Fragmenda

Scripture

Numbers 26–28

Numbers 26

The people are again numbered by their tribes and families.

1 

After the blood of the guilty was shed, the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest:

2 

Number the whole sum of the children of Israel from twenty years old and upward, by their houses and kindreds, all that are able to go forth to war.

3 

Moses therefore and Eleazar the priest, being in the plains of Moab upon the Jordan over against Jericho, spoke to them that were

4 

From twenty years old and upward, as the Lord had commanded: and this is the number of them:

5 

Ruben the firstborn of Israel. His sons were Henoch, of whom is the family of the Henochites: and Phallu, of whom is the family of the Phalluites:

6 

And Hesron, of whom is the family of the Hesronites: and Charmi, of whom is the family of the Charmites.

7 

These are the families of the stock of Ruben: whose number was found to be forty-three thousand seven hundred and thirty.

8 

The son of Phallu was Eliab.

9 

His sons, were Namuel and Dathan and Abiron. These are Dathan and Abiron the princes of the people, that rose against Moses and Aaron in the sedition of Core, when they rebelled against the Lord:

10 

And the earth opening her mouth swallowed up Core, many others dying, when the fire burned two hundred and fifty men. And there was a great miracle wrought,

11 

That when Core perished, his sons did not perish.

12 

The sons of Simeon by their kindreds: Namuel, of him is the family of the Namuelites: Jamin, of him is the family of the Jaminites: Jachim, of him is the family of the Jachimites:

13 

Zare, of him is the family of the Zarites: Saul, of him is the family of the Saulites.

14 

These are the families of the stock of Simeon, of which the whole number was twenty-two thousand two hundred.

15 

The sons of Gad by their kindreds: Sephon, of him is the family of the Sephonites: Aggi, of him is the family of the Aggites: Suni, of him is the family of the Sunites:

16 

Ozni, of him is the family of the Oznites: Her, of him is the family of the Herites:

17 

Arod, of him is the family of the Arodites: Ariel, of him is the family of the Arielites.

18 

These are the families of Gad, of which the whole number was forty thousand five hundred.

19 

The sons of Juda, Her and Onan, who both died in the land of Chanaan.

20 

And the sons of Juda by their kindreds were: Sela, of whom is the family of the Selaites: Phares, of whom is the family of the Pharesites: Zare, of whom is the family of the Zarites.

21 

Moreover the sons of Phares were: Hesron, of whom is the family of the Hesronites: and Hamul, of whom is the family of the Hamulites.

22 

These are the families of Juda, of which the whole number was seventy-six thousand five hundred.

23 

The sons of Issachar, by their kindreds: Thola of whom is the family of the Tholaites: Phua, of whom is the family of the Phuaites:

24 

Jasub, of whom is the family of the Jasubites: Semran, of whom is the family of the Semranites.

25 

These are the kindreds of Issachar, whose number was sixty-four thousand three hundred.

26 

The sons of Zabulon by their kindreds: Sared, of whom is the family of the Saredites: Elon, of whom is the family of the Elonites: Jalel, of whom is the family of the Jalelites.

27 

These are the kindreds of Zabulon, whose number was sixty thousand five hundred.

28 

The sons of Joseph by their kindred, Manasses and Ephraim.

29 

Of Manasses was born Machir, of whom is the family of the Machirites. Machir begot Galaad, of whom is the family of the Galaadites.

30 

Galaad had sons: Jezer, of whom is the family of the Jezerites: and Helec, of whom is the family of the Helecites:

31 

And Asriel, of whom is the family of the Asrielites: and Sechem, of whom is the family of the Sechemites:

32 

And Semida, of whom is the family of the Semidaites: and Hepher, of whom is the family of the Hepherites.

33 

And Hepher was the father of Salphaad, who had no sons, but only daughters, whose names are these: Maala, and Noa, and Hegla, and Melcha, and Thersa.

34 

These are the families of Manasses, and the number of them fifty-two thousand seven hundred.

35 

And the sons of Ephraim by their kindreds were these: Suthala, of whom is the family of the Suthalaites: Becher, of whom is the family of the Becherites: Thehen, of whom is the family of the Thehenites.

36 

Now the son of Suthala was Heran, of whom is the family of the Heranites.

37 

These are the kindreds of the sons of Ephraim: whose number was thirty-two thousand five hundred.

38 

These are the sons of Joseph by their families. The sons of Benjamin in their kindreds: Bela, of whom is the family of the Belaites: Asbel, of whom is the family of the Asbelites: Ahiram, of whom is the family of the Ahiramites:

39 

Supham, of whom is the family of the Suphamites: Hupham, of whom is the family of the Huphamites.

40 

The sons of Bela: Hered, and Noeman. Of Hered, is the family of the Heredites: of Noeman, the family of the Noemanites.

41 

These are the sons of Benjamin by their kindreds, whose number was forty-five thousand six hundred.

42 

The sons of Dan by their kindreds: Suham, of whom is the family of the Suhamites: These are the kindreds of Dan by their families.

43 

All were Suhamites, whose number was sixty-four thousand four hundred.

44 

The sons of Aser by their kindreds: Jemna, of whom is the family of the Jemnaites: Jessui, of whom is the family of the Jessuites: Brie, of whom is the family of the Brieites.

45 

The sons of Brie: Heber, of whom is the family of the Heberites: and Melchiel, of whom is the family of the Melchielites.

46 

And the name of the daughter of Aser, was Sara.

47 

These are the kindreds of the sons of Aser, and their number fifty-three thousand four hundred.

48 

The sons of Nephtali by their kindreds: Jesiel, of whom is the family of the Jesielites: Guni, of whom is the family of the Gunites:

49 

Jeser, of whom is the family of the Jeserites: Sellem, of whom is the family of the Sellemites.

50 

These are the kindreds of the sons of Nephtali by their families: whose number was forty-five thousand four hundred.

51 

This is the sum of the children of Israel, that were reckoned up, six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.

52 

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

53 

To these shall the land be divided for their possessions according to the number of names.

54 

To the greater number thou shalt give a greater portion, and to the fewer a less: to every one, as they have now been reckoned up, shall a possession be delivered:

55 

Yet so that by lot the land be divided to the tribe and families.

56 

Whatsoever shall fall by lot, that shall be taken by the more, or the fewer.

57 

This also is the number of the sons of Levi by their families: Gerson, of whom is the family of the Gersonites: Caath, of whom is the family of the Caathites: Merari, of whom is the family of the Merarites.

58 

These are the families of Levi: The family of Lobni, the family of Hebroni, the family of Moholi, the family of Musi, the family of Core. Now Caath begot Amram:

59 

Who had to wife Jochabed the daughter of Levi, who was born to him in Egypt. She bore to her husband Amram sons, Aaron and Moses, and Mary their sister.

60 

Of Aaron were born Nadab and Abiu, and Eleazar and Ithamar:

61 

Of whom Nadab and Abiu died, when they had offered the strange fire before the Lord.

62 

And all that were numbered, were twenty-three thousand males from one month old and upward: for they were not reckoned up among the children of Israel, neither was a possession given to them with the rest.

63 

This is the number of the children of Israel, that were enrolled by Moses and Eleazar the priest, in the plains of Moab upon the Jordan, over against Jericho.

64 

Among whom there was not one of them that were numbered before by Moses and Aaron in the desert of Sinai.

65 

For the Lord had foretold that they should die in the wilderness. And none remained of them, but Caleb the son of Jephone, and Josue the son of Nun.


Numbers 27

The law of inheritance. Josue is appointed to succeed Moses.

1 

Then came the daughters of Salphaad, the son of Hepher, the son of Galaad, the son of Machir, the son of Manasses, who was the son of Joseph: and their names are Maala, and Noa, and Hegla, and Melcha, and Thersa.

2 

And they stood before Moses and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the people at the door of the tabernacle of the covenant, and said:

3 

Our father died in the desert, and was not in the sedition, that was raised against the Lord under Core, but he died in his own sin: and he had no male children. Why is his name taken away out of his family, because he had no son? Give us a possession among the kinsmen of our father.

4 

And Moses referred their cause to the judgment of the Lord.

5 

And the Lord said to him:

6 

The daughters of Salphaad demand a just thing: Give them a possession among their father’s kindred, and let them succeed him in his inheritance.

7 

And to the children of Israel thou shalt speak these things:

8 

When a man dieth without a son, his inheritance shall pass to his daughter.

9 

If he have no daughter, his brethren shall succeed him.

10 

And if he have no brethren, you shall give the inheritance to his father’s brethren.

11 

But if he have no uncles by the father, the inheritance shall be given to them that are the next akin. And this shall be to the children of Israel sacred by a perpetual law, as the Lord hath commanded Moses.

12 

The Lord also said to Moses: Go up into this mountain Abarim, and view from thence the land which I will give to the children of Israel.

13 

And when thou shalt have seen it, thou also shalt go to thy people, as thy brother Aaron is gone:

14 

Because you offended me in the desert of Sin in the contradiction of the multitude, neither would you sanctify me before them at the waters. These are the waters of contradiction in Cades of the desert of Sin.

15 

And Moses answered him:

16 

May the Lord the God of the spirits of all flesh provide a man, that may be over this multitude:

17 

And may go out and in before them, and may lead them out, or bring them in: lest the people of the Lord be as sheep without a shepherd.

18 

And the Lord said to him: take Josue the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and put thy hand upon him.

19 

And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest and all the multitude:

20 

And thou shalt give him precepts in the sight of all, and part of thy glory, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may hear him.

21 

If any thing be to be done, Eleazar the priest shall consult the Lord for him. He and all the children of Israel with him, and the rest of the multitude shall go out and go in at his word.

22 

Moses did as the Lord had commanded. And, when he had taken Josue, he set him before Eleazar the priest, and all the assembly of the people,

23 

And laying his hands on his head, he repeated all things that the Lord had commanded.


Numbers 28

Sacrifices are appointed as well for every day as for sabbaths, and other festivals.

1 

The Lord also said to Moses:

2 

Command the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: Offer ye my oblation and my bread, and burnt sacrifice of most sweet odour, in their due seasons.

3 

These are the sacrifices which you shall offer: Two lambs of a year old without blemish every day for the perpetual holocaust:

4 

One you shall offer in the mornings, and the other in the evening:

5 

And the tenth part of an ephi of flour, which shall be tempered with the purest oil, of the measure of the fourth part of a hin.

6 

It is the continual holocaust which you offered in mount Sinai for a most sweet odour of a sacrifice by fire to the Lord.

7 

And for a libation you shall offer of wine the fourth part of a hin for every lamb in the sanctuary of the Lord.

8 

And you shall offer the other lamb in like manner in the evening according to all the rites of the morning sacrifice, and of the libations thereof, an oblation of most sweet odour to the Lord.

9 

And on the sabbath day you shall offer two lambs of a year old without blemish, and two tenths of flour tempered with oil in sacrifice, and the libations,

10 

Which regularly are poured out every sabbath for the perpetual holocaust.

11 

And on the first day of the month you shall offer a holocaust to the Lord, two calves of the herd, one ram, and seven lambs of a year old, without blemish,

12 

And three tenths of flour tempered with oil in sacrifice for every calf: and two tenths of flour tempered with oil for every ram:

13 

And the tenth of a tenth of flour tempered with oil in sacrifice for every lamb. It is a holocaust of most sweet odour and an offering by fire to the Lord.

14 

And these shall be the libations of wine that are to be poured out for every victim: Half a hin for every calf, a third for a ram, and a fourth for a lamb. This shall be the holocaust for every month, as they succeed one another in the course of the year.

15 

A buck goat also shall be offered to the Lord for a sin offering over and above the perpetual holocaust with its libations.

16 

And in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, shall be the phase of the Lord,

17 

And on the fifteenth day the solemn feast: seven days shall they eat unleavened bread.

18 

And the first day of them shall be venerable and holy: you shall not do any servile work therein.

19 

And you shall offer a burnt sacrifice a holocaust to the Lord, two calves of the herd, one ram, seven lambs of a year old, without blemish:

20 

And for the sacrifice of every one three tenths of flour which shall be tempered with oil to every calf, and two tenths to every ram,

21 

And the tenth of a tenth, to every lamb, that is to say, to all the seven lambs:

22 

And one buck goat for sin, to make atonement for you,

23 

Besides the morning holocaust which you shall always offer.

24 

So shall you do every day of the seven days for the food of the fire, and for a most sweet odour to the Lord, which shall rise from the holocaust, and from the libations of each.

25 

The seventh day also shall be most solemn and holy unto you, you shall do no servile work therein.

26 

The day also of firstfruits, when after the weeks are accomplished, you shall offer new fruits to the Lord, shall be venerable and holy: you shall do no servile work therein.

27 

And you shall offer a holocaust for a most sweet odour to the Lord, two calves of the herd, one ram, and seven lambs of a year old, without blemish:

28 

And in the sacrifices of them three tenths of flour tempered with oil to every calf, two to every ram,

29 

The tenth of a tenth to every lamb, which in all are seven lambs: a buck goat also,

30 

Which is slain for expiation: besides the perpetual holocaust and the libations thereof.

31 

You shall offer them all without blemish with their libations.

Catechism

An Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism of Christian Doctrine, Lesson 7, Question 75

75 Q. On what day was Christ born?

A. Christ was born on Christmas Day in a stable at Bethlehem, over nineteen hundred years ago.

"Christmas Day" is the 25th of December, one week before the New Year. It is called Christmas Day since the time Our Lord was born, over nineteen hundred years ago. "In a stable at Bethlehem." The story of Our Lord's birth is in every way a very sad one. The Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph lived in Palestine—called also the Holy Land since Our Lord lived there. Palestine was the country where God's people, the Jews, lived, and at the time we are speaking of, it was under the power of the Roman Emperor, who had his soldiers and governor there. He wished to find out how many people were there, and so he ordered a census or count of the people to be made. (Luke 2). We take the census very differently now from what they did then. We in the United States, by order of the government, send men around from house to house to write down the names; but in Palestine, when they wanted the number of the people, everyone, no matter where he lived, had to go to the city or town where his forefathers had lived and there register his name with all the others who belonged to the same tribe or family. Now, the forefathers of St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin belonged to the little town of Bethlehem (Luke 2); so they had to leave Nazareth where they were then living and go to Bethlehem. This was shortly before Christmas. When they got to Bethlehem, they found the place crowded with people who also came to enroll their names. They went to the inn or hotel to seek for lodging for the night. The hotels there were not like ours. They were simply large buildings with small rooms and no furniture; they were called caravansaries. A man was in charge of the building, and by paying him something persons were allowed the use of a room. No food was sold there, so travelers had to do their cooking at home and bring whatever they needed with them. When the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph went to the inn they found all the rooms occupied. Then they went up and down the streets looking for some house where they might stay. Nobody would take them in, because St. Joseph was old and poor and had no money, or little, to give. They were refused at every door, a very sad thing indeed. What were they to do? It was growing dark, and the lights most likely were being lighted here and there in the houses. The old towns were not built as ours are, with houses on the outskirts growing fewer as we advance into the country. They were surrounded by great walls to keep out their enemies. There were several large gates in these walls, through which the people entered or left the city. At night these gates were closed and guarded. Nearly all the people lived within the walls and the country was lonely and almost deserted. Only shepherds were to be found in the country, and they lived in tents, which they carried about from place to place, as soldiers do in time of war. Such was the country about Bethlehem. As St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin could not find anyplace to stay in the town they were forced to go into the country. They must have suffered also from fear because the country was infested with wolves and wild dogs, so fierce that they sometimes came into the towns and attacked the people in the streets. Besides, many robbers were wandering about waiting for victims. Palestine is a hilly country and there were on the sides of some of the hills large caves in which these robbers frequently took refuge or divided their spoils. Because the shepherds at times, especially in bad weather, brought their animals into these caves, they are often called stables. The Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph found, we are told, one of these cold, dark places, went into it for the night, and there Our Lord was born.

It was the month of December and must have been quite cold, so the little Infant Jesus must have suffered greatly from the cold. If it had been a stable such as we see in our days it would have been bad enough; but think of this cold, dark, miserable cave, and yet it was Our Lord, the King of Heaven and earth, who was born there. There are few people so poor that they have to live in a cave. What wonderful humility, then, on the part of Our Lord. He could have been born, if He wished, in the grandest palace man could construct and have had thousands of angels to bring Him whatever He needed, for they are His servants in Heaven. But Our Lord became so humble to teach us. What impression should this make on those who are too fond of dress and too vain about their homes.

It was foretold by the prophets that Our Lord would be born in Bethlehem, and when the time was near at hand His parents were living in Nazareth; then the Roman Emperor gave the decree that the census be taken, which obliged Our Lord's parents to go to Bethlehem, and thus Our Lord was born there, and the words of the prophets fulfilled. See how God moves the whole world, if necessary, to accomplish what He desires. But how naturally He does everything. Nobody knew—not even the Roman Emperor himself—that he was giving an edict to fulfill the prophecies and the promises of God. So, at times, people do many things to carry out the designs of God, though they know it not. We should never complain therefore to do unwillingly whatever work we have to perform, because it may be something that God wishes us to do for some very special end. If you look back upon your lives, you can see that God guided and directed you upon many occasions.