The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday February 27, 2020 (NIV)

Leviticus 20:22-22:16

Holiness in the Land

22 “You are to keep all my statutes and all my ordinances, and do them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out.(A) 23 You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and I abhorred them.(B) 24 And I promised you: You will inherit their land, since I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.(C) I am the Lord your God who set you apart from the peoples. 25 Therefore you are to distinguish the clean animal from the unclean one, and the unclean bird from the clean one. Do not become contaminated(D) by any land animal, bird, or whatever crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.(E) 26 You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be mine.(F)

27 “A man or a woman who is[a] a medium or a spiritist must be put to death. They are to be stoned; their death is their own fault.”

The Holiness of the Priests

21 The Lord said to Moses: “Speak to Aaron’s sons, the priests, and tell them: A priest is not to make himself ceremonially unclean for a dead person among his relatives,(G) except for his immediate family: his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother. He may make himself unclean for his unmarried virgin sister in his immediate family. He is not to make himself unclean for those related to him by marriage[b] and so defile himself.

“Priests may not make bald spots on their heads, shave the edge of their beards, or make gashes on their bodies.(H) They are to be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God.(I) For they present the fire offerings to the Lord, the food of their God, and they must be holy. They are not to marry a woman defiled by prostitution.[c](J) They are not to marry one divorced(K) by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. You are to consider him holy since he presents the food of your God. He will be holy to you because I, the Lord who sets you apart, am holy. If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by promiscuity,[d](L) she defiles her father; she must be burned to death.(M)

10 “The priest who is highest among his brothers, who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and has been ordained[e] to wear the clothes, must not dishevel his hair[f] or tear his clothes.(N) 11 He must not go near any dead person or make himself unclean even for his father or mother.(O) 12 He must not leave the sanctuary or he will desecrate the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him;(P) I am the Lord.

13 “He is to marry a woman who is a virgin. 14 He is not to marry a widow,(Q) a divorced woman,(R) or one defiled by prostitution. He is to marry a virgin from his own people, 15 so that he does not corrupt his bloodline[g] among his people, for I am the Lord who sets him apart.”

Physical Defects and Priests

16 The Lord spoke to Moses: 17 “Tell Aaron: None of your descendants throughout your generations who has a physical defect(S) is to come near to present the food(T) of his God. 18 No man who has any defect is to come near: no man who is blind, lame, facially disfigured, or deformed; 19 no man who has a broken foot or hand, 20 or who is a hunchback or a dwarf,[h](U) or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs,(V) or a crushed testicle.(W) 21 No descendant of the priest Aaron who has a defect is to come near to present the fire offerings to the Lord. He has a defect and is not to come near to present the food of his God. 22 He may eat the food of his God from what is especially holy as well as from what is holy. 23 But because he has a defect, he must not go near the curtain(X) or approach the altar. He is not to desecrate my holy places, for I am the Lord who sets them apart.”(Y) 24 Moses said this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.

Priests and Their Food

22 The Lord spoke to Moses: “Tell Aaron and his sons to deal respectfully with the holy offerings of the Israelites that they have consecrated to me, so they do not profane my holy name;(Z) I am the Lord. Say to them: If any man from any of your descendants throughout your generations is in a state of uncleanness yet approaches the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord, that person will be cut off from my presence; I am the Lord. No man of Aaron’s descendants who has a skin disease[i] or a discharge is to eat from the holy offerings until he is clean. Whoever touches anything made unclean by a dead person or by a man who has an emission of semen, or whoever touches any swarming creature that makes him unclean or any person who makes him unclean—whatever his uncleanness— the man who touches any of these will remain unclean until evening(AA) and is not to eat from the holy offerings unless he has bathed his body with water. When the sun has set, he will become clean, and then he may eat from the holy offerings, for that is his food.(AB) He must not eat an animal that died naturally or was mauled by wild beasts,[j](AC) making himself unclean by it; I am the Lord. They must keep my instruction,(AD) or they will be guilty and die because they profane it; I am the Lord who sets them apart.

10 “No one outside a priest’s family[k](AE) is to eat the holy offering. A foreigner staying with a priest or a hired worker is not to eat the holy offering. 11 But if a priest purchases someone with his own silver, that person may eat it, and those born in his house may eat his food. 12 If the priest’s daughter is married to a man outside a priest’s family,[l] she is not to eat from the holy contributions.[m] 13 But if the priest’s daughter becomes widowed or divorced, has no children, and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she may share her father’s food. But no outsider may share it. 14 If anyone eats a holy offering in error,(AF) he is to add a fifth to its value and give the holy offering to the priest.(AG) 15 The priests must not profane the holy offerings the Israelites give to the Lord 16 by letting the people eat their holy offerings and having them bear the penalty of restitution.(AH) For I am the Lord who sets them apart.”

Footnotes:

  1. 20:27 Lit is in them
  2. 21:4 Lit unclean a husband among his people
  3. 21:7 Or a prostitute, or a defiled woman
  4. 21:9 Or prostitution
  5. 21:10 Lit and one has filled his hand
  6. 21:10 Or not uncover his head
  7. 21:15 Lit not profane his seed
  8. 21:20 Or or emaciated
  9. 22:4 Or has leprosy or scale disease
  10. 22:8 Lit eat a carcass or a mauled beast
  11. 22:10 Lit “No stranger
  12. 22:12 Lit to a stranger
  13. 22:12 Lit the contribution of holy offerings
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Mark 9:1-29

Then he said to them, “Truly I tell you,(A) there are some standing here who will not taste death(B) until they see the kingdom of God come in power.”(C)

The Transfiguration

After(D) six days(E) Jesus took Peter, James, and John(F) and led them up a high mountain(G) by themselves to be alone. He was transfigured(H) in front of them, and his clothes(I) became dazzling—extremely white(J) as no launderer on earth could whiten(K) them. Elijah(L) appeared to them with Moses,(M) and they were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi,(N) it’s good(O) for us to be here. Let us set up three shelters:(P) one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”— because he did not know what to say,(Q) since they were terrified.(R)

A cloud(S) appeared, overshadowing(T) them, and a voice(U) came from the cloud:(V) “This is my beloved(W) Son;(X) listen to him!” (Y)

Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

As(Z) they were coming down the mountain,(AA) he ordered them to tell no one what they had seen(AB) until the Son of Man(AC) had risen(AD) from the dead.(AE) 10 They kept this word(AF) to themselves, questioning what “rising from the dead” meant.

11 Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes(AG) say that Elijah must come first?” (AH)

12 “Elijah does come first and restores(AI) all things,”(AJ) he replied. “Why then is it written(AK) that the Son of Man must suffer(AL) many things and be treated with contempt?(AM) 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did whatever they pleased to him, just as it is written(AN) about him.”

The Power of Faith over a Demon

14 When(AO) they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes disputing(AP) with them. 15 When the whole crowd saw him, they were amazed and ran to greet him. 16 He asked them, “What are you arguing with them about?”

17 Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher,(AQ) I brought my son to you. He has a spirit(AR) that makes him unable to speak.(AS) 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”

19 He replied to them, “You unbelieving(AT) generation, how long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me.” 20 So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into convulsions. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 “How long has this been happening to him?” Jesus asked his father.

“From childhood,” he said. 22 “And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy(AU) him. But if you can do anything, have compassion(AV) on us and help us.”

23 Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’?[a] Everything is possible(AW) for the one who believes.”(AX)

24 Immediately the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked(AY) the unclean(AZ) spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf(BA) spirit, I command you: Come out of him and never enter him again.”

26 Then it came out, shrieking and throwing him[b] into terrible convulsions.(BB) The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him,(BC) and he stood up.

28 After he had gone into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

29 And he told them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer.”[c](BD)

Footnotes:

  1. 9:23 Other mss add believe
  2. 9:26 Other mss omit him
  3. 9:29 Other mss add and fasting
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Psalm 43

Psalm 43[a]

Vindicate me, God, and champion my cause
against an unfaithful nation;
rescue me from the deceitful and unjust person.(A)
For you are the God of my refuge.
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about in sorrow
because of the enemy’s oppression?(B)

Send your light and your truth; let them lead me.(C)
Let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling place.(D)
Then I will come to the altar of God,
to God, my greatest joy.(E)
I will praise you with the lyre,
God, my God.(F)

Why, my soul, are you so dejected?
Why are you in such turmoil?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him,
my Savior and my God.(G)

Footnotes:

  1. 43:0 Many Hb mss connect Ps 42 and 43
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Proverbs 10:18

18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,
and whoever spreads slander is a fool.(A)

Cross references:

  1. 10:18 : Pr 11:13
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.