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Leviticus 19-20
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Leviticus 19-20
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 19
Various Rules of Conduct. 1 The Lord said to Moses: 2 Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.[a](A) 3 [b]Each of you revere your mother and father,(B) and keep my sabbaths.(C) I, the Lord, am your God.
4 Do not turn aside to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves.(D) I, the Lord, am your God.
5 When you sacrifice your communion sacrifice to the Lord, you shall sacrifice it so that it is acceptable on your behalf. 6 It must be eaten on the day of your sacrifice or on the following day. Whatever is left over until the third day shall be burned in fire. 7 If any of it is eaten on the third day, it will be a desecrated offering and not be accepted;(E) 8 whoever eats of it then shall bear the penalty for having profaned what is sacred to the Lord. Such a one shall be cut off(F) from the people.
9 [c]When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not be so thorough that you reap the field to its very edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.(G) 10 Likewise, you shall not pick your vineyard bare, nor gather up the grapes that have fallen. These things you shall leave for the poor and the alien. I, the Lord, am your God.
11 [d]You shall not steal. You shall not deceive or speak falsely to one another.(H) 12 You shall not swear falsely by my name, thus profaning the name of your God.(I) I am the Lord.
13 You shall not exploit your neighbor. You shall not commit robbery. You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your laborer.(J) 14 [e]You shall not insult the deaf, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the Lord.
15 You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your neighbor justly.(K) 16 You shall not go about spreading slander among your people; nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor’s life is at stake. I am the Lord.
17 [f]You shall not hate any of your kindred in your heart. Reprove your neighbor openly so that you do not incur sin because of that person.(L) 18 Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your own people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.(M)
19 [g]Keep my statutes: do not breed any of your domestic animals with others of a different species; do not sow a field of yours with two different kinds of seed; and do not put on a garment woven with two different kinds of thread.(N)
20 [h](O)If a man has sexual relations with a female slave who has been acquired by another man but has not yet been redeemed or given her freedom, an investigation shall be made. They shall not be put to death, because she has not been freed. 21 The man shall bring to the entrance of the tent of meeting as his reparation to the Lord a ram as a reparation offering.(P) 22 With the ram of the reparation offering the priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the wrong the man has committed, so that he will be forgiven for the wrong he has committed.
23 When you come into the land and plant any fruit tree there,(Q) first look upon its fruit as if it were uncircumcised. For three years, it shall be uncircumcised for you; it may not be eaten. 24 In the fourth year, however, all of its fruit shall be dedicated to the Lord in joyous celebration. 25 Not until the fifth year may you eat its fruit, to increase the yield for you. I, the Lord, am your God.
26 Do not eat anything with the blood still in it.(R) Do not recite charms or practice soothsaying.[i](S) 27 Do not clip your hair at the temples, nor spoil the edges of your beard. 28 Do not lacerate your bodies for the dead, and do not tattoo yourselves.[j](T) I am the Lord.
29 You shall not degrade your daughter by making a prostitute of her;(U) otherwise the land will prostitute itself and become full of lewdness. 30 Keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary.(V) I am the Lord.
31 Do not turn to ghosts or consult spirits, by which you will be defiled.(W) I, the Lord, am your God.
32 Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the old, and fear your God. I am the Lord.
33 When an alien resides with you in your land, do not mistreat such a one.(X) 34 You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt.(Y) I, the Lord, am your God.
35 Do not act dishonestly in using measures of length or weight or capacity. 36 You shall have a true scale and true weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin.[k](Z) I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 37 Be careful, then, to observe all my statutes and decrees. I am the Lord.
Chapter 20
Penalties for Various Sins. 1 [l]The Lord said to Moses: 2 Tell the Israelites: Anyone, whether an Israelite or an alien residing in Israel, who gives offspring to Molech shall be put to death.(AA) The people of the land shall stone that person. 3 (AB)I myself will turn against and cut off(AC) that individual from among the people; for in the giving of offspring to Molech, my sanctuary was defiled(AD) and my holy name was profaned. 4 If the people of the land condone the giving of offspring to Molech, by failing to put the wrongdoer to death, 5 I myself will turn against that individual and his or her family, and I will cut off from their people both the wrongdoer and all who follow this person by prostituting themselves with Molech.
6 Should anyone turn to ghosts and spirits and prostitute oneself with them,(AE) I will turn against that person and cut such a one off from among the people. 7 Sanctify yourselves, then, and be holy; for I, the Lord, your God,(AF) am holy. 8 Be careful, therefore, to observe my statutes. I, the Lord, make you holy.
9 Anyone who curses father or mother shall be put to death;[m](AG) and having cursed father or mother, such a one will bear the bloodguilt.[n] 10 [o]If a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife,(AH) both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death. 11 If a man disgraces his father by lying with his father’s wife,(AI) the two of them shall be put to death; their bloodguilt is upon them. 12 If a man lies with his daughter-in-law,(AJ) both of them shall be put to death; they have done what is perverse; their bloodguilt is upon them. 13 If a man lies with a male as with a woman,(AK) they have committed an abomination; the two of them shall be put to death; their bloodguilt is upon them. 14 If a man marries a woman and her mother also,(AL) that is shameful conduct; the man and the two women as well shall be burned to death, so that shamefulness may not be found among you. 15 If a man has sexual relations with an animal,(AM) the man shall be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. 16 If a woman goes up to any animal to mate with it,(AN) you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall both be put to death; their bloodguilt is upon them. 17 If a man marries his sister,(AO) his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and they have intercourse with each other, that is disgraceful; they shall be publicly cut off[p] from the people; the man shall bear the penalty of having had intercourse with his own sister. 18 If a man lies with a woman during her menstrual period and has intercourse with her, he has laid bare the source of her flow and she has uncovered it.(AP) The two of them shall be cut off from the people. 19 You shall not have intercourse with your mother’s sister or your father’s sister,(AQ) because that dishonors one’s own flesh; they shall bear their penalty. 20 If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he disgraces his uncle;(AR) they shall bear the penalty; they shall die childless. 21 If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is severe defilement and he has disgraced his brother;(AS) they shall be childless.
22 Be careful to observe all my statutes and all my decrees; otherwise the land where I am bringing you to dwell will vomit you out.(AT) 23 Do not conform, therefore, to the customs of the nations(AU) whom I am driving out of your way, because all these things that they have done have filled me with disgust for them. 24 But to you I have said:(AV) You shall take possession of their land. I am giving it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey. I, the Lord, am your God, who have set you apart from other peoples. 25 (AW)You, too, must set apart, then, the clean animals from the unclean, and the clean birds from the unclean, so that you do not make yourselves detestable through any beast or bird or any creature which creeps on the ground that I have set apart for you as unclean. 26 To me, therefore, you shall be holy; for I, the Lord, am holy,(AX) and I have set you apart from other peoples to be my own.
27 A man or a woman who acts as a medium or clairvoyant(AY) shall be put to death. They shall be stoned to death; their bloodguilt is upon them.
Footnotes
- 19:2 Be holy, for I…am holy: in the writings commonly attributed to the Priestly collection, Israel is called to be holy through obeying God’s precepts (11:44–45; 20:7–8, 24–26; Nm 15:40–41). Cf. Dt 14:2, 21; 26:19; and Ex 19:6.
- 19:3–4 Cf. the Decalogue laws on revering parents (Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16), keeping sabbaths (Ex 20:8–11; Dt 5:12–15), and not making or worshiping idols (Ex 20:2–6; Dt 5:7–10).
- 19:9–10 The Israelites maintain the poor in part by letting them gather unharvested portions of fields and vineyards. Cf. 23:22; Ru 2:1–10.
- 19:11–13 Cf. the Decalogue commandments against stealing (Ex 20:15; Dt 5:19), wrongly using God’s name (Ex 20:7; Dt 5:11), and swearing falsely against another (Ex 20:16; Dt 5:20).
- 19:14 In Dt 27:18 a curse falls on the head of the one who misleads the blind.
- 19:17–18 These verses form a unit and describe different attitudes and actions towards one’s fellow Israelites. A separate passage is necessary to advise a similar attitude toward aliens (vv. 33–34). Cf. 25:39–46. The admonition at the end of v. 18 came to be viewed in Judaism and Christianity as one of the central commandments. (See Mt 22:34–40; Mk 12:28–34; Lk 10:25–28; cf. Mt 19:19; Rom 13:8–10; Gal 5:14). The New Testament urges love for enemies as well as neighbors (Mt 5:43–48; Lk 6:27–36; cf. Prv 25:21–22).
- 19:19 One reason why mixtures are prohibited seems to be that they are holy (see Dt 22:9, 10–11). Israelites are allowed mixtures in the wearing of fringes on the edges or corners of their clothing (Nm 15:37–41; Dt 22:12). Some mixtures are considered abominations (cf. Lv 18:23; Dt 22:5).
- 19:20–22 On adultery, see note on 18:20. Here it is not adultery in the technical sense since the woman is not free. A reparation offering is required as a penalty (see 5:14–26).
- 19:26 Recite charms…soothsaying: methods of divination (cf. Gn 44:5, 15; Is 2:6; Ez 21:26–28). Legitimate means of learning the future or God’s will were through the Urim and Thummim stones (see Lv 8:8), lots (see Lv 16:8) and prophets (cf. Dt 18:9–22; 1 Sm 28:6–7).
- 19:28 Do not tattoo yourselves: see note on Gn 4:15. This prohibition probably refers only to the common ancient Near Eastern practice of branding a slave with its owner’s name as well as branding the devotees of a god with its name.
- 19:36 Ephah: see note on Is 5:10; hin: see note on Ez 45:24.
- 20:1–5 The term Molech may refer to a deity, perhaps with an underworld association, and the activity forbidden here may be connected with divination. Cf. Dt 18:10; 2 Kgs 17:17; 21:6. In the kingdom of Judah the cult appears to have been practiced in the Valley of Hinnom, just outside Jerusalem on the west and south (2 Kgs 23:10; Jer 32:35).
- 20:9 Curses father or mother…put to death: this is more than a simple expletive uttered in anger against one’s parents. See note on Ex 21:17.
- 20:9–21 Bloodguilt: these penalties, beginning with cursing one’s parents, reflect the concerns of a patriarchal society that the breakdown of one’s relations with one’s parents can lead to the breakdown of all other familial relationships, resulting in the breakdown of society.
- 20:10–21 See 18:6–23 and notes there. It appears that the inclusion of various penalties in 20:10–21 accounts for the different order of the cases here compared to the order found in 18:6–23. The reason why the offenses in 20:10–21 carry different penalties, however, is not clear. Perhaps the cases in vv. 17–21 were considered slightly less serious, being condemned but not criminally prosecuted.
- 20:17 Cut off: see note on 7:20.
Leviticus 19-20
New International Version
Leviticus 19-20
New International Version
Various Laws
19 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel(A) and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God,(B) am holy.(C)
3 “‘Each of you must respect your mother and father,(D) and you must observe my Sabbaths.(E) I am the Lord your God.(F)
4 “‘Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves.(G) I am the Lord your God.(H)
5 “‘When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 6 It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned up.(I) 7 If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is impure and will not be accepted.(J) 8 Whoever eats it will be held responsible(K) because they have desecrated what is holy(L) to the Lord; they must be cut off from their people.(M)
9 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges(N) of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.(O) 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time(P) or pick up the grapes that have fallen.(Q) Leave them for the poor and the foreigner.(R) I am the Lord your God.
11 “‘Do not steal.(S)
“‘Do not lie.(T)
“‘Do not deceive one another.(U)
12 “‘Do not swear falsely(V) by my name(W) and so profane(X) the name of your God. I am the Lord.
13 “‘Do not defraud or rob(Y) your neighbor.(Z)
“‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker(AA) overnight.(AB)
14 “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind,(AC) but fear your God.(AD) I am the Lord.
15 “‘Do not pervert justice;(AE) do not show partiality(AF) to the poor or favoritism to the great,(AG) but judge your neighbor fairly.(AH)
16 “‘Do not go about spreading slander(AI) among your people.
“‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life.(AJ) I am the Lord.
17 “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart.(AK) Rebuke your neighbor frankly(AL) so you will not share in their guilt.
18 “‘Do not seek revenge(AM) or bear a grudge(AN) against anyone among your people,(AO) but love your neighbor(AP) as yourself.(AQ) I am the Lord.
19 “‘Keep my decrees.(AR)
“‘Do not mate different kinds of animals.
“‘Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.(AS)
“‘Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.(AT)
20 “‘If a man sleeps with a female slave who is promised to another man(AU) but who has not been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment.[a] Yet they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed. 21 The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the tent of meeting for a guilt offering to the Lord.(AV) 22 With the ram of the guilt offering the priest is to make atonement for him before the Lord for the sin he has committed, and his sin will be forgiven.(AW)
23 “‘When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden.[b] For three years you are to consider it forbidden[c]; it must not be eaten. 24 In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy,(AX) an offering of praise to the Lord. 25 But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the Lord your God.
26 “‘Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it.(AY)
“‘Do not practice divination(AZ) or seek omens.(BA)
27 “‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.(BB)
28 “‘Do not cut(BC) your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.
29 “‘Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute,(BD) or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.(BE)
30 “‘Observe my Sabbaths(BF) and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord.(BG)
31 “‘Do not turn to mediums(BH) or seek out spiritists,(BI) for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.
32 “‘Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect(BJ) for the elderly(BK) and revere your God.(BL) I am the Lord.(BM)
33 “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born.(BN) Love them as yourself,(BO) for you were foreigners(BP) in Egypt.(BQ) I am the Lord your God.
35 “‘Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity.(BR) 36 Use honest scales(BS) and honest weights, an honest ephah[d](BT) and an honest hin.[e](BU) I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.(BV)
37 “‘Keep all my decrees(BW) and all my laws(BX) and follow them. I am the Lord.’”
Punishments for Sin
20 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death.(BY) The members of the community are to stone him.(BZ) 3 I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people;(CA) for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled(CB) my sanctuary(CC) and profaned my holy name.(CD) 4 If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death,(CE) 5 I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.
6 “‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.(CF)
7 “‘Consecrate yourselves(CG) and be holy,(CH) because I am the Lord your God.(CI) 8 Keep my decrees(CJ) and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.(CK)
9 “‘Anyone who curses their father(CL) or mother(CM) is to be put to death.(CN) Because they have cursed their father or mother, their blood will be on their own head.(CO)
10 “‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife(CP)—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.(CQ)
11 “‘If a man has sexual relations with his father’s wife, he has dishonored his father.(CR) Both the man and the woman are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.(CS)
12 “‘If a man has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law,(CT) both of them are to be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads.
13 “‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.(CU) They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
14 “‘If a man marries both a woman and her mother,(CV) it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire,(CW) so that no wickedness will be among you.(CX)
15 “‘If a man has sexual relations with an animal,(CY) he is to be put to death,(CZ) and you must kill the animal.
16 “‘If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
17 “‘If a man marries his sister(DA), the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They are to be publicly removed(DB) from their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible.(DC)
18 “‘If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her monthly period,(DD) he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them are to be cut off from their people.(DE)
19 “‘Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father,(DF) for that would dishonor a close relative; both of you would be held responsible.
20 “‘If a man has sexual relations with his aunt,(DG) he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible; they will die childless.(DH)
21 “‘If a man marries his brother’s wife,(DI) it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless.(DJ)
22 “‘Keep all my decrees and laws(DK) and follow them, so that the land(DL) where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. 23 You must not live according to the customs of the nations(DM) I am going to drive out before you.(DN) Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.(DO) 24 But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.”(DP) I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations.(DQ)
25 “‘You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds.(DR) Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground—those that I have set apart as unclean for you. 26 You are to be holy to me(DS) because I, the Lord, am holy,(DT) and I have set you apart from the nations(DU) to be my own.
27 “‘A man or woman who is a medium(DV) or spiritist among you must be put to death.(DW) You are to stone them;(DX) their blood will be on their own heads.’”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 19:20 Or be an inquiry
- Leviticus 19:23 Hebrew uncircumcised
- Leviticus 19:23 Hebrew uncircumcised
- Leviticus 19:36 An ephah was a dry measure having the capacity of about 3/5 of a bushel or about 22 liters.
- Leviticus 19:36 A hin was a liquid measure having the capacity of about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters.
Psalm 65
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 65
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 65[a]
Thanksgiving for God’s Blessings
1 For the leader. A psalm of David. A song.
I
2 To you we owe our hymn of praise,
O God on Zion;
To you our vows[b] must be fulfilled,
3 [c]you who hear our prayers.
To you all flesh must come(A)
4 with its burden of wicked deeds.
We are overcome by our sins;
only you can pardon them.(B)
5 Blessed the one whom you will choose and bring
to dwell in your courts.
May we be filled with the good things of your house,
your holy temple!
II
6 You answer us with awesome deeds[d] of justice,
O God our savior,
The hope of all the ends of the earth
and of those far off across the sea.(C)
7 You are robed in power,
you set up the mountains by your might.
8 You still the roaring of the seas,(D)
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples.(E)
9 Distant peoples stand in awe of your marvels;
the places of morning and evening you make resound with joy.
10 [e]You visit the earth and water it,
make it abundantly fertile.(F)
God’s stream[f] is filled with water;
you supply their grain.
Thus do you prepare it:
11 you drench its plowed furrows,
and level its ridges.
With showers you keep it soft,
blessing its young sprouts.
12 You adorn the year with your bounty;
your paths[g] drip with fruitful rain.
13 The meadows of the wilderness also drip;
the hills are robed with joy.
14 The pastures are clothed with flocks,
the valleys blanketed with grain;
they cheer and sing for joy.(G)
Footnotes
- Psalm 65 The community, aware of its unworthiness (Ps 65:3–4), gives thanks for divine bounty (Ps 65:5), a bounty resulting from God’s creation victory (Ps 65:6–9). At God’s touch the earth comes alive with vegetation and flocks (Ps 65:10–13).
- 65:2 Vows: the Israelites were accustomed to promising sacrifices in the Temple if their prayers were heard.
- 65:3 To you all flesh must come: all must have recourse to God’s mercy.
- 65:6 Awesome deeds: the acts of creating—installing mountains, taming seas, restraining nations (Ps 65:7–8)—that are visible worldwide (Ps 65:6, 9).
- 65:10–14 Apparently a description of the agricultural year, beginning with the first fall rains that soften the hard sun-baked soil (Ps 65:9–10).
- 65:10 God’s stream: the fertile waters of the earth derive from God’s fertile waters in the heavenly world.
- 65:12 Paths: probably the tracks of God’s storm chariot dropping rain upon earth.
Psalm 65
New International Version
Psalm 65
New International Version
Psalm 65[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
1 Praise awaits[b] you, our God, in Zion;(A)
to you our vows will be fulfilled.(B)
2 You who answer prayer,
to you all people will come.(C)
3 When we were overwhelmed by sins,(D)
you forgave[c] our transgressions.(E)
4 Blessed are those you choose(F)
and bring near(G) to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,(H)
of your holy temple.
5 You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,(I)
God our Savior,(J)
the hope of all the ends of the earth(K)
and of the farthest seas,(L)
6 who formed the mountains(M) by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,(N)
7 who stilled the roaring of the seas,(O)
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.(P)
8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.(Q)
9 You care for the land and water it;(R)
you enrich it abundantly.(S)
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,(T)
for so you have ordained it.[d]
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers(U) and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,(V)
and your carts overflow with abundance.(W)
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;(X)
the hills are clothed with gladness.(Y)
13 The meadows are covered with flocks(Z)
and the valleys are mantled with grain;(AA)
they shout for joy and sing.(AB)
Footnotes
- Psalm 65:1 In Hebrew texts 65:1-13 is numbered 65:2-14.
- Psalm 65:1 Or befits; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Psalm 65:3 Or made atonement for
- Psalm 65:9 Or for that is how you prepare the land
Acts 5:17-42
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Acts 5:17-42
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
17 Then the high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy,(A) 18 laid hands upon the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said,(B) 20 “Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.” 21 When they heard this, they went to the temple early in the morning and taught. When the high priest and his companions arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin, the full senate of the Israelites, and sent to the jail to have them brought in. 22 But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison, so they came back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked and the guards stationed outside the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 When they heard this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss about them, as to what this would come to. 25 Then someone came in and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area and are teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them in, but without force, because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.(C)
27 When they had brought them in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, 28 “We gave you strict orders [did we not?] to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”(D) 29 But Peter and the apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men.(E) 30 [a]The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,(F) though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand[b] as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.(G) 32 We are witnesses of these things, as is the holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey him.”(H)
33 When they heard this, they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death. 34 [c]But a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up, ordered the men to be put outside for a short time,(I) 35 and said to them, “Fellow Israelites, be careful what you are about to do to these men. 36 [d]Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be someone important, and about four hundred men joined him, but he was killed, and all those who were loyal to him were disbanded and came to nothing. 37 After him came Judas the Galilean at the time of the census. He also drew people after him, but he too perished and all who were loyal to him were scattered. 38 So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. 39 But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him. 40 After recalling the apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them.(J) 41 So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.(K) 42 And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Messiah, Jesus.(L)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 5:30 Hanging him on a tree: that is, crucifying him (cf. also Gal 3:13).
- 5:31 At his right hand: see note on Acts 2:33.
- 5:34 Gamaliel: in Acts 22:3, Paul identifies himself as a disciple of this Rabbi Gamaliel I who flourished in Jerusalem between A.D. 25 and 50.
- 5:36–37 Gamaliel offers examples of unsuccessful contemporary movements to argue that if God is not the origin of this movement preached by the apostles it will perish by itself. The movement initiated by Theudas actually occurred when C. Cuspius Fadus was governor, A.D. 44–46. Luke’s placing of Judas the Galilean after Theudas and at the time of the census (see note on Lk 2:1–2) is an indication of the vagueness of his knowledge of these events.
Acts 5:17-42
New International Version
Acts 5:17-42
New International Version
The Apostles Persecuted
17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party(A) of the Sadducees,(B) were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.(C) 19 But during the night an angel(D) of the Lord opened the doors of the jail(E) and brought them out.(F) 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”(G)
21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.
When the high priest and his associates(H) arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin(I)—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there.(J) So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests(K) were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.
25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people(L) would stone them.
27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin(M) to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,”(N) he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”(O)
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!(P) 30 The God of our ancestors(Q) raised Jesus from the dead(R)—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.(S) 31 God exalted him to his own right hand(T) as Prince and Savior(U) that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.(V) 32 We are witnesses of these things,(W) and so is the Holy Spirit,(X) whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they were furious(Y) and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel,(Z) a teacher of the law,(AA) who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census(AB) and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.(AC) 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”(AD)
40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged.(AE) Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing(AF) because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.(AG) 42 Day after day, in the temple courts(AH) and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news(AI) that Jesus is the Messiah.(AJ)
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