Unacceptable Sacrifices

17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘If any of you—whether an Israelite or a foreigner residing in Israel(A)—presents a gift(B) for a burnt offering to the Lord, either to fulfill a vow(C) or as a freewill offering,(D) 19 you must present a male without defect(E) from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf.(F) 20 Do not bring anything with a defect,(G) because it will not be accepted on your behalf.(H) 21 When anyone brings from the herd or flock(I) a fellowship offering(J) to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering,(K) it must be without defect or blemish(L) to be acceptable.(M) 22 Do not offer to the Lord the blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores. Do not place any of these on the altar as a food offering presented to the Lord. 23 You may, however, present as a freewill offering an ox[a] or a sheep that is deformed or stunted, but it will not be accepted in fulfillment of a vow. 24 You must not offer to the Lord an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut.(N) You must not do this in your own land, 25 and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God.(O) They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.(P)’”

26 The Lord said to Moses, 27 “When a calf, a lamb or a goat(Q) is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days.(R) From the eighth day(S) on, it will be acceptable(T) as a food offering presented to the Lord. 28 Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day.(U)

29 “When you sacrifice a thank offering(V) to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 30 It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning.(W) I am the Lord.(X)

31 “Keep(Y) my commands and follow them.(Z) I am the Lord. 32 Do not profane my holy name,(AA) for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites.(AB) I am the Lord, who made you holy(AC) 33 and who brought you out of Egypt(AD) to be your God.(AE) I am the Lord.”

The Appointed Festivals

23 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals,(AF) the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.(AG)

The Sabbath

“‘There are six days when you may work,(AH) but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest,(AI) a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work;(AJ) wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the Lord.

The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread(AK)

“‘These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times:(AL) The Lord’s Passover(AM) begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.(AN) On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord’s Festival of Unleavened Bread(AO) begins; for seven days(AP) you must eat bread made without yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assembly(AQ) and do no regular work. For seven days present a food offering to the Lord.(AR) And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.’”

Offering the Firstfruits

The Lord said to Moses, 10 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you(AS) and you reap its harvest,(AT) bring to the priest a sheaf(AU) of the first grain you harvest.(AV) 11 He is to wave the sheaf before the Lord(AW) so it will be accepted(AX) on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. 12 On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the Lord a lamb a year old(AY) without defect,(AZ) 13 together with its grain offering(BA) of two-tenths of an ephah[b](BB) of the finest flour mixed with olive oil—a food offering presented to the Lord, a pleasing aroma—and its drink offering(BC) of a quarter of a hin[c] of wine.(BD) 14 You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain,(BE) until the very day you bring this offering to your God.(BF) This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come,(BG) wherever you live.(BH)

The Festival of Weeks(BI)

15 “‘From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. 16 Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath,(BJ) and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. 17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah(BK) of the finest flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits(BL) to the Lord. 18 Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the Lord, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings(BM)—a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 19 Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering[d] and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. 20 The priest is to wave the two lambs before the Lord as a wave offering,(BN) together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the Lord for the priest. 21 On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly(BO) and do no regular work.(BP) This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.

22 “‘When you reap the harvest(BQ) of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.(BR) Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you.(BS) I am the Lord your God.’”

The Festival of Trumpets(BT)

23 The Lord said to Moses, 24 “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly(BU) commemorated with trumpet blasts.(BV) 25 Do no regular work,(BW) but present a food offering to the Lord.(BX)’”

The Day of Atonement(BY)

26 The Lord said to Moses, 27 “The tenth day of this seventh month(BZ) is the Day of Atonement.(CA) Hold a sacred assembly(CB) and deny yourselves,[e] and present a food offering to the Lord. 28 Do not do any work(CC) on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God. 29 Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people.(CD) 30 I will destroy from among their people(CE) anyone who does any work on that day. 31 You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance(CF) for the generations to come, wherever you live. 32 It is a day of sabbath rest(CG) for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”(CH)

The Festival of Tabernacles(CI)

33 The Lord said to Moses, 34 “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh(CJ) month the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles(CK) begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is a sacred assembly;(CL) do no regular work.(CM) 36 For seven days present food offerings to the Lord, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly(CN) and present a food offering to the Lord.(CO) It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work.

37 (“‘These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing food offerings to the Lord—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings(CP) required for each day. 38 These offerings(CQ) are in addition to those for the Lord’s Sabbaths(CR) and[f] in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings(CS) you give to the Lord.)

39 “‘So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival(CT) to the Lord for seven days;(CU) the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest. 40 On the first day you are to take branches(CV) from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees(CW)—and rejoice(CX) before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Live in temporary shelters(CY) for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters 43 so your descendants will know(CZ) that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”

44 So Moses announced to the Israelites the appointed festivals of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 22:23 The Hebrew word can refer to either male or female.
  2. Leviticus 23:13 That is, probably about 7 pounds or about 3.2 kilograms; also in verse 17
  3. Leviticus 23:13 That is, about 1 quart or about 1 liter
  4. Leviticus 23:19 Or purification offering
  5. Leviticus 23:27 Or and fast; similarly in verses 29 and 32
  6. Leviticus 23:38 Or These festivals are in addition to the Lord’s Sabbaths, and these offerings are

17 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

18 Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the Lord for a burnt offering;

19 Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.

20 But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.

21 And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.

22 Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the Lord.

23 Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.

24 Ye shall not offer unto the Lord that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.

25 Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.

26 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

27 When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

28 And whether it be cow, or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.

29 And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the Lord, offer it at your own will.

30 On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the Lord.

31 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the Lord.

32 Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the Lord which hallow you,

33 That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord.

23 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.

Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.

These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.

In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover.

And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.

In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:

11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the Lord.

13 And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the Lord for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.

14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:

16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord.

17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals; they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the Lord.

18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the Lord, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the Lord.

19 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.

20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the Lord for the priest.

21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the Lord your God.

23 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.

25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

26 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the Lord your God.

29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.

31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

33 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord.

35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.

37 These are the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:

38 Beside the sabbaths of the Lord, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the Lord.

39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.

40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.

41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:

43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

44 And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord.

Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time(A)

30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man(B) is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him,(C) and after three days(D) he will rise.”(E) 32 But they did not understand what he meant(F) and were afraid to ask him about it.

33 They came to Capernaum.(G) When he was in the house,(H) he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.(I)

35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”(J)

36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms,(K) he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”(L)

Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us(M)

38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”(N)

39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us.(O) 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.(P)

Causing to Stumble

42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble,(Q) it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.(R) 43 If your hand causes you to stumble,(S) cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell,(T) where the fire never goes out.(U) [44] [a] 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble,(V) cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.(W) [46] [b] 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble,(X) pluck 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,(Y) 48 where

“‘the worms that eat them do not die,
    and the fire is not quenched.’[c](Z)

49 Everyone will be salted(AA) with fire.

50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?(AB) Have salt among yourselves,(AC) and be at peace with each other.”(AD)

Divorce(AE)

10 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan.(AF) Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.(AG)

Some Pharisees(AH) came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

“What did Moses command you?” he replied.

They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”(AI)

“It was because your hearts were hard(AJ) that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’[d](AK) ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,[e] and the two will become one flesh.’[f](AL) So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

10 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. 11 He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.(AM) 12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”(AN)

Footnotes

  1. Mark 9:44 Some manuscripts include here the words of verse 48.
  2. Mark 9:46 Some manuscripts include here the words of verse 48.
  3. Mark 9:48 Isaiah 66:24
  4. Mark 10:6 Gen. 1:27
  5. Mark 10:7 Some early manuscripts do not have and be united to his wife.
  6. Mark 10:8 Gen. 2:24

30 And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.

31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

36 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,

37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.

39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.

40 For he that is not against us is on our part.

41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

10 And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

Psalm 44[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[b]

We have heard it with our ears,(A) O God;
    our ancestors have told us(B)
what you did in their days,
    in days long ago.(C)
With your hand you drove out(D) the nations
    and planted(E) our ancestors;
you crushed(F) the peoples
    and made our ancestors flourish.(G)
It was not by their sword(H) that they won the land,
    nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand,(I) your arm,(J)
    and the light(K) of your face, for you loved(L) them.

You are my King(M) and my God,(N)
    who decrees[c] victories(O) for Jacob.
Through you we push back(P) our enemies;
    through your name we trample(Q) our foes.
I put no trust in my bow,(R)
    my sword does not bring me victory;
but you give us victory(S) over our enemies,
    you put our adversaries to shame.(T)
In God we make our boast(U) all day long,(V)
    and we will praise your name forever.[d](W)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 44:1 In Hebrew texts 44:1-26 is numbered 44:2-27.
  2. Psalm 44:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 44:4 Septuagint, Aquila and Syriac; Hebrew King, O God; / command
  4. Psalm 44:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

44 We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.

For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.

Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.

Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.

For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.

In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.

Read full chapter

19 Sin is not ended by multiplying words,
    but the prudent hold their tongues.(A)

Read full chapter

19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

Read full chapter