Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Leviticus 1:1–3:17; Mark 1:29–2:12; Psalm 35:17-28; and Proverbs 9:13-18. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.
Leviticus 1-3:17 (Contemporary English Version)
Leviticus 1
Sacrifices To Please the LORD
The LORD said:
4Lay your hand on its head, and I will accept the animal as a sacrifice for taking away your sins. 5After the bull is killed in my presence, some priests from Aaron's family will offer its blood to me by splattering it against the four sides of the altar. 6Skin the bull and cut it up, 7while the priests pile wood on the altar fire to make it start blazing. 8-9Wash the bull's insides and hind legs, so the priests can lay them on the altar with the head, the fat, and the rest of the animal. A priest will then send all of it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.10If you sacrifice a ram or a goat, it must not have anything wrong with it. 11Lead the animal to the north side of the altar, where it is to be killed in my presence. Then some of the priests will splatter its blood against the four sides of the altar.
12-13Cut up the animal and wash its insides and hind legs. A priest will put these parts on the altar with the head, the fat, and the rest of the animal. Then he will send all of it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.
14If you offer a bird for this kind of sacrifice, it must be a dove or a pigeon. 15A priest will take the bird to the bronze altar, where he will wring its neck and put its head on the fire. Then he will drain out its blood on one side of the altar, 16remove the bird's craw with what is in it, [e] and throw them on the ash heap at the east side of the altar. [f] 17Finally, he will take the bird by its wings, tear it partially open, [g] and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.
Leviticus 2
Sacrifices To Give Thanks to the LORD
The LORD said:
1When you offer sacrifices to give thanks to me, [h] you must use only your finest flour. Put it in a dish, sprinkle olive oil and incense on the flour, 2and take it to the priests from Aaron's family. One of them will scoop up the incense together with a handful of the flour and oil. Then, to show that the whole offering belongs to me, the priest will lay this part on the bronze altar and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me. 3The rest of this sacrifice is for the priests; it is very holy because it was offered to me. 4If you bake bread in an oven for this sacrifice, use only your finest flour, but without any yeast. You may make the flour into a loaf mixed with olive oil, or you may make it into thin wafers and brush them with oil. 5If you cook bread in a shallow pan for this sacrifice, use only your finest flour. Mix it with olive oil, but do not use any yeast. 6Then break the bread into small pieces and sprinkle them with oil. 7If you cook your bread in a pan with a lid on it, you must also use the finest flour mixed with oil.8You may prepare sacrifices to give thanks in any of these three ways. Bring your sacrifice to a priest, and he will take it to the bronze altar. 9Then, to show that the whole offering belongs to me, the priest will lay part of it on the altar and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me. 10The rest of this sacrifice is for the priests; it is very holy because it was offered to me.
11Yeast and honey must never be burned on the altar, so don't ever mix either of these in a grain sacrifice. 12You may offer either of them separately, [i] when you present the first part of your harvest to me, but they must never be burned on the altar. 13Salt is offered when you make an agreement with me, so sprinkle salt on these sacrifices.
14Freshly cut grain, either roasted or coarsely ground, [j] must be used when you offer the first part of your grain harvest. 15You must mix in some olive oil and put incense on top, because this is a grain sacrifice. 16A priest will sprinkle all of the incense and some of the grain and oil on the altar and send them up in smoke to show that the whole offering belongs to me.
Leviticus 3
Sacrifices To Ask the LORD's Blessing
The LORD said:
1When you offer sacrifices to ask my blessing, [k] you may offer either a bull or a cow, but there must be nothing wrong with the animal. 2Lead it to the entrance of the sacred tent, lay your hand on its head, and have it killed there. A priest from Aaron's family will splatter its blood against the four sides of the altar. 3Offer all of the fat on the animal's insides, 4as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat. 5Some of the priests will lay these pieces on the altar and send them up in smoke with a smell that pleases me, together with the sacrifice that is offered to please me. [l]6Instead of a bull or a cow, you may offer any sheep or goat that has nothing wrong with it. 7If you offer a sheep, you must present it to me at the entrance to the sacred tent. 8Lay your hand on its head and have it killed there. A priest will then splatter its blood against the four sides of the altar. 9Offer the fat on the tail, the tailbone, and the insides, 10as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat. 11One of the priests will lay these pieces on the altar and send them up in smoke as a food offering for me.12If you offer a goat, you must also present it to me 13at the entrance to the sacred tent. Lay your hand on its head and have it killed there. A priest will then splatter its blood against the four sides of the altar.
14Offer all of the fat on the animal's insides, 15as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat. 16One of the priests will put these pieces on the altar and send them up in smoke as a food offering with a smell that pleases me.
All fat belongs to me. 17So you and your descendants must never eat any fat or any blood, not even in the privacy of your own homes. [m] This law will never change.
Footnotes:
- Leviticus 1:1 Sacrifices to please me: These sacrifices have traditionally been called " whole burnt offerings" because the whole animal was burned on the altar. A main purpose of such sacrifices was to please the LORD with the smell of the sacrifice, and so in the CEV they are often called " sacrifices to please the LORD."
- Leviticus 1:1 bronze altar: This altar for offering sacrifices was in front of the entrance to the sacred tent; it was made of acacia wood covered with bronze. A smaller altar for offering incense was inside the tent; it was made of acacia wood covered with gold.
- Leviticus 1:1 goats: Hebrew " male goats."
- Leviticus 1:1 if it is: Or " if you are."
- Leviticus 1:16 with what is in it: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Leviticus 1:16 ash heap at the east side of the altar: Ashes were piled here, then once a day they were taken to the ash heap outside the camp (see 4.11,12; 6.10,11).
- Leviticus 1:17 tear it partially open: Or " tear it open without pulling off the wings."
- Leviticus 2:1 sacrifices to give thanks to me: These sacrifices have traditionally been called " grain offerings." A main purpose of such sacrifices was to thank the LORD with a gift of grain, and so in the CEV they are sometimes called " sacrifices to give thanks to the LORD."
- Leviticus 2:12 You. . . separately: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Leviticus 2:14 either. . . ground: Or " roasted and coarsely ground."
- Leviticus 3:1 sacrifices to ask my blessing: These sacrifices have traditionally been called " peace offerings" or " offerings of well-being." A main purpose was to ask for the LORD's blessing, and so in the CEV they are sometimes called " sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing."
- Leviticus 3:5 sacrifice. . . to please me: See the note at 1.1-3.
- Leviticus 3:17 not even. . . homes: Or " no matter where you live."
Mark 1:29-2:12 (Contemporary English Version)
Jesus Heals Many People
(Matthew 8.14-17; Luke 4.38-41)
29As soon as Jesus left the meeting place with James and John, they went home with Simon and Andrew. 30When they got there, Jesus was told that Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed with fever. 31Jesus went to her. He took hold of her hand and helped her up. The fever left her, and she served them a meal. 32That evening after sunset, [a] all who were sick or had demons in them were brought to Jesus. 33In fact, the whole town gathered around the door of the house. 34Jesus healed all kinds of terrible diseases and forced out a lot of demons. But the demons knew who he was, and he did not let them speak.35Very early the next morning, Jesus got up and went to a place where he could be alone and pray. 36Simon and the others started looking for him. 37And when they found him, they said, "Everyone is looking for you!"
38Jesus replied, "We must go to the nearby towns, so that I can tell the good news to those people. This is why I have come." 39Then Jesus went to Jewish meeting places everywhere in Galilee, where he preached and forced out demons.
Jesus Heals a Man
(Matthew 8.1-4; Luke 5.12-16)
40A man with leprosy [b] came to Jesus and knelt down. [c] He begged, "You have the power to make me well, if only you wanted to." 41Jesus felt sorry for [d] the man. So he put his hand on him and said, "I want to! Now you are well." 42At once the man's leprosy disappeared, and he was well.43After Jesus strictly warned the man, he sent him on his way. 44He said, "Don't tell anyone about this. Just go and show the priest that you are well. Then take a gift to the temple as Moses commanded, and everyone will know that you have been healed." [e]
45The man talked about it so much and told so many people, that Jesus could no longer go openly into a town. He had to stay away from the towns, but people still came to him from everywhere.
Mark 2
Jesus Heals a Crippled Man
(Matthew 9.1-8; Luke 5.17-26)
1Jesus went back to Capernaum, and a few days later people heard that he was at home. [f] 2Then so many of them came to the house that there wasn't even standing room left in front of the door. Jesus was still teaching 3when four people came up, carrying a crippled man on a mat. 4But because of the crowd, they could not get him to Jesus. So they made a hole in the roof [g] above him and let the man down in front of everyone.5When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the crippled man, "My friend, your sins are forgiven."
6Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were sitting there. They started wondering, 7"Why would he say such a thing? He must think he is God! Only God can forgive sins."
8Right away, Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said, "Why are you thinking such things? 9Is it easier for me to tell this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and pick up his mat and go on home? 10I will show you that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth." So Jesus said to the man, 11"Get up! Pick up your mat and go on home."
12The man got right up. He picked up his mat and went out while everyone watched in amazement. They praised God and said, "We have never seen anything like this!"
Footnotes:
- Mark 1:32 after sunset: The Sabbath was over, and a new day began at sunset.
- Mark 1:40 leprosy: In biblical times the word "leprosy" was used for many different kinds of skin diseases.
- Mark 1:40 and knelt down: These words are not in some manuscripts.
- Mark 1:41 felt sorry for: Some manuscripts have "was angry with."
- Mark 1:44 everyone will know that you have been healed: People with leprosy had to be examined by a priest and told that they were well (that is, "clean") before they could once again live a normal life in the Jewish community. The gift that Moses commanded was the sacrifice of some lambs together with flour mixed with olive oil.
- Mark 2:1 at home: Or "in the house" (perhaps Simon Peter's home).
- Mark 2:4 roof: In Palestine the houses usually had a flat roof. Stairs on the outside led up to the roof that was made of beams and boards covered with packed earth.
Psalm 35:17-28 (Contemporary English Version)
17But all you do is watch!
When will you do something?
Save me from the attack
of those vicious lions.
18And when your people meet,
I will praise you
and thank you, Lord,
in front of them all.
19Don't let my brutal enemies
be glad because of me.
They hate me for no reason.
Don't let them wink
behind my back.
20They say hurtful things,
and they lie to people
who want to live in peace.
21They are quick to accuse me.
They say, "You did it!
We saw you ourselves."
22You see everything, LORD!
Please don't keep silent
or stay so far away.
23Fight to defend me, Lord God,
24and prove that I am right
by your standards.
Don't let them laugh at me
25or say to each other,
"Now we've got what we want!
We'll gobble him down!"
26Disappoint and confuse
all who are glad
to see me in trouble,
but disgrace and embarrass
my proud enemies
who say to me,
"You are nothing!"
27Let all who want me to win
be happy and joyful.
From now on let them say,
"The LORD is wonderful!
God is glad when all goes well
for his servant."
28Then I will shout all day,
"Praise the LORD God!
He did what was right."
When will you do something?
Save me from the attack
of those vicious lions.
18And when your people meet,
I will praise you
and thank you, Lord,
in front of them all.
19Don't let my brutal enemies
be glad because of me.
They hate me for no reason.
Don't let them wink
behind my back.
20They say hurtful things,
and they lie to people
who want to live in peace.
21They are quick to accuse me.
They say, "You did it!
We saw you ourselves."
22You see everything, LORD!
Please don't keep silent
or stay so far away.
23Fight to defend me, Lord God,
24and prove that I am right
by your standards.
Don't let them laugh at me
25or say to each other,
"Now we've got what we want!
We'll gobble him down!"
26Disappoint and confuse
all who are glad
to see me in trouble,
but disgrace and embarrass
my proud enemies
who say to me,
"You are nothing!"
27Let all who want me to win
be happy and joyful.
From now on let them say,
"The LORD is wonderful!
God is glad when all goes well
for his servant."
28Then I will shout all day,
"Praise the LORD God!
He did what was right."
- Psalm 35:16 Worthless. . . fun: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Psalm 35:16 Worthless. . . fun: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Proverbs 9:13-18 (Contemporary English Version)
A Foolish Invitation
13Stupidity [a] is reckless, senseless, and foolish. 14She sits in front of her house
and on the highest hills
in the town.
15She shouts to everyone
who passes by,
16"If you are stupid,
come on inside!"
And to every fool she says,
17"Stolen water tastes best,
and the food you eat in secret
tastes best of all."
18None who listen to Stupidity
understand
that her guests
are as good as dead.
Footnotes:- Proverbs 9:13 Stupidity: Or " A foolish woman."
and on the highest hills
in the town.
15She shouts to everyone
who passes by,
16"If you are stupid,
come on inside!"
And to every fool she says,
17"Stolen water tastes best,
and the food you eat in secret
tastes best of all."
18None who listen to Stupidity
understand
that her guests
are as good as dead.
Footnotes:
- Proverbs 9:13 Stupidity: Or " A foolish woman."
Thought for the Day
“From the beginning you were told that we must love each other.” (1 John 3:11 - Contemporary English Version) From the very beginning, Christians have been expected to love one another. But if we're not willing to do that, we probably shouldn't claim to be something that we're not.
Quote for the Day
British historian and academic, G. M. Trevelyan wrote, “Education... has produced a vast population able to read but unable to distinguish what is worth reading.”
A Joke for Today
You know you are getting old when the smile that greets you every morning isn’t your significant other. It's your teeth in a glass.
A Prayer Request
As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.
That all Americans would be prepared to give an account to Almighty God for their political and economic practices.
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