Numbers 20, Psalm 58, 59, Isaiah 9:8-10:4, James 3

Numbers 20,

1 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
 
2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron.
 
3 They quarreled with Moses and said, "If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD!
 
4 Why did you bring the LORD's community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here?
 
5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!"
 
6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.
 
7 The LORD said to Moses,
 
8 "Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink."
 
9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD's presence, just as he commanded him.
 
10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?"
 
11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
 
12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them."
 
13 These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD and where he showed himself holy among them.
 
14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying: "This is what your brother Israel says: You know about all the hardships that have come upon us.
 
15 Our forefathers went down into Egypt, and we lived there many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers,
 
16 but when we cried out to the LORD, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. "Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory.
 
17 Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the king's highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory."
 
18 But Edom answered: "You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword."
 
19 The Israelites replied: "We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot-nothing else."
 
20 Again they answered: "You may not pass through." Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army.
 
21 Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them.
 
22 The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor.
 
23 At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
 
24 "Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah.
 
25 Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor.
 
26 Remove Aaron's garments and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will die there."
 
27 Moses did as the LORD commanded: They went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community.
 
28 Moses removed Aaron's garments and put them on his son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain,
 
29 and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.

Psalm 58, 59,

1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge uprightly among men?
 
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth.
 
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies.
 
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
 
5 that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be.
 
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; tear out, O LORD, the fangs of the lions!
 
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away; when they draw the bow, let their arrows be blunted.
 
8 Like a slug melting away as it moves along, like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun.
 
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns-whether they be green or dry-the wicked will be swept away.
 
10 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.
 
11 Then men will say, "Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth."

1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me.
 
2 Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men.
 
3 See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, O LORD.
 
4 I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight!
 
5 O LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to wicked traitors. Selah
 
6 They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.
 
7 See what they spew from their mouths-they spew out swords from their lips, and they say, "Who can hear us?"
 
8 But you, O LORD, laugh at them; you scoff at all those nations.
 
9 O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress,
 
10 my loving God. God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
 
11 But do not kill them, O Lord our shield, or my people will forget. In your might make them wander about, and bring them down.
 
12 For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter,
 
13 consume them in wrath, consume them till they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. Selah
 
14 They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.
 
15 They wander about for food and howl if not satisfied.
 
16 But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
 
17 O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

Isaiah 9:8-10:4,

8 The Lord has sent a message against Jacob; it will fall on Israel.
 
9 All the people will know it-Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria-who say with pride and arrogance of heart,
 
10 "The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars."
 
11 But the LORD has strengthened Rezin's foes against them and has spurred their enemies on.
 
12 Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west have devoured Israel with open mouth. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.
 
13 But the people have not returned to him who struck them, nor have they sought the LORD Almighty.
 
14 So the LORD will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day;
 
15 the elders and prominent men are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail.
 
16 Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray.
 
17 Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men, nor will he pity the fatherless and widows, for everyone is ungodly and wicked, every mouth speaks vileness. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.
 
18 Surely wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns, it sets the forest thickets ablaze, so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
 
19 By the wrath of the LORD Almighty the land will be scorched and the people will be fuel for the fire; no one will spare his brother.
 
20 On the right they will devour, but still be hungry; on the left they will eat, but not be satisfied. Each will feed on the flesh of his own offspring:
 
21 Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh; together they will turn against Judah. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.

1 Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees,
 
2 to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.
 
3 What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?
 
4 Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.

James 3

1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
 
2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
 
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.
 
4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.
 
5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
 
6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
 
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man,
 
8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
 
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.
 
10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.
 
11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?
 
12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
 
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
 
14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
 
15 Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.
 
16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
 
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
 
18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.