it and all its accessories in a covering of hides of sea cows and put it on a carrying frame.
 
11 "Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth and cover that with hides of sea cows and put its poles in place.
 
12 "They are to take all the articles used for ministering in the sanctuary, wrap them in a blue cloth, cover that with hides of sea cows and put them on a carrying frame.
 
13 "They are to remove the ashes from the bronze altar and spread a purple cloth over it.
 
14 Then they are to place on it all the utensils used for ministering at the altar, including the firepans, meat forks, shovels and sprinkling bowls. Over it they are to spread a covering of hides of sea cows and put its poles in place.
 
15 "After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites are to come to do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the Tent of Meeting.
 
16 "Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, is to have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering and the anointing oil. He is to be in charge of the entire tabernacle and everything in it, including its holy furnishings and articles."
 
17 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
 
18 "See that the Kohathite tribal clans are not cut off from the Levites.
 
19 So that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go into the sanctuary and assign to each man his work and what he is to carry.
 
20 But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die."
 
21 The LORD said to Moses,
 
22 "Take a census also of the Gershonites by their families and clans.
 
23 Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
 
24 "This is the service of the Gershonite clans as they work and carry burdens:
 
25 They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, its covering and the outer covering of hides of sea cows, the curtains for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,
 
26 the curtains of the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, the curtain for the entrance, the ropes and all the equipment used in its service. The Gershonites are to do all that needs to be done with these things.
 
27 All their service, whether carrying or doing other work, is to be done under the direction of Aaron and his sons. You shall assign to them as their responsibility all they are to carry.
 
28 This is the service of the Gershonite clans at the Tent of Meeting. Their duties are to be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest.
 
29 "Count the Merarites by their clans and families.
 
30 Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
 
31 This is their duty as they perform service at the Tent of Meeting: to carry the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts and bases,
 
32 as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, ropes, all their equipment and everything related to their use. Assign to each man the specific things he is to carry.
 
33 This is the service of the Merarite clans as they work at the Tent of Meeting under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest."
 
34 Moses, Aaron and the leaders of the community counted the Kohathites by their clans and families.
 
35 All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting,
 
36 counted by clans, were 2,750.
 
37 This was the total of all those in the Kohathite clans who served in the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the LORD's command through Moses.
 
38 The Gershonites were counted by their clans and families.
 
39 All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting,
 
40 counted by their clans and families, were 2,630.
 
41 This was the total of those in the Gershonite clans who served at the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the LORD's command.
 
42 The Merarites were counted by their clans and families.
 
43 All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting,
 
44 counted by their clans, were 3,200.
 
45 This was the total of those in the Merarite clans. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the LORD's command through Moses.
 
46 So Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by their clans and families.
 
47 All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to do the work of serving and carrying the Tent of Meeting
 
48 numbered 8,580.
 
49 At the LORD's command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry. Thus they were counted, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Psalm 38,

1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.
 
2 For your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me.
 
3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin.
 
4 My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.
 
5 My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.
 
6 I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning.
 
7 My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body.
 
8 I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.
 
9 All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.
 
10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.
 
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away.
 
12 Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception.
 
13 I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open his mouth;
 
14 I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply.
 
15 I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God.
 
16 For I said, "Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips."
 
17 For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me.
 
18 I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.
 
19 Many are those who are my vigorous enemies; those who hate me without reason are numerous.
 
20 Those who repay my good with evil slander me when I pursue what is good.
 
21 O LORD, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God.
 
22 Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.

Song of Solomon 2,

1 I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
 
2 Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens.
 
3 Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
 
4 He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.
 
5 Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.
 
6 His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.
 
7 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.
 
8 Listen! My lover! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills.
 
9 My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice.
 
10 My lover spoke and said to me, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me.
 
11 See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.
 
12 Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves the cooing of doves
 
13 The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me."
 
14 My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.
 
15 Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.
 
16 My lover is mine and I am his; he browses among the lilies.
 
17 Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, turn, my lover, and be like a gazelle or like a young stag on the rugged hills.

Hebrews 2

1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
 
2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,
 
3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
 
4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
 
5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.
 
6 But there is a place where someone has testified: "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?
 
7 You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor
 
8 and put everything under his feet? In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.
 
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
 
10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
 
11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.
 
12 He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."
 
13 And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me."
 
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death-that is, the devil-
 
15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
 
16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants.
 
17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
 
18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.