The Guilt Offering

7 “‘These are the regulations for the guilt offering,^(A) which is most holy: ² The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be splashed against the sides of the altar. ³ All its fat^(B) shall be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the internal organs, ⁴ both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys.^{(C) 5} The priest shall burn them on the altar^(D) as a food offering presented to the Lord. It is a guilt offering. ⁶ Any male in a priest’s family may eat it,^(E) but it must be eaten in the sanctuary area; it is most holy.^(F)

⁷ “‘The same law applies to both the sin offering^[a](G) and the guilt offering:^(H) They belong to the priest^(I) who makes atonement with them.^{(J) 8} The priest who offers a burnt offering for anyone may keep its hide^(K) for himself. ⁹ Every grain offering baked in an oven^(L) or cooked in a pan^(M) or on a griddle^(N) belongs to the priest who offers it, ¹⁰ and every grain offering, whether mixed with olive oil or dry, belongs equally to all the sons of Aaron.

Baasha King of Israel

³³ In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel in Tirzah,^(A) and he reigned twenty-four years. ³⁴ He did evil^(B) in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

16 Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu^(C) son of Hanani^(D) concerning Baasha: ² “I lifted you up from the dust^(E) and appointed you ruler^(F) over my people Israel, but you followed the ways of Jeroboam and caused^(G) my people Israel to sin and to arouse my anger by their sins. ³ So I am about to wipe out Baasha^(H) and his house,^(I) and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat. ⁴ Dogs^(J) will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and birds^(K) will feed on those who die in the country.”

⁵ As for the other events of Baasha’s reign, what he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals^(L) of the kings of Israel? ⁶ Baasha rested with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah.^(M) And Elah his son succeeded him as king.

⁷ Moreover, the word of the Lord came^(N) through the prophet Jehu^(O) son of Hanani to Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger by the things he did, becoming like the house of Jeroboam—and also because he destroyed it.

Elah King of Israel

⁸ In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years.

⁹ Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk^(P) in the home of Arza, the palace administrator^(Q) at Tirzah. ¹⁰ Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king.^(R)

¹¹ As soon as he began to reign and was seated on the throne, he killed off Baasha’s whole family.^(S) He did not spare a single male, whether relative or friend. ¹² So Zimri destroyed the whole family of Baasha, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu— ¹³ because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.^(T)

¹⁴ As for the other events of Elah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

Zimri King of Israel

¹⁵ In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon,^(U) a Philistine town. ¹⁶ When the Israelites in the camp heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp. ¹⁷ Then Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. ¹⁸ When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died, ¹⁹ because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

²⁰ As for the other events of Zimri’s reign, and the rebellion he carried out, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

Psalm 80^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:^(E) “This child is destined to cause the falling^(F) and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶ There was also a prophet,^(G) Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[b](H) She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.^{(I) 38} Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.^(J)

Paul’s Rights as an Apostle

9 Am I not free?^(A) Am I not an apostle?^(B) Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?^(C) Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?^{(D) 2} Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal^(E) of my apostleship in the Lord.

³ This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. ⁴ Don’t we have the right to food and drink?^{(F) 5} Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife^(G) along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers^(H) and Cephas^[a]?^{(I) 6} Or is it only I and Barnabas^(J) who lack the right to not work for a living?

⁷ Who serves as a soldier^(K) at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard^(L) and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? ⁸ Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? ⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”^[b](M) Is it about oxen that God is concerned?^{(N) 10} Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us,^(O) because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.^{(P) 11} If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?^(Q)