Category: DAB Readings

Rules for Nazirites

6 The Lord commanded Moses ² to give the following instructions to the people of Israel. Any of you, male or female, who make a special vow to become a nazirite and dedicate yourself to the Lord ^3 (A)shall abstain from wine and beer. You shall not drink any kind of drink made from grapes or eat any grapes or raisins. ⁴ As long as you are a nazirite, you shall not eat anything that comes from a grapevine, not even the seeds or skins of grapes.

⁵ As long as you are under the nazirite vow, you must not cut your hair or shave. You are bound by the vow for the full time that you are dedicated to the Lord, and you shall let your hair grow. ^6-7 Your hair is the sign of your dedication to God, and so you must not defile yourself by going near a corpse, not even that of your father, mother, brother, or sister. ⁸ As long as you are a nazirite, you are consecrated to the Lord.

⁹ If your consecrated hair is defiled because you are right beside someone who suddenly dies, you must wait seven days and then shave your head; and so you become ritually clean. ¹⁰ On the eighth day you shall bring two doves or two pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the Tent of the Lord's presence. ¹¹ The priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, to perform the ritual of purification for you because of your contact with a corpse. On the same day you shall reconsecrate your hair ¹² and rededicate to the Lord your time as a nazirite. The previous period of time doesn't count, because your consecrated hair was defiled. As a repayment offering you shall bring a one-year-old lamb.

^13 (B)When you complete your nazirite vow, you shall perform this ritual. You shall go to the entrance of the Tent ¹⁴ and present to the Lord three animals without any defects: a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, a one-year-old ewe lamb for a sin offering, and a ram for a fellowship offering. ¹⁵ You shall also offer a basket of bread made without yeast: thick loaves made of flour mixed with olive oil and thin cakes brushed with olive oil, and in addition the required offerings of grain and wine.

¹⁶ The priest shall present all these to the Lord and offer the sin offering and the burnt offering. ¹⁷ He shall sacrifice the ram to the Lord as a fellowship offering, and offer it with the basket of bread; he shall also present the offerings of grain and wine. ¹⁸ At the entrance of the Tent you nazirites shall shave off your hair and put it on the fire on which the fellowship offering is being burned.

¹⁹ Then, when the shoulder of the ram is boiled, the priest shall take it and put it, together with one thick loaf of bread and one thin cake from the basket, into the hands of the nazirite. ²⁰ Next, the priest shall present them as a special gift to the Lord; they are a sacred offering for the priest, in addition to the breast and the leg of the ram which by law belong to the priest. After that, the nazirite may drink wine.

²¹ These are the regulations for you nazirites; but if you promise an offering beyond what your vow requires you to give, you must fulfill exactly the promise you made.

The Priestly Blessing

²² The Lord commanded Moses ²³ to tell Aaron and his sons to use the following words in blessing the people of Israel:

²⁷ And the Lord said, “If they pronounce my name as a blessing upon the people of Israel, I will bless them.”

The Offerings of the Leaders

7 On the day Moses finished setting up the Tent of the Lord's presence, he anointed and dedicated the Tent and all its equipment, and the altar and all its equipment. ² Then the clan chiefs who were leaders in the tribes of Israel, the same men who were in charge of the census, ³ brought their offerings to the Lord: six wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two leaders and an ox for each leader. After they had presented them, ⁴ the Lord said to Moses, ⁵ “Accept these gifts for use in the work to be done for the Tent; give them to the Levites according to the work they have to do.” ⁶ So Moses gave the wagons and the oxen to the Levites. ⁷ He gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonites, ⁸ and four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites. All their work was to be done under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron. ⁹ But Moses gave no wagons or oxen to the Kohathites, because the sacred objects they took care of had to be carried on their shoulders.

¹⁰ The leaders also brought offerings to celebrate the dedication of the altar. When they were ready to present their gifts at the altar, ¹¹ the Lord said to Moses, “Tell them that each day for a period of twelve days one of the leaders is to present his gifts for the dedication of the altar.”

^12-83 They presented their offerings in the following order:

Day	Tribe	Leader
1st	Judah	Nahshon son of Amminadab
2nd	Issachar	Nethanel son of Zuar
3rd	Zebulun	Eliab son of Helon
4th	Reuben	Elizur son of Shedeur
5th	Simeon	Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai
6th	Gad	Eliasaph son of Deuel
7th	Ephraim	Elishama son of Ammihud
8th	Manasseh	Gamaliel son of Pedahzur
9th	Benjamin	Abidan son of Gideoni
10th	Dan	Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai
11th	Asher	Pagiel son of Ochran
12th	Naphtali	Ahira son of Enan

The offerings each one brought were identical: one silver bowl weighing 50 ounces and one silver basin weighing 30 ounces, by the official standard, both of them full of flour mixed with oil for the grain offering; one gold dish weighing 4 ounces, full of incense; one young bull, one ram, and a one-year-old lamb, for the burnt offering; one goat for the sin offering; and two bulls, five rams, five goats, and five one-year-old lambs, for the fellowship offering.

^84-88 The totals of the offerings brought by the twelve leaders for the dedication of the altar were as follows:

• twelve silver bowls and twelve silver basins weighing a total of 60 pounds
• twelve gold dishes weighing a total of 48 ounces, filled with incense
• twelve bulls, twelve rams, and twelve one-year-old lambs, plus the grain offerings that go with them, for the burnt offerings
• twelve goats for the sin offerings
• twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty goats, sixty one-year-old lambs, for the fellowship offerings

⁸⁹ When Moses went into the Tent to talk with the Lord, he heard the Lord speaking to him from above the lid on the Covenant Box, between the two winged creatures.^[a]

³⁸ As he taught them, he said, “Watch out for the teachers of the Law, who like to walk around in their long robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplace, ³⁹ who choose the reserved seats in the synagogues and the best places at feasts. ⁴⁰ They take advantage of widows and rob them of their homes, and then make a show of saying long prayers. Their punishment will be all the worse!”

The Widow's Offering^(A)

⁴¹ As Jesus sat near the Temple treasury, he watched the people as they dropped in their money. Many rich men dropped in a lot of money; ⁴² then a poor widow came along and dropped in two little copper coins, worth about a penny. ⁴³ He called his disciples together and said to them, “I tell you that this poor widow put more in the offering box than all the others. ⁴⁴ For the others put in what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, put in all she had—she gave all she had to live on.”

Jesus Speaks of the Destruction of the Temple^(B)

13 As Jesus was leaving the Temple, one of his disciples said, “Look, Teacher! What wonderful stones and buildings!”

² Jesus answered, “You see these great buildings? Not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one of them will be thrown down.”

Troubles and Persecutions^(C)

³ Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, across from the Temple, when Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him in private. ^4 (D)“Tell us when this will be,” they said, “and tell us what will happen to show that the time has come for all these things to take place.”

⁵ Jesus said to them, “Watch out, and don't let anyone fool you. ⁶ Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will fool many people. ⁷ And don't be troubled when you hear the noise of battles close by and news of battles far away. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come. ⁸ Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be earthquakes everywhere, and there will be famines. These things are like the first pains of childbirth.

^9 (E)“You yourselves must watch out. You will be arrested and taken to court. You will be beaten in the synagogues; you will stand before rulers and kings for my sake to tell them the Good News. ¹⁰ But before the end comes, the gospel must be preached to all peoples. ¹¹ And when you are arrested and taken to court, do not worry ahead of time about what you are going to say; when the time comes, say whatever is then given to you. For the words you speak will not be yours; they will come from the Holy Spirit. ¹² Men will hand over their own brothers to be put to death, and fathers will do the same to their children. Children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. ^13 (F)Everyone will hate you because of me. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved.

The Foolishness of Trusting in Riches^[a]

²⁷ Obey the Lord, and you will live longer. The wicked die before their time.

²⁸ The hopes of good people lead to joy, but wicked people can look forward to nothing.

The Duties of the Levite Clan of Kohath

4 The Lord told Moses ² to take a census of the Levite clan of Kohath by subclans and families, ³ and to register all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who were qualified to work in the Tent of the Lord's presence. ⁴ Their service involves the most holy things.

⁵ The Lord gave Moses the following instructions. When it is time to break camp, Aaron and his sons shall enter the Tent, take down the curtain in front of the Covenant Box, and cover the Box with it. ⁶ They shall put a fine leather cover over it, spread a cloth of solid blue on top, and then insert the carrying poles.

⁷ They shall spread a blue cloth over the table for the bread offered to the Lord and put on it the dishes, the incense bowls, the offering bowls, and the jars for the wine offering. There shall always be bread on the table. ⁸ They shall spread a red cloth over all of this, put a fine leather cover over it, and then insert the carrying poles.

⁹ They shall take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand, with its lamps, tongs, trays, and all the olive oil containers. ¹⁰ They shall wrap it and all its equipment in a fine leather cover and place it on a carrying frame.

¹¹ Next they shall spread a blue cloth over the gold altar, put a fine leather cover over it, and then insert the carrying poles. ¹² They shall take all the utensils used in the Holy Place, wrap them in a blue cloth, put a fine leather cover over them, and place them on a carrying frame. ¹³ They shall remove the greasy ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. ¹⁴ They shall put on it all the equipment used in the service at the altar: fire pans, hooks, shovels, and basins. Then they shall put a fine leather cover over it and insert the carrying poles. ¹⁵ When it is time to break camp, the clan of Kohath shall come to carry the sacred objects only after Aaron and his sons have finished covering them and all their equipment. The Kohath clan must not touch the sacred objects, or they will die.

These are the responsibilities of the Kohath clan whenever the Tent is moved.

¹⁶ Eleazar son of Aaron the priest shall be responsible for the whole Tent and for the oil for the lamps, the incense, the grain offerings, the anointing oil, and everything else in the Tent that has been consecrated to the Lord.

¹⁷ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ¹⁸ “Do not let the clan of Kohath ¹⁹ be killed by coming near these most sacred objects. To prevent this from happening, Aaron and his sons shall go in and assign each man his task and tell him what to carry. ²⁰ But if the Kohathites enter the Tent and see the priests preparing the sacred objects for moving,^[a] they will die.”

The Duties of the Levite Clan of Gershon

²¹ The Lord told Moses ²² to take a census of the Levite clan of Gershon by subclans and families, ²³ and to register all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who were qualified to work in the Tent of the Lord's presence. ²⁴ They shall be responsible for carrying the following objects: ²⁵ the Tent, its inner cover, its outer cover, the fine leather cover on top of it, the curtain for the entrance, ²⁶ the curtains and ropes for the court that is around the Tent and the altar, the curtains for the entrance of the court, and all the fittings used in setting up these objects. They shall perform all the tasks required for these things. ²⁷ Moses and Aaron shall see to it that the Gershonites perform all the duties and carry everything that Aaron and his sons assign to them. ²⁸ These are the responsibilities of the Gershon clan in the Tent; they shall carry them out under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

The Duties of the Levite Clan of Merari

²⁹ The Lord told Moses to take a census of the Levite clan of Merari by subclans and families, ³⁰ and to register all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who were qualified to work in the Tent of the Lord's presence. ³¹ They shall be responsible for carrying the frames, bars, posts, and bases of the Tent, ³² and the posts, bases, pegs, and ropes of the court around the Tent, with all the fittings used in setting them up. Each man will be responsible for carrying specific items. ³³ These are the responsibilities of the Merari clan in their service in the Tent; they shall carry them out under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

The Census of the Levites

^34-48 Following the Lord's command, Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the community took a census of the three Levite clans, Kohath, Gershon, and Merari. They did this by subclans and families and registered all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who were qualified to work in the Tent of the Lord's presence, as follows:

Clan	Number
Kohath	2,750
Gershon	2,630
Merari	3,200
Total:	8,580

⁴⁹ Each man was registered as the Lord had commanded Moses; and at the command of the Lord given through Moses, each man was assigned responsibility for his task of serving or carrying.

Unclean People

5 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Command the people of Israel to expel from the camp everyone with a dreaded skin disease or a bodily discharge and everyone who is unclean by contact with a corpse. ³ Send all these ritually unclean people out, so that they will not defile the camp, where I live among my people.” ⁴ The Israelites obeyed and expelled them all from the camp.

Repayment for Wrongs Done

^5 (A)The Lord gave Moses ⁶ the following instructions for the people of Israel. When any of you are unfaithful to the Lord and commit a wrong against someone, ⁷ you must confess your sin and make full repayment, plus an additional 20 percent, to the person you have wronged. ⁸ But if that person has died and has no near relative to whom payment can be made, it shall be given to the Lord for the priest. This payment is in addition to the ram used to perform the ritual of purification for the guilty person. ⁹ Also every special contribution which the Israelites offer to the Lord belongs to the priest to whom they present it. ¹⁰ Each priest shall keep the offerings presented to him.

Cases of Wives with Suspicious Husbands

¹¹ The Lord commanded Moses ^12-14 to give the Israelites the following instructions. It may happen that a man becomes suspicious that his wife is unfaithful to him and has defiled herself by having intercourse with another man. But the husband may not be certain, for his wife may have kept it secret—there was no witness, and she was not caught in the act. Or it may happen that a husband becomes suspicious of his wife, even though she has not been unfaithful. ¹⁵ In either case the man shall take his wife to the priest. He shall also take the required offering of two pounds of barley flour, but he shall not pour any olive oil on it or put any incense on it, because it is an offering from a suspicious husband, made to bring the truth to light.

¹⁶ The priest shall bring the woman forward and have her stand in front of the altar. ¹⁷ He shall pour some holy water into a clay bowl and take some of the earth that is on the floor of the Tent of the Lord's presence and put it in the water to make it bitter. ¹⁸ Then he shall loosen the woman's hair and put the offering of flour in her hands. In his hands the priest shall hold the bowl containing the bitter water that brings a curse. ¹⁹ Then the priest shall make the woman agree to this oath spoken by the priest: “If you have not committed adultery, you will not be harmed by the curse that this water brings. ²⁰ But if you have committed adultery, ²¹ may the Lord make your name a curse among your people. May he cause your genital organs to shrink and your stomach to swell up. ²² May this water enter your stomach and cause it to swell up and your genital organs to shrink.”

The woman shall respond, “I agree; may the Lord do so.”

²³ Then the priest shall write this curse down and wash the writing off into the bowl of bitter water. ²⁴ Before he makes the woman drink the water, which may then cause her bitter pain, ²⁵ the priest shall take the offering of flour out of the woman's hands, hold it out in dedication to the Lord, and present it on the altar. ²⁶ Then he shall take a handful of it as a token offering and burn it on the altar. Finally, he shall make the woman drink the water. ²⁷ If she has committed adultery, the water will cause bitter pain; her stomach will swell up and her genital organs will shrink. Her name will become a curse among her people. ²⁸ But if she is innocent, she will not be harmed and will be able to bear children.

^29-30 This is the law in cases where a man is jealous and becomes suspicious that his wife has committed adultery. The woman shall be made to stand in front of the altar, and the priest shall perform this ritual. ³¹ The husband shall be free of guilt, but the woman, if guilty, must suffer the consequences.

The Question about Rising from Death^(A)

^18 (B)Then some Sadducees, who say that people will not rise from death, came to Jesus and said, ^19 (C)“Teacher, Moses wrote this law for us: ‘If a man dies and leaves a wife but no children, that man's brother must marry the widow so that they can have children who will be considered the dead man's children.’ ²⁰ Once there were seven brothers; the oldest got married and died without having children. ²¹ Then the second one married the woman, and he also died without having children. The same thing happened to the third brother, ²² and then to the rest: all seven brothers married the woman and died without having children. Last of all, the woman died. ²³ Now, when all the dead rise to life on the day of resurrection, whose wife will she be? All seven of them had married her.”

²⁴ Jesus answered them, “How wrong you are! And do you know why? It is because you don't know the Scriptures or God's power. ²⁵ For when the dead rise to life, they will be like the angels in heaven and will not marry. ^26 (D)Now, as for the dead being raised: haven't you ever read in the Book of Moses the passage about the burning bush? There it is written that God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ ²⁷ He is the God of the living, not of the dead. You are completely wrong!”

The Great Commandment^(E)

²⁸ A teacher of the Law was there who heard the discussion. He saw that Jesus had given the Sadducees a good answer, so he came to him with a question: “Which commandment is the most important of all?”

^29 (F)Jesus replied, “The most important one is this: ‘Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord.^{[a] 30} Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ^31 (G)The second most important commandment is this: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment more important than these two.”

^32 (H)The teacher of the Law said to Jesus, “Well done, Teacher! It is true, as you say, that only the Lord is God and that there is no other god but he. ^33 (I)And you must love God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength; and you must love your neighbor as you love yourself. It is more important to obey these two commandments than to offer on the altar animals and other sacrifices to God.”

^34 (J)Jesus noticed how wise his answer was, and so he told him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”

After this nobody dared to ask Jesus any more questions.

The Question about the Messiah^(K)

³⁵ As Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he asked the question, “How can the teachers of the Law say that the Messiah will be the descendant of David? ^36 (L)The Holy Spirit inspired David to say:

³⁷ David himself called him ‘Lord’; so how can the Messiah be David's descendant?”

Jesus Warns against the Teachers of the Law^(M)

A large crowd was listening to Jesus gladly.

Zion, the City of God^[a]

²⁶ Never get a lazy person to do something for you; he will be as irritating as vinegar on your teeth or smoke in your eyes.

The Arrangement of the Tribes in Camp

2 The Lord gave Moses and Aaron the following instructions. ² When the Israelites set up camp, each man will camp under the banner of his division and the flag of his own clan. The camp is to be set up all around the Tent.

^3-9 On the east side, those under the banner of the division of Judah shall camp in their groups, under their leaders, as follows:

Tribe	Leader	Number
Judah	Nahshon son of Amminadab	74,600
Issachar	Nethanel son of Zuar	54,400
Zebulun	Eliab son of Helon	57,400
Total:		186,400

The division of Judah shall march first.

^10-16 On the south, those under the banner of the division of Reuben shall camp in their groups, under their leaders, as follows:

Tribe	Leader	Number
Reuben	Elizur son of Shedeur	46,500
Simeon	Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai	59,300
Gad	Eliasaph son of Deuel	45,650
Total:		151,450

The division of Reuben shall march second.

¹⁷ Then, between the first two divisions and the last two the Levites are to march carrying the Tent. Each division shall march in the same order as they camp, each in position under its banner.

^18-24 On the west, those under the banner of the division of Ephraim shall camp in their groups, under their leaders, as follows:

Tribe	Leader	Number
Ephraim	Elishama son of Ammihud	40,500
Manasseh	Gamaliel son of Pedahzur	32,200
Benjamin	Abidan son of Gideoni	35,400
Total:		108,100

The division of Ephraim shall march third.

^25-31 On the north, those under the banner of the division of Dan shall camp in their groups, under their leaders, as follows:

Tribe	Leader	Number
Dan	Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai	62,700
Asher	Pagiel son of Ochran	41,500
Naphtali	Ahira son of En	53,400
Total:		157,600

The division of Dan shall march last.

³² The total number of the people of Israel enrolled in the divisions, group by group, was 603,550. ³³ As the Lord had commanded Moses, the Levites were not registered with the rest of the Israelites.

³⁴ So the people of Israel did everything the Lord had commanded Moses. They camped, each under his own banner, and they marched, each with his own clan.

Aaron's Sons

3 This is the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. ^2 (A)Aaron had four sons: Nadab, the oldest, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ³ They were anointed and ordained as priests, ^4 (B)but Nadab and Abihu were killed when they offered unholy fire to the Lord in the Sinai Desert. They had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during Aaron's lifetime.

The Levites Are Appointed to Serve the Priests

⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ⁶ “Bring forward the tribe of Levi and appoint them as servants of Aaron the priest. ⁷ They shall do the work required for the Tent of my presence and perform duties for the priests and for the whole community. ⁸ They shall take charge of all the equipment of the Tent and perform the duties for the rest of the Israelites. ⁹ The only responsibility the Levites have is to serve Aaron and his sons. ¹⁰ You shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; anyone else who tries to do so shall be put to death.”

¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, ^12-13 (C)“The Levites are now to be mine. When I killed all the first-born of the Egyptians, I consecrated as my own the oldest son of each Israelite family and the first-born of every animal. Now, instead of having the first-born sons of Israel as my own, I have the Levites; they will belong to me. I am the Lord.”

The Census of the Levites

¹⁴ In the Sinai Desert the Lord commanded Moses ¹⁵ to register the Levites by clans and families, enrolling every male a month old or older, ¹⁶ and Moses did so. ^17-20 Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, who were the ancestors of the clans that bear their names. Gershon had two sons: Libni and Shimei; Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel; and Merari had two sons: Mahli and Mushi. They were the ancestors of the families that bear their names.

²¹ The clan of Gershon was composed of the families of Libni and Shimei. ²² The total number of males one month old or older that were enrolled was 7,500. ²³ This clan was to camp on the west behind the Tent, ²⁴ with Eliasaph son of Lael as chief of the clan. ²⁵ They were responsible for the Tent, its inner cover, its outer cover, the curtain for the entrance, ²⁶ the curtains for the court which is around the Tent and the altar, and the curtain for the entrance of the court. They were responsible for all the service connected with these items.

²⁷ The clan of Kohath was composed of the families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ²⁸ The total number of males one month old or older that were enrolled was 8,600. ²⁹ This clan was to camp on the south side of the Tent, ³⁰ with Elizaphan son of Uzziel as chief of the clan. ³¹ They were responsible for the Covenant Box, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils the priests use in the Holy Place, and the curtain at the entrance to the Most Holy Place. They were responsible for all the service connected with these items.

³² The chief of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest. He was in charge of those who carried out the duties in the Holy Place.

³³ The clan of Merari was composed of the families of Mahli and Mushi. ³⁴ The total number of males one month old or older that were enrolled was 6,200. ³⁵ This clan was to camp on the north side of the Tent, with Zuriel son of Abihail as chief of the clan. ³⁶ They were assigned responsibility for the frames for the Tent, its bars, posts, bases, and all its fittings. They were responsible for all the service connected with these items. ³⁷ They were also responsible for the posts, bases, pegs, and ropes for the outer court.

³⁸ Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp in front of the Tent on the east. They were responsible for carrying out the services performed in the Holy Place for the people of Israel. Anyone else who tried to do so was to be put to death. ³⁹ The total number of all the Levite males one month old or older that Moses enrolled by clans at the command of the Lord, was 22,000.

The Levites Take the Place of the First-Born Sons

^40-41 The Lord said to Moses, “All of Israel's first-born sons belong to me. So register by name every first-born male Israelite, one month old or older. But in place of them I claim all the Levites as mine! I am the Lord! I also claim the livestock of the Levites in place of all the first-born of the livestock.” ⁴² Moses obeyed, and registered all the first-born males ⁴³ one month old or older; the total was 22,273.

⁴⁴ The Lord said to Moses, ⁴⁵ “Now dedicate the Levites as mine in place of all the first-born Israelite sons, and dedicate the livestock of the Levites in place of the first-born of the Israelites' livestock. ⁴⁶ Since the first-born Israelite sons outnumber the Levites by 273, you must buy back the extra sons. ⁴⁷ For each one pay five pieces of silver, according to the official standard, ⁴⁸ and give this money to Aaron and his sons.” ⁴⁹ Moses obeyed and took ⁵⁰ the 1,365 pieces of silver ⁵¹ and gave them to Aaron and his sons.

The Question about Jesus' Authority^(A)

²⁷ They arrived once again in Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking in the Temple, the chief priests, the teachers of the Law, and the elders came to him ²⁸ and asked him, “What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you such right?”

²⁹ Jesus answered them, “I will ask you just one question, and if you give me an answer, I will tell you what right I have to do these things. ³⁰ Tell me, where did John's right to baptize come from: was it from God or from human beings?”

³¹ They started to argue among themselves: “What shall we say? If we answer, ‘From God,’ he will say, ‘Why, then, did you not believe John?’ ³² But if we say, ‘From human beings …’” (They were afraid of the people, because everyone was convinced that John had been a prophet.) ³³ So their answer to Jesus was, “We don't know.”

Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you, then, by what right I do these things.”

The Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard^(B)

12 ^(C)Then Jesus spoke to them in parables: “Once there was a man who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a hole for the wine press, and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to tenants and left home on a trip. ² When the time came to gather the grapes, he sent a slave to the tenants to receive from them his share of the harvest. ³ The tenants grabbed the slave, beat him, and sent him back without a thing. ⁴ Then the owner sent another slave; the tenants beat him over the head and treated him shamefully. ⁵ The owner sent another slave, and they killed him; and they treated many others the same way, beating some and killing others. ⁶ The only one left to send was the man's own dear son. Last of all, then, he sent his son to the tenants. ‘I am sure they will respect my son,’ he said. ⁷ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the owner's son. Come on, let's kill him, and his property will be ours!’ ⁸ So they grabbed the son and killed him and threw his body out of the vineyard.

⁹ “What, then, will the owner of the vineyard do?” asked Jesus. “He will come and kill those tenants and turn the vineyard over to others. ^10 (D)Surely you have read this scripture?

¹² The Jewish leaders tried to arrest Jesus, because they knew that he had told this parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away.

The Question about Paying Taxes^(E)

¹³ Some Pharisees and some members of Herod's party were sent to Jesus to trap him with questions. ¹⁴ They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you tell the truth, without worrying about what people think. You pay no attention to anyone's status, but teach the truth about God's will for people. Tell us, is it against our Law to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor? Should we pay them or not?”

¹⁵ But Jesus saw through their trick and answered, “Why are you trying to trap me? Bring a silver coin, and let me see it.”

¹⁶ They brought him one, and he asked, “Whose face and name are these?”

“The Emperor's,” they answered.

¹⁷ So Jesus said, “Well, then, pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and pay to God what belongs to God.”

And they were amazed at Jesus.

The Supreme Ruler^[a]

²⁴ The righteous get what they want, but the wicked will get what they fear most.

²⁵ Storms come, and the wicked are blown away, but honest people are always safe.

¹⁴ “If you give your house to Yahweh as something holy, the priest will determine what its value is. The value will be whatever the priest decides. ¹⁵ If you want to buy it back, you must pay its full value plus one-fifth more.

¹⁶ “If a person gives part of a field to Yahweh as something holy, its value will be based on the seed planted on it. Ground planted with 2 quarts of barley will be worth 20 ounces of silver. ¹⁷ If you give your field in the jubilee year, it will have its full value. ¹⁸ But if you give the field after the jubilee year, the priest will estimate its value based on the number of years left until the next jubilee year. ¹⁹ If you want to buy it back, you must pay its full value plus one-fifth more. ²⁰ But if you don’t buy it back and it is sold to someone else, you cannot buy it back. ²¹ When the field is released in the jubilee year, it will be holy like a field claimed by Yahweh. It will become the property of the priest. ²² You may give a field you bought (not one that was a part of your family property) to Yahweh as something holy. ²³ The priest must figure out the field’s value until the jubilee year. You will pay its value on that day as something holy, belonging to Yahweh. ²⁴ In the jubilee year the field will go back to the person from whom it was bought, to whom it belongs as family property.

²⁵ “All values will be set using the standard weight of the holy place.^[a]

²⁶ “A firstborn animal already belongs to Yahweh because it was born first. Therefore, it cannot be set apart as holy. Whether it is a bull or a sheep, it belongs to Yahweh. ²⁷ But if it is an unclean animal, it must be bought back. The payment will be its full value plus one-fifth more. If it is not bought back, it must be sold at the value given it.

²⁸ “However, everything dedicated to Yahweh for destruction—a person, an animal, or a field that belongs to you—must not be sold or bought back. Everything dedicated in that way is very holy. It belongs to Yahweh. ²⁹ People dedicated this way cannot be bought back. They must be put to death.

³⁰ “One-tenth of what comes from the land, whether grain or fruit, is holy and belongs to Yahweh. ³¹ If you buy back any part of it, you must add one-fifth more to it. ³² Every tenth head of cattle or sheep that you counted is holy and belongs to Yahweh. ³³ You must not look to see if it is good or bad or exchange it. But if you do exchange it, both the first animal and its substitute will be holy. They cannot be bought back.”

³⁴ These are the commands Yahweh gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.

Moses Takes a Census of Israel

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Desert of Sinai. It was the first day of the second month in the second year after leaving Egypt. He said, ² “Take a census of the whole community of Israel by families and households. List every man by name ³ who is at least 20 years old. You and Aaron must register everyone in Israel who is eligible for military duty. List them by divisions. ⁴ One man from each tribe will help you. Each of these men must be the head of a household.

¹⁶ These were the men chosen from the community, the leaders of their ancestors’ tribes, and heads of the divisions of Israel.

¹⁷ Moses and Aaron took the men who had been named ¹⁸ and assembled the whole community on the first day of the second month. Each man at least 20 years old provided his genealogy by family and household. Then his name was listed. ¹⁹ So Moses registered the men of Israel in the Desert of Sinai as Yahweh had commanded him.

²⁰ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn son, listed every man by name who was at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ²¹ The total for the tribe of Reuben was 46,500.

²² The roster of families and households for the descendants of Simeon registered and listed every man by name who was at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ²³ The total for the tribe of Simeon was 59,300.

²⁴ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Gad listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ²⁵ The total for the tribe of Gad was 45,650.

²⁶ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Judah listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ²⁷ The total for the tribe of Judah was 74,600.

²⁸ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Issachar listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ²⁹ The total for the tribe of Issachar was 54,400.

³⁰ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Zebulun listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ³¹ The total for the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400.

³² The roster of families and households for the descendants of Joseph—those from Ephraim—listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ³³ The total for the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500.

³⁴ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Manasseh listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ³⁵ The total for the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200.

³⁶ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Benjamin listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ³⁷ The total for the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400.

³⁸ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Dan listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ³⁹ The total for the tribe of Dan was 62,700.

⁴⁰ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Asher listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ⁴¹ The total for the tribe of Asher was 41,500.

⁴² The roster of families and households for the descendants of Naphtali listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ⁴³ The total for the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400.

⁴⁴ Moses, Aaron, and the 12 leaders of Israel, each representing his own family, added up these totals. ⁴⁵ So the Israelites were registered by households. The grand total of men who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty ⁴⁶ was 603,550.

⁴⁷ But the households from the tribe of Levi were not registered along with the other Israelites. ⁴⁸ Yahweh had said to Moses, ⁴⁹ “Don’t register the tribe of Levi or include them in the census with the other Israelites. ⁵⁰ Put the Levites in charge of the tent of God’s words, including the equipment for the tent and everything else having to do with the tent. The Levites will carry the tent and all its equipment. They will take care of the tent and camp around it. ⁵¹ When the tent has to be moved, the Levites will take it down. When we camp, they will set it up. Anyone else who comes near the tent will be put to death.

⁵² “The other Israelites will camp with each family in its own area under its own flag. ⁵³ The Levites will camp all around the tent of God’s words. In this way the Lord won’t be angry with the community of Israel. So the Levites will be in charge of the tent of God’s words.”

⁵⁴ The Israelites did everything as Yahweh commanded Moses.

The King Comes to Jerusalem^(A)

11 When they came near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Yeshua sent two of his disciples ahead of him. ² He said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As you enter it, you will find a young donkey tied there. No one has ever sat on it. Untie it, and bring it. ³ If anyone asks you what you are doing, say that the Lord needs it. That person will send it here at once.”

⁴ The disciples found the young donkey in the street. It was tied to the door of a house. As they were untying it, ⁵ some men standing there asked them, “Why are you untying that donkey?” ⁶ The disciples answered them as Yeshua had told them. So the men let them go.

⁷ They brought the donkey to Yeshua, put their coats on it, and he sat on it. ⁸ Many spread their coats on the road. Others cut leafy branches in the fields and spread them on the road. ⁹ Those who went ahead and those who followed him were shouting,

¹¹ Yeshua came into Jerusalem and went into the temple courtyard, where he looked around at everything. Since it was already late, he went out with the twelve apostles to Bethany.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree^(B)

¹² The next day, when they left Bethany, Yeshua became hungry. ¹³ In the distance he saw a fig tree with leaves. He went to see if he could find any figs on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves because it wasn’t the season for figs. ¹⁴ Then he said to the tree, “No one will ever eat fruit from you again!” His disciples heard this.

Jesus Throws Out the Moneychangers^(C)

¹⁵ When they came to Jerusalem, Yeshua went into the temple courtyard and began to throw out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the moneychangers’ tables and the chairs of those who sold pigeons. ¹⁶ He would not let anyone carry anything across the temple courtyard.

¹⁷ Then he taught them by saying, “Scripture says, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a gathering place for thieves.”

¹⁸ When the chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings heard him, they looked for a way to kill him. They were afraid of him because he amazed all the crowds with his teaching.

¹⁹ (Every evening Yeshua and his disciples would leave the city.)

The Fig Tree Dries Up^(D)

²⁰ While Yeshua and his disciples were walking early in the morning, they saw that the fig tree had dried up. ²¹ Peter remembered what Yeshua had said, so he said to Yeshua, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has dried up.”

²² Yeshua said to them, “Have faith in God! ²³ I can guarantee this truth: This is what will be done for someone who doesn’t doubt but believes what he says will happen: He can say to this mountain, ‘Be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it will be done for him. ²⁴ That’s why I tell you to have faith that you have already received whatever you pray for, and it will be yours. ²⁵ Whenever you pray, forgive anything you have against anyone. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your failures.”^[a]

Psalm 46

For the choir director; a song by the descendants of Korah; according to alamoth.^[a]

⁴⁷ “Someone who is a foreigner without a permanent home among you may become rich, and your relative living with him may be poor. The poor Israelite may sell himself to that foreigner or a member of his family. ⁴⁸ After he has sold himself, he has the right to be bought back. One of his brothers may buy him back. ⁴⁹ His uncle, his cousin, or some other relative could also buy him back. If he becomes rich, he could buy his own freedom. ⁵⁰ Then he and his buyer must take into account the number of years from the year he was bought until the year of jubilee. His sale price will be adjusted based on the number of years he was with his buyer, like the wages of a hired worker. ⁵¹ If there are many years left, he must refund from his purchase price an amount equal to those years. ⁵² If there are only a few years left until the year of jubilee, he must take them into account. He must refund from his purchase price an amount equal to those years. ⁵³ During those years he should serve his buyer as a hired worker. His buyer should not treat him harshly. ⁵⁴ If he cannot buy his freedom in these ways, he and his children will be released in the year of jubilee.

⁵⁵ “The Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants. I brought them out of Egypt. I am Yahweh your Elohim.”

God’s Promises for Those Who Keep His Laws

26 The Lord continued, “Never make worthless idols or set up a carved statue or a sacred stone for yourselves. Never cut figures in stone to worship them in your country, because I am Yahweh your Elohim. ² Observe my days of worship and respect my holy tent. I am Yahweh.

³ “This is what I will do if you will live by my laws and carefully obey my commands:

⁴ “I will give you rain at the right time. The land will produce its crops, and the trees in the field will produce their fruit. ⁵ Threshing^[a] time will last until grape gathering, and grape gathering will last until planting. You will eat all you want and live securely in your land.

⁶ “I will bring peace to your land. You will lie down with no one to scare you. I will remove dangerous animals, and there will be no war in your land. ⁷ You will chase your enemies, and you will defeat them. ⁸ Five of you will chase a hundred of them, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand of them. You will defeat your enemies, ⁹ and I will be pleased with you. Your families will be large, and I will keep my promise^[b] to you. ¹⁰ You will clear out old food supplies to make room for new ones.

¹¹ “I will put my tent among you, and I will never look at you with disgust. ¹² So I will live among you and be your Elohim, and you will be my people. ¹³ I am Yahweh your Elohim. I brought you out of Egypt so that you are no longer slaves of the Egyptians. I have broken their power over you and made you live as a free people.

God’s Curses for Those Who Break His Laws

¹⁴ “If you will not listen to me and obey all these commands, ¹⁵ if you reject my laws and look at my rules with disgust, if you reject my promise by disobeying my commands, ¹⁶ then this is what I will do to you: I will terrorize you with disease and fever. You will suffer from eye problems and depression. You will plant your crops and get nothing because your enemies will eat them. ¹⁷ I will condemn you so that you will go down in defeat in front of your enemies. Those who hate you will be your rulers. You will run away even when no one is chasing you.

¹⁸ “If you still will not listen to me, I will discipline you seven times for your sins. ¹⁹ I will crush your arrogance. You will have no rain, and your land will be as hard as cement. ²⁰ You will work hard for nothing because your land will produce no crops and the trees will produce no fruit.

²¹ “If you resist and don’t listen to me, I will increase the punishment for your sins seven times. ²² I will send wild animals among you. They will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle, and make you so few that your roads will be deserted.

²³ “If this discipline does not help and you still resist, ²⁴ then I, too, will resist you. I will punish you seven times for your sins. ²⁵ I will bring war on you to get revenge for my promise that you rejected. When you gather in your cities, I will send plagues on you and you will fall under the control of your enemy. ²⁶ I will destroy your food supply. Ten women will need only one oven to prepare your food. You will eat and go away hungry.

²⁷ “If in spite of this you do not listen to me and still resist me, ²⁸ I will fiercely resist you. I will discipline you seven times for your sins. ²⁹ You will eat the bodies of your sons and daughters. ³⁰ I will destroy your worship sites, cut down your incense altars, and pile your dead bodies on top of your dead idols. I will look at you with disgust. ³¹ I will make your cities deserted and ruin your sacred places. I will no longer accept the soothing aroma from your sacrifices. ³² I will make your land so deserted that your enemies will be shocked as they settle in it. ³³ I will scatter you among the nations. War will follow you. Your country will be in ruins. Your cities will be deserted.

³⁴ “Then the land will enjoy its time to honor the Lord while it lies deserted and you are in your enemies’ land. Then the land will joyfully celebrate its time to honor the Lord. ³⁵ All the days it lies deserted, it will celebrate the time to honor the Lord it never celebrated while you lived there. ³⁶ I will fill with despair those who are left in the land of their enemies. The sound of a windblown leaf will make them run. They will run away and fall, but no one will be chasing them. ³⁷ They will stumble over each other, but no one will be after them. They will not be able to stand up to their enemies. ³⁸ They will be destroyed among the nations. The land of their enemies will devour them. ³⁹ Those who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins and the sins of their ancestors.

God Will Remember His Promise

⁴⁰ “But if they confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors—the treacherous things they did to oppose me— ⁴¹ I will oppose them and bring them into the lands of their enemies. Then, if they humble their uncircumcised hearts and accept their guilt, ⁴² I will remember my promise to Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham. I will also remember the land. ⁴³ The land, abandoned by them, will enjoy its time to honor the Lord while it lies deserted without them. They must accept their guilt because they rejected my rules and looked at my laws with disgust. ⁴⁴ Even when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or look at them with disgust. I will not reject or cancel my promise to them, because I am Yahweh their Elohim. ⁴⁵ But for their sake, I will remember the promise to their ancestors. I brought them out of Egypt to be their Elohim while nations looked on. I am Yahweh.”

⁴⁶ These are the laws, rules, and instructions that Yahweh gave to the Israelites through Moses on Mount Sinai.

Special Vows

27 Yahweh spoke to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites: If any of you makes a special vow to give a person to Yahweh, you may give money instead of the person. ³ The amount you must give for a man from 20 to 60 years old is 20 ounces of silver. Use the standard weight of the holy place. ⁴ If it is a woman, give 12 ounces. ⁵ For a boy from 5 to 20 years old, give 8 ounces and for a girl give 4 ounces. ⁶ For a boy from one month to five years old, give 2 ounces of silver and for a girl give about one ounce. ⁷ For a man 60 years or over, give 6 ounces and for a woman give 4 ounces. ⁸ But the person who is too poor to pay the required amount must stand in front of the priest. The priest will determine the amount based on what the person can afford.

⁹ “If the vow is to give the kind of animal that people offer to Yahweh, it will be considered holy. ¹⁰ Don’t exchange or substitute animals, a good one for a bad one or a bad one for a good one. If you do exchange one animal for another, then both animals will be holy. ¹¹ If it is an unclean animal that cannot be brought to Yahweh as an offering, bring it in front of the priest. ¹² The priest will determine what its value is. The value will be whatever the priest decides. ¹³ If you want to buy it back, you must pay its full value plus one-fifth more.

For the Third Time Jesus Foretells That He Will Die and Come Back to Life^(A)

³² Yeshua and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem. Yeshua was walking ahead of them. His disciples were shocked that he was going to Jerusalem. The others who followed were afraid. Once again he took the twelve apostles aside. He began to tell them what was going to happen to him. ³³ “We’re going to Jerusalem. There the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to foreigners. ³⁴ They will make fun of him, spit on him, whip him, and kill him. But after three days he will come back to life.”

James and John Make a Request^(B)

³⁵ James and John, sons of Zebedee, went to Yeshua. They said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do us a favor.”

³⁶ “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked them.

³⁷ They said to him, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

³⁸ Yeshua said, “You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink the cup that I’m going to drink? Can you be baptized with the baptism that I’m going to receive?”

³⁹ “We can,” they told him.

Yeshua told them, “You will drink the cup that I’m going to drink. You will be baptized with the baptism that I’m going to receive. ⁴⁰ But I don’t have the authority to grant you a seat at my right or left. Those positions have already been prepared for certain people.”

⁴¹ When the other ten apostles heard about it, they were irritated with James and John. ⁴² Yeshua called the apostles and said, “You know that the acknowledged rulers of nations have absolute power over people and their officials have absolute authority over people. ⁴³ But that’s not the way it’s going to be among you. Whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant. ⁴⁴ Whoever wants to be most important among you will be a slave for everyone. ⁴⁵ It’s the same way with the Son of Man. He didn’t come so that others could serve him. He came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”

Jesus Gives Sight to Bartimaeus^(C)

⁴⁶ Then they came to Jericho. As Yeshua, his disciples, and many people were leaving Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. ⁴⁷ When he heard that Yeshua from Nazareth was passing by, he began to shout, “Yeshua, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸ The people told him to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹ Yeshua stopped and said, “Call him!” They called the blind man and told him, “Cheer up! Get up! He’s calling you.” ⁵⁰ The blind man threw off his coat, jumped up, and went to Yeshua.

⁵¹ Yeshua asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

The blind man said, “Teacher, I want to see again.”

⁵² Yeshua told him, “Go, your faith has made you well.”

At once he could see again, and he followed Yeshua on the road.

Psalm 45

For the choir director; according to shoshannim;^[a] a maskil by Korah’s descendants; a love song.

Duties in the Tent of Meeting^(A)

24 Yahweh spoke to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites to bring you pure, virgin olive oil for the lamp stand so that the lamps won’t go out. ³ In the tent of meeting, outside the canopy where the words of my promise are, Aaron must keep the lamps lit in Yahweh’s presence from evening until morning. It is a permanent law for generations to come. ⁴ Aaron must keep the lamps on the pure gold lamp stand lit in Yahweh’s presence.

⁵ “Also take flour and bake twelve rings of bread. Each ring will contain four quarts of flour. ⁶ Put them in two stacks of six each on the gold table in Yahweh’s presence. ⁷ Lay pure incense on top of each stack. The incense on the bread will be a reminder, an offering by fire to Yahweh. ⁸ Every day of worship a priest must arrange the bread in Yahweh’s presence. It is a continual reminder of my promise^[a] to the Israelites. ⁹ The bread will belong to Aaron and his sons. They will eat it in a holy place. It is very holy, set apart from Yahweh’s offering by fire. This is a permanent law.”

The Man Who Cursed the Lord’s Name

¹⁰ A man, whose mother was Shelomith (daughter of Dibri, from the tribe of Dan in Israel) and whose father was from Egypt, got into a quarrel with an Israelite in the camp. ¹¹ The Israelite woman’s son began cursing Ha-shem and treating it with contempt. So they brought him to Moses.^{[b] 12} They kept him in custody until Yahweh told them what to do.

¹³ Yahweh spoke to Moses, ¹⁴ “The man who cursed my name must be taken outside the camp. All who heard him curse my name must lay their hands on his head. Then the whole congregation must stone him to death.

¹⁵ “Also tell the Israelites: Those who treat their Elohim with contempt will be punished for their sin. ¹⁶ But those who curse Yahweh’s name must be put to death. The whole congregation must stone them to death. It makes no difference whether they are Israelites or foreigners. Whoever curses Ha-shem must die.

¹⁷ “Whoever kills another person must be put to death. ¹⁸ Whoever kills an animal must replace it, life for life. ¹⁹ Whoever injures a neighbor must receive the same injury in return— ²⁰ a broken bone for a broken bone, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Whoever injures another person must receive the same injury in return. ²¹ Whoever kills an animal must replace it. Whoever kills a person must be put to death. ²² The same rule applies to every one of you. It makes no difference whether you are a foreigner or an Israelite, because I am Yahweh your Elohim.”

²³ Moses spoke to the people of Israel. So the man who had cursed Yahweh’s name was taken outside the camp. There they stoned him to death. The Israelites did as Yahweh commanded Moses.

The Year to Honor the Lord

25 Yahweh spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, ² “Tell the Israelites: When you come into the land I’m giving you, the land will celebrate a year to honor Yahweh. ³ Then, for six years you may plant crops in your fields, prune your vineyards, and gather what they produce. ⁴ However, the seventh year will be a festival year for the land. It will be a year to honor Yahweh. Don’t plant crops in your fields or prune your vineyards. ⁵ Don’t harvest what grows by itself or harvest grapes from your vines. That year will be a festival for the land. ⁶ Whatever the land produces during that year is for all of you to eat—for you, your male and female slaves, your hired workers, foreigners among you, ⁷ your animals and the wild animals in your land. Everything the land produces will be yours to eat.

The Jubilee for the Land

⁸ “Count seven of these years seven times for a total of 49 years. ⁹ On the tenth day of the seventh month, the special day for the payment for sin, sound rams’ horns throughout the country. ¹⁰ Set apart the fiftieth year as holy, and proclaim liberty to everyone living in the land. This is your jubilee year. Every slave will be freed in order to return to his property and to his family. ¹¹ That fiftieth year will be your jubilee year. Don’t plant or harvest what grows by itself or pick grapes from the vines in the land. ¹² The jubilee year will be holy to you. You will eat what the field itself produces.

¹³ “In this jubilee year every slave will be freed in order to return to his property. ¹⁴ If you sell anything to your neighbor or buy anything from him, don’t take advantage of him. ¹⁵ When you buy property from your neighbor, take into account the number of years since the jubilee. Your neighbor must sell it to you taking into account the number of crops until the next jubilee. ¹⁶ If there are still many years until the jubilee, you will pay more for it. If there are only a few years until the jubilee, you will pay less for it because he is selling you only the number of crops. ¹⁷ Never take advantage of each other. Fear your Elohim, because I am Yahweh your Elohim.

¹⁸ “Obey my laws, and carefully follow my rules. Then you will live securely in the land. ¹⁹ The land will give you its products, and you will eat all you want and live there securely. ²⁰ You may ask, ‘What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or bring in our crops?’ ²¹ I will give you my blessing in the sixth year so that the land will produce enough for three years. ²² You will plant again in the eighth year but live on what the land already produced. You will eat it, even in the ninth year, until the land produces more.

²³ “Land must never be sold permanently, because the land is mine. To me you are strangers without permanent homes. ²⁴ People must always have the right to buy their property back. ²⁵ If your brother becomes poor and sells some of his property, then the one who can assume responsibility, his nearest relative, must buy back what he sold. ²⁶ If a man doesn’t have anyone to buy it back for him, but if he prospers and earns enough to buy it back himself, ²⁷ he must count the years from its sale. Then he will pay what is left to the man to whom he sold it, and it will be his property again. ²⁸ However, if he cannot earn enough to buy it back, what he sold stays in the hands of the buyer until the year of jubilee. In the jubilee it will be released, and he will own it again.

²⁹ “If anyone sells a home in a walled city, for one year after selling it he has the right to buy it back. He may buy it back only within that time. ³⁰ If he does not buy it back during that year, the house in the city belongs to the buyer for generations to come. It will not be released in the jubilee. ³¹ However, houses in villages without walls are regarded as belonging to the fields of the land. They can be bought back. They will be released in the jubilee.

³² “The Levites always have the right to buy back their property in the cities they own. ³³ If any Levite buys back a house, in the jubilee the purchased house in the city will be released, because the houses in the Levite cities are their property among the Israelites. ³⁴ But a field that belongs to their cities must not be sold, because it is their permanent property.

The Jubilee for the People

³⁵ “If an Israelite becomes poor and cannot support himself, help him. He must live with you as a stranger without a permanent home. ³⁶ Don’t collect interest or make any profit from him. Fear your Elohim by respecting other Israelites’ lives. ³⁷ Never collect any kind of interest on your money or on the food you give them. ³⁸ I am Yahweh your Elohim, who brought you out of Egypt to give you Canaan and to be your Elohim.

³⁹ “If an Israelite becomes poor and sells himself to you, don’t work him like a slave. ⁴⁰ He will be like a hired worker or a visitor to you. He may work with you until the year of jubilee. ⁴¹ Then you will release him and his children to go back to their family and the property of their ancestors. ⁴² They are my servants. I brought them out of Egypt. They must never be sold as slaves. ⁴³ Do not treat them harshly. Fear your Elohim.

⁴⁴ “You may have male and female slaves, but buy them from the nations around you. ⁴⁵ You may also buy them from the foreigners living among you and from their families born in your country. They will be your property. ⁴⁶ You may acquire them for yourselves and for your descendants as permanent property. You may work them as slaves. However, do not treat the Israelites harshly. They are your relatives.

Jesus Blesses Children^(A)

¹³ Some people brought little children to Yeshua to have him hold them. But the disciples told the people not to do that.

¹⁴ When Yeshua saw this, he became irritated. He told them, “Don’t stop the children from coming to me. Children like these are part of the kingdom of God. ¹⁵ I can guarantee this truth: Whoever doesn’t receive the kingdom of God as a little child receives it will never enter it.”

¹⁶ Yeshua put his arms around the children and blessed them by placing his hands on them.

Eternal Life in the Kingdom^(B)

¹⁷ As Yeshua was coming out to the road, a man came running to him and knelt in front of him. He asked Yeshua, “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸ Yeshua said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: Never murder. Never commit adultery. Never steal. Never give false testimony. Never cheat. Honor your father and mother.”

²⁰ The man replied, “Teacher, I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was a boy.”

²¹ Yeshua looked at him and loved him. He told him, “You’re still missing one thing. Sell everything you have. Give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then follow me!”

²² When the man heard that, he looked unhappy and went away sad, because he owned a lot of property.

²³ Yeshua looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for rich people to enter the kingdom of God!”

²⁴ The disciples were stunned by his words. But Yeshua said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶ This amazed his disciples more than ever. They asked each other, “Who, then, can be saved?”

²⁷ Yeshua looked at them and said, “It’s impossible for people to save themselves, but it’s not impossible for God to save them. Everything is possible for God.”

²⁸ Then Peter spoke up, “We’ve given up everything to follow you.”

²⁹ Yeshua said, “I can guarantee this truth: Anyone who gave up his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or fields because of me and the Good News ³⁰ will certainly receive a hundred times as much here in this life. They will certainly receive homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields, along with persecutions. But in the world to come they will receive eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

Animals Accepted for Sacrifice

¹⁷ Yahweh spoke to Moses, ¹⁸ “Tell Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites: Israelites or foreigners may bring burnt offerings to Yahweh for anything they vowed or as freewill offerings. ¹⁹ The offering must be a male that has no defects from your cattle, sheep, or goats in order to be accepted. ²⁰ Never bring any animal with a physical defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf. ²¹ A person may bring Yahweh a fellowship offering to fulfill a vow or for a freewill offering. Whether it is from the cattle, sheep, or goats, it must be an animal that has no defects in order to be accepted. It must never be an animal that has defects. ²² Never bring Yahweh an animal that is blind, has broken bones, cuts, warts, scabs, or ringworm. Never give Yahweh any of these in a sacrifice by fire on the altar. ²³ You may use a bull or a sheep with a deformity or one that is stunted in growth as a freewill offering. However, it will not be accepted for a vow. ²⁴ Never bring Yahweh an animal that has bruised, crushed, torn out, or cut out testicles. Never do any of these things to an animal in your land. ²⁵ Never bring any kind of castrated animal received from a foreigner as a food offering for your Elohim. A castrated animal will not be accepted on your behalf because castration is a physical defect.”

²⁶ Yahweh spoke to Moses, ²⁷ “When a calf, a lamb, or a goat is born, it must stay with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on it may be accepted as a sacrifice by fire to Yahweh. ²⁸ Never slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young the same day.

²⁹ “When you sacrifice a thank offering to Yahweh, do it in the proper way. ³⁰ Eat it the same day. Never leave any of it until morning. I am Yahweh.

³¹ “Carefully obey my commands. I am Yahweh. ³² Never dishonor my holy name. I will show my holiness among the Israelites. I am Yahweh, who sets you apart as holy. ³³ I brought you out of Egypt to be your Elohim. I am Yahweh.”

The Day of Worship

23 Yahweh spoke to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites: These are the appointed festivals with Yahweh, which you must announce as holy assemblies. ³ You may work for six days. But the seventh day is a day of worship, a day when you don’t work, a holy assembly. Don’t do any work. It is Yahweh’s day of worship wherever you live.

⁴ “The following are Yahweh’s appointed festivals with holy assemblies, which you must announce at their appointed times.

The Spring Festivals

⁵ “The fourteenth day of the first month, in the evening, is Yahweh’s Passover. ⁶ The fifteenth day of this same month is Yahweh’s Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. ⁷ On the first day there will be a holy assembly. Don’t do any regular work. ⁸ Bring Yahweh a sacrifice by fire for seven days. On the seventh day there will be a holy assembly. Don’t do any regular work.”

⁹ Yahweh spoke to Moses, ¹⁰ “Tell the Israelites: When you come to the land I am going to give you and you harvest grain, bring the priest a bundle of the first grain you harvest. ¹¹ He will present it to Yahweh so that you will be accepted. He will present it on the day after Passover. ¹² On the day you present the bundle, you must sacrifice a one-year-old male lamb that has no defects as a burnt offering to Yahweh. ¹³ Bring a grain offering of four quarts of flour mixed with olive oil with it. This will be a sacrifice by fire made to Yahweh, a soothing aroma. Use one quart of wine for the wine offering. ¹⁴ Don’t eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain until this same day, when you bring the offering to your Elohim. It is a permanent law for generations to come wherever you live.

¹⁵ “Count seven full weeks from the day after Passover (the day you bring the bundle of grain as an offering presented to the Lord) ¹⁶ until the day after the seventh week. This is a total of fifty days. Then bring a new grain offering to Yahweh. ¹⁷ Bring two loaves of bread from your homes to present to the Lord. Bake them with four quarts of flour. They are the first harvested grain for Yahweh. ¹⁸ With the bread bring seven one-year-old lambs that have no defects, one bull, and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to Yahweh. With these offerings also bring grain and wine offerings. They will be a sacrifice by fire, a soothing aroma to Yahweh. ¹⁹ Also sacrifice one male goat as an offering for sin and two one-year-old lambs as a fellowship offering. ²⁰ The priest must present them along with the bread of the first harvested grain as an offering to Yahweh. All this, along with the two lambs, will be holy and will belong to Yahweh’s priests. ²¹ Make an announcement that there will be a holy assembly on that same day. Don’t do any regular work. It is a permanent law for generations to come wherever you live.

²² “When you harvest the grain in your land, don’t harvest the grain in the corners of your fields or gather what is left after you’re finished. Leave it for poor people and foreigners. I am Yahweh your Elohim.”

The Fall Festivals

²³ Yahweh spoke to Moses, ²⁴ “Tell the Israelites: On the first day of the seventh month hold a worship festival. It will be a memorial day, a holy assembly announced by the blowing of rams’ horns. ²⁵ Don’t do any regular work. Bring a sacrifice by fire to Yahweh.”

²⁶ Yahweh spoke to Moses, ²⁷ “In addition, the tenth day of this seventh month is a special day for the payment for sins. There will be a holy assembly. Humble yourselves, and bring Yahweh a sacrifice by fire. ²⁸ Don’t do any work that day. It is a special day for the payment for sins. It is a time when you make peace with Yahweh your Elohim. ²⁹ Those who do not humble themselves on that day will be excluded from the people. ³⁰ I will kill those who do any work on that day. ³¹ Don’t do any work. It is a permanent law for generations to come wherever you live. ³² It is a day of worship, a day when you don’t work. Humble yourselves starting on the evening of the ninth day of the month. From that evening to the next, observe the day of worship.”

³³ Yahweh spoke to Moses, ³⁴ “Tell the Israelites: The fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Booths to Yahweh. It will last seven days. ³⁵ On the first day there will be a holy assembly. Don’t do any regular work. ³⁶ For seven consecutive days bring a sacrifice by fire to Yahweh. On the eighth day there will be a holy assembly. Bring Yahweh a sacrifice by fire. This is the last festival of the year. Don’t do any regular work.

³⁷ “These are Yahweh’s appointed festivals. Announce them as holy assemblies for bringing sacrifices by fire to Yahweh. Bring burnt offerings, grain offerings, other sacrifices, and wine offerings—each one on its special day. ³⁸ This is in addition to Yahweh’s days of worship, your gifts, all your vows, and your freewill offerings to Yahweh.

³⁹ “However, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered what the land produces, celebrate Yahweh’s festival for seven days. The first and the eighth days will be worship festivals. ⁴⁰ On the first day take the best fruits, palm branches, the branches of leafy trees and poplars, and celebrate in the presence of Yahweh your Elohim for seven days. ⁴¹ It is Yahweh’s festival. Celebrate it for seven days each year. This is a permanent law for generations to come. Celebrate this festival in the seventh month. ⁴² Live in booths for seven days. Everyone born in Israel must live in booths ⁴³ so that generations to come may learn how I made the people of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am Yahweh your Elohim.”

⁴⁴ So Moses told the Israelites about Yahweh’s appointed festivals.

Jesus Again Foretells That He Will Die and Come Back to Life^(A)

³⁰ They left that place and were passing through Galilee. Yeshua did not want anyone to know where he was ³¹ because he was teaching his disciples. He taught them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over to people. They will kill him, but on the third day he will come back to life.”

³² The disciples didn’t understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him.

Greatness in the Kingdom^(B)

³³ Then they came to Capernaum. While Yeshua was at home, he asked the disciples, “What were you arguing about on the road?” ³⁴ They were silent. On the road they had argued about who was the greatest.

³⁵ He sat down and called the twelve apostles. He told them, “Whoever wants to be the most important person must take the last place and be a servant to everyone else.” ³⁶ Then he took a little child and had him stand among them. He put his arms around the child and said to them, ³⁷ “Whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

Using the Name of Jesus^(C)

³⁸ John said to Yeshua, “Teacher, we saw someone forcing demons out of a person by using the power and authority of your name. We tried to stop him because he was not one of us.”

³⁹ Yeshua said, “Don’t stop him! No one who works a miracle in my name can turn around and speak evil of me. ⁴⁰ Whoever isn’t against us is for us. ⁴¹ I can guarantee this truth: Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.”

Causing Others to Lose Faith^(D)

⁴² “These little ones believe in me. It would be best for the person who causes one of them to lose faith to be thrown into the sea with a large stone hung around his neck.

⁴³ “So if your hand causes you to lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life disabled than to have two hands and go to hell, to the fire that cannot be put out.^{[a] 45} If your foot causes you to lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. ⁴⁷ If your eye causes you to lose your faith, tear it out! It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell. ⁴⁸ In hell worms that eat the body never die, and the fire is never put out. ⁴⁹ Everyone will be salted with fire. ⁵⁰ Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how will you restore its flavor? Have salt within you, and live in peace with one another.”

A Discussion about Divorce^(E)

10 Yeshua left there and went into the territory of Judea along the other side of the Jordan River. Crowds gathered around him again, and he taught them as he usually did.

² Some Pharisees came to test him. They asked, “Can a husband divorce his wife?”

³ Yeshua answered them, “What command did Moses give you?”

⁴ They said, “Moses allowed a man to give his wife a written notice to divorce her.”

⁵ Yeshua said to them, “He wrote this command for you because you’re heartless. ⁶ But God made them male and female in the beginning, at creation. ⁷ That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and will remain united with his wife, ⁸ and the two will be one. So they are no longer two but one. ⁹ Therefore, don’t let anyone separate what God has joined together.”

¹⁰ When they were in a house, the disciples asked him about this. ¹¹ He answered them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman is committing adultery. ¹² If a wife divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.”

Psalm 44

For the choir director; a maskil by Korah’s descendants.

²² “If you carefully obey all my laws and my rules, the land I am bringing you to live in will not vomit you out. ²³ Never follow the practices of the people I am forcing out of your way. I cannot stand them because they did all these things. ²⁴ I have told you that you will take their land. I will give it to you as your own. It is a land flowing with milk and honey. I am Yahweh your Elohim who separated you from other people. ²⁵ Separate clean and unclean^[a] animals and birds. Never become disgusting by eating any animal or bird or anything that crawls on the ground. I have separated you from every unclean thing. ²⁶ Be my holy people because I, Yahweh, am holy. I have separated you from other people to be my very own.

²⁷ “Every man or woman who is a medium or a psychic must be put to death. They must be stoned to death because they deserve to die.”

Holiness for All the Priests

21 Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Tell the priests, Aaron’s sons: None of you should become unclean by touching one of your relatives who has died. ² However, you are allowed to become unclean when one of your nearest relatives dies. These relatives include your mother, father, son, daughter, or brother, ³ and especially an unmarried virgin sister who is still close to you. ⁴ As the head of your people, you should never become unclean. That would make you unholy.

⁵ “You should never mourn by shaving bald spots on your heads, shaving the edges of your beards, or slashing your bodies.

⁶ “Be Elohim’s holy men, and don’t dishonor the name of your Elohim. Be holy because you bring sacrifices by fire to Yahweh. It is the food of your Elohim. ⁷ You should never marry prostitutes, those who have lost their virginity, or divorced women because a priest is Elohim’s holy man. ⁸ Be holy because you offer the food of your Elohim. Be holy because I, Yahweh, am holy. I set you apart as holy. ⁹ When a priest’s daughter dishonors herself by becoming a prostitute, she dishonors her father. She must be burned.

Holiness for the Chief Priest

¹⁰ “The priest who is anointed with oil and wears the chief priest’s clothes is chief over his brothers. He must never mourn by leaving his hair uncombed or by tearing his clothes. ¹¹ He must never go near any dead bodies or become unclean, even for his father or mother. ¹² He must not leave the holy tent of his Elohim. If he does, he will be dishonoring it, because he is dedicated with the anointing oil of his Elohim. I am Yahweh.

¹³ “The anointed priest must marry a virgin. ¹⁴ He must never marry a widow, a divorced woman, a woman who has lost her virginity, or a prostitute. He may only marry a virgin from his own people. ¹⁵ He must not dishonor his children among his people because I, Yahweh, set him apart as holy.”

¹⁶ Yahweh spoke to Moses, ¹⁷ “Tell Aaron: If any of your descendants (now or in future generations) has a physical defect, he must never bring food to offer to Elohim. ¹⁸ Indeed, no one who has a physical defect may ever come near the altar. That means anyone who is blind or lame, who has a disfigured face, a deformity, ¹⁹ or a crippled hand or foot, ²⁰ who is a hunchback or dwarf, who has defective sight, skin diseases, or crushed testicles. ²¹ If a descendant of the priest Aaron has a physical defect, he must never bring sacrifices by fire to Yahweh. He has a defect. He must never bring food to offer to Elohim. ²² He may eat the food of his Elohim—what is holy and what is very holy. ²³ However, he must never come up to the canopy or to the altar, since he has a physical defect. He must never dishonor the holy places because I, Yahweh, set them apart as holy.”

²⁴ So Moses spoke to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.

Eating the Priests’ Share of the Sacrifice

22 Yahweh spoke to Moses, ² “Tell Aaron and his sons that they must respect the holy offerings which the Israelites set apart for me. In this way they will not dishonor my holy name. I am Yahweh.

³ “Tell them: In future generations if any of your descendants, while unclean, comes near the holy offerings the Israelites set apart for Yahweh, that person must be excluded from my presence. I am Yahweh.

⁴ “No descendant of Aaron who has a skin disease or a discharge may eat any of the holy offerings until he is clean. Any person who has an emission of semen or touches a dead body, ⁵ an unclean swarming creature or an unclean person ⁶ will be unclean until evening. He must not eat any of the holy offerings unless he has washed himself. ⁷ When the sun has set, he will be clean. Then he may eat the holy offerings because they are his food. ⁸ He must never eat the meat of an animal that dies naturally or is killed by wild animals. It will make him unclean. I am Yahweh. ⁹ The priests must do what I order, or their sin will bring them death because they dishonored a holy offering. I am Yahweh, who sets them apart as holy.

¹⁰ “Laypeople must never eat any holy offering, even if they are visiting a priest or are working for him. ¹¹ But if a priest buys a slave, the slave and anyone born in his household may eat the priest’s food. ¹² However, if a priest’s daughter marries a layman, she must never eat the food taken from the holy contributions. ¹³ If a priest’s daughter is widowed or divorced, doesn’t have any children, and comes back to live in her father’s home, she may eat her father’s food. But a layperson must never eat it.

¹⁴ “Those who eat a holy offering by mistake must give another holy offering to the priest and add one-fifth more to it. ¹⁵ Priests must not dishonor the holy offerings that the Israelites contribute to Yahweh. ¹⁶ They must make those people pay the penalty for their guilt because they have eaten the priests’ holy offerings. I am Yahweh, who sets them apart as holy.”

9 He said to them, “I can guarantee this truth: Some people who are standing here will not die until they see the kingdom of God arrive with power.”

Moses and Elijah Appear with Jesus^(A)

² After six days Yeshua took only Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone.

Yeshua’s appearance changed in front of them. ³ His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them. ⁴ Then Elijah and Moses appeared to them and were talking with Yeshua.

⁵ Peter said to Yeshua, “Rabbi, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s put up three tents—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁶ (Peter didn’t know how to respond. He and the others were terrified.)

⁷ Then a cloud overshadowed them. A voice came out of the cloud and said, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

⁸ Suddenly, as they looked around, they saw no one with them but Yeshua.

⁹ On their way down the mountain, Yeshua ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen. They were to wait until the Son of Man had come back to life. ¹⁰ They kept in mind what he said but argued among themselves what he meant by “come back to life.” ¹¹ So they asked him, “Don’t the experts in Moses’ Teachings say that Elijah must come first?”

¹² Yeshua said to them, “Elijah is coming first and will put everything in order again. But in what sense was it written that the Son of Man must suffer a lot and be treated shamefully? ¹³ Indeed, I can guarantee that Elijah has come. Yet, people treated him as they pleased, as Scripture says about him.”

Jesus Cures a Demon-Possessed Boy^(B)

¹⁴ When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them. Some experts in Moses’ Teachings were arguing with them. ¹⁵ All the people were very surprised to see Yeshua and ran to welcome him.

¹⁶ Yeshua asked the experts in Moses’ Teachings, “What are you arguing about with them?”

¹⁷ A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son. He is possessed by a spirit that won’t let him talk. ¹⁸ Whenever the spirit brings on a seizure, it throws him to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes exhausted. I asked your disciples to force the spirit out, but they didn’t have the power to do it.”

¹⁹ Yeshua said to them, “You unbelieving generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!”

²⁰ They brought the boy to him. As soon as the spirit saw Yeshua, it threw the boy into convulsions. He fell on the ground, rolled around, and foamed at the mouth.

²¹ Yeshua asked his father, “How long has he been like this?”

The father replied, “He has been this way since he was a child. ²² The demon has often thrown him into fire or into water to destroy him. If it’s possible for you, put yourself in our place, and help us!”

²³ Yeshua said to him, “As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes.”

²⁴ The child’s father cried out at once, “I believe! Help my lack of faith.”

²⁵ When Yeshua saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he gave an order to the evil spirit. He said, “You spirit that won’t let him talk, I command you to come out of him and never enter him again.”

²⁶ The evil spirit screamed, shook the child violently, and came out. The boy looked as if he were dead, and everyone said, “He’s dead!”

²⁷ Yeshua took his hand and helped him to stand up.

²⁸ When Yeshua went into a house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we force the spirit out of the boy?”

²⁹ He told them, “This kind of spirit can be forced out only by prayer.”^[a]

Psalm 43

Duties of the People Toward God

19 Yahweh spoke to Moses, ² “Tell the whole congregation of Israel: Be holy because I, Yahweh your Elohim, am holy.

³ “Respect your mother and father. Observe my days of worship. I am Yahweh your Elohim.

⁴ “Don’t turn to worthless gods or cast metal idols. Never make any gods for yourselves. I am Yahweh your Elohim.

⁵ “When you bring a fellowship offering to Yahweh, sacrifice it properly so that you will be accepted. ⁶ Eat your sacrifice on the day you bring it and on the next day. On the third day burn whatever is left over. ⁷ If you eat any of it on the third day, it is repulsive and will not be accepted. ⁸ Those who eat it will be punished because they have dishonored what is holy to Yahweh. They must be excluded from the people.

Duties of the People Toward Each Other

⁹ “When you harvest the grain in your land, don’t harvest the grain in the corners of your fields or gather what is left after you’re finished. ¹⁰ Don’t harvest your vineyard a second time or pick up fallen grapes. Leave them for poor people and foreigners. I am Yahweh your Elohim.

¹¹ “Never steal, lie, or deceive your neighbor.

¹² “Never swear by my name in order to deceive anyone. This dishonors the name of your Elohim. I am Yahweh.

¹³ “Never oppress or rob your neighbor. Never keep the pay you owe a hired worker overnight. ¹⁴ Never curse deaf people or put anything in the way of blind people to make them stumble. Instead, fear your Elohim. I am Yahweh.

¹⁵ “Don’t be corrupt when administering justice. Never give special favors to poor people, and never show preference to important people. Judge your neighbor fairly. ¹⁶ Never gossip. Never endanger your neighbor’s life. I am Yahweh.

¹⁷ “Never hate another Israelite. Be sure to correct your neighbor so that you will not be guilty of sinning along with him. ¹⁸ Never get revenge. Never hold a grudge against any of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am Yahweh.

Other Duties

¹⁹ “Obey my laws. Never crossbreed different kinds of animals. Never plant two kinds of crops in your field. Never wear clothes made from two kinds of material.

²⁰ “If a man has sexual intercourse with a female slave who is engaged to another man and if her freedom was never bought or given to her, they should not be put to death. He will only pay a fine because she is a slave. ²¹ He must bring a ram for his guilt offering to Yahweh at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ²² In Yahweh’s presence the priest will use them to make peace with the Lord for this sin. The man will be forgiven for this sin.

²³ “When you come into the land and plant all kinds of fruit trees, you must not eat the fruit for the first three years. ²⁴ In the fourth year all the fruit will be a holy offering of praise to Yahweh. ²⁵ In the fifth year you may eat the fruit. Do this to make the trees produce more for you. I am Yahweh your Elohim.

²⁶ “Never eat any meat with blood still in it.

“Never cast evil spells, and never consult fortunetellers.

²⁷ “Never shave the hair on your foreheads, and never cut the edges of your beard. ²⁸ Never slash your body to mourn the dead, and never get a tattoo. I am Yahweh.

²⁹ “Never dishonor your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the country will turn to prostitution and be filled with people who are perverted.

³⁰ “Observe my days of worship and respect my holy tent. I am Yahweh.

³¹ “Don’t turn to psychics or mediums to get help. That will make you unclean. I am Yahweh your Elohim.

³² “Show respect to the elderly, and honor older people. In this way you show respect for your Elohim. I am Yahweh.

³³ “Never mistreat a foreigner living in your land. ³⁴ Foreigners living among you will be like your own people. Love them as you love yourself, because you were foreigners living in Egypt. I am Yahweh your Elohim.

³⁵ “Don’t be corrupt when administering justice concerning length, weight, or measuring liquid. ³⁶ Use honest scales, honest weights, and honest measures. I am Yahweh your Elohim who brought you out of Egypt.

³⁷ “Obey all my laws and all my rules, and live by them. I am Yahweh.”

Punishment for Serious Crimes

20 Yahweh spoke to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites: If Israelites or foreigners living among you give one of their children as a sacrifice to the god Molech, they must be put to death. The common people must stone them to death. ³ I will condemn them and exclude them from the people. They gave one of their children to Molech, made my holy tent unclean, and dishonored my holy name. ⁴ If the common people ignore those who give their children to Molech and do not put them to death, ⁵ I will condemn them and their families. I will exclude them from the people. I will exclude from the people everyone who chases after Molech as if he were a prostitute.

⁶ “I will condemn people who turn to mediums and psychics and chase after them as though they were prostitutes. I will exclude them from the people.

⁷ “Live holy lives. Be holy because I am Yahweh your Elohim. ⁸ Obey my laws, and live by them. I am Yahweh who sets you apart as holy.

⁹ “Whoever curses his father or mother must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother and deserves to die.

¹⁰ “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife or with his neighbor’s wife, both he and the woman must be put to death for their adultery. ¹¹ Whoever has sexual intercourse with his father’s wife has violated his father’s marriage. Both he and his father’s wife must be put to death. They deserve to die. ¹² If a man has sexual intercourse with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. They have done a disgusting thing and deserve to die. ¹³ When a man has sexual intercourse with another man as with a woman, both men are doing something disgusting and must be put to death. They deserve to die. ¹⁴ When a man marries a woman and her mother, they have done a perverted thing. The man and the two women must be burned. Never do this perverted thing. ¹⁵ A man who has sexual intercourse with an animal must be put to death. You must kill the animal, too. ¹⁶ When a woman offers herself sexually to any animal, you must kill both the woman and the animal. They must be put to death. They deserve to die. ¹⁷ Whoever takes his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and has sexual intercourse does a shameful thing. They both must be publicly excluded from the people. He has had sexual intercourse with his sister and must be punished. ¹⁸ If a man has sexual intercourse with a woman while she has her monthly period, both of them have had sexual intercourse in blood. They must be excluded from the people. ¹⁹ Never have sexual intercourse with your mother’s sister or your father’s sister. Whoever has sexual intercourse with a close relative must be punished. ²⁰ Whoever has sexual intercourse with his uncle’s wife violates his uncle’s marriage. That man and woman are guilty of sin. They will die without children. ²¹ Whoever marries his brother’s wife violates his brother’s marriage and does an unclean thing. That man and woman will have no children.

The Pharisees Ask for a Sign from Heaven^(A)

¹¹ The Pharisees went to Yeshua and began to argue with him. They tested him by demanding that he perform a miraculous sign from heaven.

¹² With a deep sigh he asked, “Why do these people demand a sign? I can guarantee this truth: If these people are given a sign, it will be far different than what they want!”

¹³ Then he left them there.

The Yeast of the Pharisees^(B)

He got into a boat again and crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. ¹⁴ The disciples had forgotten to take any bread along and had only one loaf with them in the boat.

¹⁵ Yeshua warned them, “Be careful! Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!”

¹⁶ They had been discussing with one another that they didn’t have any bread.

¹⁷ Yeshua knew what they were saying and asked them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you don’t have any bread? Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you catch on? Are your minds closed? ¹⁸ Are you blind and deaf? Don’t you remember? ¹⁹ When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets did you fill with leftover pieces?”

They told him, “Twelve.”

²⁰ “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many large baskets did you fill with leftover pieces?”

They answered him, “Seven.”

²¹ He asked them, “Don’t you catch on yet?”

Jesus Gives Sight to a Blind Man

²² As they came to Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Yeshua. They begged Yeshua to touch him. ²³ Yeshua took the blind man’s hand and led him out of the village. He spit into the man’s eyes and placed his hands on him. Yeshua asked him, “Can you see anything?”

²⁴ The man looked up and said, “I see people. They look like trees walking around.”

²⁵ Then Yeshua placed his hands on the man’s eyes a second time, and the man saw clearly. His sight was normal again. He could see everything clearly even at a distance. ²⁶ Yeshua told him when he sent him home, “Don’t go into the village.”

Peter Declares His Belief about Jesus^(C)

²⁷ Then Yeshua and his disciples went to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say I am?”

²⁸ They answered him, “Some say you are John the Baptizer, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.”

²⁹ He asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah!”

³⁰ He ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Jesus Foretells That He Will Die and Come Back to Life^(D)

³¹ Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man would have to suffer a lot. He taught them that he would be rejected by the leaders, the chief priests, and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. He would be killed, but after three days he would come back to life. ³² He told them very clearly what he meant.

Peter took him aside and objected to this. ³³ Yeshua turned, looked at his disciples, and objected to what Peter said. Yeshua said, “Get out of my way, Satan! You aren’t thinking the way God thinks but the way humans think.”

What It Means to Follow Jesus^(E)

³⁴ Then Yeshua called the crowd to himself along with his disciples. He said to them, “Those who want to follow me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses, and follow me. ³⁵ Those who want to save their lives will lose them. But those who lose their lives for me and for the Good News will save them. ³⁶ What good does it do for people to win the whole world yet lose their lives? ³⁷ Or what should a person give in exchange for life? ³⁸ If people are ashamed of me and what I say in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of those people when he comes with the holy angels in his Father’s glory.”

BOOK TWO

(Psalms 42–72)

Psalm 42

For the choir director; a maskil^[a] by Korah’s descendants.

²⁹ “This will be a permanent law for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month both native Israelites and foreigners must humble themselves. They must do no work. ³⁰ On this day Aaron will make peace with the Lord to make you clean. Then you will be clean from all your sins in the Lord’s presence. ³¹ This is the most important worship festival there is for you. You will humble yourselves. It is a permanent law. ³² The priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as chief priest in his father’s place will pay for sins. He will put on the holy linen clothes ³³ and will make peace with the Lord at the holy place, the tent of meeting, and the altar. He will make peace with the Lord for the priests and all the worshipers.

³⁴ “This permanent law tells you how to make peace with the Lord once a year for all the sins the Israelites committed.”

Aaron did as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Eating Sacrifices

17 The Lord spoke to Moses, ² “Tell Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites that this is what the Lord has commanded: ³ Any Israelite who slaughters a bull, sheep, or goat inside or outside the camp ⁴ is guilty of bloodshed. He has shed blood and must be excluded from the people. Bring the animal to the entrance of the tent of meeting. Offer it to the Lord in front of the Lord’s tent. ⁵ This means that the people of Israel must take the sacrifices they have been making in the open fields and bring them to the Lord. They must bring them to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting. The people will sacrifice them as fellowship offerings to the Lord. ⁶ The priest will pour the blood against the Lord’s altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He will burn the fat as a soothing aroma to the Lord. ⁷ The people must stop sacrificing to goat idols and chasing after them as though they were prostitutes. This is a permanent law for the people and for future generations.

⁸ “Tell them: If Israelites or foreigners make burnt offerings or sacrifices ⁹ but do not bring them to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer them to the Lord, they must be excluded from the people.

Eating Blood

¹⁰ “If Israelites or foreigners eat any blood, I will condemn them and exclude them from the people, ¹¹ because blood contains life. I have given this blood to you to make peace with me on the altar. Blood is needed to make peace with me. ¹² That is why I have said to the people of Israel: Neither you nor foreigners should ever eat blood.

¹³ “If Israelites or foreigners hunt any animal or bird that may be eaten, they must pour out the animal’s blood and cover it with dirt. ¹⁴ This is because the life of any creature is in its blood. So I have said to the people of Israel: Never eat any blood, because the life of any creature is in its blood. Whoever eats blood must be excluded from the people.

¹⁵ “Native Israelites or foreigners who eat the body of an animal that dies naturally or is killed by another animal must wash their clothes and their bodies. They will be unclean until evening. Then they will be clean. ¹⁶ If they don’t wash their clothes and their bodies, they will be guilty of sin.”

Forbidden Sexual Practices

18 The Lord spoke to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites: I am the Lord your God. ³ You used to live in Egypt. Don’t live the way the Egyptians do. I am bringing you to Canaan. Don’t live the way the Canaanites do. Never live by their standards. ⁴ Follow my rules, and live by my standards. I am the Lord your God. ⁵ Live by my standards, and obey my rules. You will have life through them. I am the Lord.

⁶ “Never have sexual intercourse with anyone related to you by blood. I am the Lord.

⁷ “Never have sexual intercourse with your mother. She is your own mother. Never have sexual intercourse with her. ⁸ Never have sexual intercourse with your stepmother. She is related to you through your father. ⁹ Never have sexual intercourse with your stepsister, whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter. It makes no difference whether or not she was born in your house. ¹⁰ Never have sexual intercourse with your granddaughter, whether she is your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, because she is related to you. ¹¹ Never have sexual intercourse with a daughter of your father and his wife. She is your own sister. ¹² Never have sexual intercourse with your father’s sister. She is your paternal aunt. ¹³ Never have sexual intercourse with your mother’s sister. She is your maternal aunt. ¹⁴ Never have sexual intercourse with the wife of your father’s brother. She, too, is your aunt. ¹⁵ Never have sexual intercourse with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife. Never have sexual intercourse with her. ¹⁶ Never have sexual intercourse with your sister-in-law. She is your brother’s wife. ¹⁷ Never have sexual intercourse with a woman and her daughter or a woman and her granddaughter. They are related. Doing this is perverted. ¹⁸ While your wife is living, never marry her sister as a rival wife and have sexual intercourse with her.

¹⁹ “Never have sexual intercourse with a woman while she is unclean during her monthly period. ²⁰ Never have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife and become unclean with her. ²¹ Never give your children as sacrifices to the god Molech by burning them alive. If you do, you are dishonoring the name of your God. I am the Lord. ²² Never have sexual intercourse with a man as with a woman. It is disgusting. ²³ Never have sexual intercourse with any animal and become unclean with it. A woman must never offer herself to an animal for sexual intercourse. It is unnatural.

Punishment for Sexual Sins

²⁴ “Do not become unclean in any of these ways. By these practices all the nations which I am forcing out of your way have become unclean. ²⁵ The land has become unclean. I will punish it for its sins. The land will vomit out those who live in it. ²⁶ Live by my standards, and obey my rules. Neither you nor any foreigner should ever do any of these disgusting things. ²⁷ The people of the land who were there before you did all these disgusting things. As a result, the land has become unclean. ²⁸ If you make the land unclean, it will vomit you out as it has vomited out the people who were there before you. ²⁹ Whoever does any of these disgusting things must be excluded from the people. ³⁰ So you must follow my instructions. Don’t live by the standards of the people who lived there before you. What they do is disgusting. Never become unclean that way. I am the Lord your God.”

The Faith of a Greek Woman^(A)

²⁴ Jesus left that place and went to the territory of Tyre. He didn’t want anyone to know that he was staying in a house there. However, it couldn’t be kept a secret.

²⁵ A woman whose little daughter had an evil spirit heard about Jesus. She went to him and bowed down. ²⁶ The woman happened to be Greek, born in Phoenicia in Syria. She asked him to force the demon out of her daughter.

²⁷ Jesus said to her, “First, let the children eat all they want. It’s not right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”

²⁸ She answered him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat some of the children’s scraps.”

²⁹ Jesus said to her, “Because you have said this, go! The demon has left your daughter.”

³⁰ The woman went home and found the little child lying on her bed, and the demon was gone.

Jesus Cures a Deaf Man

³¹ Jesus then left the neighborhood of Tyre. He went through Sidon and the territory of the Ten Cities^[a] to the Sea of Galilee.

³² Some people brought to him a man who was deaf and who also had a speech defect. They begged Jesus to lay his hand on him. ³³ Jesus took him away from the crowd to be alone with him. He put his fingers into the man’s ears, and after spitting, he touched the man’s tongue. ³⁴ Then he looked up to heaven, sighed, and said to the man, “Ephphatha!” which means, “Be opened!” ³⁵ At once the man could hear and talk normally.

³⁶ Jesus ordered the people not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them, the more they spread the news. ³⁷ Jesus completely amazed the people. They said, “He has done everything well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute talk.”

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand^(B)

8 About that time there was once again a large crowd with nothing to eat. Jesus called his disciples and said to them, ² “I feel sorry for the people. They have been with me three days now and have nothing to eat. ³ If I send them home before they’ve eaten, they will become exhausted on the road. Some of them have come a long distance.”

⁴ His disciples asked him, “Where could anyone get enough bread to feed these people in this place where no one lives?”

⁵ Jesus asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”

They answered, “Seven.”

⁶ He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves and gave thanks to God. Then he broke the bread and gave it to his disciples to serve to the people. ⁷ They also had a few small fish. He blessed them and said that the fish should also be served to the people. ⁸ The people ate as much as they wanted. The disciples picked up the leftover pieces and filled seven large baskets. ⁹ About four thousand people were there. Then he sent the people on their way.

¹⁰ After that, Jesus and his disciples got into a boat and went into the region of Dalmanutha.

Psalm 41

For the choir director; a psalm by David.