B’HA’ALOT’CHA (IN YOUR MAKING GO UP)

Parashat Beha’alotecha

Dedication of the Levites

8 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ² “Speak to Aaron and say to him: When you erect the lamps, the seven lamps are to illuminate the area in front of the menorah.” ³ Aaron did so. He erected the lamps facing forward so they illuminated the area in front of the menorah, just as Adonai had commanded Moses. ⁴ Now this is how the menorah was made: hammered gold from its base to its blossoms. Just as was the pattern that Adonai had shown to Moses, so he made the menorah.

⁵ Again Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ⁶ “Take the Levites from among Bnei-Yisrael and ceremonially cleanse them. ⁷ This is what you must do to them to make them clean: Sprinkle the purifying water on them,^[a] then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, thus purifying themselves.

⁸ “Then they are to take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, plus a second young bull for a sin offering. ⁹ Bring the Levites before the Tent of Meeting, and gather the whole community of Bnei-Yisrael. ¹⁰ Bring the Levites before Adonai, Bnei-Yisrael will lay their hands on the Levites, ¹¹ and Aaron will present the Levites before Adonai as a wave offering from Bnei-Yisrael. Then they may go about the work of the service of Adonai.

¹² “The Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls. Use one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to Adonai to make atonement for the Levites. ¹³ Have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons and present them as a wave offering to Adonai. ¹⁴ In this way you are to set apart the Levites from Bnei-Yisrael to be Mine. ¹⁵ After you have purified them and presented them as a wave offering, the Levites will come to do their work at the Tent of Meeting. ¹⁶ For they are the ones from among Bnei-Yisrael given to Me in place of all the first from the wombs of Bnei-Yisrael. I have taken them for Myself.

¹⁷ “For every firstborn among Bnei-Yisrael is Mine, whether human or animal. On the day I struck down the firstborn of the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for Myself. ^{[b] 18} So I am taking the Levites in place of the firstborn of Bnei-Yisrael, ¹⁹ and I am giving the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among Bnei-Yisrael, to do the work on behalf of Bnei-Yisrael in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for them—so that there would be no plague among them for coming too close to the Sanctuary.”

²⁰ So Moses, Aaron and the entire community of Bnei-Yisrael did so with the Levites. All that Adonai had commanded Moses regarding the Levites, so Bnei-Yisrael did to them. ²¹ The Levites also purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes. Aaron presented them as a wave offering before Adonai, and, he made atonement for them to purify them. ²² After that, the Levites came to do their tasks before Aaron and his sons in the Tent of Meeting, just as Adonai had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.

²³ Adonai again spoke to Moses saying, ²⁴ “This is for the Levites. Men 25 years old and upward are to present themselves for service to work in the Tent of Meeting. ²⁵ But at the age of 50 he is to retire from his service and work no longer. ²⁶ He may assist his brothers in the Tent of Meeting to do their duties, but he himself will no longer do the work. Thus, you are to assign to the Levites their responsibilities.”

Second Month Passover

9 Adonai spoke to Moses in the Sinai wilderness in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt saying, ² “Bnei-Yisrael is to observe Passover at its appointed time. ³ You are to celebrate it at its appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month, with all its rules and regulations.”

⁴ So Moses told Bnei-Yisrael to observe Passover. ⁵ They celebrated Passover at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month in the Sinai wilderness. In accordance with all that Adonai commanded Moses, so Bnei-Yisrael did.^[c]

⁶ However, there were some men who could not celebrate Passover because of being defiled by a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron on that same day, ⁷ and these men said to him, “We have become unclean because of a dead man’s body. Why should we be kept from presenting the offering of Adonai at the appointed time with the rest of Bnei-Yisrael?” ⁸ Moses answered them, “Wait, and I will inquire what Adonai commands concerning you.”

⁹ Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ¹⁰ “Say to Bnei-Yisrael saying: If any man, whether you or your descendants, becomes unclean because of a dead body, or is away on a long journey, he may yet observe Adonai’s Passover. ¹¹ They are to celebrate it at twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month. With matzot and bitter herbs they are to eat it. ¹² They are not to leave any of it until morning, or break any bones. When they celebrate Passover they are to observe all its regulations.

¹³ “But the person who is clean and not away on a journey, yet neglects to celebrate Passover, that soul shall be cut off from his people because that person did not present Adonai’s offering at the appointed time. That man will bear his sin.

¹⁴ “If an outsider living among you would celebrate Passover to Adonai according to the requirement, so he should do. There will be for you the same regulation for the outsider and the native of the land.’”

The Cloud as the Guide

¹⁵ On the day the Tabernacle was erected, the cloud covered the Tabernacle. By evening until morning, the cloud above the Tent of Testimony had an appearance like fire. ¹⁶ It was that way continually. The cloud covered it, and by night it appeared like fire. ¹⁷ Whenever the cloud lifted up from above the Tent, then Bnei-Yisrael would set out, and at the place where the cloud settled, there Bnei-Yisrael would encamp. ¹⁸ At the mouth of Adonai, Bnei-Yisrael would set out, and at the mouth of Adonai they would encamp. All the days that the cloud remained over the Tabernacle, they would remain in camp.

¹⁹ When the cloud would remain over the Tabernacle many days, Bnei-Yisrael would obey the command of Adonai and not set out. ²⁰ At times the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle only a few days. At Adonai’s word they would encamp, and at Adonai’s word they would set out.

²¹ At times the cloud remained only from evening until morning. When the cloud would lift, they would set out. Whether by day or by night, when the cloud lifted, they would set out. ²² Whether for two days or a month or a year, while the cloud remained over the Tabernacle, Bnei-Yisrael remained camped and would not set out. But when it would lift, they would set out. ²³ At Adonai’s word they would encamp, and at the mouth of Adonai they set out. They obeyed Adonai’s order by Moses’s hand.

Silver Trumpets for Assembly

10 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ² “Make two trumpets of hammered silver for yourself. They are for summoning the community and having the camps set out. ³ Whenever both are sounded, the whole community is to gather toward you at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. ⁴ But if only one is sounded, the princes—the heads of the tribes of Israel—are to gather toward you. ⁵ When you sound the trumpet the first time, the camp of those camped on the east is to set out. ⁶ When you sound the trumpet blast the second time, the camp of those camped on the south is to set out. Short blasts will be the signal for their moving out. ⁷ To gather the whole national community, you are to sound the sustained blasts, but not the short blasts. ⁸ The sons of Aaron will blow the trumpets. This is to be an eternal ordinance for you as well as for your generations to come.

⁹ Whenever you go to war in your own land against the enemy who is hostile to you, you are to sound short blasts of alarm. Then you will be remembered before Adonai your God and be delivered from your enemies.

¹⁰ Also at your days of rejoicing, feasts and new moons, you are to blow on the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. They will then be a reminder for you before Adonai your God. I am Adonai your God!”

Journey From Sinai

¹¹ On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted up from above the Tabernacle of the Testimony. ¹² Then Bnei-Yisrael set out on their travels in the Sinai wilderness. The cloud came to rest in the wilderness of Paran. ¹³ So they set out the first time by the mouth of Adonai by Moses’s hand.

¹⁴ The standard of the camp of the sons of Judah set out first by their divisions. Over them was Nahshon son of Amminadab. ¹⁵ Over the division of the tribe of the sons of Issachar was Nethanel son of Zuar. ¹⁶ Over the division of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun was Eliab son of Helon.

¹⁷ Then the Tabernacle was disassembled, and the sons of Gershon and Merari, who were carrying it, set out. ¹⁸ The standard of the camp of Reuben then set out, by their divisions. Over his division was Elizur son of Shedeur. ¹⁹ Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, was over the division of the tribe of the sons of Simeon. ²⁰ Over the division of the tribe of the sons of Gad was Eliasaph son of Deuel.

²¹ Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy items. The Tabernacle was to be erected before their arrival.

²² The standard of the camp of the sons of Ephraim set out next, by their divisions. Over his division was Elishama son of Ammihud. ²³ Over the division of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh was Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. ²⁴ Over the division of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin was Abidan son of Gideoni.

²⁵ The standard of the camp of the tribe of the sons of Dan, being the rear guard of all the camps, set out by their divisions. Over his division was Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. ²⁶ Pagiel son of Ochran, was over the division of the tribe of the sons of Asher. ²⁷ Ahira son of Enan, was over the division of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali.

²⁸ This is the order by which Bnei-Yisrael, by their divisions, set out.

²⁹ Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out to the place about which Adonai said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will do good to you, because Adonai has spoken goodness to Israel.”

³⁰ But he said to him, “I will not go, because I would rather go to my own country and to my own people.”

³¹ But he said, “Do not leave us now, because you know where we should camp in the wilderness. You can be like eyes to us. ³² If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good Adonai gives to us.”

³³ So they advanced from the mountain of Adonai, a trip of three days, the Ark of the covenant of Adonai going ahead of them for those three days to seek out a resting place for them. ³⁴ The cloud of Adonai was over them by day when they advanced from the camp.

³⁵ Whenever the Ark would set out, Moses would say:

³⁶ Then whenever it came to rest, he would say:

70 Elders to Share the Burden

11 The people were murmuring in the ears of Adonai about hardship, and when Adonai heard, His anger burned. The fire of Adonai blazed among them, ravaging the outskirts of the camp. ² The people cried out to Moses, so Moses prayed to Adonai and the fire died out. ³ The name of that place was thus called Taberah because fire from Adonai had burned among them.

⁴ The grumblers among them began to have cravings, so Bnei-Yisrael began to wail repeatedly, saying, “If we could just eat some meat! ⁵ We remember the fish that we used to eat in Egypt, for free—the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic! ⁶ But now we have no appetite. We never see anything but this manna.”

⁷ Now the manna was similar to coriander seed and had an appearance like gum resin. ⁸ The people went about, gathered it up, and ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes. It had a taste like something made with olive oil. ⁹ When the dew descended on the camp at night, the manna descended with it.

¹⁰ Moses heard the people wailing by their families, each man at the door to his tent. Adonai’s anger became very hot, and Moses was troubled.

¹¹ So Moses asked Adonai, “Why have You brought trouble on Your servant? Haven’t I found favor in Your eyes—that You laid the burden of all these people on me? ¹² Did I conceive all these people, or did I give birth to them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom just as the nurse carries an infant’—to the land You promised to their fathers? ¹³ Where can I get meat for all these people? For they wail to me saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ ¹⁴ I am not able to carry all these people by myself! The load is too heavy for me! ¹⁵ If this is how You are treating me, kill me now! If I have found favor in Your eyes, kill me please—don’t let me see my own misery!”

¹⁶ Adonai said to Moses, “Bring me 70 of the elders of Israel whom you know to be elders of the people and their leaders. Take them to the Tent of Meeting, so they may stand with you there. ¹⁷ Then I will come down and speak with you there, and, I will take some of the Ruach that is on you and will place it on them. They will carry with you the burden of the people, so you will not be carrying it alone.”^[d]

¹⁸ “Now to the people say: Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because you will eat meat, for you wailed in Adonai’s ears saying, ‘If only we could eat meat! It was better for us in Egypt!’ Now Adonai will give you meat and you will eat! ¹⁹ You will eat—not for one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, ²⁰ but for an entire month—until it is coming out of your nostrils and it becomes loathsome to you! For you rejected Adonai who is among you, and you wailed to His face saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?”

²¹ Moses then said, “600,000 foot soldiers—the people I am in the middle of—yet You say, ‘I am going to give them meat to eat for an entire month?’ ²² If flocks and herds were slaughtered, would they have enough? Or if all the fish in the sea were caught, would they have enough?”

²³ Adonai said to Moses, “Is Adonai’s arm too short? Now you will see whether My word will come true for you or not.”

Seventy Elders Prophesying

²⁴ So Moses went out and told the people Adonai’s words. He gathered 70 of the elders of the people and had them stand around the Tent. ²⁵ Adonai descended in the cloud and spoke with him. He took some of the Ruach that was on him and placed it on each of the 70 elders. It so happened that when the Ruach first rested on them, they prophesied—but never again.

²⁶ Two men, however, had remained in the camp. The name of one was Eldad and the name of the other was Medad. The Ruach rested on them. They were among those listed, but they had not gone out to the Tent. So they prophesied in the camp. ²⁷ A young man ran and told Moses and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!”

²⁸ Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses since his youth, cried out and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”

²⁹ But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous on my behalf? If only Adonai would make all the people prophets! If only Adonai would put the Spirit on all of them!”

³⁰ Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

Quails From the Sea

³¹ Now a wind went out from Adonai and drove quails from the sea. He brought them into the camp to about a day’s journey in any direction, about two cubits above the ground all around the camp. ³² The people went out all that night and all the following day and collected quail. No one gathered less than ten omers. They spread them out all around the camp.

³³ Yet while the meat was between their teeth, before it was swallowed, Adonai’s anger burned against the people. So Adonai struck the people with a severe plague. ³⁴ For that reason the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah^[e], because they buried the people who were craving.

³⁵ From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed to Hazeroth and stayed in Hazeroth.

Miriam and Aaron Speak Against Moses

12 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses on account of the Cushite woman he married, because he had married a Cushite woman. ² They asked, “Has Adonai spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t He also spoken through us?”

Adonai heard it.

³ Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than anyone on the face of the earth.

⁴ Immediately, Adonai said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “The three of you, come out to the Tent of Meeting.” So the three came out. ⁵ Adonai descended in a column of cloud, stood at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and called to Aaron and Miriam. The two of them stepped forward.

⁶ “Hear now My words!” He said. “When there is a prophet of Adonai, I reveal Myself in a vision, I speak to him in a dream. ⁷ Not so with My servant Moses. In all My house, he is faithful. ^{[f] 8} I speak with him face to face, plainly and not in riddles. He even looks at the form of Adonai! Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?”

⁹ Adonai’s anger burned against them, and He left them. ¹⁰ When the cloud lifted up from above the Tent, behold, Miriam had tza’arat, like snow! As Aaron turned toward her, behold, she had tza’arat! ¹¹ He said to Moses, “Please, my lord, don’t hold against us the sin we have committed so foolishly! ¹² Don’t let her be like a stillborn baby, who comes from his mother’s womb with his flesh half-eaten away!”

¹³ So Moses cried to Adonai saying, “O God, heal her now!”

¹⁴ Adonai said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be in shame for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days. After that she may be brought back.”

¹⁵ So Miriam was restricted to outside the camp for seven days. The people did not move on until Miriam was brought back. ¹⁶ Afterward, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Wilderness of Paran.

¹⁴ “‘Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will live among you’^[a]—it is a declaration of Adonai. ¹⁵ ‘In that day many nations will join themselves to Adonai and they will be My people and I will dwell among you.’ Then you will know that Adonai-Tzva’ot has sent me to you. ¹⁶ Adonai will inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land and will once again choose Jerusalem. ¹⁷ Be silent before Adonai, all flesh, for He has aroused Himself from His holy dwelling.”

Joshua the Kohen Gadol

3 Then he showed me Joshua the kohen gadol standing before the angel of Adonai and the satan^[b], standing at his right hand to accuse him. ^{[c] 2} Adonai said to the satan, ‘Adonai rebukes you, the satan. Indeed Adonai, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you.^[d] Is not this man a brand plucked out of the fire?’

³ Now Joshua was wearing filthy garments and standing before the angel ⁴ who answered and spoke to those standing before him saying, ‘Remove the filthy garments from him.’ Then to Joshua he said, ‘See, I have removed your iniquity from you and will dress you with fine clothing.’^[e]

⁵ Then I said, ‘Place a clean turban on his head.’

So they put a pure turban on his head and clothed him with garments while the angel of Adonai stood by.

⁶ The angel of Adonai exhorted Joshua saying:

⁷ ‘Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, “If you will walk in My ways and keep My charge, then you will judge My House and watch over My courts and I will give you a place to walk among these standing here. ⁸ Listen well, Joshua kohen gadol, both you and your companions seated before you, because they are men who are a sign—behold, I will bring forth My servant the Branch. ⁹ For behold! The stone I have laid before Joshua is one stone with seven facets. On it I will engrave an inscription,” declares Adonai-Tzva’ot, “that I will remove the iniquity of this land in one day. ¹⁰ In that day,” declares Adonai-Tzva’ot, “every man will invite his neighbor to sit under the vine and under the fig tree.’”

Two Olive Trees and the Capstone

4 Then the angel who had been speaking with me returned and woke me—like a man who is wakened from his sleep.

² He asked me, ‘What do you see?’

I replied, ‘Behold, I see a solid gold menorah with its bowl at the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven pipes for the lamps that are on the top of it. ³ Also two olive trees are by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on the left side of it.’^[f]

⁴ Then I responded by saying to the angel speaking with me, ‘What are these, my lord?’

⁵ The angel who spoke with me responded by asking me, ‘You do not know what these are?’

I replied, ‘No, my lord.’

⁶ Then he responded to me by saying, ‘This is the word of Adonai to Zerubbabel saying: “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Ruach!” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. ⁷ “What are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain. He will bring out the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace” to it.’”

Two Witnesses

11 Then a measuring rod like a staff was given to me, saying, “Get up and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count those worshiping in it. ^{[a] 2} But do not measure the court outside the Temple—leave it out, because it has been given to the nations, and they shall trample the holy city for forty-two months. ^{[b] 3} And I will grant authority to My two witnesses and they will prophesy for 1,260 days,^[c] dressed in sackcloth.”

⁴ These are the two olive trees and the two menorot that are standing before the Lord of the earth. ^{[d] 5} If anyone wishes to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and consumes their enemies. If anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. ^{[e] 6} These two have the power to shut the heavens, so that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying.^[f] And they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.^[g]

⁷ When they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the abyss will make war on them, and overcome them and kill them. ^{[h] 8} And their corpses will lie in the open street^[i] of the great city that figuratively is called Sodom and Egypt—where also their^[j] Lord was crucified. ⁹ Some from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their corpses for three and a half days, not allowing them to be placed into a grave. ^{[k] 10} Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them. They will celebrate and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

¹¹ But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet;^[l] and great fear fell on those who were watching them. ¹² Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them.^[m]

¹³ At that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed.^[n] Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

¹⁴ The second woe is past. The third woe is coming soon.

The Seventh Trumpet

¹⁵ Then the seventh angel trumpeted, and there were loud voices in heaven saying,

¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders seated on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying,

¹⁹ Then the Temple of God in heaven was opened, and the Ark of His Covenant appeared in His Temple. And there were flashes of lightning and rumblings and clashes of thunder and an earthquake and heavy hail.^[s]

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Healing on Shabbat

5 After this there was a Jewish feast, and Yeshua went up to Jerusalem. ² Now in Jerusalem there is a pool by the sheep gate, called Bethzatha in Aramaic,^[a] which has five porches. ³ In these a crowd of invalids was lying around—blind, lame, disabled. (⁴ )^[b]

⁵ Now a certain man had been an invalid there for thirty-eight years. ⁶ Seeing him lying there and knowing he had been that way a long time, Yeshua said to him, “Do you want to get well?”

⁷ The invalid answered Him, “Sir, I have nobody to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up. While I’m trying to get in, somebody else steps down before me!”

⁸ Yeshua tells him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!”

⁹ Immediately, the man was healed! He took up his mat and started walking around. Now that day was Shabbat, ¹⁰ so Judean leaders were saying to the man who was healed, “It’s Shabbat! It’s not permitted for you to carry your mat.”

¹¹ But he answered them, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

¹² They asked him, “Who is the man who told you, ‘Pick up your mat and walk’?” ¹³ But the man who had been healed didn’t know who it was, for Yeshua had slipped away into the crowd in that place.

¹⁴ Afterwards, Yeshua finds him in the Temple. He said to him, “Look, you’ve been healed! Stop sinning, so nothing worse happens to you.” ¹⁵ The man left and told the Judean leaders that it was Yeshua who had made him well.

Sent by the Father

¹⁶ Because Yeshua was doing these things on Shabbat, the Judean leaders started persecuting Him. ¹⁷ But Yeshua said to them, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” ¹⁸ So for this reason the Judean leaders kept trying even harder to kill Him—because He was not only breaking Shabbat,^[c] but also calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

¹⁹ Therefore Yeshua answered them, “Amen, amen I tell you, the Son cannot do anything by Himself. He can do only what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He does. He will show Him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. ²¹ For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever He wants. ²² The Father does not judge anyone, but has handed over all judgment to the Son ²³ so that all should honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

²⁴ “Amen, amen I tell you, whoever hears My word and trusts the One who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed over from death into life. ²⁵ Amen, amen I tell you, an hour is coming and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of Ben-Elohim. Those who hear will live! ²⁶ For just as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. ²⁷ Also He has given the Son authority to judge, because He is the Son of Man.

²⁸ “Do not be amazed at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice ²⁹ and come out!^[d] Those who have done good will come to a resurrection of life, and those who have done evil will come to a resurrection of judgment. ³⁰ I can do nothing on My own. Just as I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, for I do not seek My own will, but the will of the One who sent Me.”

The Father Testifies about the Son

³¹ “If I testify about Myself, My witness is not valid. ³² There is another who testifies about Me, and I know that the testimony He gives is true. ³³ You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. ³⁴ I do not receive the testimony of man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. ³⁵ He was the lamp that was burning and shining, and you wanted to rejoice for a while in his light.

³⁶ “But the testimony I have is greater than that from John. The works the Father has given Me to finish—the very works I am doing—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. ³⁷ And the Father who sent Me has testified concerning Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form. ³⁸ Nor do you have His Word living in you, because you do not trust the One He sent. ³⁹ You search the Scriptures because you suppose that in them you have eternal life. It is these that testify about Me. ⁴⁰ Yet you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life!

⁴¹ “I do not accept glory from men. ⁴² But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. ⁴³ I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me. But if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. ⁴⁴ How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that comes from God alone?

⁴⁵ “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have put your hope. ⁴⁶ For if you were believing Moses, you would believe Me—because he wrote about Me. ⁴⁷ But since you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”^[e]

New Manna in the Wilderness

6 Afterwards, Yeshua went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. ² A large crowd kept following Him, because they were watching the signs He was performing on the sick. ³ Then Yeshua went up the mountainside and sat down there with His disciples. ⁴ Passover, the Jewish feast, was near.

⁵ Lifting up His eyes and seeing a large crowd coming to Him, Yeshua said to Philip, “Where will we buy bread so these may eat?” ⁶ Now Yeshua was saying this to test him, for He knew what He was about to do.

⁷ Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii^[f] isn’t enough to buy bread for each to get a little bit!”

⁸ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ⁹ “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what’s that for so many?”

¹⁰ Yeshua said, “Make the people recline.” There was much grass in the area. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. ¹¹ Then Yeshua picked up the loaves. And having given thanks, He distributed bread to everyone who was reclining. He did the same with the fish, as much as they wanted.

¹² When the people were full, Yeshua said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftovers, so nothing is wasted.” ¹³ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had finished eating.

¹⁴ When the people saw the sign that Yeshua performed, they began to say, “This is most certainly the Prophet who is to come into the world!” ^{[g] 15} Realizing that they were about to come and seize Him by force to make Him king, Yeshua withdrew again to the mountain, Himself alone.

The Savior on the Sea

¹⁶ Now when evening came, Yeshua’s disciples went down to the sea. ¹⁷ Getting into a boat, they set out to cross the sea toward Capernaum. By now it had become dark, and still Yeshua had not come to them. ¹⁸ A great wind began to blow, stirring up the sea.

¹⁹ After they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia,^[h] they catch sight of Yeshua walking on the sea, approaching the boat. They were terrified! ²⁰ But Yeshua says to them, “I am. Don’t be afraid.” ^{[i] 21} Then they wanted to take Him into the boat, and right away the boat reached the shore where they were headed.

The Bread from Heaven

²² The next day, the crowd remaining on the other side of the sea realized that no other boat had been there except the one, and that Yeshua hadn’t gone into the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone away alone. ²³ Some other boats from Tiberias came close to the place where they had eaten the bread after the Master had given thanks. ²⁴ So when the crowd realized that neither Yeshua nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and set off for Capernaum to find Him. ²⁵ When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

²⁶ Yeshua responded to them, “Amen, amen I tell you, you seek Me not because you saw signs, but because you ate all the bread and were filled. ²⁷ Don’t work for food that spoils, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on Him, God the Father has put the seal of approval.”

²⁸ Then they said to Him, “What shall we do to perform the works of God?”

²⁹ Yeshua answered them, “This is the work of God, to trust in the One He sent.”

³⁰ So they said to Him, “Then what sign do You perform, so that we may see and believe You? What work do You do? ³¹ Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘Out of heaven He gave them bread to eat.’”^[j]

³² Yeshua answered them, “Amen, amen I tell you, it isn’t Moses who has given you bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is the One coming down from heaven and giving life to the world.”

³⁴ So they said to Him, “Sir, give us this bread from now on!”

³⁵ Yeshua said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty. ³⁶ But I told you that you have seen Me, yet you do not believe. ³⁷ Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and anyone coming to Me I will never reject. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will but the will of the One who sent Me.

³⁹ “Now this is the will of the One who sent Me, that I lose not one of all He has given Me, but raise each one on the last day. ⁴⁰ For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and trusts in Him may have eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day.”

⁴¹ Some of the Judeans^[k] started to grumble about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They were saying, “Isn’t this Yeshua the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

⁴³ Yeshua answered, “Stop grumbling among yourselves! ⁴⁴ No one can come to Me unless My Father who sent Me draws him—and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’^[l] Everyone who has listened and learned from the Father comes to Me. ⁴⁶ Not that anyone has seen the Father except the One who is from God—He has seen the Father.

⁴⁷ “Amen, amen I tell you, he who believes has eternal life. ⁴⁸ I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹ Your fathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. ⁵⁰ This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread, which came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. This bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

⁵² Then the Jews began arguing with one another, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”

⁵³ So Yeshua said to them, “Amen, amen I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. ⁵⁴ He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

⁵⁵ “For My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink. ⁵⁶ He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who eats of Me will also live because of Me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven—not like the bread your fathers ate and then died. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

⁵⁹ He said these things while teaching at the synagogue in Capernaum.

Fallout from a Hard Teaching

⁶⁰ So when many of His disciples heard this, they said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can listen to it?”

⁶¹ But Yeshua knew His disciples were murmuring, so He said to them, “Does this offend you? ⁶² Then what if you see the Son of Man going back up to the place where He was before? ⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no benefit. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and are life! ⁶⁴ Yet some of you do not trust.” Yeshua knew from the beginning who were the ones who did not trust, as well as which one would betray Him.

⁶⁵ Then He told them, “For this reason I’ve told you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by the Father.”

⁶⁶ From this time, many of His disciples left and quit walking with Him. ⁶⁷ So Yeshua said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to leave also, do you?”

⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life! ⁶⁹ We have trusted and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

⁷⁰ Yeshua answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is the adversary!” ⁷¹ Now He was speaking of Judah, the son of Simon of Kriot—for he, one of the Twelve, was about to betray Him.