The Priests and the Offerings

[a] The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. 10 And (A)the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them (B)beside the altar. 11 Then (C)he shall take off his garments and put on other garments and carry the ashes (D)outside the camp to a clean place. 12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it (E)the fat of the peace offerings. 13 Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.

14 “And this is the law of (F)the grain offering. The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord in front of the altar. 15 And one shall take from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering and its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn this as its (G)memorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 16 And (H)the rest of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten unleavened (I)in a holy place. In the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it. 17 (J)It shall not be baked with leaven. (K)I have given it as their portion of my food offerings. (L)It is a thing most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. 18 Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as decreed forever throughout your generations, from the Lord's food offerings. Whatever touches them shall become holy.”

19 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 20 (M)“This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a (N)tenth of an ephah[b] of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. 21 It shall be made with oil (O)on a griddle. You shall bring it (P)well mixed, in baked[c] pieces like a grain offering, and offer it for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 22 The priest from among Aaron's sons, who is anointed to succeed him, shall offer it to the Lord as decreed forever. (Q)The whole of it shall be burned. 23 Every grain offering of a priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten.”

24 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 25 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, (R)This is the law of the sin offering. (S)In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord; (T)it is most holy. 26 (U)The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. (V)In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting. 27 Whatever touches its flesh shall be holy, and when any of its blood is splashed on a garment, you shall wash that on which it was splashed in a holy place. 28 And (W)the earthenware vessel in which it is boiled (X)shall be broken. But if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, that shall be scoured and rinsed in water. 29 Every male among the priests may eat of it; (Y)it is most holy. 30 (Z)But no sin offering shall be eaten from which any blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it shall be burned up with fire.

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 6:8 Ch 6:1 in Hebrew
  2. Leviticus 6:20 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters
  3. Leviticus 6:21 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

The Burnt Offering

The Lord said to Moses: “Give Aaron and his sons this command: ‘These are the regulations for the burnt offering(A): The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar.(B) 10 The priest shall then put on his linen clothes,(C) with linen undergarments next to his body,(D) and shall remove the ashes(E) of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar. 11 Then he is to take off these clothes and put on others, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is ceremonially clean.(F) 12 The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood(G) and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat(H) of the fellowship offerings(I) on it. 13 The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.

The Grain Offering

14 “‘These are the regulations for the grain offering:(J) Aaron’s sons are to bring it before the Lord, in front of the altar. 15 The priest is to take a handful of the finest flour and some olive oil, together with all the incense(K) on the grain offering,(L) and burn the memorial[a] portion(M) on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 16 Aaron and his sons(N) shall eat the rest(O) of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast(P) in the sanctuary area;(Q) they are to eat it in the courtyard(R) of the tent of meeting.(S) 17 It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share(T) of the food offerings presented to me.(U) Like the sin offering[b] and the guilt offering, it is most holy.(V) 18 Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it.(W) For all generations to come(X) it is his perpetual share(Y) of the food offerings presented to the Lord. Whatever touches them will become holy.[c](Z)’”

19 The Lord also said to Moses, 20 “This is the offering Aaron and his sons are to bring to the Lord on the day he[d] is anointed:(AA) a tenth of an ephah[e](AB) of the finest flour(AC) as a regular grain offering,(AD) half of it in the morning and half in the evening. 21 It must be prepared with oil on a griddle;(AE) bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken[f] in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 22 The son who is to succeed him as anointed priest(AF) shall prepare it. It is the Lord’s perpetual share and is to be burned completely.(AG) 23 Every grain offering of a priest shall be burned completely; it must not be eaten.”

The Sin Offering

24 The Lord said to Moses, 25 “Say to Aaron and his sons: ‘These are the regulations for the sin offering:(AH) The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the Lord(AI) in the place(AJ) the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy. 26 The priest who offers it shall eat it; it is to be eaten in the sanctuary area,(AK) in the courtyard(AL) of the tent of meeting.(AM) 27 Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy,(AN) and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in the sanctuary area. 28 The clay pot(AO) the meat is cooked in must be broken; but if it is cooked in a bronze pot, the pot is to be scoured and rinsed with water. 29 Any male in a priest’s family may eat it;(AP) it is most holy.(AQ) 30 But any sin offering whose blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement(AR) in the Holy Place(AS) must not be eaten; it must be burned up.(AT)

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 6:15 Or representative
  2. Leviticus 6:17 Or purification offering; also in verses 25 and 30
  3. Leviticus 6:18 Or Whoever touches them must be holy; similarly in verse 27
  4. Leviticus 6:20 Or each
  5. Leviticus 6:20 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
  6. Leviticus 6:21 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

Asa Reigns in Judah

In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah, 10 and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11 (A)And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done. 12 He put away the (B)male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed (C)all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 (D)He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and (E)burned it at the brook Kidron. 14 (F)But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, (G)the heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days. 15 And (H)he brought into the house of the Lord the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels.

16 (I)And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17 (J)Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and (K)built Ramah, (L)that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold (M)that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house and gave them into the hands of his servants. (N)And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, (O)who lived in Damascus, saying, 19 “Let there be (P)a covenant[a] between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” 20 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and conquered (Q)Ijon, (R)Dan, (S)Abel-beth-maacah, and all (T)Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 21 And when Baasha heard of it, (U)he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in (V)Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, none was exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them King Asa built (W)Geba of Benjamin and (X)Mizpah. 23 (Y)Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet. 24 And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and (Z)Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.

Nadab Reigns in Israel

25 (AA)Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (AB)and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin (AC)which he made Israel to sin.

27 (AD)Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha struck him down at (AE)Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon. 28 So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place. 29 And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, (AF)according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. 30 It was for the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned and (AG)that he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel.

31 Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 32 (AH)And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 15:19 Or treaty; twice in this verse

Asa King of Judah(A)(B)

In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, 10 and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maakah(C) daughter of Abishalom.

11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David(D) had done. 12 He expelled the male shrine prostitutes(E) from the land and got rid of all the idols(F) his ancestors had made. 13 He even deposed his grandmother Maakah(G) from her position as queen mother,(H) because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down(I) and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 14 Although he did not remove(J) the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed(K) to the Lord all his life. 15 He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.(L)

16 There was war(M) between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah(N) to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

18 Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple(O) and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent(P) them to Ben-Hadad(Q) son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. 19 “Let there be a treaty(R) between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”

20 Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered(S) Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maakah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. 21 When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah(T) and withdrew to Tirzah.(U) 22 Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away from Ramah(V) the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa(W) built up Geba(X) in Benjamin, and also Mizpah.(Y)

23 As for all the other events of Asa’s reign, all his achievements, all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? In his old age, however, his feet became diseased. 24 Then Asa rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphat(Z) his son succeeded him as king.

Nadab King of Israel

25 Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26 He did evil(AA) in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of his father(AB) and committing the same sin his father had caused Israel to commit.

27 Baasha son of Ahijah from the tribe of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him down(AC) at Gibbethon,(AD) a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it. 28 Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and succeeded him as king.

29 As soon as he began to reign, he killed Jeroboam’s whole family.(AE) He did not leave Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all, according to the word of the Lord given through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. 30 This happened because of the sins(AF) Jeroboam had committed and had caused(AG) Israel to commit, and because he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel.

31 As for the other events of Nadab’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals(AH) of the kings of Israel? 32 There was war(AI) between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.

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The Lord Has Destroyed Without Pity

How the Lord in his anger
    has set the daughter of Zion (A)under a cloud!
(B)He has cast down from heaven to earth
    the splendor of Israel;
he has not remembered (C)his footstool
    in the day of his anger.

The Lord (D)has swallowed up (E)without mercy
    all the habitations of Jacob;
in his wrath (F)he has broken down
    the strongholds of the daughter of Judah;
he has brought (G)down to the ground (H)in dishonor
    the kingdom (I)and its rulers.

He has cut down in (J)fierce anger
    all (K)the might of Israel;
(L)he has withdrawn from them his right hand
    in the face of the enemy;
(M)he has burned like a flaming fire in Jacob,
    consuming all around.

(N)He has bent his bow like an enemy,
    with his right hand set (O)like a foe;
and he has killed all who were delightful in our eyes
    in the tent of the daughter of Zion;
he has poured out his fury like fire.

(P)The Lord has become like an enemy;
    (Q)he has swallowed up Israel;
(R)he has swallowed up all its palaces;
    he has laid in ruins its strongholds,
and he has multiplied in the daughter of Judah
    (S)mourning and lamentation.

He has laid waste his booth like a garden,
    laid in ruins (T)his meeting place;
(U)the Lord has made Zion forget
    festival and (V)Sabbath,
and in his fierce indignation has spurned king and priest.

(W)The Lord has scorned his altar,
    (X)disowned his sanctuary;
(Y)he has delivered into the hand of the enemy
    the walls of her palaces;
(Z)they raised a clamor in the house of the Lord
    as on the day of festival.

(AA)The Lord determined to lay in ruins
    (AB)the wall of the daughter of Zion;
(AC)he stretched out the measuring line;
    he did not restrain his hand from destroying;
(AD)he caused rampart and wall to lament;
    (AE)they languished together.

Her gates have sunk into the ground;
    (AF)he has ruined (AG)and broken her bars;
(AH)her king and princes are among the nations;
    the law is no more,
and (AI)her prophets find
    no vision from the Lord.

10 The elders of the daughter of Zion
    (AJ)sit on the ground (AK)in silence;
(AL)they have thrown dust on their heads
    and (AM)put on sackcloth;
the young women of Jerusalem
    have bowed their heads to the ground.

11 (AN)My eyes are spent with weeping;
    (AO)my stomach churns;
(AP)my bile is poured out to the ground
    (AQ)because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,
(AR)because infants and babies (AS)faint
    in the streets of the city.

12 They cry to their mothers,
    (AT)“Where is bread and wine?”
(AU)as they faint like a wounded man
    in the streets of the city,
as their life is poured out
    on their mothers' bosom.

13 What can I say for you, (AV)to what compare you,
    O daughter of Jerusalem?
(AW)What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you,
    O virgin daughter of Zion?
(AX)For your ruin is vast as the sea;
    who can heal you?

14 (AY)Your prophets have seen for you
    false and deceptive visions;
(AZ)they have not exposed your iniquity
    to (BA)restore your fortunes,
(BB)but have seen for you (BC)oracles
    that are false and misleading.

15 All who pass along the way
    clap their hands at you;
(BD)they hiss and wag their heads
    at the daughter of Jerusalem:
“Is this the city that was called
    (BE)the perfection of beauty,
    (BF)the joy of all the earth?”

16 (BG)All your enemies
    rail against you;
they hiss, they gnash their teeth,
    they cry: “We (BH)have swallowed her!
Ah, this is the day we longed for;
    now we have it; (BI)we see it!”

17 The Lord has done what he purposed;
    he has carried out (BJ)his word,
which he commanded (BK)long ago;
    (BL)he has thrown down (BM)without pity;
(BN)he has made the enemy rejoice over you
    and exalted the (BO)might of your foes.

18 Their heart cried to the Lord.
    O (BP)wall of the daughter of Zion,
(BQ)let tears stream down like a torrent
    (BR)day and night!
(BS)Give yourself no rest,
    (BT)your eyes no respite!

19 “Arise, (BU)cry out in the night,
    at the beginning of the night watches!
(BV)Pour out your heart like water
    before the presence of the Lord!
(BW)Lift your hands to him
    for the lives of your children,
(BX)who faint for hunger
    at the head of every street.”

20 Look, O Lord, and see!
    (BY)With whom have you dealt thus?
(BZ)Should women eat the fruit of their womb,
    the children of (CA)their tender care?
Should (CB)priest and prophet be killed
    in the sanctuary of the Lord?

21 In the dust of the streets
    (CC)lie the young and the old;
(CD)my young women and my young men
    have fallen by the sword;
(CE)you have killed them in the day of your anger,
    slaughtering (CF)without pity.

22 You summoned as if to (CG)a festival day
    (CH)my terrors on every side,
(CI)and on the day of the anger of the Lord
    no one escaped or survived;
(CJ)those whom I held and raised
    my enemy destroyed.

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[a]How the Lord has covered Daughter Zion
    with the cloud of his anger[b]!(A)
He has hurled down the splendor of Israel
    from heaven to earth;
he has not remembered his footstool(B)
    in the day of his anger.(C)

Without pity(D) the Lord has swallowed(E) up
    all the dwellings of Jacob;
in his wrath he has torn down
    the strongholds(F) of Daughter Judah.
He has brought her kingdom and its princes
    down to the ground(G) in dishonor.

In fierce anger he has cut off
    every horn[c][d](H) of Israel.
He has withdrawn his right hand(I)
    at the approach of the enemy.
He has burned in Jacob like a flaming fire
    that consumes everything around it.(J)

Like an enemy he has strung his bow;(K)
    his right hand is ready.
Like a foe he has slain
    all who were pleasing to the eye;(L)
he has poured out his wrath(M) like fire(N)
    on the tent(O) of Daughter Zion.

The Lord is like an enemy;(P)
    he has swallowed up Israel.
He has swallowed up all her palaces
    and destroyed her strongholds.(Q)
He has multiplied mourning and lamentation(R)
    for Daughter Judah.(S)

He has laid waste his dwelling like a garden;
    he has destroyed(T) his place of meeting.(U)
The Lord has made Zion forget
    her appointed festivals and her Sabbaths;(V)
in his fierce anger he has spurned
    both king and priest.(W)

The Lord has rejected his altar
    and abandoned his sanctuary.(X)
He has given the walls of her palaces(Y)
    into the hands of the enemy;
they have raised a shout in the house of the Lord
    as on the day of an appointed festival.(Z)

The Lord determined to tear down
    the wall around Daughter Zion.(AA)
He stretched out a measuring line(AB)
    and did not withhold his hand from destroying.
He made ramparts(AC) and walls lament;
    together they wasted away.(AD)

Her gates(AE) have sunk into the ground;
    their bars(AF) he has broken and destroyed.
Her king and her princes are exiled(AG) among the nations,
    the law(AH) is no more,
and her prophets(AI) no longer find
    visions(AJ) from the Lord.

10 The elders of Daughter Zion
    sit on the ground in silence;(AK)
they have sprinkled dust(AL) on their heads(AM)
    and put on sackcloth.(AN)
The young women of Jerusalem
    have bowed their heads to the ground.(AO)

11 My eyes fail from weeping,(AP)
    I am in torment within(AQ);
my heart(AR) is poured out(AS) on the ground
    because my people are destroyed,(AT)
because children and infants faint(AU)
    in the streets of the city.

12 They say to their mothers,
    “Where is bread and wine?”(AV)
as they faint like the wounded
    in the streets of the city,
as their lives ebb away(AW)
    in their mothers’ arms.(AX)

13 What can I say for you?(AY)
    With what can I compare you,
    Daughter(AZ) Jerusalem?
To what can I liken you,
    that I may comfort you,
    Virgin Daughter Zion?(BA)
Your wound is as deep as the sea.(BB)
    Who can heal you?

14 The visions of your prophets
    were false(BC) and worthless;
they did not expose your sin
    to ward off your captivity.(BD)
The prophecies they gave you
    were false and misleading.(BE)

15 All who pass your way
    clap their hands at you;(BF)
they scoff(BG) and shake their heads(BH)
    at Daughter Jerusalem:(BI)
“Is this the city that was called
    the perfection of beauty,(BJ)
    the joy of the whole earth?”(BK)

16 All your enemies open their mouths
    wide against you;(BL)
they scoff and gnash their teeth(BM)
    and say, “We have swallowed her up.(BN)
This is the day we have waited for;
    we have lived to see it.”(BO)

17 The Lord has done what he planned;
    he has fulfilled(BP) his word,
    which he decreed long ago.(BQ)
He has overthrown you without pity,(BR)
    he has let the enemy gloat over you,(BS)
    he has exalted the horn[e] of your foes.(BT)

18 The hearts of the people
    cry out to the Lord.(BU)
You walls of Daughter Zion,(BV)
    let your tears(BW) flow like a river
    day and night;(BX)
give yourself no relief,
    your eyes no rest.(BY)

19 Arise, cry out in the night,
    as the watches of the night begin;
pour out your heart(BZ) like water
    in the presence of the Lord.(CA)
Lift up your hands(CB) to him
    for the lives of your children,
who faint(CC) from hunger
    at every street corner.

20 “Look, Lord, and consider:
    Whom have you ever treated like this?
Should women eat their offspring,(CD)
    the children they have cared for?(CE)
Should priest and prophet be killed(CF)
    in the sanctuary of the Lord?(CG)

21 “Young and old lie together
    in the dust of the streets;
my young men and young women
    have fallen by the sword.(CH)
You have slain them in the day of your anger;
    you have slaughtered them without pity.(CI)

22 “As you summon to a feast day,
    so you summoned against me terrors(CJ) on every side.
In the day of the Lord’s anger
    no one escaped(CK) or survived;
those I cared for and reared(CL)
    my enemy has destroyed.”

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Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 2:1 This chapter is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Lamentations 2:1 Or How the Lord in his anger / has treated Daughter Zion with contempt
  3. Lamentations 2:3 Or off / all the strength; or every king
  4. Lamentations 2:3 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  5. Lamentations 2:17 Horn here symbolizes strength.

How Long, O Lord?

A Psalm of (A)Asaph.

79 O God, (B)the nations have come into your (C)inheritance;
    they have defiled your (D)holy temple;
    they have (E)laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given (F)the bodies of your servants
    to the birds of the heavens for food,
    the flesh of your (G)faithful to (H)the beasts of the earth.
They have poured out their blood like water
    all around Jerusalem,
    and there was (I)no one to bury them.
We have become (J)a taunt to our neighbors,
    (K)mocked and derided by those around us.

(L)How long, O Lord? Will you be angry (M)forever?
    Will your (N)jealousy (O)burn like fire?
(P)Pour out your anger on the nations
    that (Q)do not know you,
and on the kingdoms
    that (R)do not call upon your name!
For they have devoured Jacob
    and laid waste his habitation.

(S)Do not remember against us (T)our former iniquities;[a]
    let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
    for we are (U)brought very low.
(V)Help us, O God of our salvation,
    for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and (W)atone for our sins,
    for your (X)name's sake!
10 (Y)Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”
Let (Z)the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
    be known among the nations before our eyes!

11 Let (AA)the groans of the prisoners come before you;
    according to your great power, preserve those (AB)doomed to die!
12 Return (AC)sevenfold into the (AD)lap of our neighbors
    the (AE)taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!
13 But we your people, the (AF)sheep of your pasture,
    will (AG)give thanks to you forever;
    from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 79:8 Or the iniquities of former generations

Psalm 79

A psalm of Asaph.

O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;(A)
    they have defiled(B) your holy temple,
    they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.(C)
They have left the dead bodies of your servants
    as food for the birds of the sky,(D)
    the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.(E)
They have poured out blood like water
    all around Jerusalem,
    and there is no one to bury(F) the dead.(G)
We are objects of contempt to our neighbors,
    of scorn(H) and derision to those around us.(I)

How long,(J) Lord? Will you be angry(K) forever?
    How long will your jealousy burn like fire?(L)
Pour out your wrath(M) on the nations
    that do not acknowledge(N) you,
on the kingdoms
    that do not call on your name;(O)
for they have devoured(P) Jacob
    and devastated his homeland.

Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;(Q)
    may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
    for we are in desperate need.(R)
Help us,(S) God our Savior,
    for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
    for your name’s sake.(T)
10 Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”(U)

Before our eyes, make known among the nations
    that you avenge(V) the outpoured blood(W) of your servants.
11 May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
    with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die.
12 Pay back into the laps(X) of our neighbors seven times(Y)
    the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.
13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,(Z)
    will praise you forever;(AA)
from generation to generation
    we will proclaim your praise.

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21 And (A)at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, (B)he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Jesus Presented at the Temple

22 And (C)when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem (D)to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in (E)the Law of the Lord, (F)“Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in (G)the Law of the Lord, (H)“a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was (I)righteous and (J)devout, (K)waiting for (L)the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not (M)see death before he had seen (N)the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when (O)the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and (P)blessed God and said,

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21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child,(A) he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.(B)

Jesus Presented in the Temple

22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses,(C) Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”[a]),(D) 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”[b](E)

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.(F) He was waiting for the consolation of Israel,(G) and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,(H) 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 2:23 Exodus 13:2,12
  2. Luke 2:24 Lev. 12:8

Food Offered to Idols

Now concerning[a] (A)food offered to idols: we know that (B)“all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” (C)puffs up, (D)but love builds up. (E)If anyone imagines that he knows something, (F)he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, (G)he is known by God.[b]

Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that (H)“an idol has no real existence,” and that (I)“there is no God but one.” For although there may be (J)so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet (K)for us there is one God, the Father, (L)from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and (M)one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and (N)through whom we exist.

However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, (O)through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and (P)their conscience, being weak, is defiled. (Q)Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care (R)that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block (S)to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating[c] in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged,[d] if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is (T)destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers[e] and (U)wounding their conscience when it is weak, (V)you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, (W)if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 8:1 The expression Now concerning introduces a reply to a question in the Corinthians' letter; see 7:1
  2. 1 Corinthians 8:3 Greek him
  3. 1 Corinthians 8:10 Greek reclining at table
  4. 1 Corinthians 8:10 Or fortified; Greek built up
  5. 1 Corinthians 8:12 Or brothers and sisters

Concerning Food Sacrificed to Idols

Now about food sacrificed to idols:(A) We know that “We all possess knowledge.”(B) But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something(C) do not yet know as they ought to know.(D) But whoever loves God is known by God.[a](E)

So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols:(F) We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world”(G) and that “There is no God but one.”(H) For even if there are so-called gods,(I) whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God,(J) the Father,(K) from whom all things came(L) and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord,(M) Jesus Christ, through whom all things came(N) and through whom we live.

But not everyone possesses this knowledge.(O) Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak,(P) it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God;(Q) we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block(R) to the weak.(S) 10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?(T) 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed(U) by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them(V) in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.(W) 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.(X)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 8:3 An early manuscript and another ancient witness think they have knowledge do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves truly knows.