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Tuesday, August 19th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

JPS Old Testament

Numbers 4:13

And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Altar;   Colors;   Levites;   Priest;   Skin;   Tabernacle;   Thompson Chain Reference - Purple;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Levites, the;   Priests;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Kohath;   Levites;   Tabernacle;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Skin, Coats Made of;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Badger;   Levites;   Priest;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Badger Skins;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Kohath, Kohathites;   Moses;   Numbers, Book of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Badgers' Skins;   Cloth;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Table;   Uzzah;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Koliath;   Tabernacle;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Priest;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Priesthood, the;   Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Color;   Ezekiel;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ark of the Covenant;   Curtain;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
They shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it.
King James Version
And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon:
Lexham English Bible
They will remove the fat-soaked ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it;
New Century Version
"They must clean the ashes off the bronze altar and spread a purple cloth over it.
New English Translation
Also, they must take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it.
Amplified Bible
"Then they shall clean away the ashes from the altar [of burnt offering], and spread a purple cloth over it.
New American Standard Bible
"Then they shall clean away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Also they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth vpon it,
Legacy Standard Bible
Then they shall take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it.
Contemporary English Version
They are to remove the ashes from the bronze altar and cover it with a purple cloth.
Complete Jewish Bible
After removing the greasy ashes from the altar, they are to spread a purple cloth over it
Darby Translation
And they shall cleanse the altar of the ashes, and spread a purple cloth thereon;
Easy-to-Read Version
"They must clean the ashes out of the bronze altar and spread a purple cloth over it.
English Standard Version
And they shall take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it.
George Lamsa Translation
And they shall take apart the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it;
Good News Translation
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Christian Standard Bible®
“They are to remove the ashes from the bronze altar, spread a purple cloth over it,
Literal Translation
And they shall remove the ashes of the altar, and shall spread over it a purple cloth;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They shal swepe the asshes also from the altare, and sprede a clothe of scarlet ouer it, and set all his vessels theron,
American Standard Version
And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon:
Bible in Basic English
And they are to take away the burned waste from the altar, and put a purple cloth on it;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they shall take away the asshes from the aulter, and spreade a purple cloth thereon.
King James Version (1611)
And they shall take away the ashes from the Altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he shall put the covering on the altar, and they shall cover it with a cloth all of purple.
English Revised Version
And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon:
Berean Standard Bible
Then they shall remove the ashes from the bronze altar, spread a purple cloth over it,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But also thei schulen clense the auter fro aische, and thei schulen wlappe it in a clooth of purpur.
Young's Literal Translation
and have removed the ashes of the altar, and have spread over it a garment of purple;
Update Bible Version
And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon:
Webster's Bible Translation
And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth upon it:
World English Bible
They shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it.
New King James Version
Also they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it.
New Living Translation
"They must remove the ashes from the altar for sacrifices and cover the altar with a purple cloth.
New Life Bible
Then they will take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it.
New Revised Standard
They shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then shall they remove the fat-ashes from the altar, - and spread over it a wrapper of purple;
Douay-Rheims Bible
They shall cleanse the altar also from the ashes, and shall wrap it up in a purple cloth,
Revised Standard Version
And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it;
THE MESSAGE
"They are to remove the ashes from the Altar and spread a purple cloth over it. They are to place on it all the articles used in ministering at the Altar—firepans, forks, shovels, bowls; everything used at the Altar—place them on the Altar, cover it with the dolphin skins, and insert the poles.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Then they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it.

Contextual Overview

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: 2 'Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers' houses, 3 from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter upon the service, to do work in the tent of meeting. 4 This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting, about the most holy things: 5 when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall go in, and his sons, and they shall take down the veil of the screen, and cover the ark of the testimony with it; 6 and shall put thereon a covering of sealskin, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall set the staves thereof. 7 And upon the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the pans, and the bowls, and the jars wherewith to pour out; and the continual bread shall remain thereon. 8 And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of sealskin, and shall set the staves thereof. 9 And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and its lamps, and its tongs, and its snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it. 10 And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of sealskin, and shall put it upon a bar.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

The embers of the sacred fire seem to have been removed in the grate, which was carried apart from the brazen altar; both being covered from view by purple cloths. Numbers 4:6-9, Numbers 4:11, Numbers 4:12, Exodus 27:3-5, Exodus 39:1, Exodus 39:41, Leviticus 6:12, Leviticus 6:13

Reciprocal: Exodus 27:7 - bear it

Cross-References

Job 15:22
He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon. Having cleared the holy of holies, and the holy place, they were to come forth from thence into the court of the tabernacle, where stood the altar of burnt offering, which is here meant, and on which sacrifices being daily burnt, there were always ashes to be removed; and which at this time was highly necessary to be done, when the tabernacle was taken down, and all belonging to it to be carried away; and though no mention is made of the fire, which was always burning on it, it was doubtless preserved, and care was taken for the carrying it along with the altar, or in a separate vessel from it. Bishop Patrick supposes it might be carried upon the grate.


 
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