²¹ “I give to the Levites all the tithes^(A) in Israel as their inheritance^(B) in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.^{(C) 22} From now on the Israelites must not go near the tent of meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die.^{(D) 23} It is the Levites who are to do the work at the tent of meeting and bear the responsibility for any offenses they commit against it. This is a lasting ordinance^(E) for the generations to come.^(F) They will receive no inheritance^(G) among the Israelites.^{(H) 24} Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord.^(I) That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’”

²⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁶ “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you^(J) as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering.^{(K) 27} Your offering will be reckoned^(L) to you as grain from the threshing floor^(M) or juice from the winepress.^{(N) 28} In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes^(O) you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest. ²⁹ You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.’

³⁰ “Say to the Levites: ‘When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress.^{(P) 31} You and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere, for it is your wages for your work at the tent of meeting.^{(Q) 32} By presenting the best part^(R) of it you will not be guilty in this matter;^(S) then you will not defile the holy offerings^(T) of the Israelites, and you will not die.’”

The Water of Cleansing

19 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: ² “This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer^(U) without defect or blemish^(V) and that has never been under a yoke.^{(W) 3} Give it to Eleazar^(X) the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp^(Y) and slaughtered in his presence. ⁴ Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle^(Z) it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting. ⁵ While he watches, the heifer is to be burned—its hide, flesh, blood and intestines.^{(AA) 6} The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop^(AB) and scarlet wool^(AC) and throw them onto the burning heifer. ⁷ After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water.^(AD) He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening. ⁸ The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening.

⁹ “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer^(AE) and put them in a ceremonially clean place^(AF) outside the camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing;^(AG) it is for purification from sin.^{(AH) 10} The man who gathers up^(AI) the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he too will be unclean till evening.^(AJ) This will be a lasting ordinance^(AK) both for the Israelites and for the foreigners residing among them.^(AL)

¹¹ “Whoever touches a human corpse^(AM) will be unclean for seven days.^{(AN) 12} They must purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day;^(AO) then they will be clean. But if they do not purify themselves on the third and seventh days, they will not be clean.^{(AP) 13} If they fail to purify themselves after touching a human corpse,^(AQ) they defile the Lord’s tabernacle.^(AR) They must be cut off from Israel.^(AS) Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, they are unclean;^(AT) their uncleanness remains on them.

¹⁴ “This is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, ¹⁵ and every open container^(AU) without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.

¹⁶ “Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death,^(AV) or anyone who touches a human bone^(AW) or a grave,^(AX) will be unclean for seven days.^(AY)

¹⁷ “For the unclean person, put some ashes^(AZ) from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water^(BA) over them. ¹⁸ Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop,^(BB) dip it in the water and sprinkle^(BC) the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave^(BD) or anyone who has been killed or anyone who has died a natural death. ¹⁹ The man who is clean is to sprinkle^(BE) those who are unclean on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify them.^(BF) Those who are being cleansed must wash their clothes^(BG) and bathe with water, and that evening they will be clean. ²⁰ But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled^(BH) the sanctuary of the Lord.^(BI) The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean.^{(BJ) 21} This is a lasting ordinance^(BK) for them.

“The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening. ²² Anything that an unclean^(BL) person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean till evening.”

Jesus Before Pilate^(A)

15 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law^(B) and the whole Sanhedrin,^(C) made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.^(D)

² “Are you the king of the Jews?”^(E) asked Pilate.

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

³ The chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴ So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

⁵ But Jesus still made no reply,^(F) and Pilate was amazed.

⁶ Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. ⁷ A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. ⁸ The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

⁹ “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?”^(G) asked Pilate, ¹⁰ knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas^(H) instead.

¹² “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

¹³ “Crucify him!” they shouted.

¹⁴ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged,^(I) and handed him over to be crucified.