March 7 (Numbers 2; Psalm 62; John 2)

A reading from the Book of Numbers.

The Lord's Book to Moses and Aaron saying,

The people of Israel shall camp, each by his own standard, with the banners of their

father's houses.

They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side.

Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp

of Judah by their companies.

The chief of the people of Judah being not shown the son of a minedab.

His company has listed being 74,600.

Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Isaker, the chief of the people of Isaker

being Nethanale, the son of Zewar.

His company is listed being 54,400.

Then the tribe of Zebulin, the chief of the people of Zebulin being Eliab, the son

of Helon, his company has listed being 57,400.

All those listed of the camp of Judah by their companies were 186,400.

They shall set out first on the march.

On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Rubin by their companies, the chief

of the people of Rubin being Elisir, the son of Shedir.

His company has listed being 46,500.

And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, the chief of the people of

Simeon being Shalumiel, the son of Zerishadai.

His company has listed being 59,300.

Then the tribe of Gad, the chief of the people of Gad being El Yesif, the son of Ruil, his

company has listed being 45,650.

All those listed of the camp of Rubin by their companies were 151,450.

They shall set out second.

Then the tentative meeting shall set out with the camp of the Levites in the midst of

the camps.

As they camp, so shall they set out, each in position standard by standard.

On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their companies, the

chief of the people of Ephraim being Elishama, the son of Amihud.

His company has listed being 40,500.

And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasa, the chief of the people of Manasa being

Gameliel, the son of Pedazur.

His company has listed being 32,200.

Then the tribe of Benjamin, the chief of the people of Benjamin being Abedin, the son

of Gideoni, his company has listed being 35,400.

All those listed of the camp of Ephraim by their companies were 108,100.

They shall set out third on the march.

On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan by their companies, the chief

of the people of Dan being Ahiezer, the son of Amishadai.

His company has listed being 62,700.

And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, the chief of the people of Asher

being Pagiel, the son of Okhran.

His company has listed being 41,500.

Then the tribe of Nephtali, the chief of the people of Nephtali being Ahira, the son

of Anan.

His company has listed being 53,400.

All those listed of the camp of Dan were 157,600.

They shall set out last, standard by standard.

These are the people of Israel as listed by their father's houses.

All those listed in the camps by their companies were 603,550, but the Levites were not listed

among the people of Israel as the Lord commanded Moses.

Thus did the people of Israel.

According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards and so

they set out each one in his clan according to his father's house.

A reading from the Psalms.

To the Choirmaster, according to Jettathun, a Psalm of David, for God alone my soul waits

in silence, from him comes my salvation.

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress, I shall not be greatly shaken.

How long will all of you attack a man to batter him like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?

They only plan to thrust him down from his high position, they take pleasure in falsehood,

they blessed with their mouths, but inwardly they curse.

For God alone on my soul, wait in silence, from my hope is from him.

He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress, I shall not be shaken.

On God rests my salvation and my glory, my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

Trust in him at all times, O people, pour out your heart before him.

God is a refuge for us.

Those of low estate are but a breath.

Those of high estate are a delusion.

In the balances they go up, they are together, lighter than a breath.

Put no trust in extortion, set no vain hopes on robbery.

If riches increase, set not your heart on them.

Once God has spoken, twice have I heard this, that power belongs to God, and that to you,

O Lord, belong steadfast love, for you will render to a man according to his work.

A reading from the gospel according to John.

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.

When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, they have no wine, and Jesus said

to her, women, what does this have to do with me?

My hour has not yet come.

His mother said to the servants, do whatever he tells you.

Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rights of purification, each holding

twenty or thirty gallons.

Jesus said to the servants, fill the jars with water, and they filled them up to the

rim, and he said to them, now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.

So they took it.

When the master of the feast tasted the water, now become wine, and did not know where it

came from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew, the master of the feast called

the bridegroom and said to him, everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have

drunk freely, then the poor wine.

But you have kept the good wine until now.

This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory,

and his disciples believed in him.

After this, he went down to Capernum with his mother and his brothers and his disciples,

and they stayed there for a few days.

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

In the temple, he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money

changers sitting there, and making a whip of cords.

He drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and oxen, and he poured out the coins

of the money changers and overturned their tables, and he told those who sold the pigeons,

take these things away, do not make my father's house a house of trade.

His disciples remembered that it was written, zeal for your house will consume me.

So the Jews said to him, what sign do you show us for doing these things?

Jesus answered them, destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

The Jews then said, it has taken 46 years to build this temple, and will you raise it

up in three days?

But he was speaking about the temple of his body.

And therefore he was raised from the dead.

His disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the

word that Jesus had spoken.

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they

saw the signs that he was doing.

But Jesus, on his part, did not entrust himself to them because he knew all people, and needed

no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.