February 24 Reading through the Bible

 

LEVITICUS 15:1-16:28
MARK 7:1-23
PSALM 40:11-17
PROVERBS 10:13-14

LEVITICUS 15:1-16:28
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 2 " Give these further instructions to the Israelites: Any man who has a genital discharge is ceremonially unclean because of it. 3 This defilement applies whether the discharge continues or is stopped up. In either case the man is unclean. 4 Any bedding on which he lies and anything on which he sits will be defiled. 5 " So if you touch the man's bedding, you will be required to wash your clothes and bathe in water, and you will remain ceremonially defiled until evening. 6 If you sit where the man with the discharge has sat, you will be required to wash your clothes and bathe in water. You will then remain defiled until evening. 7 The same instructions apply if you touch the man who has the unclean discharge. 8 And if he spits on you, you must undergo the same procedure. 9 Any blanket on which the man rides will be defiled. 10 If you touch or carry anything that was under him, you will be required to wash your clothes and bathe in water, and you will remain defiled until evening. 11 If the man touches you without first rinsing his hands, then you will be required to wash your clothes and bathe in water, and you will remain defiled until evening. 12 Any clay pot touched by the man with the discharge must be broken, and every wooden utensil he touches must be rinsed with water. 13 " When the man's discharge heals, he must count off a period of seven days. During that time, he must wash his clothes and bathe in fresh springwater. Then he will be ceremonially clean. 14 On the eighth day he must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons and present himself to the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle and give his offerings to the priest. 15 The priest will present the offerings there, one for a sin offering and the other for a whole burnt offering. In this way, the priest will make atonement for the man before the LORD for his discharge. 16 " Whenever a man has an emission of semen, he must wash his entire body, and he will remain ceremonially defiled until evening. 17 Any clothing or leather that comes in contact with the semen must be washed, and it will remain defiled until evening. 18 After having sexual intercourse, both the man and the woman must bathe, and they will remain defiled until evening. 19 " Whenever a woman has her menstrual period, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days. If you touch her during that time, you will be defiled until evening. 20 Anything on which she lies or sits during that time will be defiled. 21 If you touch her bed, you must wash your clothes and bathe in water, and you will remain defiled until evening. 22 The same applies if you touch an object on which she sits, 23 whether it is her bedding or any piece of furniture. 24 If a man has sexual intercourse with her during this time, her menstrual impurity will be transmitted to him. He will remain defiled for seven days, and any bed on which he lies will be defiled. 25 " If the menstrual flow of blood continues for many days beyond the normal period, or if she discharges blood unrelated to her menstruation, the woman will be ceremonially unclean as long as the discharge continues. 26 Anything on which she lies or sits during that time will be defiled, just as it would be during her normal menstrual period. 27 If you touch her bed or anything on which she sits, you will be defiled. You will be required to wash your clothes and bathe in water, and you will remain defiled until evening. 28 " When the woman's menstrual discharge stops, she must count off a period of seven days. After that, she will be ceremonially clean. 29 On the eighth day, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons and present them to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 30 The priest will offer one for a sin offering and the other for a whole burnt offering. In this way, the priest will make atonement for her before the LORD for her menstrual discharge. 31 " In this way, you will keep the people of Israel separate from things that will defile them, so they will not die as a result of defiling my Tabernacle that is right there among them. 32 These are the instructions for dealing with a man who has been defiled by a genital discharge or an emission of semen; 33 for dealing with a woman during her monthly menstrual period; for dealing with anyone, man or woman, who has had a bodily discharge of any kind; and for dealing with a man who has had intercourse with a woman during her period."16:1 THE LORD spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron's two sons, who died when they burned a different kind of fire than the LORD had commanded. 2 The LORD said to Moses, " Warn your brother Aaron not to enter the Most Holy Place behind the inner curtain whenever he chooses; the penalty for intrusion is death. For the Ark's cover--the place of atonement--is there, and I myself am present in the cloud over the atonement cover. 3 " When Aaron enters the sanctuary area, he must follow these instructions fully. He must first bring a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a whole burnt offering. 4 Then he must wash his entire body and put on his linen tunic and the undergarments worn next to his body. He must tie the linen sash around his waist and put the linen turban on his head. These are his sacred garments. 5 The people of Israel must then bring him two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a whole burnt offering. 6 " Aaron will present the bull as a sin offering, to make atonement for himself and his family. 7 Then he must bring the two male goats and present them to the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 8 He is to cast sacred lots to determine which goat will be sacrificed to the LORD and which one will be the scapegoat. 9 The goat chosen to be sacrificed to the LORD will be presented by Aaron as a sin offering. 10 The goat chosen to be the scapegoat will be presented to the LORD alive. When it is sent away into the wilderness, it will make atonement for the people. 11 " Then Aaron will present the young bull as a sin offering for himself and his family. After he has slaughtered this bull for the sin offering, 12 he will fill an incense burner with burning coals from the altar that stands before the LORD. Then, after filling both his hands with fragrant incense, he will carry the burner and incense behind the inner curtain. 13 There in the LORD's presence, he will put the incense on the burning coals so that a cloud of incense will rise over the Ark's cover--the place of atonement--that rests on the Ark of the Covenant. If he follows these instructions, he will not die. 14 Then he must dip his finger into the blood of the bull and sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover and then seven times against the front of the Ark. 15 " Then Aaron must slaughter the goat as a sin offering for the people and bring its blood behind the inner curtain. There he will sprinkle the blood on the atonement cover and against the front of the Ark, just as he did with the bull's blood. 16 In this way, he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place, and he will do the same for the entire Tabernacle, because of the defiling sin and rebellion of the Israelites. 17 No one else is allowed inside the Tabernacle while Aaron goes in to make atonement for the Most Holy Place. No one may enter until he comes out again after making atonement for himself, his family, and all the Israelites. 18 " Then Aaron will go out to make atonement for the altar that stands before the LORD by smearing some of the blood from the bull and the goat on each of the altar's horns. 19 Then he must dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it seven times over the altar. In this way, he will cleanse it from Israel's defilement and return it to its former holiness. 20 " When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tabernacle, and the altar, he must bring the living goat forward. 21 He is to lay both of his hands on the goat's head and confess over it all the sins and rebellion of the Israelites. In this way, he will lay the people's sins on the head of the goat; then he will send it out into the wilderness, led by a man chosen for this task. 22 After the man sets it free in the wilderness, the goat will carry all the people's sins upon itself into a desolate land. 23 " As Aaron enters the Tabernacle, he must take off the linen garments he wore when he entered the Most Holy Place, and he must leave the garments there. 24 Then he must bathe his entire body with water in a sacred place, put on his garments, and go out to sacrifice his own whole burnt offering and the whole burnt offering for the people. In this way, he will make atonement for himself and for the people. 25 He must also burn all the fat of the sin offering on the altar. 26 " The man chosen to send the goat out into the wilderness as a scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe in water. Then he may return to the camp. 27 " The bull and goat given as sin offerings, whose blood Aaron brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement for Israel, will be carried outside the camp to be burned. This includes the animals' hides, the internal organs, and the dung. 28 The man who does the burning must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water before returning to the camp."

MARK 7:1-23
One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to confront Jesus. 2 They noticed that some of Jesus' disciples failed to follow the usual Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. 3 (The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions. 4 Similarly, they eat nothing bought from the market unless they have immersed their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to--such as their ceremony of washing cups, pitchers, and kettles.) 5 So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, " Why don't your disciples follow our age-old customs? For they eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony." 6 Jesus replied, " You hypocrites! Isaiah was prophesying about you when he said,7 ` These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far away.
Their worship is a farce,
for they replace God's commands with their own man-made teachings.'
8 For you ignore God's specific laws and substitute your own traditions." 9 Then he said, " You reject God's laws in order to hold on to your own traditions. 10 For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ` Honor your father and mother,' and ` Anyone who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.' 11 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ` Sorry, I can't help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I could have given to you.' 12 You let them disregard their needy parents. 13 As such, you break the law of God in order to protect your own tradition. And this is only one example. There are many, many others." 14 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. " All of you listen," he said, " and try to understand. 15 You are not defiled by what you eat; you are defiled by what you say and do!"17 Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowds, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the statement he had made. 18 " Don't you understand either?" he asked. " Can't you see that what you eat won't defile you? 19 Food doesn't come in contact with your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then comes out again." (By saying this, he showed that every kind of food is acceptable.) 20 And then he added, " It is the thought-life that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasure, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God."

PSALM 40:11-17
LORD, don't hold back your tender mercies from me.
My only hope is in your unfailing love and faithfulness.
12 For troubles surround me--
too many to count!
They pile up so high
I can't see my way out.
They are more numerous than the hairs on my head.
I have lost all my courage.
13 Please, LORD, rescue me!
Come quickly, LORD, and help me.
14 May those who try to destroy me
be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
be turned back in disgrace.
15 Let them be horrified by their shame,
for they said, " Aha! We've got him now!"
16 But may all who search for you
be filled with joy and gladness.
May those who love your salvation
repeatedly shout, " The LORD is great!"
17 As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord is thinking about me right now.
You are my helper and my savior.
Do not delay, O my God.

PROVERBS 10:13-14
Wise words come from the lips of people with understanding, but fools will be punished with a rod. Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites trouble.

February 23 Reading through the Bible

LEVITICUS 14:1-57
MARK 6:30-56
PSALM 40:1-10
PROVERBS 10:11-12

LEVITICUS 14:1-57
And the LORD said to Moses, 2 " The following instructions must be followed by those seeking purification from a contagious skin disease. Those who have been healed must be brought to the priest, 3 who will examine them at a place outside the camp. If the priest finds that someone has been healed of the skin disease, 4 he will perform a purification ceremony, using two wild birds of a kind permitted for food, along with some cedarwood, a scarlet cloth, and a hyssop branch. 5 The priest will order one of the birds to be slaughtered over a clay pot that is filled with fresh spring water. 6 He will then dip the living bird, along with the cedarwood, the scarlet cloth, and the hyssop branch, into the blood of the slaughtered bird. 7 The priest will also sprinkle the dead bird's blood seven times over the person being purified, and the priest will pronounce that person to be ceremonially clean. At the end of the ceremony, the priest will set the living bird free so it can fly away into the open fields. 8 " The people being purified must complete the cleansing ceremony by washing their clothes, shaving off all their hair, and bathing themselves in water. Then they will be ceremonially clean and may return to live inside the camp. However, they must still remain outside their tents for seven days. 9 On the seventh day, they must again shave off all their hair, including the hair of the beard and eyebrows, and wash their clothes and bathe themselves in water. Then they will be pronounced ceremonially clean. 10 " On the next day, the eighth day, each person cured of the skin disease must bring two male lambs and one female year-old lamb with no physical defects, along with five quarts of choice flour mixed with olive oil and three-fifths of a pint of olive oil. 11 Then the officiating priest will present that person for cleansing, along with the offerings, before the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 12 The priest will take one of the lambs and the olive oil and offer them as a guilt offering by lifting them up before the LORD. 13 He will then slaughter the lamb there in the sacred area at the place where sin offerings and burnt offerings are slaughtered. As with the sin offering, the guilt offering will be given to the priest. It is a most holy offering. 14 The priest will then take some of the blood from the guilt offering and put it on the tip of the healed person's right ear, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot. 15 " Then the priest will pour some of the olive oil into the palm of his own left hand. 16 He will dip his right finger into the oil and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD. 17 The priest will then put some of the oil remaining in his left hand on the tip of the healed person's right ear, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot, in addition to the blood of the guilt offering. 18 The oil remaining in the priest's hand will then be poured over the healed person's head. In this way, the priest will make atonement before the LORD for the person being cleansed. 19 " Then the priest must offer the sin offering and again perform the atonement ceremony for the person cured of the skin disease. After that, the priest will slaughter the whole burnt offering 20 and offer it on the altar along with the grain offering. In this way, the priest will make atonement for the person being cleansed, and the healed person will be ceremonially clean. 21 " But anyone who cannot afford two lambs must bring one male lamb for a guilt offering, along with two quarts of choice flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering and three-fifths of a pint of olive oil. The guilt offering will be presented by lifting it up, thus making atonement for the person being cleansed. 22 The person being cleansed must also bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, whichever the person can afford. One of the pair must be used for a sin offering and the other for a whole burnt offering. 23 On the eighth day, the person being cleansed must bring the offerings to the priest for the cleansing ceremony to be performed in the LORD's presence at the Tabernacle entrance. 24 The priest will take the lamb for the guilt offering, along with the olive oil, and lift them up before the LORD as an offering to him. 25 Then the priest will slaughter the lamb for the guilt offering and put some of its blood on the tip of the person's right ear, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot. 26 " The priest will also pour some of the olive oil into the palm of his own left hand. 27 He will dip his right finger into the oil and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD. 28 The priest will then put some of the olive oil from his hand on the lobe of the person's right ear, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot, in addition to the blood of the guilt offering. 29 The oil that is still in the priest's hand will then be poured over the person's head. In this way, the priest will make atonement for the person being cleansed. 30 " Then the priest will offer the two turtledoves or the two young pigeons, whichever the person was able to afford. 31 One of them is for a sin offering and the other for a whole burnt offering, to be presented along with the grain offering. In this way, the priest will make atonement before the LORD for the person being cleansed. 32 These are the instructions for cleansing those who have recovered from a contagious skin disease but who cannot afford to bring the sacrifices normally required for the ceremony of cleansing." 33 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 34 " When you arrive in Canaan, the land I am giving you as an inheritance, I may contaminate some of your houses with an infectious mildew. 35 The owner of such a house must then go to the priest and say, ` It looks like my house has some kind of disease.' 36 Before the priest examines the house, he must have the house emptied so everything inside will not be pronounced unclean. Then the priest will go in and inspect the house. 37 If he finds bright green or reddish streaks on the walls of the house and the contamination appears to go deeper than the wall's surface, 38 he will leave the house and lock it up for seven days. 39 On the seventh day the priest must return for another inspection. If the mildew on the walls of the house has spread, 40 the priest must order that the stones from those areas be removed. The contaminated material will then be thrown into an area outside the town designated as ceremonially unclean. 41 Next the inside walls of the entire house must be scraped thoroughly and the scrapings dumped in the unclean place outside the town. 42 Other stones will be brought in to replace the ones that were removed, and the walls will be replastered. 43 " But if the mildew reappears after all these things have been done, 44 the priest must return and inspect the house again. If he sees that the affected areas have spread, the walls are clearly contaminated with an infectious mildew, and the house is defiled. 45 It must be torn down, and all its stones, timbers, and plaster must be carried out of town to the place designated as ceremonially unclean. 46 Anyone who enters the house while it is closed will be considered ceremonially unclean until evening. 47 All who sleep or eat in the house must wash their clothing. 48 " But if the priest returns for his inspection and finds that the affected areas have not reappeared after the fresh plastering, then he will pronounce the house clean because the infectious mildew is clearly gone. 49 To purify the house the priest will need two birds, some cedarwood, a scarlet cloth, and a hyssop branch. 50 He will slaughter one of the birds over a clay pot that is filled with fresh spring water. 51 Then he will dip the cedarwood, the hyssop branch, the scarlet cloth, and the living bird into the blood of the slaughtered bird, and he will sprinkle the house seven times. 52 After he has purified the house in this way, 53 he will release the living bird in the open fields outside the town. In this way, the priest will make atonement for the house, and it will be ceremonially clean. 54 " These are the instructions for dealing with the various kinds of contagious skin disease and infectious mildew,* 55 whether in clothing, in a house, 56 in a swollen area of skin, in a skin rash, or in a shiny patch of skin. 57 These instructions must be followed when dealing with any contagious skin disease or infectious mildew, to determine when something is ceremonially clean or unclean."

MARK 6:30-56
The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and what they had taught. 31 Then Jesus said, " Let's get away from the crowds for a while and rest." There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat. 32 They left by boat for a quieter spot. 33 But many people saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and met them as they landed. 34 A vast crowd was there as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he taught them many things. 35 Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, " This is a desolate place, and it is getting late. 36 Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy themselves some food." 37 But Jesus said, " You feed them." " With what?" they asked. " It would take a small fortune to buy food for all this crowd!" 38 " How much food do you have?" he asked. " Go and find out." They came back and reported, " We have five loaves of bread and two fish." 39 Then Jesus told the crowd to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat in groups of fifty or a hundred. 41 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and asked God's blessing on the food. Breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples to give to the people. 42 They all ate as much as they wanted, 43 and they picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. 44 Five thousand men had eaten from those five loaves! 45 Immediately after this, Jesus made his disciples get back into the boat and head out across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. 46 Afterward he went up into the hills by himself to pray. 47 During the night, the disciples were in their boat out in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. 48 He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o'clock in the morning he came to them, walking on the water. He started to go past them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the water, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost. 50 They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. " It's all right," he said. " I am here! Don't be afraid." 51 Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were astonished at what they saw. 52 They still didn't understand the significance of the miracle of the multiplied loaves, for their hearts were hard and they did not believe. 53 When they arrived at Gennesaret on the other side of the lake, they anchored the boat 54 and climbed out. The people standing there recognized him at once, 55 and they ran throughout the whole area and began carrying sick people to him on mats. 56 Wherever he went--in villages and cities and out on the farms--they laid the sick in the market plazas and streets. The sick begged him to let them at least touch the fringe of his robe, and all who touched it were healed.

PSALM 40:1-10
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 I waited patiently for the LORD to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
3 He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be astounded.
They will put their trust in the LORD.
4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD,
who have no confidence in the proud,
or in those who worship idols.
5 O LORD my God, you have done many miracles for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.
6 You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand--
you don't require burnt offerings or sin offerings.
7 Then I said, " Look, I have come.
And this has been written about me in your scroll:
8 I take joy in doing your will, my God,
for your law is written on my heart."
9 I have told all your people about your justice.
I have not been afraid to speak out,
as you, O LORD, well know.
10 I have not kept this good news hidden in my heart;
I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
of your unfailing love and faithfulness.

PROVERBS 10:11-12

The words of the godly lead to life; evil people cover up their harmful intentions. Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love covers all offenses. 

February 22 Reading through the Bible

LEVITICUS 13:1-59
MARK 6:1-29
PSALM 39:1-13
PROVERBS 10:10

LEVITICUS 13:1-59
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 2 " If some of the people notice a swelling or a rash or a shiny patch on their skin that develops into a contagious skin disease, they must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons. 3 The priest will then examine the affected area of a person's skin. If the hair in the affected area has turned white and appears to be more than skin-deep, then it is a contagious skin disease, and the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean. 4 " But if the affected area of the skin is white but does not appear to be more than skin-deep, and if the hair in the spot has not turned white, the priest will put the infected person in quarantine for seven days. 5 On the seventh day the priest will make another examination. If the affected area has not changed or spread on the skin, then the priest will put the person in quarantine for seven more days. 6 The priest will examine the skin again on the seventh day. If the affected area has faded and not spread, the priest will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. It was only a temporary rash. So after washing the clothes, the person will be considered free of disease. 7 But if the rash continues to spread after this examination and pronouncement by the priest, the infected person must return to be examined again. 8 If the priest notices that the rash has spread, then he must pronounce this person ceremonially unclean, for it is a contagious skin disease.9 " Anyone who develops a contagious skin disease must go to the priest for an examination. 10 If the priest sees that some hair has turned white and an open sore appears in the affected area, 11 it is clearly a contagious skin disease, and the priest must pronounce that person ceremonially unclean. In such cases, the person need not be quarantined for further observation because it is clear that the skin is defiled by the disease. 12 " Now suppose the priest discovers after his examination that a rash has broken out all over someone's skin, covering the body from head to foot. 13 In such cases, the priest must examine the infected person to see if the disease covers the entire body. If it does, he will pronounce the person ceremonially clean because the skin has turned completely white. 14 But if any open sores appear, the infected person will be pronounced ceremonially unclean. 15 The priest must make this pronouncement as soon as he sees an open sore because open sores indicate the presence of a contagious skin disease. 16 However, if the open sores heal and turn white like the rest of the skin, the person must return to the priest. 17 If, after another examination, the affected areas have indeed turned completely white, then the priest will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. 18 " If anyone has had a boil on the skin that has started to heal, 19 but a white swelling or a reddish white spot remains in its place, that person must go to the priest to be examined. 20 If the priest finds the disease to be more than skin-deep, and if the hair in the affected area has turned white, then the priest must pronounce that person ceremonially unclean. It is a contagious skin disease that has broken out in the boil. 21 But if the priest sees that there is no white hair in the affected area, and if it doesn't appear to be more than skin-deep and has faded, then the priest is to put the person in quarantine for seven days. 22 If during that time the affected area spreads on the skin, the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean, because it is a contagious skin disease. 23 But if the area grows no larger and does not spread, it is merely the scar from the boil, and the priest will pronounce that person ceremonially clean. 24 " If anyone has suffered a burn on the skin and the burned area changes color, becoming either a shiny reddish white or white, 25 then the priest must examine it. If the hair in the affected area turns white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, a contagious skin disease has broken out in the burn. The priest must then pronounce that person ceremonially unclean, for it is clearly a contagious skin disease. 26 But if the priest discovers that there is no white hair in the affected area and the problem appears to be no more than skin-deep and has faded, then the priest is to put the infected person in quarantine for seven days. 27 If at the end of that time the affected area has spread on the skin, the priest must pronounce that person ceremonially unclean, for it is clearly a contagious skin disease. 28 But if the affected area has not moved or spread on the skin and has faded, it is simply a scar from the burn. The priest must then pronounce the person ceremonially clean. 29 " If anyone, whether a man or woman, has an open sore on the head or chin, 30 the priest must examine the infection. If it appears to be more than skin-deep and fine yellow hair is found in the affected area, the priest must pronounce the infected person ceremonially unclean. The infection is a contagious skin disease of the head or chin. 31 However, if the priest's examination reveals that the infection is only skin-deep and there is no black hair in the affected area, then he must put the person in quarantine for seven days. 32 If at the end of that time the affected area has not spread and no yellow hair has appeared, and if the infection does not appear to be more than skin-deep, 33 the infected person must shave off all hair except the hair on the affected area. Then the priest must put the person in quarantine for another seven days, 34 and he will examine the infection again on the seventh day. If it has not spread and appears to be no more than skin-deep, the priest must pronounce that person ceremonially clean. After washing clothes, that person will be clean. 35 But if the infection begins to spread after the person is pronounced clean, 36 the priest must do another examination. If the infection has spread, he must pronounce the infected person ceremonially unclean, even without checking for yellow hair. 37 But if it appears that the infection has stopped spreading and black hair has grown in the affected area, then the infection has healed. The priest will then pronounce the infected person ceremonially clean. 38 " If anyone, whether a man or woman, has shiny white patches on the skin, 39 the priest must examine the affected area. If the patch is only a pale white, this is a harmless skin rash, and the person is ceremonially clean. 40 " If a man loses his hair and his head becomes bald, he is still ceremonially clean. 41 And if he loses hair on his forehead, he simply has a bald forehead; he is still clean. 42 However, if a reddish white infection appears on the front or the back of his head, this is a contagious skin disease. 43 The priest must examine him, and if he finds swelling around the reddish white sore, 44 the man is infected with a contagious skin disease and is unclean. The priest must pronounce him ceremonially unclean because of the infection. 45 " Those who suffer from any contagious skin disease must tear their clothing and allow their hair to hang loose. Then, as they go from place to place, they must cover their mouth and call out, ` Unclean! Unclean!' 46 As long as the disease lasts, they will be ceremonially unclean and must live in isolation outside the camp. 47 " Now suppose an infectious mildew contaminates some woolen or linen clothing, 48 some woolen or linen fabric, the hide of an animal, or anything made of leather. 49 If the affected area in the clothing, the animal hide, the fabric, or the leather has turned bright green or a reddish color, it is contaminated with an infectious mildew and must be taken to the priest to be examined. 50 After examining the affected spot, the priest will put it away for seven days. 51 On the seventh day the priest must inspect it again. If the affected area has spread, the material is clearly contaminated by an infectious mildew and is unclean. 52 The priest must burn the linen or wool clothing or the piece of leather because it has been contaminated by an infectious mildew. It must be completely destroyed by fire. 53 " But if the priest examines it again and the affected spot has not spread in the clothing, the fabric, or the leather, 54 the priest will order the contaminated object to be washed and then isolated for seven more days. 55 Then the priest must inspect the object again. If he sees that the affected area has not changed appearance after being washed, even if it did not spread, the object is defiled. It must be completely burned up, whether it is contaminated on the inside or outside. 56 But if the priest sees that the affected area has faded after being washed, he is to cut the spot from the clothing, the fabric, or the leather. 57 If the spot reappears at a later time, however, the mildew is clearly spreading, and the contaminated object must be burned up. 58 But if the spot disappears after the object is washed, it must be washed again; then it will be ceremonially clean. 59 " These are the instructions for dealing with infectious mildew in woolen or linen clothing or fabric, or in anything made of leather. This is how the priest will determine whether these things are ceremonially clean or unclean."

MARK 6:1-29
Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. 2 The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They asked, " Where did he get all his wisdom and the power to perform such miracles? 3 He's just the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us." They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. 4 Then Jesus told them, " A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family." 5 And because of their unbelief, he couldn't do any mighty miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.Then Jesus went out from village to village, teaching. 7 And he called his twelve disciples together and sent them out two by two, with authority to cast out evil spirits. 8 He told them to take nothing with them except a walking stick--no food, no traveler's bag, no money. 9 He told them to wear sandals but not to take even an extra coat. 10 " When you enter each village, be a guest in only one home," he said. 11 " And if a village won't welcome you or listen to you, shake off its dust from your feet as you leave. It is a sign that you have abandoned that village to its fate." 12 So the disciples went out, telling all they met to turn from their sins. 13 And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil. 14 Herod Antipas, the king, soon heard about Jesus, because people everywhere were talking about him. Some were saying, " This must be John the Baptist come back to life again. That is why he can do such miracles." 15 Others thought Jesus was the ancient prophet Elijah. Still others thought he was a prophet like the other great prophets of the past. 16 When Herod heard about Jesus, he said, " John, the man I beheaded, has come back from the dead." 17 For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his brother Philip's wife, but Herod had married her. 18 John kept telling Herod, " It is illegal for you to marry your brother's wife." 19 Herodias was enraged and wanted John killed in revenge, but without Herod's approval she was powerless. 20 And Herod respected John, knowing that he was a good and holy man, so he kept him under his protection. Herod was disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him. 21 Herodias's chance finally came. It was Herod's birthday, and he gave a party for his palace aides, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee. 22 Then his daughter, also named Herodias, came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased them all. " Ask me for anything you like," the king said to the girl, " and I will give it to you." 23 Then he promised, " I will give you whatever you ask, up to half of my kingdom!" 24 She went out and asked her mother, " What should I ask for?" Her mother told her, " Ask for John the Baptist's head!" 25 So the girl hurried back to the king and told him, " I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!" 26 Then the king was very sorry, but he was embarrassed to break his oath in front of his guests. 27 So he sent an executioner to the prison to cut off John's head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded John in the prison, 28 brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother. 29 When John's disciples heard what had happened, they came for his body and buried it in a tomb.

PSALM 39:1-13
For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 I said to myself, " I will watch what I do
and not sin in what I say.
I will curb my tongue
when the ungodly are around me."
2 But as I stood there in silence--
not even speaking of good things--
the turmoil within me grew to the bursting point.
3 My thoughts grew hot within me
and began to burn,
igniting a fire of words:
4 " LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered,
and that my life is fleeing away.
5 My life is no longer than the width of my hand.
An entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
human existence is but a breath."
Interlude6 We are merely moving shadows,
and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth for someone else to spend.
7 And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
My only hope is in you.
8 Rescue me from my rebellion,
for even fools mock me when I rebel.
9 I am silent before you; I won't say a word.
For my punishment is from you.
10 Please, don't punish me anymore!
I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.
11 When you discipline people for their sins,
their lives can be crushed like the life of a moth.
Human existence is as frail as breath.
Interlude12 Hear my prayer, O LORD!
Listen to my cries for help!
Don't ignore my tears.
For I am your guest--
a traveler passing through,
as my ancestors were before me.
13 Spare me so I can smile again
before I am gone and exist no more.

PROVERBS 10:10

People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace.> 

February 21 Reading through the Bible

LEVITICUS 11:1-12:8
MARK 5:21-43
PSALM 38:1-22
PROVERBS 10:8-9

LEVITICUS 11:1-12:8
Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 2 " Give the following instructions to the Israelites: The animals you may use for food 3 include those that have completely divided hooves and chew the cud. 4 You may not, however, eat the animals named here because they either have split hooves or chew the cud, but not both. The camel may not be eaten, for though it chews the cud, it does not have split hooves. 5 The same is true of the rock badger 6 and the hare, so they also may never be eaten. 7 And the pig may not be eaten, for though it has split hooves, it does not chew the cud. 8 You may not eat the meat of these animals or touch their dead bodies. They are ceremonially unclean for you. 9 " As for marine animals, you may eat whatever has both fins and scales, whether taken from fresh water or salt water. 10 You may not, however, eat marine animals that do not have both fins and scales. You are to detest them, 11 and they will always be forbidden to you. You must never eat their meat or even touch their dead bodies. 12 I repeat, any marine animal that does not have both fins and scales is strictly forbidden to you. 13 " These are the birds you must never eat because they are detestable for you: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, 14 the buzzard, kites of all kinds, 15 ravens of all kinds, 16 the ostrich, the nighthawk, the seagull, hawks of all kinds, 17 the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, 18 the white owl, the pelican, the carrion vulture, 19 the stork, herons of all kinds, the hoopoe, and the bat. 20 " You are to consider detestable all swarming insects that walk along the ground. 21 However, there are some exceptions that you may eat. These include insects that jump with their hind legs: 22 locusts of all varieties, crickets, bald locusts, and grasshoppers. All these may be eaten. 23 But you are to consider detestable all other swarming insects that walk or crawl. 24 " The following creatures make you ceremonially unclean. If you touch any of their dead bodies, you will be defiled until evening. 25 If you move the dead body of an unclean animal, you must immediately wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening. 26 " Any animal that has divided but unsplit hooves or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you. If you touch the dead body of such an animal, you will be defiled until evening. 27 Of the animals that walk on all fours, those that have paws are unclean for you. If you touch the dead body of such an animal, you will be defiled until evening. 28 If you pick up and move its carcass, you must immediately wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening. 29 " Of the small animals that scurry or creep on the ground, these are unclean for you: the mole, the mouse, the great lizard of all varieties, 30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, the common lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. 31 All these small animals are unclean for you. If you touch the dead body of such an animal, you will be defiled until evening. 32 If such an animal dies and falls on something, that object, whatever its use, will be unclean. This is true whether the object is made of wood, cloth, leather, or sackcloth. It must be put into water, and it will remain defiled until evening. After that, it will be ceremonially clean and may be used again. 33 " If such an animal dies and falls into a clay pot, everything in the pot will be defiled, and the pot must be smashed. 34 If the water used to cleanse an unclean object touches any food, all of that food will be defiled. And any beverage that is in such an unclean container will be defiled. 35 Any object on which the dead body of such an animal falls will be defiled. If it is a clay oven or cooking pot, it must be smashed to pieces. It has become defiled, and it will remain that way. 36 " However, if the dead body of such an animal falls into a spring or a cistern, the water will still be clean. But anyone who removes the dead body will be defiled. 37 If the dead body falls on seed grain to be planted in the field, the seed will still be considered clean. 38 But if the seed is wet when the dead body falls on it, the seed will be defiled. 39 " If an animal that is permitted for eating dies and you touch its carcass, you will be defiled until evening. 40 If you eat any of its meat or carry away its carcass, you must wash your clothes. Then you will remain defiled until evening. 41 " Consider detestable any animal that scurries along the ground; such animals may never be eaten. 42 This includes all animals that slither along on their bellies, as well as those with four legs and those with many feet. All such animals are to be considered detestable. 43 Never defile yourselves by touching such animals. 44 After all, I, the LORD, am your God. You must be holy because I am holy. So do not defile yourselves by touching any of these animals that scurry along the ground. 45 I, the LORD, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God. You must therefore be holy because I am holy. 46 " These are the instructions regarding the land animals, the birds, and all the living things that move through the water or swarm over the earth, 47 so you can distinguish between what is unclean and may not be eaten and what is clean and may be eaten."12:1 THE LORD said to Moses, " Give these instructions to the Israelites: 2 When a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is defiled during her menstrual period. 3 On the eighth day, the boy must be circumcised. 4 Then the woman must wait for thirty-three days until the time of her purification from the blood of childbirth is completed. During this time of purification, she must not touch anything that is holy. And she must not go to the sanctuary until her time of purification is over. 5 If a woman gives birth to a daughter, she will be ceremonially defiled for two weeks, just as she is defiled during her menstrual period. She must then wait another sixty-six days to be purified from the blood of childbirth. 6 " When the time of purification is completed for either a son or a daughter, the woman must bring a year-old lamb for a whole burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a purification offering. She must take her offerings to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 7 The priest will then present them to the LORD and make atonement for her. Then she will be ceremonially clean again after her bleeding at childbirth. These are the instructions to be followed after the birth of a son or a daughter. 8 " If a woman cannot afford to bring a sheep, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One will be for the whole burnt offering and the other for the purification offering. The priest will sacrifice them, thus making atonement for her, and she will be ceremonially clean."

MARK 5:21-43
When Jesus went back across to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. 22 A leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, came and fell down before him, 23 pleading with him to heal his little daughter. " She is about to die," he said in desperation. " Please come and place your hands on her; heal her so she can live." 24 Jesus went with him, and the crowd thronged behind. 25 And there was a woman in the crowd who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors through the years and had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she was worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched the fringe of his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, " If I can just touch his clothing, I will be healed." 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel that she had been healed! 30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, " Who touched my clothes?" 31 His disciples said to him, " All this crowd is pressing around you. How can you ask, ` Who touched me?' " 32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, " Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. You have been healed." 35 While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from Jairus's home with the message, " Your daughter is dead. There's no use troubling the Teacher now." 36 But Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jairus, " Don't be afraid. Just trust me." 37 Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn't let anyone go with him except Peter and James and John. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw the commotion and the weeping and wailing. 39 He went inside and spoke to the people. " Why all this weeping and commotion?" he asked. " The child isn't dead; she is only asleep." 40 The crowd laughed at him, but he told them all to go outside. Then he took the girl's father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. 41 Holding her hand, he said to her, " Get up, little girl!" 42 And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! Her parents were absolutely overwhelmed. 43 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what had happened, and he told them to give her something to eat.

PSALM 38:1-22
A psalm of David, to bring us to the LORD's remembrance.
1 O LORD, don't rebuke me in your anger!
Don't discipline me in your rage!
2 Your arrows have struck deep,
and your blows are crushing me.
3 Because of your anger, my whole body is sick;
my health is broken because of my sins.
4 My guilt overwhelms me--
it is a burden too heavy to bear.
5 My wounds fester and stink
because of my foolish sins.
6 I am bent over and racked with pain.
My days are filled with grief.
7 A raging fever burns within me,
and my health is broken.
8 I am exhausted and completely crushed.
My groans come from an anguished heart.
9 You know what I long for, Lord;
you hear my every sigh.
10 My heart beats wildly, my strength fails,
and I am going blind.
11 My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease.
Even my own family stands at a distance.
12 Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps for me;
they make plans to ruin me.
They think up treacherous deeds all day long.
13 But I am deaf to all their threats.
I am silent before them as one who cannot speak.
14 I choose to hear nothing,
and I make no reply.
15 For I am waiting for you, O LORD.
You must answer for me, O Lord my God.
16 I prayed, " Don't let my enemies gloat over me
or rejoice at my downfall."
17 I am on the verge of collapse,
facing constant pain.
18 But I confess my sins;
I am deeply sorry for what I have done.
19 My enemies are many;
they hate me though I have done nothing against them.
20 They repay me evil for good
and oppose me because I stand for the right.
21 Do not abandon me, LORD.
Do not stand at a distance, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior.

PROVERBS 10:8-9

The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. People with integrity have firm footing, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall. 

February 20 Reading through the Bible

LEVITICUS 9:7-10:20
MARK 4:26-5:20
PSALM 37:30-40
PROVERBS 10:6-7

LEVITICUS 9:7-10:20
Then Moses said to Aaron, " Approach the altar and present your sin offering and your whole burnt offering to make atonement for yourself. Then present the offerings to make atonement for the people, just as the LORD has commanded." 8 So Aaron went to the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering for himself. 9 His sons brought him the blood, and he dipped his finger into it and put it on the horns of the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 10 Then he burned on the altar the fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver from the sin offering, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 11 The meat and the hide, however, he burned outside the camp. 12 Next Aaron slaughtered the animal for the whole burnt offering. His sons brought him the blood, and he sprinkled it against the sides of the altar. 13 They handed the animal to him piece by piece, including the head, and he burned each part on the altar. 14 Then he washed the internal organs and the legs and also burned them on the altar as a whole burnt offering. 15 Next Aaron presented the sacrifices for the people. He slaughtered the people's goat and presented it as their sin offering, just as he had done previously for himself. 16 Then he brought the whole burnt offering and presented it in the prescribed way. 17 He also brought the grain offering, burning a handful of the flour on the altar, in addition to the regular morning burnt offering. 18 Then Aaron slaughtered the bull and the ram for the people's peace offering. His sons brought him the blood, and he sprinkled it against the sides of the altar. 19 Then he took the fat of the bull and the ram--the fat from the tail and from around the internal organs--along with the kidneys and the lobe of the liver. 20 He placed these fat parts on top of the breasts of these animals and then burned them on the altar. 21 Aaron then lifted up the breasts and right thighs as an offering to the LORD, just as Moses had commanded. 22 After that, Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them. Then, after presenting the sin offering, the whole burnt offering, and the peace offering, he stepped down from the altar. 23 Next Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle, and when they came back out, they blessed the people again, and the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to the whole community. 24 Fire blazed forth from the LORD's presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw all this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground.10:1 AARON'S sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over it. In this way, they disobeyed the LORD by burning before him a different kind of fire than he had commanded. 2 So fire blazed forth from the LORD's presence and burned them up, and they died there before the LORD. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, " This is what the LORD meant when he said, ` I will show myself holy
among those who are near me.
I will be glorified
before all the people.' "
And Aaron was silent. 4 Then Moses called for Mishael and Elzaphan, Aaron's cousins, the sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel. He said to them, " Come and carry the bodies of your relatives away from the sanctuary to a place outside the camp." 5 So they came forward and carried them out of the camp by their tunics as Moses had commanded. 6 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, " Do not mourn by letting your hair hang loose or by tearing your clothes. If you do, you will die, and the LORD will be angry with the whole community of Israel. However, the rest of the Israelites, your relatives, may mourn for Nadab and Abihu, whom the LORD has destroyed by fire. 7 But you are not to leave the entrance of the Tabernacle, under penalty of death, for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you." So they did as Moses commanded. 8 Then the LORD said to Aaron, 9 " You and your descendants must never drink wine or any other alcoholic drink before going into the Tabernacle. If you do, you will die. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be kept by all future generations. 10 You are to distinguish between what is holy and what is ordinary, what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean. 11 And you must teach the Israelites all the laws that the LORD has given through Moses." 12 Then Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, " Take what is left of the grain offering after the handful has been presented to the LORD by fire. Make sure there is no yeast in it, and eat it beside the altar, for it is most holy. 13 It must be eaten in a sacred place, for it has been given to you and your descendants as your regular share of the offerings given to the LORD by fire. These are the commands I have been given. 14 But the breast and thigh that were lifted up may be eaten in any place that is ceremonially clean. These parts have been given to you and to your sons and daughters as your regular share of the peace offerings presented by the people of Israel. 15 The thigh and breast that are lifted up must be lifted up to the LORD along with the fat of the offerings given by fire. Then they will belong to you and your descendants forever, just as the LORD has commanded." 16 When Moses demanded to know what had happened to the goat of the sin offering, he discovered that it had been burned up. As a result, he became very angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's remaining sons. 17 " Why didn't you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area?" he demanded. " It is a holy offering! It was given to you for removing the guilt of the community and for making atonement for the people before the LORD. 18 Since the animal's blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the meat in the sanctuary area as I ordered you." 19 Then Aaron answered Moses on behalf of his sons. " Today my sons presented both their sin offering and their burnt offering to the LORD," he said. " This kind of thing has also happened to me. Would the LORD have approved if I had eaten the sin offering today?" 20 And when Moses heard this, he approved.

MARK 4:26-5:20
Jesus also said, " Here is another illustration of what the Kingdom of God is like: A farmer planted seeds in a field, 27 and then he went on with his other activities. As the days went by, the seeds sprouted and grew without the farmer's help, 28 because the earth produces crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. 29 And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle." 30 Jesus asked, " How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? 31 It is like a tiny mustard seed. Though this is one of the smallest of seeds, 32 it grows to become one of the largest of plants, with long branches where birds can come and find shelter." 33 He used many such stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they were able to understand. 34 In fact, in his public teaching he taught only with parables, but afterward when he was alone with his disciples, he explained the meaning to them. 35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, " Let's cross to the other side of the lake." 36 He was already in the boat, so they started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm arose. High waves began to break into the boat until it was nearly full of water. 38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. Frantically they woke him up, shouting, " Teacher, don't you even care that we are going to drown?" 39 When he woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, " Quiet down!" Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 And he asked them, " Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?" 41 And they were filled with awe and said among themselves, " Who is this man, that even the wind and waves obey him?"5:1 SO they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the land of the Gerasenes. 2 Just as Jesus was climbing from the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit ran out from a cemetery to meet him. 3 This man lived among the tombs and could not be restrained, even with a chain. 4 Whenever he was put into chains and shackles--as he often was--he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to control him. 5 All day long and throughout the night, he would wander among the tombs and in the hills, screaming and hitting himself with stones. 6 When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him. He ran to meet Jesus and fell down before him. 7 He gave a terrible scream, shrieking, " Why are you bothering me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? For God's sake, don't torture me!" 8 For Jesus had already said to the spirit, " Come out of the man, you evil spirit." 9 Then Jesus asked, " What is your name?" And the spirit replied, " Legion, because there are many of us here inside this man." 10 Then the spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place. 11 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. 12 " Send us into those pigs," the evil spirits begged. 13 Jesus gave them permission. So the evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of two thousand pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake, where they drowned. 14 The herdsmen fled to the nearby city and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. Everyone rushed out to see for themselves. 15 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, but they were frightened when they saw the man who had been demon possessed, for he was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane. 16 Those who had seen what happened to the man and to the pigs told everyone about it, 17 and the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone. 18 When Jesus got back into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go, too. 19 But Jesus said, " No, go home to your friends, and tell them what wonderful things the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been." 20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to tell everyone about the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

PSALM 37:30-40
The godly offer good counsel;
they know what is right from wrong.
31 They fill their hearts with God's law,
so they will never slip from his path.
32 Those who are evil spy on the godly,
waiting for an excuse to kill them.
33 But the LORD will not let the wicked succeed
or let the godly be condemned when they are brought before the judge.
34 Don't be impatient for the LORD to act!
Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you, giving you the land.
You will see the wicked destroyed.
35 I myself have seen it happen--
proud and evil people thriving like mighty trees.
36 But when I looked again, they were gone!
Though I searched for them, I could not find them!
37 Look at those who are honest and good,
for a wonderful future lies before those who love peace.
38 But the wicked will be destroyed;
they have no future.
39 The LORD saves the godly;
he is their fortress in times of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them,
rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them,
and they find shelter in him.

PROVERBS 10:6-7

The godly are showered with blessings; evil people cover up their harmful intentions. We all have happy memories of the godly, but the name of a wicked person rots away. 

February 19 Reading through the Bible

 

LEVITICUS 7:28-9:6
MARK 3:31-4:25
PSALM 37:12-29
PROVERBS 10:5

LEVITICUS 7:28-9:6
Then the LORD said to Moses, 29 " Give these further instructions to the Israelites: When you present a peace offering to the LORD, bring part of it as a special gift to the LORD. 30 Present it to him with your own hands as an offering given to the LORD by fire. Bring the fat of the animal, together with the breast, and present it to the LORD by lifting it up before him. 31 Then the priest will burn the fat on the altar, but the breast will belong to Aaron and his sons. 32 You are to give the right thigh of your peace offering to the priest as a gift. 33 The right thigh must always be given to the priest who sprinkles the blood and offers the fat of the peace offering. 34 For I have designated the breast and the right thigh for the priests. It is their regular share of the peace offerings brought by the Israelites. 35 This is their share. It has been set apart for Aaron and his descendants from the offerings given to the LORD by fire from the time they were appointed to serve the LORD as priests. 36 The LORD commanded that the Israelites were to give these portions to the priests as their regular share from the time of the priests' anointing. This regulation applies throughout the generations to come." 37 These are the instructions for the whole burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering, and the peace offering. 38 The LORD gave these instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai when he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai.8:1 THE LORD said to Moses, 2 " Now bring Aaron and his sons, along with their special clothing, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread 3 to the entrance of the Tabernacle. Then call the entire community of Israel to meet you there." 4 So Moses followed the LORD's instructions, and all the people assembled at the Tabernacle entrance. 5 Moses announced to them, " The LORD has commanded what I am now going to do!" 6 Then he presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. 7 He clothed Aaron with the embroidered tunic and tied the sash around his waist. He dressed him in the robe of the ephod, along with the ephod itself, and attached the ephod with its decorative sash. 8 Then Moses placed the chestpiece on Aaron and put the Urim and the Thummim inside it. 9 He placed on Aaron's head the turban with the gold medallion at its front, just as the LORD had commanded him. 10 Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the Tabernacle and everything in it, thus making them holy. 11 He sprinkled the altar seven times, anointing it and all its utensils and the washbasin and its pedestal, making them holy. 12 Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head, thus anointing him and making him holy for his work. 13 Next Moses presented Aaron's sons and clothed them in their embroidered tunics, their sashes, and their turbans, just as the LORD had commanded him. 14 Then Moses brought in the bull for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head 15 as Moses slaughtered it. Moses took some of the blood, and with his finger he put it on the four horns of the altar to purify it. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. In this way, he set the altar apart as holy and made atonement for it. 16 He took all the fat around the internal organs, the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat, and he burned them all on the altar. 17 The rest of the bull, including its hide, meat, and dung, was burned outside the camp, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 18 Then Moses presented the ram to the LORD for the whole burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head 19 as Moses slaughtered it. Then Moses took the ram's blood and sprinkled it against the sides of the altar. 20 Next he cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, some of its pieces, and the fat on the altar. 21 After washing the internal organs and the legs with water, Moses burned the entire ram on the altar as a whole burnt offering. It was an offering given to the LORD by fire, very pleasing to the LORD. All this was done just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 22 Next Moses presented the second ram, which was the ram of ordination. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head 23 as Moses slaughtered it. Then Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot. 24 Next he presented Aaron's sons and put some of the blood on the lobe of their right ears, the thumb of their right hands, and the big toe of their right feet. He then sprinkled the rest of the blood against the sides of the altar. 25 Next he took the fat, including the fat from the tail, the fat around the internal organs, the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, along with the right thigh. 26 On top of these he placed a loaf of unleavened bread, a cake of unleavened bread soaked with olive oil, and a thin wafer spread with olive oil. All these were taken from the basket of bread made without yeast that was placed in the LORD's presence. 27 He gave all of these to Aaron and his sons, and he presented the portions by lifting them up before the LORD. 28 Moses then took all the offerings back and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering as an ordination offering. It was an offering given to the LORD by fire, very pleasing to the LORD. 29 Then Moses took the breast and lifted it up in the LORD's presence. This was Moses' share of the ram of ordination, just as the LORD had commanded him. 30 Next Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar, and he sprinkled them on Aaron and his clothing and on his sons and their clothing. In this way, he made Aaron and his sons and their clothing holy.31 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons, " Boil the rest of the meat at the Tabernacle entrance, and eat it along with the bread that is in the basket of ordination offerings, just as I commanded you. 32 Any meat or bread that is left over must then be burned up. 33 Do not leave the Tabernacle entrance for seven days, for that is the time it will take to complete the ordination ceremony. 34 What has been done today was commanded by the LORD in order to make atonement for you. 35 Remember, you must stay at the entrance of the Tabernacle day and night for seven days, doing everything the LORD requires. If you fail in this, you will die. This is what the LORD has said." 36 So Aaron and his sons did everything the LORD had commanded through Moses. 9:1 AFTER the ordination ceremony, on the eighth day, Moses called together Aaron and his sons and the leaders of Israel. 2 He said to Aaron, " Take a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a whole burnt offering, both with no physical defects, and present them to the LORD. 3 Then tell the Israelites to take a male goat for a sin offering for themselves and a year-old calf and a year-old lamb for a whole burnt offering, each with no physical defects. 4 Also tell them to take a bull and a ram for a peace offering and flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering. Tell them to present all these offerings to the LORD because the LORD will appear to them today." 5 So the people brought all of these things to the entrance of the Tabernacle, just as Moses had commanded, and the whole community came and stood there in the LORD's presence. 6 Then Moses told them, " When you have followed these instructions from the LORD, the glorious presence of the LORD will appear to you."

MARK 3:31-4:25
Jesus' mother and brothers arrived at the house where he was teaching. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. 32 There was a crowd around Jesus, and someone said, " Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you." 33 Jesus replied, " Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" 34 Then he looked at those around him and said, " These are my mother and brothers. 35 Anyone who does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." 4:1 ONCE again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. There was such a large crowd along the shore that he got into a boat and sat down and spoke from there. 2 He began to teach the people by telling many stories such as this one: 3 " Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. 4 As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. 5 Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The plant sprang up quickly, 6 but it soon wilted beneath the hot sun and died because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades so that it produced no grain. 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted." Then he said, 9 " Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!" 10 Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him, " What do your stories mean?" 11 He replied, " You are permitted to understand the secret about the Kingdom of God. But I am using these stories to conceal everything about it from outsiders, 12 so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ` They see what I do,
but they don't perceive its meaning.
They hear my words,
but they don't understand.
So they will not turn from their sins
and be forgiven.'
13 " But if you can't understand this story, how will you understand all the others I am going to tell? 14 The farmer I talked about is the one who brings God's message to others. 15 The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the message, but then Satan comes at once and takes it away from them. 16 The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy. 17 But like young plants in such soil, their roots don't go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word. 18 The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for nice things, so no crop is produced. 20 But the good soil represents those who hear and accept God's message and produce a huge harvest--thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted." 21 Then Jesus asked them, " Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed to shut out the light? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine. 22 " Everything that is now hidden or secret will eventually be brought to light. 23 Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand! 24 And be sure to pay attention to what you hear. The more you do this, the more you will understand--and even more, besides. 25 To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them."

PSALM 37:12-29
The wicked plot against the godly;
they snarl at them in defiance.
13 But the Lord just laughs,
for he sees their day of judgment coming.
14 The wicked draw their swords
and string their bows
to kill the poor and the oppressed,
to slaughter those who do right.
15 But they will be stabbed through the heart with their own swords,
and their bows will be broken.
16 It is better to be godly and have little
than to be evil and possess much.
17 For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
but the LORD takes care of the godly.
18 Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent,
and they will receive a reward that lasts forever.
19 They will survive through hard times;
even in famine they will have more than enough.
20 But the wicked will perish.
The LORD's enemies are like flowers in a field--
they will disappear like smoke.
21 The wicked borrow and never repay,
but the godly are generous givers.
22 Those blessed by the LORD will inherit the land,
but those cursed by him will die.
23 The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
24 Though they stumble, they will not fall,
for the LORD holds them by the hand.
25 Once I was young, and now I am old.
Yet I have never seen the godly forsaken,
nor seen their children begging for bread.
26 The godly always give generous loans to others,
and their children are a blessing.
27 Turn from evil and do good,
and you will live in the land forever.
28 For the LORD loves justice,
and he will never abandon the godly.
He will keep them safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will perish.
29 The godly will inherit the land
and will live there forever.

PROVERBS 10:5
A wise youth works hard all summer; a youth who sleeps away the hour of opportunity brings shame.

February 18 Reading through the Bible

LEVITICUS 6:1-7:27
MARK 3:7-30
PSALM 37:1-11
PROVERBS 10:3-4

LEVITICUS 6:1-7:27
And the LORD said to Moses, 2 " Suppose some of the people sin against the LORD by falsely telling their neighbor that an item entrusted to their safekeeping has been lost or stolen. Or suppose they have been dishonest with regard to a security deposit, or they have taken something by theft or extortion. 3 Or suppose they find a lost item and lie about it, or they deny something while under oath, or they commit any other similar sin. 4 If they have sinned in any of these ways and are guilty, they must give back whatever they have taken by theft or extortion, whether a security deposit, or property entrusted to them, or a lost object that they claimed as their own, 5 or anything gained by swearing falsely. When they realize their guilt, they must restore the principal amount plus a penalty of 20 percent to the person they have harmed. 6 They must then bring a guilt offering to the priest, who will present it before the LORD. This offering must be a ram with no physical defects or the animal's equivalent value in silver. 7 The priest will then make atonement for them before the LORD, and they will be forgiven." 8 Then the LORD said to Moses, 9 " Give Aaron and his sons the following instructions regarding the whole burnt offering. The burnt offering must be left on the altar until the next morning, and the altar fire must be kept burning all night. 10 The next morning, after dressing in his special linen clothing and undergarments, the priest on duty must clean out the ashes of the burnt offering and put them beside the altar. 11 Then he must change back into his normal clothing and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is ceremonially clean. 12 Meanwhile, the fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must never go out. Each morning the priest will add fresh wood to the fire and arrange the daily whole burnt offering on it. He must then burn the fat of the peace offerings on top of this daily whole burnt offering. 13 Remember, the fire must be kept burning on the altar at all times. It must never go out. 14 " These are the instructions regarding the grain offering. Aaron's sons must present this offering to the LORD in front of the altar. 15 The priest on duty will take a handful of the choice flour that has been mixed with olive oil and sprinkled with incense. He will burn this token portion on the altar, and it will be very pleasing to the LORD. 16 After burning this handful, the rest of the flour will belong to Aaron and his sons for their food. It must, however, be baked without yeast and eaten in a sacred place within the courtyard of the Tabernacle. 17 Remember, this flour may never be prepared with yeast. I have given it to the priests as their share of the offerings presented to me by fire. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy. 18 Any of Aaron's male descendants, from generation to generation, may eat of the grain offering, because it is their regular share of the offerings given to the LORD by fire. Anyone or anything that touches this food will become holy." 19 And the LORD said to Moses, 20 " On the day Aaron and his sons are anointed, they must bring to the LORD a grain offering of two quarts of choice flour, half to be offered in the morning and half to be offered in the evening. 21 It must be cooked on a griddle with olive oil, and it must be well mixed and broken into pieces. You must present this grain offering, and it will be very pleasing to the LORD. 22 As the sons of the priests replace their fathers, they will be inducted into office by offering this same sacrifice on the day they are anointed. It is the LORD's regular share, and it must be completely burned up. 23 All such grain offerings of the priests must be entirely burned up. None of the flour may be eaten." 24 Then the LORD said to Moses, 25 " Give Aaron and his sons these further instructions regarding the sin offering. The animal given as a sin offering is most holy and must be slaughtered in the LORD's presence at the place where the burnt offerings are slaughtered. 26 The priest who offers the sacrifice may eat his portion in a sacred place within the courtyard of the Tabernacle. 27 Anything or anyone who touches the sacrificial meat will become holy, and if the sacrificial blood splatters anyone's clothing, it must be washed off in a sacred place. 28 If a clay pot is used to boil the sacrificial meat, it must be broken. If a bronze kettle is used, it must be scoured and rinsed thoroughly with water. 29 Only males from a priest's family may eat of this offering, for it is most holy. 30 If, however, the blood of a sin offering has been taken into the Tabernacle to make atonement in the Holy Place for the people's sins, none of that animal's meat may be eaten. It must be completely burned up.7:1 " THESE are the instructions for the guilt offering, which is most holy. 2 The animal sacrificed as a guilt offering must be slaughtered where the burnt offerings are slaughtered, and its blood sprinkled against the sides of the altar. 3 The priest will then offer all its fat on the altar, including the fat from the tail, the fat around the internal organs, 4 the two kidneys with the fat around them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys. 5 The priests will burn these parts on the altar as an offering to the LORD made by fire. It is a guilt offering. 6 All males from a priest's family may eat the meat, and it must be eaten in a sacred place, for it is most holy. 7 " For both the sin offering and the guilt offering, the meat of the sacrificed animal belongs to the priest in charge of the atonement ceremony. 8 In the case of the whole burnt offering, the hide of the sacrificed animal also belongs to the priest. 9 Any grain offering that has been baked in an oven, prepared in a pan, or cooked on a griddle belongs to the priest who presents it. 10 All other grain offerings, whether flour mixed with olive oil or dry flour, are to be shared among all the priests and their sons. 11 " These are the instructions regarding the different kinds of peace offerings that may be presented to the LORD. 12 If you present your peace offering as a thanksgiving offering, the usual animal sacrifice must be accompanied by various kinds of bread--loaves, wafers, and cakes--all made without yeast and soaked with olive oil. 13 This peace offering of thanksgiving must also be accompanied by loaves of yeast bread. 14 One of each kind of bread must be presented as a gift to the LORD. This bread will then belong to the priest who sprinkles the altar with blood from the sacrificed animal. 15 The animal's meat must be eaten on the same day it is offered. None of it may be saved for the next morning. 16 " However, if you bring an offering to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, the meat may be eaten on that same day, and whatever is left over may be eaten on the second day. 17 But anything left over until the third day must be completely burned up. 18 If any of the meat from this peace offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted by the LORD. It will have no value as a sacrifice, and you will receive no credit for bringing it as an offering. By then, the meat will be contaminated; if you eat it, you will have to answer for your sin. 19 " Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean may not be eaten; it must be completely burned up. And as for meat that may be eaten, it may only be eaten by people who are ceremonially clean. 20 Anyone who is ceremonially unclean but eats meat from a peace offering that was presented to the LORD must be cut off from the community. 21 If anyone touches anything that is unclean, whether it is human defilement or an unclean animal, and then eats meat from the LORD's sacrifices, that person must be cut off from the community." 22 Then the LORD said to Moses, 23 " Give the Israelites these instructions: You must never eat fat, whether from oxen or sheep or goats. 24 The fat of an animal found dead or killed by a wild animal may never be eaten, though it may be used for any other purpose. 25 Anyone who eats fat from an offering given to the LORD by fire must be cut off from the community. 26 Even in your homes, you must never eat the blood of any bird or animal. 27 Anyone who eats blood must be cut off from the community."

MARK 3:7-30
Jesus and his disciples went out to the lake, followed by a huge crowd from all over Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far away as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him for themselves. 9 Jesus instructed his disciples to bring around a boat and to have it ready in case he was crowded off the beach. 10 There had been many healings that day. As a result, many sick people were crowding around him, trying to touch him. 11 And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, they would fall down in front of him shrieking, " You are the Son of God!" 12 But Jesus strictly warned them not to say who he was. 13 Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. 14 Then he selected twelve of them to be his regular companions, calling them apostles. He sent them out to preach, 15 and he gave them authority to cast out demons. 16 These are the names of the twelve he chose:Simon (he renamed him Peter), 17 James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them " Sons of Thunder"), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the Zealot), 19 Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). 20 When Jesus returned to the house where he was staying, the crowds began to gather again, and soon he and his disciples couldn't even find time to eat. 21 When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him home with them. " He's out of his mind," they said. 22 But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, " He's possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That's where he gets the power to cast out demons." 23 Jesus called them over and said to them by way of illustration, " How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 A kingdom at war with itself will collapse. 25 A home divided against itself is doomed. 26 And if Satan is fighting against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive. 27 Let me illustrate this. You can't enter a strong man's house and rob him without first tying him up. Only then can his house be robbed!28 " I assure you that any sin can be forgiven, including blasphemy; 29 but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. It is an eternal sin." 30 He told them this because they were saying he had an evil spirit.

PSALM 37:1-11
A psalm of David.
1 Don't worry about the wicked.
Don't envy those who do wrong.
2 For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like springtime flowers, they soon wither.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
4 Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you your heart's desires.
5 Commit everything you do to the LORD.
Trust him, and he will help you.
6 He will make your innocence as clear as the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
7 Be still in the presence of the LORD,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don't worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.
8 Stop your anger!
Turn from your rage!
Do not envy others--
it only leads to harm.
9 For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land.
10 In a little while, the wicked will disappear.
Though you look for them, they will be gone.
11 Those who are gentle and lowly will possess the land;
they will live in prosperous security.

PROVERBS 10:3-4

The LORD will not let the godly starve to death, but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked. Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich. 

February 17 Reading through the Bible

 

LEVITICUS 4:1-5:19
MARK 2:13-3:6
PSALM 36:1-12
PROVERBS 10:1-2

LEVITICUS 4:1-5:19
Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 " Give the Israelites the following instructions for dealing with those who sin unintentionally by doing anything forbidden by the LORD's commands. 3 " If the high priest sins, bringing guilt upon the entire community, he must bring to the LORD a young bull with no physical defects. 4 He must present the bull to the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle, lay his hand on the bull's head, and slaughter it there in the LORD's presence. 5 The priest on duty will then take some of the animal's blood into the Tabernacle, 6 dip his finger into the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD in front of the inner curtain of the Most Holy Place. 7 The priest will put some of the blood on the horns of the incense altar that stands in the LORD's presence in the Tabernacle. The rest of the bull's blood must be poured out at the base of the altar of burnt offerings at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 8 The priest must remove all the fat around the bull's internal organs, 9 the two kidneys with the fat around them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver. 10 Then he must burn them on the altar of burnt offerings, just as is done with the bull or cow sacrificed as a peace offering. 11 But the rest of the bull--its hide, meat, head, legs, internal organs, and dung--12 must be carried away to a ceremonially clean place outside the camp, the place where the ashes are thrown. He will burn it all on a wood fire in the ash heap. 13 " If the entire Israelite community does something forbidden by the LORD and the matter escapes the community's notice, all the people will be guilty. 14 When they discover their sin, the leaders of the community must bring a young bull for a sin offering and present it at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 15 The leaders must then lay their hands on the bull's head and slaughter it there before the LORD. 16 The priest will bring some of its blood into the Tabernacle, 17 dip his finger into the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD in front of the inner curtain. 18 He will then put some of the blood on the horns of the incense altar that stands in the LORD's presence in the Tabernacle. The rest of the blood must then be poured out at the base of the altar of burnt offerings at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 19 The priest must remove all the animal's fat and burn it on the altar, 20 following the same procedure as with the sin offering for the priest. In this way, the priest will make atonement for the people, and they will be forgiven. 21 The priest must then take what is left of the bull outside the camp and burn it there, just as is done with the sin offering for the high priest. This is a sin offering for the entire community of Israel. 22 " If one of Israel's leaders does something forbidden by the LORD his God, he will be guilty even if he sinned unintentionally. 23 When he becomes aware of his sin, he must bring as his offering a male goat with no physical defects. 24 He is to lay his hand on the goat's head and slaughter it before the LORD at the place where burnt offerings are slaughtered. This will be his sin offering. 25 Then the priest will dip his finger into the blood of the sin offering, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offerings, and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 26 He must burn all the goat's fat on the altar, just as is done with the peace offering. In this way, the priest will make atonement for the leader's sin, and he will be forgiven. 27 " If any of the citizens of Israel do something forbidden by the LORD, they will be guilty even if they sinned unintentionally. 28 When they become aware of their sin, they must bring as their offering a female goat with no physical defects. It will be offered for their sin. 29 They are to lay a hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place where burnt offerings are slaughtered. 30 The priest will then dip his finger into the blood, put the blood on the horns of the altar of burnt offerings, and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 31 Those who are guilty must remove all the goat's fat, just as is done with the peace offering. Then the priest will burn the fat on the altar, and it will be very pleasing to the LORD. In this way, the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven. 32 " If any of the people bring a sheep as their sin offering, it must be a female with no physical defects. 33 They are to lay a hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offerings are slaughtered. 34 The priest will then dip his finger into the blood, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offerings, and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 35 Those who are guilty must remove all the sheep's fat, just as is done with a sheep presented as a peace offering. Then the priest will burn the fat on the altar on top of the offerings given to the LORD by fire. In this way, the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven.5:1 " IF any of the people are called to testify about something they have witnessed, but they refuse to testify, they will be held responsible and be subject to punishment. 2 " Or if they touch something that is ceremonially unclean, such as the dead body of an animal that is ceremonially unclean--whether a wild animal, a domesticated animal, or an animal that scurries along the ground--they will be considered ceremonially unclean and guilty, even if they are unaware of their defilement. 3 " Or if they come into contact with any source of human defilement, even if they don't realize they have been defiled, they will be considered guilty as soon as they become aware of it. 4 " Or if they make a rash vow of any kind, whether its purpose is for good or bad, they will be considered guilty even if they were not fully aware of what they were doing at the time. 5 " When any of the people become aware of their guilt in any of these ways, they must confess their sin 6 and bring to the LORD as their penalty a female from the flock, either a sheep or a goat. This will be a sin offering to remove their sin, and the priest will make atonement for them. 7 " If any of them cannot afford to bring a sheep, they must bring to the LORD two young turtledoves or two young pigeons as the penalty for their sin. One of the birds will be a sin offering, and the other will be a burnt offering. 8 They must bring them to the priest, who will offer one of the birds as the sin offering. The priest will wring its neck but without severing its head from the body. 9 Then he will sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering against the sides of the altar, and the rest will be drained out at the base of the altar. 10 The priest will offer the second bird as a whole burnt offering, following all the procedures that have been prescribed. In this way, the priest will make atonement for those who are guilty, and they will be forgiven. 11 " If any of the people cannot afford to bring young turtledoves or pigeons, they must bring two quarts of choice flour for their sin offering. Since it is a sin offering, they must not mix it with olive oil or put any incense on it. 12 They must take the flour to the priest, who will scoop out a handful as a token portion. He will burn this flour on the altar just like any other offering given to the LORD by fire. This will be their sin offering. 13 In this way, the priest will make atonement for those who are guilty, and they will be forgiven. The rest of the flour will belong to the priest, just as with the grain offering." 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, 15 " If any of the people sin by unintentionally defiling the LORD's sacred property, they must bring to the LORD a ram from the flock as their guilt offering. The animal must have no physical defects, and it must be of the proper value in silver as measured by the standard sanctuary shekel. 16 They must then make restitution for whatever holy things they have defiled by paying for the loss, plus an added penalty of 20 percent. When they give their payments to the priest, he will make atonement for them with the ram sacrificed as a guilt offering, and they will be forgiven. 17 " If any of them sin by doing something forbidden by the LORD, even if it is done unintentionally, they will be held responsible. When they become aware of their guilt, 18 they must bring to the priest a ram from the flock as a guilt offering. The animal must have no physical defects, and it must be of the proper value. In this way, the priest will make atonement for those who are guilty, and they will be forgiven. 19 This is a guilt offering, for they have been guilty of an offense against the LORD."

MARK 2:13-3:6
Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that gathered around him. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax-collection booth. " Come, be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him. 15 That night Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to be his dinner guests, along with his fellow tax collectors and many other notorious sinners. (There were many people of this kind among the crowds that followed Jesus.) 16 But when some of the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with people like that, they said to his disciples, " Why does he eat with such scum?" 17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, " Healthy people don't need a doctor--sick people do. I have come to call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough." 18 John's disciples and the Pharisees sometimes fasted. One day some people came to Jesus and asked, " Why do John's disciples and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don't fast?" 19 Jesus replied, " Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can't fast while they are with the groom. 20 But someday he will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 21 And who would patch an old garment with unshrunk cloth? For the new patch shrinks and pulls away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger hole than before. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. The wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine needs new wineskins." 23 One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of wheat. 24 But the Pharisees said to Jesus, " They shouldn't be doing that! It's against the law to work by harvesting grain on the Sabbath." 25 But Jesus replied, " Haven't you ever read in the Scriptures what King David did when he and his companions were hungry? 26 He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest), ate the special bread reserved for the priests alone, and then gave some to his companions. That was breaking the law, too." 27 Then he said to them, " The Sabbath was made to benefit people, and not people to benefit the Sabbath. 28 And I, the Son of Man, am master even of the Sabbath!"3:1 JESUS went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus' enemies watched him closely. Would he heal the man's hand on the Sabbath? If he did, they planned to condemn him. 3 Jesus said to the man, " Come and stand in front of everyone." 4 Then he turned to his critics and asked, " Is it legal to do good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing harm? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?" But they wouldn't answer him. 5 He looked around at them angrily, because he was deeply disturbed by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, " Reach out your hand." The man reached out his hand, and it became normal again! 6 At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to discuss plans for killing Jesus.

PSALM 36:1-12
For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the LORD.
1 Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.
They have no fear of God to restrain them.
2 In their blind conceit,
they cannot see how wicked they really are.
3 Everything they say is crooked and deceitful.
They refuse to act wisely or do what is good.
4 They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.
Their course of action is never good.
They make no attempt to turn from evil.
5 Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O LORD.
7 How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
in the shadow of your wings.
8 You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
letting them drink from your rivers of delight.
9 For you are the fountain of life,
the light by which we see.
10 Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you;
give justice to those with honest hearts.
11 Don't let the proud trample me;
don't let the wicked push me around.
12 Look! They have fallen!
They have been thrown down, never to rise again.

PROVERBS 10:1-2
The proverbs of Solomon: A wise child> brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother. Ill-gotten gain has no lasting value, but right living can save your life.