AME Zion Universal Reading March 12th 2023

Sunday School Zoom Link

First Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 30

11The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:12"When you take the sum of the children of Israel according to their numbers, let each one give to the Lord an atonement for his soul when they are counted; then there will be no plague among them when they are counted.13This they shall give, everyone who goes through the counting: half a shekel according to the holy shekel. Twenty gerahs equal one shekel; half of [such] a shekel shall be an offering to the Lord.14Everyone who goes through the counting, from the age of twenty and upward, shall give an offering to the Lord.15The rich shall give no more, and the poor shall give no less than half a shekel, with which to give the offering to the Lord, to atone for your souls.16You shall take the silver of the atonements from the children of Israel and use it for the work of the Tent of Meeting; it shall be a remembrance for the children of Israel before the Lord, to atone for your souls."17The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:18"You shall make a washstand of copper and its base of copper for washing, and you shall place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and you shall put water therein.19Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and feet from it.20When they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die; or when they approach the altar to serve, to make a fire offering rise up in smoke to the Lord,21they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die; this shall be for them a perpetual statute, for him and for his descendants, for their generations."22The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:23"And you, take for yourself spices of the finest sort: of pure myrrh five hundred [shekel weights]; of fragrant cinnamon half of it two hundred and fifty [shekel weights]; of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty [shekel weights],24and of cassia five hundred [shekel weights] according to the holy shekel, and one hin of olive oil.25You shall make this into an oil of holy anointment, a perfumed compound according to the art of a perfumer; it shall be an oil of holy anointment.26And you shall anoint with it the Tent of Meeting and the Ark of Testimony,27the table and all its implements, the menorah and its implements, the altar of incense,28the altar of the burnt offering and all its implements, the washstand and its base.29And you shall sanctify them so that they become a holy of holies; whatever touches them shall become holy.30And with it you shall anoint Aaron and his sons and sanctify them to serve Me [as kohanim].31And to the children of Israel you shall speak, saying: 'This shall be oil of holy anointment to Me for your generations.32It shall not be poured upon human flesh, and according to its formula you shall not make anything like it. It is holy; it shall be holy to you.33Any person who compounds anything like it or puts any of it on an alien shall be cut off from his people.' "34And the Lord said to Moses: "Take for yourself aromatics, [namely] balsam sap, onycha and galbanum, aromatics and pure frankincense; they shall be of equal weight.35And you shall make it into incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, well blended, pure, holy.36And you shall crush some of it very finely, and you shall set some of it before the testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will arrange meetings with you; it shall be to you a holy of holies.37And the incense that you make, you shall not make for yourselves according to its formula; it shall be holy to you for the Lord.38Any person who makes anything like it, to smell it[s fragrance], shall be cut off from his people.

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 31

1The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:2"See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,3and I have imbued him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, with insight, with knowledge, and with [talent for] all manner of craftsmanship4to do master weaving, to work with gold, with silver, and with copper,5with the craft of stones for setting and with the craft of wood, to do every [manner of] work.6And, behold, with him I have placed Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, and all the wise hearted into whose hearts I have instilled wisdom, and they shall make everything I have commanded you:7The Tent of Meeting and the ark for the testimony, as well as the cover that [shall be] upon it, all the implements of the tent,8the table and its implements, the pure menorah and all its implements, the altar of incense,9the altar for the burnt offering and all its implements, the washstand and its base,10the meshwork garments, the holy garments for Aaron the kohen, the garments of his sons [in which] to serve [as kohanim],11the anointing oil and the incense for the Holy; in complete accordance with everything I have commanded you they shall do."12The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:13"And you, speak to the children of Israel and say: 'Only keep My Sabbaths! For it is a sign between Me and you for your generations, to know that I, the Lord, make you holy.14Therefore, keep the Sabbath, for it is a sacred thing for you. Those who desecrate it shall be put to death, for whoever performs work on it, that soul will be cut off from the midst of its people.15Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord; whoever performs work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death.'16Thus shall the children of Israel observe the Sabbath, to make the Sabbath throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant.17Between Me and the children of Israel, it is forever a sign that [in] six days The Lord created the heaven and the earth, and on the seventh day He ceased and rested."

Matthew 18:1–9 (NLT): The Greatest in the Kingdom

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. 6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

7 “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. 8 So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Mark 10:15 (NLT):

15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

Second Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 31

18When He had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets, written with the finger of God.Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 321When the people saw that Moses was late in coming down from the mountain, the people gathered against Aaron, and they said to him: "Come on! Make us gods that will go before us, because this man Moses, who brought us up from the land of Egypt we don't know what has become of him."2Aaron said to them, "Remove the golden earrings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring them [those earrings] to me."3And all the people stripped themselves of the golden earrings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron.4He took [them] from their hand[s], fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it into a molten calf, upon which they said: "These are your gods, O Israel, who have brought you up from the land of Egypt!"5When Aaron saw [this], he built an altar in front of it, and Aaron proclaimed and said: "Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord."6On the next day they arose early, offered up burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and they got up to make merry.7And the Lord said to Moses: "Go, descend, for your people that you have brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly.8They have quickly turned away from the path that I have commanded them; they have made themselves a molten calf! And they have prostrated themselves before it, slaughtered sacrifices to it, and said: 'These are your gods, O Israel, who have brought you up from the land of Egypt.' "9And the Lord said to Moses: "I have seen this people and behold! they are a stiff necked people.10Now leave Me alone, and My anger will be kindled against them so that I will annihilate them, and I will make you into a great nation."11Moses pleaded before the Lord, his God, and said: "Why, O Lord, should Your anger be kindled against Your people whom You have brought up from the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand?12Why should the Egyptians say: 'He brought them out with evil [intent] to kill them in the mountains and to annihilate them from upon the face of the earth'? Retreat from the heat of Your anger and reconsider the evil [intended] for Your people.13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your very Self, and to whom You said: 'I will multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens, and all this land which I said that I would give to your seed, they shall keep it as their possession forever.' "14The Lord [then] reconsidered the evil He had said He would do to His people.15Now Moses turned and went down from the mountain [bearing] the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets inscribed from both their sides; on one side and on the other side they were inscribed.16Now the tablets were God's work, and the inscription was God's inscription, engraved on the tablets.17When Joshua heard the voice of the people in their shouting, he said to Moses: "There is a voice of battle in the camp!"18But [Moses] said: "[It is] neither a voice shouting victory, nor a voice shouting defeat; a voice of blasphemy I hear."19Now it came to pass when he drew closer to the camp and saw the calf and the dances, that Moses' anger was kindled, and he flung the tablets from his hands, shattering them at the foot of the mountain.20Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in fire, ground it to fine powder, scattered [it] upon the surface of the water, and gave [it to] the children of Israel to drink.21Moses said to Aaron: "What did this people do to you that you brought [such] a grave sin upon them?"22Aaron replied: "Let not my lord's anger grow hot! You know the people, that they are disposed toward evil.23They said to me, 'Make us gods who will go before us, because this man Moses, who brought us up from the land of Egypt we do not know what has become of him.'24I said to them, 'Who has gold?' So they took it [the gold] off and gave it to me; I threw it into the fire and out came this calf."25And Moses saw the people, that they were exposed, for Aaron had exposed them to be disgraced before their adversaries.26So Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said: "Whoever is for the Lord, [let him come] to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered around him.27He said to them: "So said the Lord, the God of Israel: 'Let every man place his sword upon his thigh and pass back and forth from one gate to the other in the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his friend, every man his kinsman.' "28The sons of Levi did according to Moses' word; on that day some three thousand men fell from among the people.29And Moses said: "Initiate yourselves today for the Lord for each man with his son and with his brother so that He may bestow a blessing upon you this day. "30It came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people: "You have committed a grave sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I will obtain atonement for your sin."31And Moses returned to the Lord and said: "Please! This people has committed a grave sin. They have made themselves a god of gold.32And now, if You forgive their sin But if not, erase me now from Your book, which You have written."33And the Lord said to Moses: "Whoever has sinned against Me, him I will erase from My book!"34And now go, lead the people to [the place] of which I have spoken to you. Behold My angel will go before you. But on the day I make an accounting [of sins upon them], I will bring their sin to account against them."35Then the Lord struck the people with a plague, because they had made the calf that Aaron had made.Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 331The Lord spoke to Moses: "Go, ascend from here, you and the people you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land that I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying: 'I will give it to your descendants.'2I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivvites, and the Jebusites3to a land flowing with milk and honey; because I will not go up in your midst since you are a stiff necked people, lest I destroy you on the way."4[When] the people heard this bad news, they mourned, and no one put on his finery.5And the Lord said to Moses: "Say to the children of Israel: 'You are a stiff necked people; if I go up into your midst for one moment, I will destroy you; but now, leave off your finery, and I will know what to do to you.' "6So the children of Israel divested themselves of their finery from Mount Horeb.7And Moses took the tent and pitched it for himself outside the camp, distancing [it] from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting, and it would be that anyone seeking the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.8And it would be that when Moses would go out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand, each one at the entrance of his tent, and they would gaze after Moses until he went into the tent.9And it would be that when Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and He would speak with Moses.10When all the people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise and prostrate themselves, each one at the entrance of his tent.11Then the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man would speak to his companion, and he would return to the camp, but his attendant, Joshua, the son of Nun, a lad, would not depart from the tent.

Monday

Matthew 15:21–28 (NLT): The Faith of a Gentile Woman

21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”

25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

Third Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 33

12Moses said to the Lord: "Look, You say to me: 'Bring this people up!' But You have not informed me whom You will send with me. And You said: 'I have known you by name and you have also found favor in My eyes.'13And now, if I have indeed found favor in Your eyes, pray let me know Your ways, so that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your eyes; and consider that this nation is Your people."14So He said, "My Presence will go, and I will give you rest."15And he said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go [with us], do not take us up from here.16For how then will it be known that I have found favor in Your eyes, I and Your people? Is it not in that You will go with us? Then I and Your people will be distinguished from every [other] nation on the face of the earth."

Tuesday

Matthew 19:13–22 (NLT): Jesus Blesses the Children

13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

14 But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” 15 And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.

The Rich Man

16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” the man asked.

And Jesus replied: “ ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”

21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Fourth Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 33

17And the Lord said to Moses: "Even this thing that you have spoken, I will do, for you have found favor in My eyes, and I have known you by name."18And he said: "Show me, now, Your glory!"19He said: "I will let all My goodness pass before you; I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you, and I will favor when I wish to favor, and I will have compassion when I wish to have compassion."20And He said, "You will not be able to see My face, for man shall not see Me and live."21And the Lord said: "Behold, there is a place with Me, and you shall stand on the rock.22And it shall be that when My glory passes by, I will place you into the cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with My hand until I have passed by.23Then I will remove My hand, and you will see My back but My face shall not be seen."

Wednesday

Proverbs 1:7–16 (NLT):

7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

A Father’s Exhortation: Acquire Wisdom

8 My child, listen when your father corrects you.

Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.

9 What you learn from them will crown you with grace

and be a chain of honor around your neck.

10 My child, if sinners entice you,

turn your back on them!

11 They may say, “Come and join us.

Let’s hide and kill someone!

Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!

12 Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave;

let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.

13 Think of the great things we’ll get!

We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.

14 Come, throw in your lot with us;

we’ll all share the loot.”

15 My child, don’t go along with them!

Stay far away from their paths.

16 They rush to commit evil deeds.

They hurry to commit murder.

Fifth Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 34

1And the Lord said to Moses: "Hew for yourself two stone tablets like the first ones. And I will inscribe upon the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.2Be prepared for the morning, and in the morning you shall ascend Mount Sinai and stand before Me there on the top of the mountain.3No one shall ascend with you, neither shall anyone be seen anywhere on the mountain, neither shall the sheep and the cattle graze facing that mountain."4So he [Moses] hewed two stone tablets like the first ones, and Moses arose early in the morning and ascended Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him, and he took two stone tablets in his hand.5And the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and He called out in the name of the Lord.6And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed: Lord, Lord, benevolent God, Who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness and truth,7preserving loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and rebellion and sin; yet He does not completely clear [of sin] He visits the iniquity of parents on children and children's children, to the third and fourth generations."8And Moses hastened, bowed his head to the ground and prostrated himself,9and said: "If I have now found favor in Your eyes, O Lord, let the Lord go now in our midst [even] if they are a stiff necked people, and You shall forgive our iniquity and our sin and thus secure us as Your possession."

Thursday

Deuteronomy 4:7–14 (NLT):

7 For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him? 8 And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today?

9 “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. 10 Never forget the day when you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai, where he told me, ‘Summon the people before me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear me also.’

11 “You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while flames from the mountain shot into the sky. The mountain was shrouded in black clouds and deep darkness. 12 And the Lord spoke to you from the heart of the fire. You heard the sound of his words but didn’t see his form; there was only a voice. 13 He proclaimed his covenant—the Ten Commandments—which he commanded you to keep, and which he wrote on two stone tablets. 14 It was at that time that the Lord commanded me to teach you his decrees and regulations so you would obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

Sixth Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 34

10And He said: "Behold! I will form a covenant; in the presence of all your people, I will make distinctions such as have not been created upon all the earth and among all the nations, and all the people in whose midst you are shall see the work of the Lord how awe inspiring it is that which I will perform with you.11Keep carefully what I am commanding you today: Lo! I will drive out from before you the Amorites and the Canaanites, the Hittites and the Perizzites, the Hivvites and the Jebusites.12Beware lest you form a covenant with the inhabitant[s] of the land into which you are coming, lest it become a snare in your midst.13But you shall demolish their altars, shatter their monuments, and cut down their sacred trees.14For you shall not prostrate yourself before another god, because the Lord, Whose Name is "Jealous One," is a jealous God.15Lest you form a covenant with the inhabitant[s] of the land, and they [the gentiles] go astray after their gods, and they offer sacrifices to their gods, and they invite you, and you eat of their slaughtering,16and you take of their daughters for your sons; then their daughters will go astray after their gods and lead your sons astray after their gods.17You shall not make molten gods for yourself.18The Festival of Unleavened Cakes you shall keep; seven days you shall eat unleavened cakes which I have commanded you, at the appointed meeting time of the month of spring, for in the month of spring you went out of Egypt.19All that opens the womb is Mine, and all your livestock [that] bears a male, [by] the emergence of ox or lamb.20And a firstborn donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; if you do not redeem it, you shall decapitate it; every firstborn of your sons you shall redeem, and they shall not appear before Me empty handed.21Six days you may work, and on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing and in harvest you shall rest.22And you shall make for yourself a Festival of Weeks, the first of the wheat harvest, and the festival of the ingathering, at the turn of the year.23Three times during the year shall all your male[s] appear directly before the Master, the Lord, the God of Israel.24When I drive out nations from before you and I widen your border, no one will covet your land when you go up, to appear before the Lord, your God, three times each year.25You shall not slaughter [or sprinkle] the blood of My sacrifice with leaven, and the offering of the Passover feast shall not remain overnight until the morning.26The choicest of the first of your soil you shall bring to the house of the Lord, your God. You shall not cook a kid in its mother's milk."

Friday

Jeremiah 1:1–10 (NLT):

These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests from the town of Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. 2 The Lord first gave messages to Jeremiah during the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah. 3 The Lord’s messages continued throughout the reign of King Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son, until the eleventh year of the reign of King Zedekiah, another of Josiah’s sons. In August of that eleventh year the people of Jerusalem were taken away as captives.

Jeremiah’s Call and First Visions

4 The Lord gave me this message:

5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.

Before you were born I set you apart

and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

6 “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”

7 The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8 And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” 9 Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,

“Look, I have put my words in your mouth!

10 Today I appoint you to stand up

against nations and kingdoms.

Some you must uproot and tear down,

destroy and overthrow.

Others you must build up

and plant.”

Seventh Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 34

27The Lord said to Moses: "Inscribe these words for yourself, for according to these words I have formed a covenant with you and with Israel."28He was there with the Lord for forty days and forty nights; he ate no bread and drank no water, and He inscribed upon the tablets the words of the Covenant, the Ten Commandments.29And it came to pass when Moses descended from Mount Sinai, and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses' hand when he descended from the mountain and Moses did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant while He had spoken with him30that Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses and behold! the skin of his face had become radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.31But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the princes of the community returned to him, and Moses would speak to them.32Afterwards all the children of Israel would draw near, and he would command them everything that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.33When Moses had finished speaking with them, he placed a covering over his face.34When Moses would come before the Lord to speak with Him, he would remove the covering until he left; then he would leave and speak to the children of Israel what he would be commanded.35Then the children of Israel would see Moses' face, that the skin of Moses' face had become radiant, and [then] Moses would replace the covering over his face until he would come [again] to speak with Him.

Saturday

Matthew 21:12–17 (NLT): Jesus Clears the Temple

12 Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. 13 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

14 The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. 15 The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.”

But the leaders were indignant. 16 They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”

“Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’” 17 Then he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight.

Maftir Portion

Bamidbar (Numbers) Chapter 19

1The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:2This is the statute of the Torah which the Lord commanded, saying, Speak to the children of Israel and have them take for you a perfectly red unblemished cow, upon which no yoke was laid.3And you shall give it to Eleazar the kohen, and he shall take it outside the camp and slaughter it in his presence.4Eleazar the kohen shall take from its blood with his finger and sprinkle it toward the front of the Tent of Meeting seven times.5The cow shall then be burned in his presence; its hide, its flesh, its blood, with its dung he shall burn it.6The kohen shall take a piece of cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson wool, and cast them into the burning of the cow.7The kohen shall wash his garments and bathe his flesh in water, and then he may enter the camp, and the kohen shall be unclean until evening.8The one who burns it shall wash his clothes in water and cleanse his body in water, and he shall be unclean until evening.9A ritually clean person shall gather the cow's ashes and place them outside the camp in a clean place, and It shall be as a keepsake for the congregation of the children of Israel for sprinkling water, [used] for cleansing.10The one who gathers the cow's ashes shall wash his clothes, and he shall be unclean until evening. It shall be an everlasting statute for the children of Israel and for the proselyte who resides in their midst.11Anyone touching the corpse of a human soul shall become unclean for seven days.12On the third and seventh days, he shall cleanse himself with it, so that he can become clean. But if he does not sprinkle himself with it on the third and seventh days, he shall not become clean.13Whoever touches the corpse of a human soul which dies, and he does not cleanse himself, he has defiled the Mishkan of the Lord, and that soul shall be cut off from Israel. For the sprinkling water was not sprinkled on him, so he remains unclean, and his uncleanness remains upon him.14This is the law: if a man dies in a tent, anyone entering the tent and anything in the tent shall be unclean for seven days.15Any open vessel which has no seal fastened around it becomes unclean.16Anyone who touches one slain by the sword, or a corpse, or a human bone or a grave, in an open field, he shall be unclean for seven days.17They shall take for that unclean person from the ashes of the burnt purification offering, and it shall be placed in a vessel [filled] with spring water.18A ritually clean person shall take the hyssop and dip it into the water and sprinkle it on the tent, on all the vessels, and on the people who were in it, and on anyone who touched the bone, the slain person, the corpse, or the grave.19The ritually clean person shall sprinkle on the unclean person on the third day and on the seventh day, and he shall cleanse him on the seventh day, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and he shall become ritually clean in the evening.20If a person becomes unclean and does not cleanse himself, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation, for he has defiled the Sanctuary of the Lord; the sprinkling waters were not sprinkled upon him. He is unclean.21This shall be for them as a perpetual statute, and the one who sprinkles the sprinkling waters shall wash his clothes, and one who touches the sprinkling waters shall be unclean until evening.22Whatever the unclean one touches shall become unclean, and anyone touching him shall be unclean until evening.

Haftarah

Yechezkel (Ezekiel) Chapter 36

16And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:17"Son of man! The house of Israel, as long as they lived on their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their misdeeds, like the uncleanness of a woman in the period of her separation was their way before Me.18Wherefore I poured My wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed in the land, because they had defiled it with their idols.19And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. According to their way and their misdeeds did I judge them.20And they entered the nations where they came, and they profaned My Holy Name, inasmuch as it was said of them, 'These are the people of the Lord, and they have come out of His land.'21But I had pity on My Holy Name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they had come.22Therefore, say to the house of Israel; So says the Lord God: Not for your sake do I do this, O house of Israel, but for My Holy Name, which you have profaned among the nations to which they have come.23And I will sanctify My great Name, which was profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord-is the declaration of the Lord God-when I will be sanctified through you before their eyes.24For I will take you from among the nations and gather you from all the countries, and I will bring you to your land.25And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean; from all your impurities and from all your abominations will I cleanse you.26And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.27And I will put My spirit within you and bring it about that you will walk in My statutes and you will keep My ordinances and do [them].28Then will you dwell in the land that I gave your fathers, and you will be a people to Me, and I will be to you as a God.29And I will save you from all your uncleannesses, and I will call to the corn and will multiply it, and I will not decree famine again over you.30And I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you shall no more have to accept the shame of famine among the nations.31And you shall remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own eyes on account of your sins and on account of your abominations.32Not for your sake do I do it, says the Lord God, may it be known to you; be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.33So says the Lord God: On the day that I will have cleansed you from all your iniquities, and I will resettle the cities, and the ruins shall be built up.34And the desolate land shall be worked, instead of its lying desolate in the sight of all that pass by.35And they shall say, 'This land that was desolate has become like the Garden of Eden, and the cities that were destroyed and desolate and pulled down have become settled as fortified [cities].'36And the nations that are left round about you shall know that I, the Lord, have built up the ruined places and have planted the desolate ones; I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will perform [it].

AME Zion Universal Reading March 5th, 2023

Sunday School Zoom Link

First Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 27

20And you shall command the children of Israel, and they shall take to you pure olive oil, crushed for lighting, to kindle the lamps continually.21In the Tent of Meeting, outside the dividing curtain that is in front of the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall set it up before the Lord from evening to morning; [it shall be] an everlasting statute for their generations, from the children of Israel.

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 28

1And you bring near to yourself your brother Aaron, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel to serve Me [as kohanim]: Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.2You shall make holy garments for your brother Aaron, for honor and glory.3And you shall speak to all the wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, and they shall make Aaron's garments to sanctify him, [so] that he serve Me [as a kohen].4And these are the garments that they shall make: a choshen, an ephod, a robe, a tunic of checker work, a cap, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for your brother Aaron and for his sons to serve Me [as kohanim].5They shall take the gold, the blue, purple, and crimson wool, and the linen,6and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen, the work of a master weaver.7It shall have two connected shoulder straps at both its ends, and it shall be entirely connected.8And its decorative band, which is above it, shall be of the same work, [emanating] from it: gold, blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen.9And you shall take two shoham stones and engrave upon them the names of the sons of Israel.10Six of their names on one stone and the names of the remaining six on the second stone, according to their births.11[Similar to] the work of an engraver of gems, [similar to] the engravings of a seal, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel; you shall make them enclosed in gold settings.12And you shall put the two stones upon the shoulder straps of the ephod as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall carry their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders as a remembrance.

Luke 15:11–24 (NLT): Parable of the Lost Son

11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.” ’

20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

Second Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 28

13You shall make settings of gold,14and two chains of pure gold you will make them attached to the edges, after the manner of cables, and you will place the cable chains upon the settings.15You shall make a choshen of judgment, the work of a master weaver. You shall make it like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen shall you make it.16It shall be square [and] doubled; its length one span and its width one span.17And you shall fill into it stone fillings, four rows of stones. One row: odem, pitdah, and bareketh; thus shall the one row be.18The second row: nofech, sappir, and yahalom.19The third row: leshem, shevo, and achlamah.20And the fourth row: tarshish, shoham, and yashpheh; they shall be set in gold in their fillings.21And the stones shall be for the names of the sons of Israel twelve, corresponding to their names; [similar to] the engravings of a seal, every one according to his name shall they be, for the twelve tribes.22You shall make for the choshen chains at the edges, of cable work, of pure gold.23You shall make for the choshen two golden rings, and you shall place the two rings on the two ends of the choshen,24and you shall place the two golden cables on the two rings, at the ends of the choshen.25And the two ends of the two cables you shall place upon the two settings, and [these] you shall place upon the shoulder straps of the ephod, on its front part.26You shall make two golden rings, and you shall place them on the two ends of the choshen, on its edge that is toward the inner side of the ephod.27And you shall make two golden rings and place them on the two shoulder straps of the ephod, from below, toward its front, adjacent to its seam, above the band of the ephod.28And they shall fasten the choshen by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it may be upon the band of the ephod, and the choshen will not move off the ephod.29Thus shall Aaron carry the names of the sons of Israel in the choshen of judgment over his heart when he enters the Holy, as a remembrance before the Lord at all times.30You shall place the Urim and the Tummim into the choshen of judgment so that they will be over Aaron's heart when he comes before the Lord, and Aaron will carry the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the Lord at all times.

Monday

Psalm 28:1–9 (NLT):

1 I pray to you, O Lord, my rock.

Do not turn a deaf ear to me.

For if you are silent,

I might as well give up and die.

2 Listen to my prayer for mercy

as I cry out to you for help,

as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked—

with those who do evil—

those who speak friendly words to their neighbors

while planning evil in their hearts.

4 Give them the punishment they so richly deserve!

Measure it out in proportion to their wickedness.

Pay them back for all their evil deeds!

Give them a taste of what they have done to others.

5 They care nothing for what the Lord has done

or for what his hands have made.

So he will tear them down,

and they will never be rebuilt!

6 Praise the Lord!

For he has heard my cry for mercy.

7 The Lord is my strength and shield.

I trust him with all my heart.

He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.

I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

8 The Lord gives his people strength.

He is a safe fortress for his anointed king.

9 Save your people!

Bless Israel, your special possession.

Lead them like a shepherd,

and carry them in your arms forever.

Third Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 28

31And you shall make the robe of the ephod completely of blue wool.32Its opening at the top shall be turned inward; its opening shall have a border around it, the work of a weaver. It shall have [an opening] like the opening of a coat of armor; it shall not be torn.33And on its bottom hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson wool, on its bottom hem all around, and golden bells in their midst all around.34A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, on the bottom hem of the robe, all around.35It shall be on Aaron when he performs the service, and its sound shall be heard when he enters the Holy before the Lord and when he leaves, so that he will not die.36And you shall make a showplate of pure gold, and you shall engrave upon it like the engraving of a seal: Holy to the Lord."37And you shall place it upon a cord of blue wool and it shall go over the cap, and it shall be opposite the front side of the cap.38It shall be upon Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things that the children of Israel sanctify, for all their holy gifts. It shall be upon his forehead constantly to make them favorable before the Lord.39You shall make the linen tunic of checker work, and you shall make a linen cap; and you shall make a sash of embroidery work.40For Aaron's sons you shall make tunics and make them sashes, and you shall make them high hats for honor and glory.41With these you shall clothe Aaron, your brother, and his sons along with him, and you shall anoint them and invest them with full authority and sanctify them so that they may serve Me [as kohanim].42And make for them linen pants to cover the flesh of [their] nakedness; they shall reach from the waist down to the thighs.43They shall be worn by Aaron and by his sons when they enter the Tent of Meeting or when they approach the altar to serve in the Holy, so they will not bear iniquity and die. It shall be a perpetual statute for him and for his descendants after him.

Tuesday

Matthew 11:25–30 (NLT): Jesus’ Prayer of Thanksgiving

25 At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!

27 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Fourth Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 29

1And this is the thing that you shall do for them to sanctify them to serve Me [as kohanim]: take one young bull and two rams, perfect ones.2And unleavened bread and unleavened loaves mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil; you shall make them out of fine wheat flour.3And you shall place them upon a basket, and you shall bring them in the basket, and the bull and the two rams.4And you shall bring Aaron and his sons near the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and you shall bathe them in water.5And you shall take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic, with the robe of the ephod, with the ephod, and with the choshen, and you shall adorn him with the band of the ephod.6You shall place the cap upon his head and place the holy crown upon the cap.7You shall take the anointing oil and pour [it] on his head and anoint him.8And you shall bring his sons near, and you shall clothe them with tunics.9And you shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and you shall dress them with high hats, and the kehunah will be a perpetual statute for them, and you shall invest Aaron and his sons with full authority.10You shall bring the bull to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lean their hands upon the head of the bull.11You shall [then] slaughter the bull before the Lord, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.12And you shall take [some] of the blood of the bull and apply it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and you shall pour out all the blood upon the base of the altar.13You shall then take all the fat that covers the innards, and the diaphragm with the liver, also the two kidneys and the fat that is upon them, and make them go up in smoke upon the altar.14But the flesh of the bull, its hide and its dung you shall burn in fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.15And you shall take the one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lean their hands upon the ram's head.16You shall slaughter the ram, and you shall take its blood and sprinkle [it] on the altar all around.17And you shall dissect the ram into its parts, and you shall wash its innards and its legs and put them with its parts and with its head,18and you shall make the entire ram go up in smoke upon the altar; it is a burnt offering made to the Lord; it is a spirit of satisfaction, a fire offering for the Lord.

Wednesday

Matthew 14:13–21 (NLT): Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

13 As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. 14 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15 That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”

16 But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”

17 “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.

18 “Bring them here,” he said. 19 Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. 20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. 21 About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!

Fifth Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 29

19And you shall take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lean their hands upon the ram's head.20You shall slaughter the ram, take [some] of its blood and put it upon the cartilage of Aaron's right ear and upon the cartilage of Aaron's sons' right ears, upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the big toes of their right feet, and you shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar all around.21You shall [then] take [some] of the blood that is upon the altar and [some] of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron and upon his garments, upon his sons and upon the garments of his sons with him; thus he will become holy along with his garments, and his sons and their garments with him.22And you shall take out of the ram the fat and the fat tail and the fat that covers the innards, the diaphragm of the liver, the two kidneys along with the fat that is upon them, and the right thigh, for it is a ram of perfection.23And one loaf of bread, one loaf of oil bread, and one wafer from the basket of matzoth that stands before the Lord,24and you shall place it all upon Aaron's palms and upon his sons' palms, and you shall wave them as a waving before the Lord.25You shall then take them from their hand[s] and make them go up in smoke upon the altar with the burnt offering as a spirit of satisfaction before the Lord; it is a fire offering for the Lord.26And you shall take the breast of the ram of perfection which is Aaron's, and wave it as a waving before the Lord, and it will become your portion.27And you shall sanctify the breast of the waving and the thigh of the uplifting, which was waved and which was lifted up, of the ram of perfection, of that which is Aaron's and of that which is his sons'.28And so it shall remain for Aaron and his sons as a perpetual allotment from the children of Israel; for it is an offering, and it shall remain an offering from the children of Israel of their peace offerings; it is their offering to the Lord.29The holy garments that are Aaron's shall be for his sons after him, to be exalted through them and invested with full authority through them.30Seven days shall the one of his sons [who will be] the kohen in his place wear them, the one who is to enter the Tent of Meeting to serve in the Holy.31You shall take the ram of perfection and cook its flesh in a holy place.32Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.33They shall eat those things with which atonement has been effected, in order to invest them with full authority, to sanctify them, but a stranger shall not eat [of them], because they are a sacred thing.34If any of the flesh of the perfection [offering] or of the bread is left over until the next morning, what is left over you shall burn in fire; it shall not be eaten because it is a sacred thing.35So shall you do to Aaron and his sons, according to all that I have commanded you; for seven days you shall perform their investiture.36And a bull as a sin offering you shall offer up every day for the atonements, and you shall purify the altar by performing atonement upon it, and you shall anoint it, in order to sanctify it.37For seven days you shall perform atonement upon the altar and sanctify it. Henceforth, the altar shall be a holy of holies. Whatever touches the altar will be holy.

Thursday

Psalm 71:1–12 (NLT):

1 O Lord, I have come to you for protection;

don’t let me be disgraced.

2 Save me and rescue me,

for you do what is right.

Turn your ear to listen to me,

and set me free.

3 Be my rock of safety

where I can always hide.

Give the order to save me,

for you are my rock and my fortress.

4 My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked,

from the clutches of cruel oppressors.

5 O Lord, you alone are my hope.

I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.

6 Yes, you have been with me from birth;

from my mother’s womb you have cared for me.

No wonder I am always praising you!

7 My life is an example to many,

because you have been my strength and protection.

8 That is why I can never stop praising you;

I declare your glory all day long.

9 And now, in my old age, don’t set me aside.

Don’t abandon me when my strength is failing.

10 For my enemies are whispering against me.

They are plotting together to kill me.

11 They say, “God has abandoned him.

Let’s go and get him,

for no one will help him now.”

12 O God, don’t stay away.

My God, please hurry to help me.

Sixth Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 29

38And this is what you shall offer upon the altar: lambs in their first year, two a day, continually.39The one lamb you shall offer up in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer up in the afternoon.40And one tenth of fine flour, thoroughly mixed with a quarter of a hin of crushed [olive] oil, and a libation of one quarter of a hin of wine, for the one lamb.41And the other lamb you shall offer up in the afternoon; you shall offer [it] up like the meal offering of the morning and its libation, as a spirit of satisfaction, a fire offering to the Lord.42It shall be a continual burnt offering for your generations, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before the Lord, where I will arrange meetings with you, to speak to you there.43There I will arrange meetings with the children of Israel, and it will be sanctified by My glory.44I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and I will sanctify Aaron and his sons to serve Me [as kohanim].45I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel and I will be their God.46They will know that I, the Lord, am their God, Who brought them out of the land of Egypt in order that I may dwell in their midst; I am the Lord, their God.

Friday

Psalm 71:13–24 (NLT):

13 Bring disgrace and destruction on my accusers.

Humiliate and shame those who want to harm me.

14 But I will keep on hoping for your help;

I will praise you more and more.

15 I will tell everyone about your righteousness.

All day long I will proclaim your saving power,

though I am not skilled with words.

16 I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign Lord.

I will tell everyone that you alone are just.

17 O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood,

and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do.

18 Now that I am old and gray,

do not abandon me, O God.

Let me proclaim your power to this new generation,

your mighty miracles to all who come after me.

19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.

You have done such wonderful things.

Who can compare with you, O God?

20 You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,

but you will restore me to life again

and lift me up from the depths of the earth.

21 You will restore me to even greater honor

and comfort me once again.

22 Then I will praise you with music on the harp,

because you are faithful to your promises, O my God.

I will sing praises to you with a lyre,

O Holy One of Israel.

23 I will shout for joy and sing your praises,

for you have ransomed me.

24 I will tell about your righteous deeds

all day long,

for everyone who tried to hurt me

has been shamed and humiliated.

Seventh Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 30

1You shall make an altar for bringing incense up in smoke; you shall make it out of acacia wood.2It shall be one cubit long and one cubit wide, a square, and two cubits high; its horns shall be [one piece] with it.3You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its walls all around, and its horns; and you shall make for it a golden crown all around.4You shall make two golden rings for it underneath its crown on its two corners, you shall make [them] on its two sides, so that it should serve as holders for poles with which to carry it.5You shall make the poles out of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.6And you shall place it in front of the dividing curtain, which is upon the Ark of Testimony, in front of the ark cover, which is upon the testimony, where I will arrange to meet with you.7Aaron shall make incense of spices go up in smoke upon it; every morning when he sets the lamps in order, he shall make it go up in smoke.8And when Aaron kindles the lights in the afternoon, he shall make it go up in smoke, continual incense before the Lord for your generations.9You shall offer up on it no alien incense, burnt offering, or meal offering, and you shall pour no libation upon it.10But Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year; with the blood of the sin offering of the atonements, once a year he shall effect atonement upon it for your generations; it is a holy of holies to the Lord.

Saturday

Luke 15:1–10 (NLT): Parable of the Lost Sheep

Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!

3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

Parable of the Lost Coin

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

Maftir Portion

Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 25

17You shall remember what Amalek did to you on the way, when you went out of Egypt,18how he happened upon you on the way and cut off all the stragglers at your rear, when you were faint and weary, and he did not fear God.19[Therefore,] it will be, when the Lord your God grants you respite from all your enemies around [you] in the land which the Lord, your God, gives to you as an inheritance to possess, that you shall obliterate the remembrance of Amalek from beneath the heavens. You shall not forget!

Haftarah

Shmuel I (I Samuel) Chapter 15

1And Samuel said to Saul, "The Lord sent me to anoint you to be king over His people, over Israel; and now hearken to the voice of the words of the Lord.2So said the Lord of Hosts, 'I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid (wait) for him on the way, when he came up out of Egypt.3Now, go, and you shall smite Amalek, and you shall utterly destroy all that is his, and you shall not have pity on him: and you shall slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.' "4And Saul called the people together, and he counted them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand, the men of Judah.5And Saul came as far as the city of Amalek, and he fought in the valley.6And Saul said to the Kenite, "Turn away and go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them, and you did kindness with all the children of Israel, when they went up out of Egypt." And the Kenites turned away from amidst Amalek.7And Saul smote Amalek, from Havilah until you come to Shur, which is in front of Egypt.8And he seized Agag, the king of Amalek, alive; and he completely destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.9And Saul and the people had pity on Agag, and on the best of the sheep and the cattle, and the fatlings, and on the fattened sheep, and on all that was good; and they did not want to destroy them; but everything which was vile and feeble, that they utterly destroyed.10And the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying,11"I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me, and he has not fulfilled My words." And it distressed Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night.12And Samuel arose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told to Samuel, saying, "Saul has come to Carmel, and behold, he is setting up a place for himself, and he passed and went down to Gilgal."13And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "May you be blessed of the Lord; I have fulfilled the word of the Lord."14And Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears? And the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"15And Saul said, "They brought them from the Amalekites, for the people had pity on the best of the sheep, and the oxen, in order to sacrifice to the Lord your God: and the rest we have utterly destroyed."16And Samuel said to Saul, "Desist, and I shall tell you what the Lord spoke to me last night." And he said to him, "Speak."17And Samuel said, "Even if you are small in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed you as king over Israel.18And the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go, and you shall utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and you shall wage war against them until they destroy them.'19Now, why did you not hearken to the voice of the Lord, but you flew upon the spoil, and you did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord?"20And Saul said to Samuel, "Yes, I did hearken to the voice of the Lord. I did go on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and I brought Agag, the king of Amalek alive, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.21And the people took from the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the ban, to sacrifice to your God in Gilgal."22And Samuel said, "Has the Lord (as much) desire in burnt offerings and peace-offerings, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than a peace-offering; to hearken (is better) than the fat of rams.23For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Since you rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you from being a king."24And Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I transgressed the Lord's command, and your words, for I feared the people, and I hearkened to their voice.25And now, forgive now my sin, and return with me, and I shall prostrate myself to the Lord."26And Samuel said to Saul, "I shall not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being a king over Israel."27And Samuel turned to go, and he seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore.28And Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you, today; and has given it to your fellow who is better than you.29And also, the Strength of Israel will neither lie nor repent, for He is not a man to repent."30And he said, "I have sinned. Now, honor me now in the presence of the elders of my people, and in the presence of Israel, and return with me, and I shall prostrate myself to the Lord your God."31And Samuel returned after Saul, and Saul prostrated himself to the Lord.32And Samuel said, "Bring Agag, the king of Amalek, near to me." And Agag went to him delicately. And Agag said, "Surely, the bitterness of death has turned."33And Samuel said, "As your sword bereaved women, so will your mother be bereaved among women." And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.34And Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul.

AME Zion Universal Reading February 26th, 2023

Sunday School Zoom Link

First Portion

Shemot - Exodus Chapter 25

1"The Lord spoke to Moses saying:2"Speak to the children of Israel, and have them take for Me an offering; from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity, you shall take My offering.3And this is the offering that you shall take from them: gold, silver, and copper;4blue, purple, and crimson wool; linen and goat hair;5ram skins dyed red, tachash skins, and acacia wood;6oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the incense;7shoham stones and filling stones for the ephod and for the choshen.8And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst9according to all that I show you, the pattern of the Mishkan and the pattern of all its vessels; and so shall you do.10They shall make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.11And you shall overlay it with pure gold; from inside and from outside you shall overlay it, and you shall make upon it a golden crown all around.12And you shall cast four golden rings for it, and you shall place them upon its four corners, two rings on its one side, and two rings on its other side.13And you shall make poles of acacia wood and you shall overlay them with gold.14And you shall bring the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them.15The poles of the ark shall be in the rings; they shall not be removed from it.16And you shall place into the ark the testimony, which I will give you.

1 Peter 2:1–10 (NLT):

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. 2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, 3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

Living Stones for God’s House

4 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.

5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6 As the Scriptures say,

“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem,

chosen for great honor,

and anyone who trusts in him

will never be disgraced.”

7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him,

“The stone that the builders rejected

has now become the cornerstone.”

8 And,

“He is the stone that makes people stumble,

the rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

10 “Once you had no identity as a people;

now you are God’s people.

Once you received no mercy;

now you have received God’s mercy.”

1 Peter 2:13–25 (NLT): Respecting People in Authority

13 For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

15 It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. 16 For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 17 Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.

Slaves

18 You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. 19 For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. 20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

22 He never sinned,

nor ever deceived anyone.

23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted,

nor threaten revenge when he suffered.

He left his case in the hands of God,

who always judges fairly.

24 He personally carried our sins

in his body on the cross

so that we can be dead to sin

and live for what is right.

By his wounds

you are healed.

25 Once you were like sheep

who wandered away.

But now you have turned to your Shepherd,

the Guardian of your souls.

Second Portion

Shemot - Exodus Chapter 25

17And you shall make an ark cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits its length and a cubit and a half its width.18And you shall make two golden cherubim; you shall make them of hammered work, from the two ends of the ark cover.19And make one cherub from the one end and the other cherub from the other end; from the ark cover you shall make the cherubim on its two ends.20The cherubim shall have their wings spread upwards, shielding the ark cover with their wings, with their faces toward one another; [turned] toward the ark cover shall be the faces of the cherubim.21And you shall place the ark cover on the ark from above, and into the ark you shall place the testimony, which I will give you.22I will arrange My meetings with you there, and I will speak with you from atop the ark cover from between the two cherubim that are upon the Ark of the Testimony, all that I will command you unto the children of Israel.23And you shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits its length, one cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.24And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and you shall make for it a golden crown all around.25And you shall make for it a frame a handbreadth [wide] all around, and you shall make a golden crown for its frame all around.26And you shall make for it four golden rings, and you shall place the rings on the four corners that are on its four legs.27The rings shall be opposite the frame as holders for the poles [with which] to carry the table.28And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and you shall overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with them.29And you shall make its forms, its spoons, its half pipes, and its supports with which it will be covered; of pure gold you shall make them.30And you shall place on the table showbread before Me at all times.

Monday

Colossians 1:9–22 (NLT):

9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Christ Is Supreme

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

16 for through him God created everything

in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see

and the things we can’t see—

such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

Everything was created through him and for him.

17 He existed before anything else,

and he holds all creation together.

18 Christ is also the head of the church,

which is his body.

He is the beginning,

supreme over all who rise from the dead.

So he is first in everything.

19 For God in all his fullness

was pleased to live in Christ,

20 and through him God reconciled

everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

Third Portion

Shemot - Exodus Chapter 25

31And you shall make a menorah of pure gold. The menorah shall be made of hammered work; its base and its stem, its goblets, its knobs, and its flowers shall [all] be [one piece] with it.32And six branches coming out of its sides: three menorah branches from its one side and three menorah branches from its second side.33Three decorated goblets on one branch, a knob and a flower, and three decorated goblets on one branch, a knob and a flower; so for the six branches that come out of the menorah.34And on [the stem of] the menorah [shall be] four decorated goblets, its knobs and its flowers.35And a knob under the two branches from it, and a knob under the two branches from it, and a knob under the two branches from it; so for the six branches that come out of the menorah.36Their knobs and their branches shall [all] be [one piece] with it; all of it [shall be] one hammered mass of pure gold.37And you shall make its lamps seven, and he shall kindle its lamps [so that they] shed light toward its face.38And its tongs and its scoops [shall be] of pure gold.39He shall make it of a talent of pure gold, with all these implements.40Now see and make according to their pattern, which you are shown on the mountain.

Shemot - Exodus Chapter 26

1"And the Mishkan you shall make out of ten curtains [consisting] of twisted fine linen, and blue, purple, and crimson wool. A cherubim design of the work of a master weaver you shall make them.2"The length of one curtain [shall be] twenty eight cubits, and the width of one curtain [shall be] four cubits; the same measure for all the curtains.3"Five of these curtains shall be joined to one another, and [the other] five curtains shall [also] be joined to one another.4"And you shall make loops of blue wool on the edge of one curtain [that is] at the edge of the [first] set, and so shall you do on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set.5"You shall make fifty loops on [the edge of] one curtain, and you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain in the second set; the loops shall correspond to one another.6"And you shall make fifty golden clasps, and you shall fasten the curtains to one another with the clasps; so shall the Mishkan become one.7"And [then] you shall make curtains of goat hair for a tent over the Mishkan; you shall make eleven curtains.8"The length of one curtain [shall be] thirty cubits, and the width of one curtain four cubits; the same measure for the eleven curtains.9"And you shall join the five curtains by themselves, and the [other] six curtains by themselves; and you shall fold the sixth curtain before the front of the tent.10"And you shall make fifty loops on the edge of one curtain, [which is] at the edge of the [first] set, and fifty loops on the edge of the [outermost] curtain of the second set.11"And you shall make fifty copper clasps; you shall bring the clasps into the loops, and you shall fasten the tent together so that it will become one.12"And the overhanging excess in the curtains of the tent half of the extra curtain shall hang over the rear of the Mishkan.13"And the cubit from here and the cubit from there of the excess in the length of the curtains of the tent shall hang over the sides of the Mishkan from here and from there to cover it.14"And you shall make a covering for the tent of ram skins dyed red and a covering of tachash skins above.

Tuesday

1 Timothy 6:11–16 (NLT): Paul’s Final Instructions

11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. 13 And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 15 For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. 16 He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen.

Fourth Portion

Shemot - Exodus Chapter 26

15"And you shall make the planks for the Mishkan of acacia wood, upright.16"Ten cubits [shall be] the length of each plank, and a cubit and a half [shall be] the width of each plank.17"Each plank shall have two square pegs, rung like, one even with the other; so shall you make all the planks of the Mishkan.18"And you shall make the planks for the Mishkan, twenty planks for the southern side.19"And you shall make forty silver sockets under the twenty planks; two sockets under one plank for its two square pegs, and two sockets under one plank for its two square pegs.20"And for the second side of the Mishkan on the northern side twenty planks.21"And their forty silver sockets: two sockets under one plank and two sockets under one plank.22"And for the western end of the Mishkan you shall make six planks.23"And you shall make two planks at the corners of the Mishkan at the end.24"And they shall be matched evenly from below, and together they shall match at its top, [to be put] into the one ring; so shall it be for both of them; they shall be for the two corners.25"And there shall be eight planks and their silver sockets, sixteen sockets two sockets under one plank and two sockets under one plank.26"And you shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the planks of one side of the Mishkan,27"and five bars for the planks of the second side of the Mishkan, and five bars for the planks of the [rear] side of the Mishkan, on the westward end.28"And the middle bar in the midst of the planks shall [extend and] penetrate from one end to the other end.29"And you shall overlay the planks with gold, and their rings you shall make of gold as holders for the bars, and you shall overlay the bars with gold.30"And you shall erect the Mishkan according to its proper manner, as you will have been shown on the mountain.

Wednesday

Isaiah 42:8–17 (NLT):

8 “I am the Lord; that is my name!

I will not give my glory to anyone else,

nor share my praise with carved idols.

9 Everything I prophesied has come true,

and now I will prophesy again.

I will tell you the future before it happens.”

A Song of Praise to the Lord

10 Sing a new song to the Lord!

Sing his praises from the ends of the earth!

Sing, all you who sail the seas,

all you who live in distant coastlands.

11 Join in the chorus, you desert towns;

let the villages of Kedar rejoice!

Let the people of Sela sing for joy;

shout praises from the mountaintops!

12 Let the whole world glorify the Lord;

let it sing his praise.

13 The Lord will march forth like a mighty hero;

he will come out like a warrior, full of fury.

He will shout his battle cry

and crush all his enemies.

14 He will say, “I have long been silent;

yes, I have restrained myself.

But now, like a woman in labor,

I will cry and groan and pant.

15 I will level the mountains and hills

and blight all their greenery.

I will turn the rivers into dry land

and will dry up all the pools.

16 I will lead blind Israel down a new path,

guiding them along an unfamiliar way.

I will brighten the darkness before them

and smooth out the road ahead of them.

Yes, I will indeed do these things;

I will not forsake them.

17 But those who trust in idols,

who say, ‘You are our gods,’

will be turned away in shame.

Fifth Portion

Shemot - Exodus Chapter 26

31"And you shall make a dividing curtain of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen; the work of a master weaver he shall make it, in a [woven] cherubim design.32"And you shall place it on four pillars of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, their hooks [shall be] gold, on four silver sockets.33"And you shall place the dividing curtain beneath the clasps. You shall bring there on the inner side of the dividing curtain the Ark of the Testimony, and the dividing curtain shall separate for you between the Holy and the Holy of Holies.34"And you shall place the ark cover over the Ark of the Testimony in the Holy of Holies.35"And you shall place the table on the outer side of the dividing curtain and the menorah opposite the table, on the southern side of the Mishkan, and you shall place the table on the northern side.36"And you shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen the work of an embroiderer.37"You shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia and overlay them with gold, their hooks [shall be] gold, and you shall cast for them five copper sockets.

Thursday

Psalm 119:121–136 (NLT):

121 Don’t leave me to the mercy of my enemies,

for I have done what is just and right.

122 Please guarantee a blessing for me.

Don’t let the arrogant oppress me!

123 My eyes strain to see your rescue,

to see the truth of your promise fulfilled.

124 I am your servant; deal with me in unfailing love,

and teach me your decrees.

125 Give discernment to me, your servant;

then I will understand your laws.

126 Lord, it is time for you to act,

for these evil people have violated your instructions.

127 Truly, I love your commands

more than gold, even the finest gold.

128 Each of your commandments is right.

That is why I hate every false way.

Pe

129 Your laws are wonderful.

No wonder I obey them!

130 The teaching of your word gives light,

so even the simple can understand.

131 I pant with expectation,

longing for your commands.

132 Come and show me your mercy,

as you do for all who love your name.

133 Guide my steps by your word,

so I will not be overcome by evil.

134 Ransom me from the oppression of evil people;

then I can obey your commandments.

135 Look upon me with love;

teach me your decrees.

136 Rivers of tears gush from my eyes

because people disobey your instructions.

Sixth Portion

Shemot - Exodus Chapter 27

1And you shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and its height [shall be] three cubits.2And you shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be from it, and you shall overlay it with copper.3And you shall make its pots to remove its ashes, and its shovels and its sprinkling basins and its flesh hooks and its scoops; you shall make all its implements of copper.4And you shall make for it a copper grating of netting work, and you shall make on the netting four copper rings on its four ends.5And you shall place it beneath the ledge of the altar from below, and the net shall [extend downward] until the middle of the altar.6And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and you shall overlay them with copper.7And its poles shall be inserted into the rings, and the poles shall be on both sides of the altar when it is carried.8You shall make it hollow, out of boards; as He showed you on the mountain, so shall they do.

Friday

1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 (NLT):

Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. 2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. 3 When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

4 But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. 5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. 6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. 7 Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. 8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

9 For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. 11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

Seventh Portion

Shemot - Exodus Chapter 27

9And you shall make the courtyard of the Mishkan on the southern side [there shall be] hangings for the courtyard of twisted fine linen, one hundred cubits long on one side.10And its pillars [shall be] twenty and their sockets twenty of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their bands [shall be of] silver.11And so for the northern end in the length hangings one hundred [cubits] long, its pillars twenty, and their sockets twenty of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver.12The width of the courtyard on the western side, hangings fifty cubits, their pillars ten and their sockets ten.13The width of the courtyard on the eastern side, fifty cubits.14The hangings on the shoulder [shall be] fifteen cubits, their pillars three and their sockets three.15And on the second shoulder [there shall be] fifteen hangings, their pillars three and their sockets three.16And at the gate of the courtyard shall be a screen of twenty cubits, [made] of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen, the work of an embroiderer; their pillars four and their sockets four.17All the pillars around the courtyard [shall have] silver bands, silver hooks, and copper sockets.18The length of the courtyard [shall be] one hundred cubits and the width fifty by fifty [cubits]. The height [of the hangings] shall be five cubits of twisted fine linen, and their sockets [shall be of] copper.19All the implements of the Mishkan for all its labor, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the courtyard [shall be] copper.

Saturday

1 Peter 2:1–12 (NLT):

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. 2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, 3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

Living Stones for God’s House

4 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.

5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6 As the Scriptures say,

“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem,

chosen for great honor,

and anyone who trusts in him

will never be disgraced.”

7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him,

“The stone that the builders rejected

has now become the cornerstone.”

8 And,

“He is the stone that makes people stumble,

the rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

10 “Once you had no identity as a people;

now you are God’s people.

Once you received no mercy;

now you have received God’s mercy.”

11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

Maftir Portion

Shemot - Exodus Chapter 27

17All the pillars around the courtyard [shall have] silver bands, silver hooks, and copper sockets.18The length of the courtyard [shall be] one hundred cubits and the width fifty by fifty [cubits]. The height [of the hangings] shall be five cubits of twisted fine linen, and their sockets [shall be of] copper.19All the implements of the Mishkan for all its labor, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the courtyard [shall be] copper.

Haftarah

Melachim I - I Kings Chapter 5

26And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as He had promised him, and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they both made a league together.27And King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel, and the levy was thirty thousand men.28And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month alternately, a month they were in Lebanon, (and) two months at home, and Adoniram (was) over the levy.29And Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand hewers in the mountains.30Besides Solomon's chief officers that were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who bore rule over the people that wrought in the work.31And the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, heavy stones, to lay the foundation of the house (with) hewn stone.32And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Gebalites did hew (them), and they prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.

Melachim I - I Kings Chapter 6

1And it was in the four hundred and eightieth year after the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt, in the fourth year, in the month Ziv, which (is) the second month of Solomon's reign over Israel, that he did (begin to) build the house of the Lord.2And the house which king Solomon built for the Lord, the length thereof (was) sixty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.3And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits (was) the length thereof, before the breadth of the house, (and) ten cubits (was) the breadth thereof before the house.4And he made for the house windows broad without, and narrow within.5And against the wall of the house he built a chamber round about, (against) the walls of the house round about, (both) of the temple and of the sanctuary, and he made chambers round about.6The nethermost chamber (was) five cubits broad, and the middle (was) six cubits broad, and the third (was) seven cubits broad, for he made rebatements in (the wall of) the house round about on the outside, that (the beams) should not have hold in the walls of the house.7And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone finished at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe (nor) any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.8The door of the lowest chamber (was) in the right side of the house, and with winding stairs they went up into the middle (chamber), and from the middle into the third.9And he built the house, and finished it, and he covered the house with panelling and joined planks of cedar.10And he built the chambers against all the house, (each) five cubits high; and he covered the house with timber of cedar.11And the word of the Lord came to Solomon saying,12(Concerning) this house which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, and execute My ordinances, and keep all My commandments to walk in them; then will I establish My word with you, which I spoke to David your father.13And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people, Israel.