Bible: Hebrews 9:1-10; 10:1-25; 13:10-16

The Arrangement and Ritual of the Earthly Sanctuary

9:1 Now the first covenant, 1  in fact, had regulations for worship and its earthly sanctuary. 9:2 For a tent was prepared, the outer one, 2  which contained 3  the lampstand, the table, and the presentation of the loaves; this 4  is called the holy place. 9:3 And after the second curtain there was a tent called the holy of holies. 9:4 It contained the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered entirely with gold. In this ark 5  were the golden urn containing the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 9:5 And above the ark 6  were the cherubim 7  of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Now is not the time to speak of these things in detail. 9:6 So with these things prepared like this, the priests enter continually into the outer tent 8  as they perform their duties. 9:7 But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent, 9  and not without blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. 10  9:8 The Holy Spirit is making clear that the way into the holy place had not yet appeared as long as the old tabernacle 11  was standing. 9:9 This was a symbol for the time then present, when gifts and sacrifices were offered that could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper. 9:10 They served only for matters of food and drink 12  and various washings; they are external regulations 13  imposed until the new order came. 14 

The Table of Nations

10:1 This is the account 1  of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons 2  were born 3  to them after the flood.

10:2 The sons of Japheth 4  were Gomer, 5  Magog, 6  Madai, 7  Javan, 8  Tubal, 9  Meshech, 10  and Tiras. 11  10:3 The sons of Gomer were 12  Askenaz, 13  Riphath, 14  and Togarmah. 15  10:4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, 16  Tarshish, 17  the Kittim, 18  and the Dodanim. 19  10:5 From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to its language, according to their families, by their nations.

10:6 The sons of Ham were Cush, 20  Mizraim, 21  Put, 22  and Canaan. 23  10:7 The sons of Cush were Seba, 24  Havilah, 25  Sabtah, 26  Raamah, 27  and Sabteca. 28  The sons of Raamah were Sheba 29  and Dedan. 30 

10:8 Cush was the father of 31  Nimrod; he began to be a valiant warrior on the earth. 10:9 He was a mighty hunter 32  before the Lord. 33  (That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.”) 10:10 The primary regions 34  of his kingdom were Babel, 35  Erech, 36  Akkad, 37  and Calneh 38  in the land of Shinar. 39  10:11 From that land he went 40  to Assyria, 41  where he built Nineveh, 42  Rehoboth-Ir, 43  Calah, 44  10:12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city Calah. 45 

10:13 Mizraim 46  was the father of 47  the Ludites, 48  Anamites, 49  Lehabites, 50  Naphtuhites, 51  10:14 Pathrusites, 52  Casluhites 53  (from whom the Philistines came), 54  and Caphtorites. 55 

10:15 Canaan was the father of 56  Sidon his firstborn, 57  Heth, 58  10:16 the Jebusites, 59  Amorites, 60  Girgashites, 61  10:17 Hivites, 62  Arkites, 63  Sinites, 64  10:18 Arvadites, 65  Zemarites, 66  and Hamathites. 67  Eventually the families of the Canaanites were scattered 10:19 and the borders of Canaan extended 68  from Sidon 69  all the way to 70  Gerar as far as Gaza, and all the way to 71  Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 10:20 These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, and by their nations.

10:21 And sons were also born 72  to Shem (the older brother of Japheth), 73  the father of all the sons of Eber.

10:22 The sons of Shem were Elam, 74  Asshur, 75  Arphaxad, 76  Lud, 77  and Aram. 78  10:23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 79  10:24 Arphaxad was the father of 80  Shelah, 81  and Shelah was the father of Eber. 82  10:25 Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg because in his days the earth was divided, 83  and his brother’s name was Joktan.

13:10 Lot looked up and saw 1  the whole region 2  of the Jordan. He noticed 3  that all of it was well-watered (before the Lord obliterated 4  Sodom and Gomorrah) 5  like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, 6  all the way to Zoar. 13:11 Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled 7  toward the east.

So the relatives separated from each other. 8  13:12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled among the cities of the Jordan plain 9  and pitched his tents next to Sodom. 13:13 (Now 10  the people 11  of Sodom were extremely wicked rebels against the Lord.) 12 

13:14 After Lot had departed, the Lord said to Abram, 13 Look 14  from the place where you stand to the north, south, east, and west. 13:15 I will give all the land that you see to you and your descendants 15  forever. 13:16 And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone is able to count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted. 16 

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