Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Leviticus 16:29–18:30; Mark 7:24–8:10; Psalm 41:1-13; and Proverbs 10:15-16. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.
Leviticus 16:29-18:30 (Contemporary English Version)
The LORD told Moses to say to the people:
29On the tenth day of the seventh month [a] of each year, you must go without eating to show sorrow for your sins, and no one, including foreigners who live among you, is allowed to work. 30This is the day on which the sacrifice for the forgiveness of your sins will be made in my presence, 31and from now on, it must be celebrated each year. Go without eating and make this a day of complete rest just like the Sabbath. 32The high priest must offer the sacrifices for cleansing from sin, while wearing the sacred linen clothes. 33He will offer these sacrifices for the most holy place, the sacred tent, the bronze altar, all the priests, and for the whole community. 34You must celebrate this day each year--it is the Great Day of Forgiveness [b] for all the sins of the people of Israel. Moses did exactly as the LORD had commanded.
Leviticus 17
Where To Offer Sacrifices
1The LORD told Moses 2to tell Aaron, his sons, and everyone else in Israel: 3-4Whenever you kill any of your cattle, sheep, or goats as sacrifices to me, you must do it at the entrance to the sacred tent. If you don't, you will be guilty of pouring out blood, and you will no longer belong to the community of Israel. 5And so, when you sacrifice an animal to ask my blessing, [c] it must not be done out in a field, 6but in front of the sacred tent. Then a priest can splatter its blood against the bronze altar and send its fat up in smoke with a smell that pleases me. 7Don't ever turn from me again and offer sacrifices to goat-demons. This law will never change. 8Remember! No one in Israel, including foreigners, is to offer a sacrifice anywhere 9except at the entrance to the sacred tent. If you do, you will no longer belong to my people.
Do Not Eat Blood
The LORD said:
10I will turn against any of my people who eat blood. This also includes any foreigners living among you. 11Life is in the blood, and I have given you the blood of animals to sacrifice in place of your own. 12That's also why I have forbidden you to eat blood. 13Even if you should hunt and kill a bird or an animal, you must drain out the blood and cover it with soil. 14The life of every living creature is in its blood. That's why I have forbidden you to eat blood and why I have warned you that anyone who does will no longer belong to my people.
15If you happen to find a dead animal and eat it, you must take a bath and wash your clothes, but you are still unclean until evening. 16If you don't take a bath, you will suffer for what you did wrong.
15If you happen to find a dead animal and eat it, you must take a bath and wash your clothes, but you are still unclean until evening. 16If you don't take a bath, you will suffer for what you did wrong.
Leviticus 18
Forbidden Sex
1The LORD told Moses 2to tell the people of Israel: I am the LORD your God! 3So don't follow the customs of Egypt where you used to live or those of Canaan where I am bringing you. 4I am the LORD your God, and you must obey my teachings. 5Obey them and you will live. I am the LORD.
6Don't have sex with any of your close relatives, 7especially your own mother. This would disgrace your father. 8And don't disgrace him by having sex with any of his other wives. 9Don't have sex with your sister or stepsister, whether you grew up together or not. 10Don't disgrace yourself by having sex with your granddaughter 11or half sister 12-13or a sister of your father or mother. 14Don't disgrace your uncle by having sex with his wife. 15Don't have sex with your daughter-in-law 16or sister-in-law. 17And don't have sex with the daughter or granddaughter of any woman that you have earlier had sex with. You may be having sex with a relative, and that would make you unclean. 18As long as your wife is alive, don't cause trouble for her by taking one of her sisters as a second wife.
19When a woman is having her monthly period, she is unclean, so don't have sex with her.
20Don't have sex with another man's wife--that would make you unclean.
21Don't sacrifice your children on the altar fires to the god Molech. I am the LORD your God, and that would disgrace me.
22It is disgusting for a man to have sex with another man.
23Anyone who has sex with an animal is unclean.
24Don't make yourselves unclean by any of these disgusting practices of those nations that I am forcing out of the land for you. They made themselves 25and the land so unclean, that I punished the land because of their sins, and I made it vomit them up. 26-27Now don't do these sickening things that make the land filthy. Instead, obey my laws and teachings. 28Then the land won't become sick of you and vomit you up, just as it did them. 29-30If any of you do these vulgar, disgusting things, you will be unclean and no longer belong to my people. I am the LORD your God, and I forbid you to follow their sickening way of life.
Footnotes:- Leviticus 16:29 seventh month: Tishri (also called Ethanim), the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-September to mid-October.
- Leviticus 16:34 Great Day of Forgiveness: Traditionally known as the Day of Atonement.
- Leviticus 17:5 sacrifice. . . to ask my blessing: See the note at 3.1.
6Don't have sex with any of your close relatives, 7especially your own mother. This would disgrace your father. 8And don't disgrace him by having sex with any of his other wives. 9Don't have sex with your sister or stepsister, whether you grew up together or not. 10Don't disgrace yourself by having sex with your granddaughter 11or half sister 12-13or a sister of your father or mother. 14Don't disgrace your uncle by having sex with his wife. 15Don't have sex with your daughter-in-law 16or sister-in-law. 17And don't have sex with the daughter or granddaughter of any woman that you have earlier had sex with. You may be having sex with a relative, and that would make you unclean. 18As long as your wife is alive, don't cause trouble for her by taking one of her sisters as a second wife.
19When a woman is having her monthly period, she is unclean, so don't have sex with her.
20Don't have sex with another man's wife--that would make you unclean.
21Don't sacrifice your children on the altar fires to the god Molech. I am the LORD your God, and that would disgrace me.
22It is disgusting for a man to have sex with another man.
23Anyone who has sex with an animal is unclean.
24Don't make yourselves unclean by any of these disgusting practices of those nations that I am forcing out of the land for you. They made themselves 25and the land so unclean, that I punished the land because of their sins, and I made it vomit them up. 26-27Now don't do these sickening things that make the land filthy. Instead, obey my laws and teachings. 28Then the land won't become sick of you and vomit you up, just as it did them. 29-30If any of you do these vulgar, disgusting things, you will be unclean and no longer belong to my people. I am the LORD your God, and I forbid you to follow their sickening way of life.
Footnotes:
- Leviticus 16:29 seventh month: Tishri (also called Ethanim), the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-September to mid-October.
- Leviticus 16:34 Great Day of Forgiveness: Traditionally known as the Day of Atonement.
- Leviticus 17:5 sacrifice. . . to ask my blessing: See the note at 3.1.
Mark 7:24-8:10 (Contemporary English Version)
A Woman's Faith
(Matthew 15.21-28)
24Jesus left and went to the region near the city of Tyre, where he stayed in someone's home. He did not want people to know he was there, but they found out anyway. 25A woman whose daughter had an evil spirit in her heard where Jesus was. And right away she came and knelt down at his feet. 26The woman was Greek and had been born in the part of Syria known as Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to force the demon out of her daughter. 27But Jesus said, "The children must first be fed! It isn't right to take away their food and feed it to dogs." [a] 28The woman replied, "Lord, even dogs eat the crumbs that children drop from the table."
29Jesus answered, "That's true! You may go now. The demon has left your daughter." 30When the woman got back home, she found her child lying on the bed. The demon had gone.
29Jesus answered, "That's true! You may go now. The demon has left your daughter." 30When the woman got back home, she found her child lying on the bed. The demon had gone.
Jesus Heals a Man Who Was Deaf and Could Hardly Talk
31Jesus left the region around Tyre and went by way of Sidon toward Lake Galilee. He went through the land near the ten cities known as Decapolis. [b] 32Some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk. They begged Jesus just to touch him. 33After Jesus had taken him aside from the crowd, he stuck his fingers in the man's ears. Then he spit and put it on the man's tongue. 34Jesus looked up toward heaven, and with a groan he said, "Effatha!" [c] which means "Open up!" 35At once the man could hear, and he had no more trouble talking clearly.
36Jesus told the people not to say anything about what he had done. But the more he told them, the more they talked about it. 37They were completely amazed and said, "Everything he does is good! He even heals people who cannot hear or talk."
36Jesus told the people not to say anything about what he had done. But the more he told them, the more they talked about it. 37They were completely amazed and said, "Everything he does is good! He even heals people who cannot hear or talk."
Mark 8
Jesus Feeds Four Thousand
(Matthew 15.32-39)
1One day another large crowd gathered around Jesus. They had not brought along anything to eat. So Jesus called his disciples together and said, 2"I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days, and they don't have anything to eat. 3Some of them live a long way from here. If I send them away hungry, they might faint on their way home." 4The disciples said, "This place is like a desert. Where can we find enough food to feed such a crowd?"
5Jesus asked them how much food they had. They replied, "Seven small loaves of bread." [d]
6After Jesus told the crowd to sit down, he took the seven loaves and blessed them. He then broke the loaves and handed them to his disciples, who passed them out to the crowd. 7They also had a few little fish, and after Jesus had blessed these, he told the disciples to pass them around.
8-9The crowd of about four thousand people ate all they wanted, and the leftovers filled seven large baskets.
As soon as Jesus had sent the people away, 10he got into the boat with the disciples and crossed to the territory near Dalmanutha. [e]
Footnotes:- Mark 7:27 feed it to dogs: The Jewish people often referred to Gentiles as dogs.
- Mark 7:31 the ten cities known as Decapolis: See the note at 5.20.
- Mark 7:34 Effatha: This word is in Aramaic, a language spoken in Palestine during the time of Jesus.
- Mark 8:5 small loaves of bread: See the note at 6.38.
- Mark 8:10 Dalmanutha: The place is unknown.
5Jesus asked them how much food they had. They replied, "Seven small loaves of bread." [d]
6After Jesus told the crowd to sit down, he took the seven loaves and blessed them. He then broke the loaves and handed them to his disciples, who passed them out to the crowd. 7They also had a few little fish, and after Jesus had blessed these, he told the disciples to pass them around.
8-9The crowd of about four thousand people ate all they wanted, and the leftovers filled seven large baskets.
As soon as Jesus had sent the people away, 10he got into the boat with the disciples and crossed to the territory near Dalmanutha. [e]
Footnotes:
- Mark 7:27 feed it to dogs: The Jewish people often referred to Gentiles as dogs.
- Mark 7:31 the ten cities known as Decapolis: See the note at 5.20.
- Mark 7:34 Effatha: This word is in Aramaic, a language spoken in Palestine during the time of Jesus.
- Mark 8:5 small loaves of bread: See the note at 6.38.
- Mark 8:10 Dalmanutha: The place is unknown.
Psalm 41:1-13 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 41
(A psalm by David for the music leader.)
A Prayer in Time of Sickness
1You, LORD God, bless everyone who cares for the poor,
and you rescue those people
in times of trouble.
2You protect them
and keep them alive.
You make them happy here
in this land,
and you don't hand them over
to their enemies.
3You always heal them
and restore their strength
when they are sick.
4I prayed, "Have pity, LORD!
Heal me,
though I have sinned
against you."
5My vicious enemies ask me,
"When will you die
and be forgotten?"
6When visitors come,
all they ever bring
are worthless words,
and when they leave,
they spread gossip.
7My enemies whisper about me.
They think the worst,
8and they say,
"You have some fatal disease!
You'll never get well."
9My most trusted friend
has turned against me,
though he ate at my table.
10Have pity, LORD! Heal me,
so I can pay them back.
11Then my enemies
won't defeat me,
and I will know
that you really care.
12You have helped me
because I am innocent,
and you will always
be close to my side.
13You, the LORD God of Israel,
will be praised forever!
Amen and amen.
and you rescue those people
in times of trouble.
2You protect them
and keep them alive.
You make them happy here
in this land,
and you don't hand them over
to their enemies.
3You always heal them
and restore their strength
when they are sick.
4I prayed, "Have pity, LORD!
Heal me,
though I have sinned
against you."
5My vicious enemies ask me,
"When will you die
and be forgotten?"
6When visitors come,
all they ever bring
are worthless words,
and when they leave,
they spread gossip.
7My enemies whisper about me.
They think the worst,
8and they say,
"You have some fatal disease!
You'll never get well."
9My most trusted friend
has turned against me,
though he ate at my table.
10Have pity, LORD! Heal me,
so I can pay them back.
11Then my enemies
won't defeat me,
and I will know
that you really care.
12You have helped me
because I am innocent,
and you will always
be close to my side.
13You, the LORD God of Israel,
will be praised forever!
Amen and amen.
Proverbs 10:15-16 (Contemporary English Version)
15Great wealth can be a fortress,
but poverty
is no protection at all.
16If you live right,
the reward is a good life;
if you are evil,
all you have is sin.
but poverty
is no protection at all.
16If you live right,
the reward is a good life;
if you are evil,
all you have is sin.
Thought for the Day
“Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, 'Love others as much as you love yourself.'” (Matthew 22:37-39 - Contemporary English Version) It's not rocket science. Followers of Jesus Christ are commanded to love God and to love one another. And if we're not willing to do this, we probably shouldn't claim to be something that we're not.
Quote for the Day
Indian spiritual master who claimed to be his era's Avatar, Meher Baba wrote, “One has to go beyond the mind to experience the spiritual bliss of desirelessness.”
A Joke for Today
Two guys were walking in the woods one day, and they all of a sudden came across a bear. The bear noticed them, and started growling and generally getting really mean.
The bear started to chase one of the guys, who, as it turns out, was from Czechoslovakia. The bear soon caught up with him, and ate him alive. The other guy turned around and ran for his life.
A little while later, the second guy found a park ranger station and told his story. The ranger took his gun, and they both went out in search of the bear, in order to destroy it.
Soon, they came across two bears, one male, and one female. The ranger turned to the other guy and said: "Quick... tell me which bear ate your friend!" The ranger leveled his gun and got ready to shoot.
"I'm not really sure," said the other guy, "they both look similar."
"QUICK! Make up your mind!" said the ranger.
"O.K.," said the other, "it was the male."
The ranger promptly aimed and shot the female bear. The male ran off. Using his knife, the ranger cut open the belly of the female and found the body of the other man.
"But why didn't you shoot the male when I thought it was the male who ate my friend?" the other man asked.
"Well," said the ranger...
"I never trust anyone who says that the Czech's in the male!"
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 God would protect our service men and women both home and abroad.
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