AME Zion Universal Reading July 10th 2022

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First Portion

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.

John 4:46–54 (NLT):

46 As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.

48 Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

49 The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”

50 Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

51 While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. 52 He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” 53 Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. 54 This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.

Second Portion

Numbers Chapter 19

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.

Numbers Chapter 20

1The entire congregation of the children of Israel arrived at the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people settled in Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there.2The congregation had no water; so they assembled against Moses and Aaron.3The people quarreled with Moses, and they said, "If only we had died with the death of our brothers before the Lord.4Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord to this desert so that we and our livestock should die there?5Why have you taken us out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place; it is not a place for seeds, or for fig trees, grapevines, or pomegranate trees, and there is no water to drink.6Moses and Aaron moved away from the assembly to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and they fell on their faces. [Then] the glory of the Lord appeared to them.

Monday

John 2:1–11 (NLT): The Wedding at Cana

The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. 3 The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.”

4 “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”

5 But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6 Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, 8 he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions.

9 When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. 10 “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”

11 This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

Third Portion

Numbers Chapter 20

7The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:8"Take the staff and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aaron, and speak to the rock in their presence so that it will give forth its water. You shall bring forth water for them from the rock and give the congregation and their livestock to drink."9Moses took the staff from before the Lord as He had commanded him.10Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation in front of the rock, and he said to them, "Now listen, you rebels, can we draw water for you from this rock?"11Moses raised his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, when an abundance of water gushed forth, and the congregation and their livestock drank.12The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Since you did not have faith in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly to the Land which I have given them.13These are the waters of dispute [Mei Meribah] where the children of Israel contended with the Lord, and He was sanctified through them.

Tuesday

Psalm 6:1–10 (NLT):

1 O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger

or discipline me in your rage.

2 Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak.

Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.

3 I am sick at heart.

How long, O Lord, until you restore me?

4 Return, O Lord, and rescue me.

Save me because of your unfailing love.

5 For the dead do not remember you.

Who can praise you from the grave?

6 I am worn out from sobbing.

All night I flood my bed with weeping,

drenching it with my tears.

7 My vision is blurred by grief;

my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.

8 Go away, all you who do evil,

for the Lord has heard my weeping.

9 The Lord has heard my plea;

the Lord will answer my prayer.

10 May all my enemies be disgraced and terrified.

May they suddenly turn back in shame.

Fourth Portion

Numbers Chapter 20

14Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: "So says your brother, Israel, 'You know of all the hardship that has befallen us.15Our fathers went down to Egypt, and we sojourned in Egypt for a long time. And the Egyptians mistreated us and our forefathers.16We cried out to the Lord and He heard our voice. He sent an angel, and he took us out of Egypt, and now we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border.17Please let us pass through your land; we will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink well water. We will walk along the king's road, and we will turn neither to the right nor to the left until we have passed through your territory.'"18Edom replied to him, "You shall not pass through me, lest I go out towards you with the sword!"19The children of Israel said to him, "We will keep to the highway, and if we drink your water, either I or my cattle, we will pay its price. It is really nothing; I will pass through on foot."20But he said, "You shall not pass through!" and Edom came out toward them with a vast force and with a strong hand.21Edom refused to allow Israel to cross through his territory; so Israel turned away from him.

Wednesday

Matthew 8:5–13 (NLT): The Faith of a Roman Officer

5 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”

7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”

8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! 11 And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. 12 But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13 Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.

Fifth Portion

Numbers Chapter 20

22They traveled from Kadesh, and the entire congregation of the children of Israel arrived at Mount Hor.23The Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, saying,24"Aaron shall be gathered to his people, for he shall not come to the Land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you defied My word at the waters of dispute [Mei Meribah].25Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and ascend Mount Hor.26Strip Aaron of his garments and dress Eleazar his son with them. Then Aaron shall be gathered in [to his people] and die there.27Moses did as the Lord commanded him. They ascended Mount Hor in the presence of the entire congregation.28Moses then stripped Aaron of his garments and dressed Eleazar his son in them, and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. [Then] Moses and Eleazar descended from the mountain.29The whole congregation saw that Aaron had expired, and the entire house of Israel wept for Aaron for thirty days.

Numbers Chapter 21

1The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the south, heard that Israel had come by the route of the spies, and he waged war against Israel and took from them a captive.2Israel made a vow to the Lord, and said, "If You deliver this people into my hand, I shall consecrate their cities."3The Lord heard Israel's voice and delivered the Canaanite. He destroyed them and [consecrated] their cities, and he called the place Hormah.4They journeyed from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea to circle the land of Edom, and the people became disheartened because of the way.5The people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in this desert, for there is no bread and no water, and we are disgusted with this rotten bread."6The Lord sent against the people the venomous snakes, and they bit the people, and many people of Israel died.7The people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord that He remove the snakes from us." So Moses prayed on behalf of the people.8The Lord said to Moses, "Make yourself a serpent and put it on a pole, and let whoever is bitten look at it and live."9Moses made a copper snake and put it on a pole, and whenever a snake bit a man, he would gaze upon the copper snake and live.

Thursday

John 5:1–9 (NLT): Jesus Heals a Lame Man

Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. 2 Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. 3 Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. 5 One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

7 “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

8 Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

9 Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath,

Sixth Portion

Numbers Chapter 21

10The children of Israel journeyed on and camped in Oboth.11They journeyed from Oboth and camped in the wasteland passes in the wilderness, which faced Moab, toward the rising sun.12From there they journeyed, and they encamped along the stream of Zered.13From there they journeyed, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which was in the desert, extending from the Amorite border, for Arnon was the Moabite border between Moab and the Amorites.14Concerning this it is told in the account of the Wars of the Lord, "What He gave at the [Sea of] Reeds and the streams of Arnon.15And the spilling of the streams that turned to settle at Ar and leaned toward the border of Moab.16From there to the well; that is the well of which the Lord said to Moses, 'Gather the people, and I will give them water.'"17Then Israel sang this song: "'Ascend, O well,' sing to it!18A well dug by princes, carved out by nobles of the people, through the lawgiver with their staffs, and from the desert, a gift.19From the gift, to the streams, and from the streams to the heights.20From the heights to the valley in the field of Moab, at the top of the peak, that overlooks the wastelands."

Friday

John 9:1–7 (NLT): Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. 4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. 5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. 7 He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!

Seventh Portion

Numbers Chapter 21

21Israel sent messengers to Sihon the king of the Amorites, saying:22"Let me pass through your land. We will not turn into fields or vineyards, nor drink well water. We shall walk along the king's road, until we have passed through your territory."23But Sihon did not permit Israel to pass through his territory, and Sihon gathered all his people and went out to the desert toward Israel. He arrived at Jahaz and fought against Israel.24Israel smote him with the sword, and took possession of his land from Arnon to Jabbok, as far as the children of Ammon, for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.25Israel took all these cities, and the Israelites dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and all its villages.26For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and he had fought against the first king of Moab, taking all his land from his possession, as far as Arnon.27Concerning this, those who speak in parables say, "Come to Heshbon, may it be built and established as the city of Sihon.28For fire went forth from Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon; it consumed Ar of Moab, the masters of the high places of Arnon.29Woe is to you, Moab; you are lost, people of Chemosh. His sons he has given over as refugees and his daughters into captivity, to Sihon, king of the Amorites.30Their kingdom is destroyed from Heshbon; it has been removed from Dibon; we laid them waste as far as Nophah which is near Medeba."31Israel settled in the land of the Amorites.32Moses sent [men] to spy out Jaazer and they captured its villages, driving out the Amorites who lived there.33Then they turned and headed north toward the Bashan. Og, the king of Bashan, came out toward them with all his people, to wage war at Edrei.34The Lord said to Moses, "Do not fear him, for I have delivered him, his people, and his land into your hand. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon the king of the Amorites who dwells in Heshbon.35They smote him, his sons and all his people, until there was no survivor, and they took possession of his land.

Numbers Chapter 22

1The children of Israel journeyed and encamped in the plains of Moab, across the Jordan from Jericho.

Saturday

Psalm 41 (NLT):

1 Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor!

The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.

2 The Lord protects them

and keeps them alive.

He gives them prosperity in the land

and rescues them from their enemies.

3 The Lord nurses them when they are sick

and restores them to health.

4 “O Lord,” I prayed, “have mercy on me.

Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

5 But my enemies say nothing but evil about me.

“How soon will he die and be forgotten?” they ask.

6 They visit me as if they were my friends,

but all the while they gather gossip,

and when they leave, they spread it everywhere.

7 All who hate me whisper about me,

imagining the worst.

8 “He has some fatal disease,” they say.

“He will never get out of that bed!”

9 Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely,

the one who shared my food, has turned against me.

10 Lord, have mercy on me.

Make me well again, so I can pay them back!

11 I know you are pleased with me,

for you have not let my enemies triumph over me.

12 You have preserved my life because I am innocent;

you have brought me into your presence forever.

13 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,

who lives from everlasting to everlasting.

Amen and amen!

Maftir Portion

Numbers Chapter 21

34The Lord said to Moses, "Do not fear him, for I have delivered him, his people, and his land into your hand. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon the king of the Amorites who dwells in Heshbon.35They smote him, his sons and all his people, until there was no survivor, and they took possession of his land.

Numbers Chapter 22

1The children of Israel journeyed and encamped in the plains of Moab, across the Jordan from Jericho.

Haftarah

Judges Chapter 11

1Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a woman harlot, and Gilead begot Jephthah.2And Gilead's wife bore him sons; and his wife's sons grew up and drove Jephthah out, and they said to him, "You shall not inherit in our father's house for you are the son of another woman."3And Jephthah fled from his brothers and he dwelt in the land of Tob; and idle men were gathered to Jephthah, and they went out with him.4And it was after many days, and the children of Ammon made war with Israel.5And it was, when the children of Ammon fought with Israel; and the elders of Gilead went to take Jephthah from the land of Tob.6And they said to Jephthah, "Come and become our chief, and we will fight with the children of Ammon."7And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me, and drive me from my father's house? So why have you come to me now when you are in distress?"8And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "Therefore we returned to you now, and you shall go with us, and you will fight with the children of Ammon, and you shall become our head, over all the inhabitants of Gilead."9And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me back to fight with the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivers them before me, I will become your head."10And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The Lord shall hear between us, if not according to your word so will we do."11And Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people appointed him a head and chief over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord in Mizpah.12And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, "What is (between) me and you, that you have come to me to fight in my land?"13And the king of the children of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel took away my land, when they came out of Egypt, from Arnon and up to the Jabbok, and up to the Jordan; and now restore them peacefully."14And Jephthah continued, and sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon.15And he said to him, "So said Jephthah, Israel did not take the land of Moab and the land of the children of Ammon.16Because when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness up to the Red Sea, and they came to Kadesh.17And Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom saying, 'Let me pass now through your land,' and the king of Edom did not listen, and also to the king of Moab he sent, and he was unwilling; and Israel abode in Kadesh.18And they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and they came to the east of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon, and they did not come within the border of Moab, for (the) Arnon (was) the border of Moab.19And Israel sent messengers to Sichon, king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, 'Please let us pass through your land up to my place.'20And Sichon did not trust Israel to pass through his border, and Sichon gathered all his people, and they encamped in Jahaz, and he fought with Israel.21And the Lord, the God of Israel, delivered Sichon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they struck them; and Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that land.22And they possessed all the border of the Amorites, from the Arnon up to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness up to the Jordan.23And now the Lord, the God of Israel, has driven out the Amorites from before His people Israel, and you want to possess it?24Is it not that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess, that you may possess; and all that which the Lord our God has driven out from before us, that we shall possess.25And now, are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive with Israel, (or) did he ever fight against them?26When Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along Arnon, three hundred years; why did you not recover them at that time?27And I have not sinned against you, and you do wrong with me by fighting against me; may the Lord, the Judge, decide this day between the children of Israel and between the children of Ammon."28And the king of the children of Ammon did not listen to the words of Jephthah which he had sent him.29And a spirit of the Lord was upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Menasseh, and he passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over (to) the children of Ammon.30And Jephthah vowed a vow to the Lord, and said, "If You will indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,31And it will be, whatever comes forth, that shall come forth from the doors of my house towards me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall be to the Lord, and I will offer him up for a burnt-offering."32And Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord delivered them into his hand.33And he struck them from Aroer until you come to Minnith, twenty cities, and up to Abel Cheramim, a very great slaughter. And the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.