Monday in Epiphany

1Verse 1. Then Moses assembled the whole congregation of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the LORD has commanded you to do: 2Verse 2. For six days work may be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of complete rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on that day must be put to death. 3Verse 3. Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.” 4Verse 4. Moses also told the whole congregation of Israel, “This is what the LORD has commanded: 5Verse 5. Take from among you an offering to the LORD. Let everyone whose heart is willing bring an offering to the LORD: gold, silver, and bronze; 6Verse 6. blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair; 7Verse 7. ram skins dyed red and fine leather; acacia wood; 8Verse 8. olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 9Verse 9. and onyx stones and gemstones to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. 10Verse 10. Let every skilled craftsman among you come and make everything that the LORD has commanded: 11Verse 11. the tabernacle with its tent and covering, its clasps and frames, its crossbars, posts, and bases; 12Verse 12. the ark with its poles and mercy seat, and the veil to shield it; 13Verse 13. the table with its poles, all its utensils, and the Bread of the Presence; 14Verse 14. the lampstand for light with its accessories and lamps and oil for the light; 15Verse 15. the altar of incense with its poles; the anointing oil and fragrant incense; the curtain for the doorway at the entrance to the tabernacle; 16Verse 16. the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grate, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; 17Verse 17. the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the gate of the courtyard; 18Verse 18. the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, along with their ropes; 19Verse 19. and the woven garments for ministering in the holy place— both the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests.” 20Verse 20. Then the whole congregation of Israel withdrew from the presence of Moses. 21Verse 21. And everyone whose heart stirred him and whose spirit prompted him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its services, and for the holy garments. 22Verse 22. So all who had willing hearts, both men and women, came and brought brooches and earrings, rings and necklaces, and all kinds of gold jewelry. And they all presented their gold as a wave offering to the LORD. 23Verse 23. Everyone who had blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, or fine linen, goat hair, ram skins dyed red, or articles of fine leather, brought them. 24Verse 24. And all who could present an offering of silver or bronze brought it as a contribution to the LORD. Also, everyone who had acacia wood for any part of the service brought it. 25Verse 25. Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun: blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, or fine linen. 26Verse 26. And all the skilled women whose hearts were stirred spun the goat hair. 27Verse 27. The leaders brought onyx stones and gemstones to mount on the ephod and breastpiece, 28Verse 28. as well as spices and olive oil for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. 29Verse 29. So all the men and women of the Israelites whose hearts prompted them brought a freewill offering to the LORD for all the work that the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do.

9Verse 9. The next day at about the sixth hour, as the men were approaching the city on their journey, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10Verse 10. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11Verse 11. He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12Verse 12. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air. 13Verse 13. Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” 14Verse 14. “No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” 15Verse 15. The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 16Verse 16. This happened three times, and all at once the sheet was taken back up into heaven. 17Verse 17. While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and approached the gate. 18Verse 18. They called out to ask if Simon called Peter was staying there. 19Verse 19. As Peter continued to reflect on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20Verse 20. So get up! Go downstairs and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.” 21Verse 21. So Peter went down to the men and said, “Here am I, the one you are looking for. Why have you come?” 22Verse 22. “Cornelius the centurion has sent us,” they said. “He is a righteous and God-fearing man with a good reputation among the whole Jewish nation. A holy angel instructed him to request your presence in his home so he could hear a message from you.” 23Verse 23. So Peter invited them in as his guests.