The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday February 21, 2017 (NIV)

Leviticus 11-12

Laws about Animals the Israelites May and May Not Eat(A)

11 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Tell the Israelites: Here are the kinds of land animals you may eat: all animals that have completely divided hoofs and that also chew their cud. However, from those that either chew their cud or have divided hoofs, these are the kinds you must never eat: You must never eat camels. (Camels are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.) You must never eat rock badgers. (Rock badgers are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.) You must never eat rabbits. (Rabbits are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.) You must never eat pigs. (Because pigs have completely divided hoofs but do not chew their cud, they are also unclean.) Never eat the meat of these animals or touch their dead bodies. They are unclean for you.

“Here are the kinds of creatures that live in the water which you may eat—anything in the seas and streams that has fins and scales. 10 However, you must consider all swarming creatures living in the seas or the streams that have no fins or scales disgusting. 11 They must remain disgusting to you. Never eat their meat. Consider their dead bodies disgusting. 12 Every creature in the water without fins or scales is disgusting to you.

13 “Here are the kinds of birds you must consider disgusting and must not eat. They are eagles, bearded vultures, black vultures, 14 kites, all types of buzzards, 15 all types of crows, 16 ostriches, nighthawks, seagulls, all types of falcons, 17 little owls, cormorants, great owls, 18 barn owls, pelicans, ospreys, 19 storks, all types of herons, hoopoes, and bats.

20 “Every swarming, winged insect that walks across the ground like a four-legged animal is disgusting to you. 21 However, you may eat winged insects that swarm if they use their legs to hop on the ground. 22 You may eat any kind of locust, cricket, katydid, or grasshopper. 23 Every kind of winged insect that walks across the ground like a four-legged animal is disgusting to you.

24 “Regarding the creatures mentioned above, this is how you would become unclean: Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. 25 Whoever carries any part of their dead bodies must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening. 26 All animals whose hoofs are not completely divided or that don’t chew their cud are unclean for you. Whoever touches them is unclean. 27 All four-legged animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you. Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. 28 Those who carry the dead body of any of these animals must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening. These animals are unclean for you.

29 “The following swarming creatures that move on the ground are unclean for you—moles, mice, and all types of lizards: 30 geckos, monitors, lizards, skinks, and chameleons. 31 Among all the swarming creatures that move on the ground, these are unclean for you. Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. 32 When the dead body of one of these creatures falls on something, that thing will be unclean. It may be a wooden article, clothing, leather, a sack, or anything used for any purpose. It should be put in water and will be unclean until evening. Then it will be clean again.

33 “If any of these creatures falls into a piece of pottery, break the pottery because everything in it is unclean. 34 If water from that pottery touches any food, the food is unclean. Any liquid that you drink from that pottery is unclean. 35 Anything on which their dead bodies fall is unclean. If it is an oven or a stove, smash it. It is unclean and will remain unclean for you. 36 However, a spring or a cistern holding water will remain clean. But anyone who touches their dead bodies will be unclean. 37 If their dead bodies fall on seed that is to be planted, the seed is clean. 38 But if water is poured on the seed and their dead bodies fall on it, the seed is unclean for you.

39 “When any animal that you are allowed to eat dies, whoever touches its dead body will be unclean until evening. 40 Those who eat any of its dead body must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening. Those who carry its dead body away will wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening.

41 “Any creature that swarms on the ground is disgusting and must not be eaten. 42 Don’t eat any creature with many legs that goes on its belly or on the ground like a four-legged animal, or any creature that swarms on the ground. Consider them disgusting. 43 Don’t become disgusting by eating anything that swarms on the ground. Never allow yourselves to become unclean because of them.

44 “Here is the reason: I am the Lord your God. You must live holy lives. Be holy because I am holy. Never become unclean by touching anything that swarms or crawls on the ground. 45 Here is the reason again: I am the Lord. I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. Be holy because I am holy.

46 “These are the instructions about animals, birds, and every living creature that swims in the water and every creature that swarms on the ground. 47 These instructions help you distinguish between clean and unclean, the animals you may eat and those you may not eat.”

Instructions for Women after Childbirth

12 The Lord spoke to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: When a woman gives birth to a boy, she will be unclean for seven days. This is the same number of days she is unclean for her monthly period. The boy must be circumcised when he is eight days old. Then she must stay at home for 33 days in order to be made clean from her bleeding. She must not touch anything holy or go into the holy place until the days needed to make her clean are over.

“When a woman gives birth to a girl, she will be unclean as in her monthly period. However, she will be unclean for two weeks. Then she must stay at home for 66 days in order to be made clean from her bleeding.

“When the days needed to make her clean are over, she must bring a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or a mourning dove as an offering for sin. She must bring them to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting. The priest will offer them in the Lord’s presence to make peace with the Lord for her. Then she will be clean from her flow of blood.

“These are the instructions for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. If she cannot afford a lamb, she must use two mourning doves or two pigeons. One will be the burnt offering and the other the offering for sin. So the priest will make peace with the Lord for her, and she will be clean.”

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group

Mark 5:21-43

Jairus’ Daughter and a Woman with Chronic Bleeding(A)

21 Jesus again crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee in a boat. A large crowd gathered around him by the seashore.

22 A synagogue leader named Jairus also arrived. When he saw Jesus, he quickly bowed down in front of him. 23 He begged Jesus, “My little daughter is dying. Come, lay your hands on her so that she may get well and live.”

24 Jesus went with the man. A huge crowd followed Jesus and pressed him on every side.

25 In the crowd was a woman who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years. 26 Although she had been under the care of many doctors and had spent all her money, she had not been helped at all. Actually, she had become worse. 27 Since she had heard about Jesus, she came from behind in the crowd and touched his clothes. 28 She said, “If I can just touch his clothes, I’ll get well.” 29 Her bleeding stopped immediately. She felt cured from her illness.

30 At that moment Jesus felt power had gone out of him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

31 His disciples said to him, “How can you ask, ‘Who touched me,’ when you see the crowd pressing you on all sides?”

32 But he kept looking around to see the woman who had done this. 33 The woman trembled with fear. She knew what had happened to her. So she quickly bowed in front of him and told him the whole truth.

34 Jesus told her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace! Be cured from your illness.”

35 While Jesus was still speaking to her, some people came from the synagogue leader’s home. They told the synagogue leader, “Your daughter has died. Why bother the teacher anymore?”

36 When Jesus overheard what they said, he told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid! Just believe.”

37 Jesus allowed no one to go with him except Peter and the two brothers James and John. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a noisy crowd there. People were crying and sobbing loudly. 39 When he came into the house, he asked them, “Why are you making so much noise and crying? The child isn’t dead. She’s just sleeping.”

40 They laughed at him. So he made all of them go outside. Then he took the child’s father, mother, and his three disciples and went to the child. 41 Jesus took the child’s hand and said to her, “Talitha, koum!” which means, “Little girl, I’m telling you to get up!”

42 The girl got up at once and started to walk. (She was twelve years old.) They were astonished.

43 Jesus ordered them not to let anyone know about this. He also told them to give the little girl something to eat.

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group

Psalm 38

Psalm 38

A psalm by David; to be kept in mind.[a]

O Lord, do not angrily punish me
or discipline me in your wrath.
Your arrows have struck me.
Your hand has struck me hard.
No healthy spot is left on my body
because of your rage.
There is no peace in my bones
because of my sin.

My guilt has overwhelmed me.
Like a heavy load, it is more than I can bear.
My wounds smell rotten.
They fester because of my stupidity.
I am bent over and bowed down very low.
All day I walk around in mourning.
My insides are filled with burning pain,
and no healthy spot is left on my body.
I am numb and completely devastated.
I roar because my heart’s in turmoil.
You know all my desires, O Lord,
and my groaning has not been hidden from you.
10 My heart is pounding.
I have lost my strength.
Even the light of my eyes has left me.

11 My loved ones and my friends keep their distance
and my relatives stand far away because of my sickness.
12 Those who seek my life lay traps for me.
Those who are out to harm me talk about ruining me.
All day long they think of ways to deceive me.
13 But I am like a person who cannot hear
and like a person who cannot speak.
14 I am like one who cannot hear
and who can offer no arguments.

15 But I wait with hope for you, O Lord.
You will answer, O Lord, my God.
16 I said, “Do not let them gloat over me.
When my foot slips,
do not let them promote themselves at my expense.”
17 I am ready to fall.
I am continually aware of my pain.
18 I confess my guilt.
My sin troubles me.

19 My mortal enemies are growing stronger.
Many hate me for no reason.
20 They pay me back with evil instead of good,
and they accuse me because I try to do what is good.

21 Do not abandon me, O Lord.
O my God, do not be so distant from me.
22 Come quickly to help me, O Lord, my savior.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 38:1 Hebrew meaning of “to be kept in mind” uncertain.
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group

Proverbs 10:8-9

Proverbs Concerning the Mouth

The one who is truly wise accepts commands,
but the one who talks foolishly will be thrown down headfirst.
Whoever lives honestly will live securely,
but whoever lives dishonestly will be found out.

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group