Moral and Ceremonial Laws

19 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: (A)‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

(B)‘Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and (C)keep My Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.

(D)‘Do not turn to idols, (E)nor make for yourselves [a]molded gods: I am the Lord your God.

‘And (F)if you offer a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, you shall offer it of your own free will. It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day. And if any remains until the third day, it shall be burned in the fire. And if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It shall not be accepted. Therefore everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the hallowed offering of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from his people.

(G)‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God.

11 (H)‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, (I)nor lie to one another. 12 And you shall not (J)swear by My name falsely, (K)nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

13 (L)‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. (M)The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. 14 You shall not curse the deaf, (N)nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the Lord.

15 ‘You shall do no injustice in (O)judgment. You shall not (P)be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go about as a (Q)talebearer among your people; nor shall you (R)take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.

17 (S)‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. (T)You shall surely [b]rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. 18 (U)You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, (V)but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

19 ‘You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind. You shall not sow your field with mixed seed. Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you.

20 ‘Whoever lies carnally with a woman who is (W)betrothed to a man as a concubine, and who has not at all been redeemed nor given her freedom, for this there shall be [c]scourging; but they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. 21 And he shall bring his trespass offering to the Lord, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, a ram as a trespass offering. 22 The priest shall make [d]atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the Lord for his sin which he has committed. And the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven him.

23 ‘When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as [e]uncircumcised. Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten. 24 But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the Lord. 25 And in the fifth year you may eat its fruit, that it may yield to you its increase: I am the Lord your God.

26 ‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying. 27 You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard. 28 You shall not (X)make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord.

29 (Y)‘Do not prostitute your daughter, to cause her to be a harlot, lest the land fall into harlotry, and the land become full of wickedness.

30 ‘You shall [f]keep My Sabbaths and (Z)reverence My sanctuary: I am the Lord.

31 ‘Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after (AA)them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.

32 (AB)‘You shall [g]rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and (AC)fear your God: I am the Lord.

33 ‘And (AD)if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. 34 (AE)The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as [h]one born among you, and (AF)you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

35 ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume. 36 You shall have (AG)honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

37 (AH)‘Therefore you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them: I am the Lord.’ ”

Penalties for Breaking the Law

20 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, (AI)“Again, you shall say to the children of Israel: (AJ)‘Whoever of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who [i]dwell in Israel, who gives any of his descendants to Molech, he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall (AK)stone him with stones. (AL)I will set My face against that man, and will [j]cut him off from his people, because he has given some of his descendants to Molech, to defile My sanctuary and profane My holy name. And if the people of the land should in any way [k]hide their eyes from the man, when he gives some of his descendants to Molech, and they do not kill him, then I will set My face against that man and against his family; and I will cut him off from his people, and all who prostitute themselves with him to commit harlotry with Molech.

‘And (AM)the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people. (AN)Consecrate[l] yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. And you shall keep (AO)My statutes, and perform them: (AP)I am the Lord who [m]sanctifies you.

‘For (AQ)everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. (AR)His blood shall be upon him.

10 (AS)‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death. 11 The man who lies with his (AT)father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. 12 If a man lies with his (AU)daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death. They have committed perversion. Their blood shall be upon them. 13 (AV)If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. 14 If a man marries a woman and her (AW)mother, it is wickedness. They shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there may be no wickedness among you. 15 If a man mates with an (AX)animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. 16 If a woman approaches any animal and mates with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood is upon them.

17 ‘If a man takes his (AY)sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a wicked thing. And they shall be [n]cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear his [o]guilt. 18 (AZ)If a man lies with a woman during her [p]sickness and uncovers her nakedness, he has [q]exposed her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood. Both of them shall be [r]cut off from their people.

19 ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your (BA)mother’s sister nor of your (BB)father’s sister, for that would uncover his near of kin. They shall bear their guilt. 20 If a man lies with his (BC)uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness. They shall bear their sin; they shall die childless. 21 If a man takes his (BD)brother’s wife, it is an [s]unclean thing. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 19:4 molten
  2. Leviticus 19:17 reprove
  3. Leviticus 19:20 punishment
  4. Leviticus 19:22 Lit. covering
  5. Leviticus 19:23 unclean
  6. Leviticus 19:30 observe
  7. Leviticus 19:32 rise to give honor
  8. Leviticus 19:34 native among you
  9. Leviticus 20:2 As resident aliens
  10. Leviticus 20:3 Put him to death
  11. Leviticus 20:4 disregard
  12. Leviticus 20:7 Set yourselves apart for the Lord
  13. Leviticus 20:8 sets you apart
  14. Leviticus 20:17 Put to death
  15. Leviticus 20:17 iniquity
  16. Leviticus 20:18 Or customary impurity
  17. Leviticus 20:18 Lit. made bare
  18. Leviticus 20:18 Put to death
  19. Leviticus 20:21 indecent, impure

The Pharisees Seek a Sign(A)

11 (B)Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. 12 But He (C)sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, (D)no sign shall be given to this generation.”

Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod(E)

13 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. 14 (F)Now [a]the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. 15 (G)Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the [b]leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”

17 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? (H)Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart [c]still hardened? 18 Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 (I)When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?”

They said to Him, “Twelve.”

20 “Also, (J)when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?”

And they said, “Seven.”

21 So He said to them, “How is it (K)you do not understand?”

A Blind Man Healed at Bethsaida

22 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a (L)blind man to Him, and begged Him to (M)touch him. 23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when (N)He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.

24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”

25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. 26 Then He sent him away to his house, saying, [d]“Neither go into the town, (O)nor tell anyone in the town.”

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ(P)

27 (Q)Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?”

28 So they answered, (R)“John the Baptist; but some say, (S)Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”

29 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered and said to Him, (T)“You are the Christ.”

30 (U)Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection(V)

31 And (W)He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be (X)rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be (Y)killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He (Z)rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not [e]mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him(AA)

34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, (AB)“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For (AC)whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 (AD)For whoever (AE)is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 8:14 NU, M they
  2. Mark 8:15 yeast
  3. Mark 8:17 NU omits still
  4. Mark 8:26 NU “Do not even go into the town.”
  5. Mark 8:33 setting your mind on

BOOK TWO

Psalms 42–72

Yearning for God in the Midst of Distresses

To the Chief Musician. A [a]Contemplation of the sons of Korah.

42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
(A)My soul thirsts for God, for the (B)living God.
When shall I come and [c]appear before God?
(C)My tears have been my food day and night,
While they continually say to me,
(D)“Where is your God?”

When I remember these things,
(E)I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go with the multitude;
(F)I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.

(G)Why are you [d]cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
(H)Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
[e]For the help of His countenance.

[f]O my God, my soul is cast down within me;
Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
And from the heights of Hermon,
From [g]the Hill Mizar.
Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
(I)All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
The Lord will (J)command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And (K)in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life.

I will say to God my Rock,
(L)“Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a [h]breaking of my bones,
My enemies [i]reproach me,
(M)While they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”

11 (N)Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The [j]help of my countenance and my God.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 42:1 Heb. Maschil
  2. Psalm 42:1 Lit. longs for
  3. Psalm 42:2 So with MT, Vg.; some Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Tg. I see the face of God
  4. Psalm 42:5 Lit. bowed down
  5. Psalm 42:5 So with MT, Tg.; a few Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Vg. The help of my countenance, my God
  6. Psalm 42:6 So with MT, Tg.; a few Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Vg. put my God at the end of v. 5
  7. Psalm 42:6 Or Mount
  8. Psalm 42:10 Lit. shattering
  9. Psalm 42:10 revile
  10. Psalm 42:11 Lit. salvation

17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,
But he who refuses correction [a]goes astray.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:17 leads

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