The Rich and the Kingdom of God^(A)

¹⁶ Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life^(B)?”^(C)

¹⁷ “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”^(D)

¹⁸ “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery,^(E) you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, ¹⁹ honor your father and mother,’^[a](F) and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”^(G)

²⁰ “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

²¹ Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect,^(H) go, sell your possessions and give to the poor,^(I) and you will have treasure in heaven.^(J) Then come, follow me.”

²² When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich^(K) to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”^(L)

²⁷ Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you!^(M) What then will there be for us?”

²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne,^(N) you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.^{(O) 29} And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife^[c] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.^{(P) 30} But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.^(Q)

¹⁹ “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient^(A) to the vision from heaven. ²⁰ First to those in Damascus,^(B) then to those in Jerusalem^(C) and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles,^(D) I preached that they should repent^(E) and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.^{(F) 21} That is why some Jews seized me^(G) in the temple courts and tried to kill me.^{(H) 22} But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen^(I)— ²³ that the Messiah would suffer^(J) and, as the first to rise from the dead,^(K) would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”^(L)

²⁴ At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind,^(M) Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning^(N) is driving you insane.”

²⁵ “I am not insane, most excellent^(O) Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. ²⁶ The king is familiar with these things,^(P) and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

²⁸ Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”^(Q)

²⁹ Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”^(R)

³⁰ The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice^(S) and those sitting with them. ³¹ After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”^(T)

³² Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free^(U) if he had not appealed to Caesar.”^(V)

Psalm 43^[a]

The Day of Atonement^(A)

16 The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the Lord.^{(B) 2} The Lord said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses^(C) into the Most Holy Place^(D) behind the curtain^(E) in front of the atonement cover^(F) on the ark, or else he will die. For I will appear^(G) in the cloud^(H) over the atonement cover.

³ “This is how Aaron is to enter the Most Holy Place:^(I) He must first bring a young bull^(J) for a sin offering^[a] and a ram for a burnt offering.^{(K) 4} He is to put on the sacred linen tunic,^(L) with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban.^(M) These are sacred garments;^(N) so he must bathe himself with water^(O) before he puts them on.^{(P) 5} From the Israelite community^(Q) he is to take two male goats^(R) for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

⁶ “Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household.^{(S) 7} Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁸ He is to cast lots^(T) for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat.^{[b](U) 9} Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. ¹⁰ But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement^(V) by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.

¹¹ “Aaron shall bring the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household,^(W) and he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering. ¹² He is to take a censer full of burning coals^(X) from the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense^(Y) and take them behind the curtain. ¹³ He is to put the incense on the fire before the Lord, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover^(Z) above the tablets of the covenant law, so that he will not die.^{(AA) 14} He is to take some of the bull’s blood^(AB) and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover.^(AC)

¹⁵ “He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people^(AD) and take its blood behind the curtain^(AE) and do with it as he did with the bull’s blood: He shall sprinkle^(AF) it on the atonement cover and in front of it. ¹⁶ In this way he will make atonement^(AG) for the Most Holy Place^(AH) because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the tent of meeting,^(AI) which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness. ¹⁷ No one is to be in the tent of meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel.

¹⁸ “Then he shall come out to the altar^(AJ) that is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar.^{(AK) 19} He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.^(AL)

²⁰ “When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat.^{(AM) 21} He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat^(AN) and confess^(AO) over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. ²² The goat will carry on itself all their sins^(AP) to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness.

²³ “Then Aaron is to go into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments^(AQ) he put on before he entered the Most Holy Place, and he is to leave them there.^{(AR) 24} He shall bathe himself with water in the sanctuary area^(AS) and put on his regular garments.^(AT) Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people,^(AU) to make atonement for himself and for the people.^{(AV) 25} He shall also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar.

²⁶ “The man who releases the goat as a scapegoat^(AW) must wash his clothes^(AX) and bathe himself with water;^(AY) afterward he may come into the camp. ²⁷ The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp;^(AZ) their hides, flesh and intestines are to be burned up. ²⁸ The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp.^(BA)

²⁹ “This is to be a lasting ordinance^(BB) for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month^(BC) you must deny yourselves^[c](BD) and not do any work^(BE)—whether native-born^(BF) or a foreigner residing among you— ³⁰ because on this day atonement will be made^(BG) for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins.^{(BH) 31} It is a day of sabbath rest, and you must deny yourselves;^(BI) it is a lasting ordinance.^{(BJ) 32} The priest who is anointed and ordained^(BK) to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments^{(BL) 33} and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the tent of meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the members of the community.^(BM)

³⁴ “This is to be a lasting ordinance^(BN) for you: Atonement is to be made once a year^(BO) for all the sins of the Israelites.”

And it was done, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Eating Blood Forbidden

17 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to Aaron and his sons^(BP) and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: ³ Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox,^[d] a lamb^(BQ) or a goat^(BR) in the camp or outside of it ⁴ instead of bringing it to the entrance to the tent of meeting^(BS) to present it as an offering to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord^(BT)—that person shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; they have shed blood and must be cut off from their people.^{(BU) 5} This is so the Israelites will bring to the Lord the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the Lord, at the entrance to the tent of meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings.^{(BV) 6} The priest is to splash the blood against the altar^(BW) of the Lord^(BX) at the entrance to the tent of meeting and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.^{(BY) 7} They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols^[e](BZ) to whom they prostitute themselves.^(CA) This is to be a lasting ordinance^(CB) for them and for the generations to come.’^(CC)

⁸ “Say to them: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice ⁹ and does not bring it to the entrance to the tent^(CD) of meeting^(CE) to sacrifice it to the Lord^(CF) must be cut off from the people of Israel.

¹⁰ “‘I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats blood,^(CG) and I will cut them off from the people. ¹¹ For the life of a creature is in the blood,^(CH) and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.^{[f](CI) 12} Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood.”

¹³ “‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth,^{(CJ) 14} because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”^(CK)

¹⁵ “‘Anyone, whether native-born or foreigner, who eats anything^(CL) found dead or torn by wild animals^(CM) must wash their clothes and bathe with water,^(CN) and they will be ceremonially unclean till evening;^(CO) then they will be clean. ¹⁶ But if they do not wash their clothes and bathe themselves, they will be held responsible.^(CP)’”