Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 01 March 2014

Finally we are getting into the months with shorter names.  I like month names with 5 letters or fewer.  So "May" is a whole lot better than "January" or "December".  Maybe it's just me, but that's the case.  And we are now there. Good.
Now, an apology.  The "through the Bible schedule" I've used the last few years is frankly the one used by the Gideons organization.  A throwback to the time I was able to spend as a member some years ago.  The problem is that they publish a schedule that provides a reading for 29 February.  We don't have one of those in this non-Leap-Yeat condition.  Usual practice is to divide those passages into two and assign one half to 28 Feb and the other to 01 March.  Which I forgot to do in the rush to get Wife off to her medical tests yesterday.  My fault entirely.  Sorry.  So the list is going to be REAL long today.  Again, not the worst problem in human history but foolish of me.

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So, today's readings in the Old Testament are chapters 23-27 of the book of Numbers.

Numbers 23

1	And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.
2	And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
3	And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.
4	And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
5	And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
6	And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.
7	And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
8	How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
9	For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
10	Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!
11	And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
12	And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?
13	And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.
14	And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
15	And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.
16	And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
17	And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken?
18	And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
19	God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
20	Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
21	He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
22	God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
23	Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
24	Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.
25	And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
26	But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?
27	And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.
28	And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.
29	And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
30	And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

Numbers 24

1	And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2	And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.
3	And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
4	He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
5	How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!
6	As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.
7	He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
8	God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
9	He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
10	And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
11	Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honor; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honor.
12	And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,
13	If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak?
14	And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.
15	And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
16	He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
17	I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
18	And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
19	Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.
20	And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.
21	And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.
22	Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
23	And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!
24	And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.
25	And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.

Numbers 25

1	And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
2	And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
3	And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
4	And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.
5	And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.
6	And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
7	And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;
8	And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.
9	And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.
10	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
11	Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.
12	Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:
13	And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.
14	Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.
15	And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian.
16	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
17	Vex the Midianites, and smite them:
18	For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor's sake.

Numbers 26

1	And it came to pass after the plague, that the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,
2	Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers' house, all that are able to go to war in Israel.
3	And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
4	Take the sum of the people, from twenty years old and upward; as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt.
5	Reuben, the eldest son of Israel: the children of Reuben; Hanoch, of whom cometh the family of the Hanochites: of Pallu, the family of the Palluites:
6	Of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.
7	These are the families of the Reubenites: and they that were numbered of them were forty and three thousand and seven hundred and thirty.
8	And the sons of Pallu; Eliab.
9	And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram, which were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the LORD:
10	And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign.
11	Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not.
12	The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites: of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites: of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites:
13	Of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites: of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.
14	These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred.
15	The children of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites: of Haggi, the family of the Haggites: of Shuni, the family of the Shunites:
16	Of Ozni, the family of the Oznites: of Eri, the family of the Erites:
17	Of Arod, the family of the Arodites: of Areli, the family of the Arelites.
18	These are the families of the children of Gad according to those that were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred.
19	The sons of Judah were Er and Onan: and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
20	And the sons of Judah after their families were; of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites: of Pharez, the family of the Pharzites: of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.
21	And the sons of Pharez were; of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
22	These are the families of Judah according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and sixteen thousand and five hundred.
23	Of the sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites: of Pua, the family of the Punites:
24	Of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites: of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.
25	These are the families of Issachar according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and four thousand and three hundred.
26	Of the sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Sardites: of Elon, the family of the Elonites: of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.
27	These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those that were numbered of them, threescore thousand and five hundred.
28	The sons of Joseph after their families were Manasseh and Ephraim.
29	Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead come the family of the Gileadites.
30	These are the sons of Gilead: of Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites: of Helek, the family of the Helekites:
31	And of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites: and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites:
32	And of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites: and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.
33	And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
34	These are the families of Manasseh, and those that were numbered of them, fifty and two thousand and seven hundred.
35	These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites: of Becher, the family of the Bachrites: of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.
36	And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.
37	These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families.
38	The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites: of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites: of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites:
39	Of Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites: of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.
40	And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites: and of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.
41	These are the sons of Benjamin after their families: and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and six hundred.
42	These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.
43	All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those that were numbered of them, were threescore and four thousand and four hundred.
44	Of the children of Asher after their families: of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites: of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites: of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.
45	Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites: of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.
46	And the name of the daughter of Asher was Sarah.
47	These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those that were numbered of them; who were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.
48	Of the sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites: of Guni, the family of the Gunites:
49	Of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites: of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.
50	These are the families of Naphtali according to their families: and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and four hundred.
51	These were the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty.
52	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
53	Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.
54	To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.
55	Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
56	According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between many and few.
57	And these are they that were numbered of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites: of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites: of Merari, the family of the Merarites.
58	These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begat Amram.
59	And the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.
60	And unto Aaron was born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
61	And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD.
62	And those that were numbered of them were twenty and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.
63	These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.
64	But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.
65	For the LORD had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

Numbers 27

1	Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.
2	And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
3	Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons.
4	Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.
5	And Moses brought their cause before the LORD.
6	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
7	The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
8	And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.
9	And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.
10	And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren.
11	And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the LORD commanded Moses.
12	And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.
13	And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.
14	For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.
15	And Moses spake unto the LORD, saying,
16	Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,
17	Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.
18	And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;
19	And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.
20	And thou shalt put some of thine honor upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.
21	And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.
22	And Moses did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:
23	And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

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The New Testament reading is the 8th chapter of the Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:1-21

1	In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them,
2	I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:
3	And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.
4	And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?
5	And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.
6	And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.
7	And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.
8	So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.
9	And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.
10	And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.
11	And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.
12	And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.
13	And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side.
14	Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.
15	And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
16	And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.
17	And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?
18	Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?
19	When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
20	And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.
21	And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

Mark 8:22-38

22	And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.
23	And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
24	And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
25	After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
26	And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
27	And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?
28	And they answered, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.
29	And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.
30	And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.
31	And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32	And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
33	But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
34	And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
35	For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
36	For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
37	Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
38	Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.