The Fellowship Offering

“‘If your offering is a fellowship offering,(A) and you offer an animal from the herd, whether male or female, you are to present before the Lord an animal without defect.(B) You are to lay your hand on the head(C) of your offering and slaughter it(D) at the entrance to the tent of meeting.(E) Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall splash(F) the blood against the sides(G) of the altar.(H) From the fellowship offering you are to bring a food offering to the Lord: the internal organs(I) and all the fat(J) that is connected to them, both kidneys(K) with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which you will remove with the kidneys. Then Aaron’s sons(L) are to burn it on the altar(M) on top of the burnt offering(N) that is lying on the burning wood;(O) it is a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(P)

“‘If you offer an animal from the flock as a fellowship offering(Q) to the Lord, you are to offer a male or female without defect. If you offer a lamb,(R) you are to present it before the Lord,(S) lay your hand on its head and slaughter it(T) in front of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron’s sons shall splash its blood against the sides of the altar. From the fellowship offering you are to bring a food offering(U) to the Lord: its fat, the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone, the internal organs and all the fat that is connected to them, 10 both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which you will remove with the kidneys. 11 The priest shall burn them on the altar(V) as a food offering(W) presented to the Lord.(X)

12 “‘If your offering is a goat,(Y) you are to present it before the Lord, 13 lay your hand on its head and slaughter it in front of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron’s sons shall splash(Z) its blood against the sides of the altar.(AA) 14 From what you offer you are to present this food offering to the Lord: the internal organs and all the fat that is connected to them, 15 both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which you will remove with the kidneys.(AB) 16 The priest shall burn them on the altar(AC) as a food offering,(AD) a pleasing aroma.(AE) All the fat(AF) is the Lord’s.(AG)

17 “‘This is a lasting ordinance(AH) for the generations to come,(AI) wherever you live:(AJ) You must not eat any fat or any blood.(AK)’”

The Sin Offering

The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘When anyone sins unintentionally(AL) and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands(AM)

“‘If the anointed priest(AN) sins,(AO) bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the Lord a young bull(AP) without defect(AQ) as a sin offering[a](AR) for the sin he has committed.(AS) He is to present the bull at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord.(AT) He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it there before the Lord. Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood(AU) and carry it into the tent of meeting. He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle(AV) some of it seven times before the Lord,(AW) in front of the curtain of the sanctuary.(AX) The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns(AY) of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting. The rest of the bull’s blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar(AZ) of burnt offering(BA) at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He shall remove all the fat(BB) from the bull of the sin offering—all the fat that is connected to the internal organs, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys(BC) 10 just as the fat is removed from the ox[b](BD) sacrificed as a fellowship offering.(BE) Then the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering.(BF) 11 But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, as well as the head and legs, the internal organs and the intestines(BG) 12 that is, all the rest of the bull—he must take outside the camp(BH) to a place ceremonially clean,(BI) where the ashes(BJ) are thrown, and burn it(BK) there in a wood fire on the ash heap.(BL)

13 “‘If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally(BM) and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, when they realize their guilt 14 and the sin they committed becomes known, the assembly must bring a young bull(BN) as a sin offering(BO) and present it before the tent of meeting. 15 The elders(BP) of the community are to lay their hands(BQ) on the bull’s head(BR) before the Lord, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord.(BS) 16 Then the anointed priest is to take some of the bull’s blood(BT) into the tent of meeting. 17 He shall dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle(BU) it before the Lord(BV) seven times in front of the curtain. 18 He is to put some of the blood(BW) on the horns of the altar that is before the Lord(BX) in the tent of meeting. The rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar(BY) of burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 19 He shall remove all the fat(BZ) from it and burn it on the altar,(CA) 20 and do with this bull just as he did with the bull for the sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement(CB) for the community, and they will be forgiven.(CC) 21 Then he shall take the bull outside the camp(CD) and burn it as he burned the first bull. This is the sin offering for the community.(CE)

22 “‘When a leader(CF) sins unintentionally(CG) and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the Lord his God, when he realizes his guilt 23 and the sin he has committed becomes known, he must bring as his offering a male goat(CH) without defect. 24 He is to lay his hand on the goat’s head and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the Lord.(CI) It is a sin offering.(CJ) 25 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar(CK) of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.(CL) 26 He shall burn all the fat on the altar as he burned the fat of the fellowship offering. In this way the priest will make atonement(CM) for the leader’s sin, and he will be forgiven.(CN)

27 “‘If any member of the community sins unintentionally(CO) and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, when they realize their guilt 28 and the sin they have committed becomes known, they must bring as their offering(CP) for the sin they committed a female goat(CQ) without defect. 29 They are to lay their hand on the head(CR) of the sin offering(CS) and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering.(CT) 30 Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering(CU) and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 31 They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar(CV) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(CW) In this way the priest will make atonement(CX) for them, and they will be forgiven.(CY)

32 “‘If someone brings a lamb(CZ) as their sin offering, they are to bring a female without defect.(DA) 33 They are to lay their hand on its head and slaughter it(DB) for a sin offering(DC) at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered.(DD) 34 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.(DE) 35 They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the lamb of the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar(DF) on top of the food offerings presented to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 4:3 Or purification offering; here and throughout this chapter
  2. Leviticus 4:10 The Hebrew word can refer to either male or female.

Jesus Questioned About Fasting(A)

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.(B) Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them,(C) and on that day they will fast.

21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath(D)(E)

23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.(F) 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”(G)

25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest,(H) he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat.(I) And he also gave some to his companions.”(J)

27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man,(K) not man for the Sabbath.(L) 28 So the Son of Man(M) is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue,(N) and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely(O) to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.(P) Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians(Q) how they might kill Jesus.(R)

Crowds Follow Jesus(S)

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed.(T) When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.(U) Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many,(V) so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.(W) 11 Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”(X) 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.(Y)

Jesus Appoints the Twelve(Z)

13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.(AA) 14 He appointed twelve[a](AB) that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons.(AC) 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter),(AD) 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus Accused by His Family and by Teachers of the Law(AE)(AF)

20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered,(AG) so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.(AH) 21 When his family[b] heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”(AI)

22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem(AJ) said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul!(AK) By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”(AL)

23 So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables:(AM) “How can Satan(AN) drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.(AO) 28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”(AP)

30 He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 3:14 Some manuscripts twelve—designating them apostles—
  2. Mark 3:21 Or his associates

BOOK IV

Psalms 90–106

Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses the man of God.

Lord, you have been our dwelling place(A)
    throughout all generations.
Before the mountains were born(B)
    or you brought forth the whole world,
    from everlasting to everlasting(C) you are God.(D)

You turn people back to dust,
    saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”(E)
A thousand years in your sight
    are like a day that has just gone by,
    or like a watch in the night.(F)
Yet you sweep people away(G) in the sleep of death—
    they are like the new grass of the morning:
In the morning it springs up new,
    but by evening it is dry and withered.(H)

We are consumed by your anger
    and terrified by your indignation.
You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins(I) in the light of your presence.(J)
All our days pass away under your wrath;
    we finish our years with a moan.(K)
10 Our days may come to seventy years,(L)
    or eighty,(M) if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,(N)
    for they quickly pass, and we fly away.(O)
11 If only we knew the power of your anger!
    Your wrath(P) is as great as the fear that is your due.(Q)
12 Teach us to number our days,(R)
    that we may gain a heart of wisdom.(S)

13 Relent, Lord! How long(T) will it be?
    Have compassion on your servants.(U)
14 Satisfy(V) us in the morning with your unfailing love,(W)
    that we may sing for joy(X) and be glad all our days.(Y)
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    for as many years as we have seen trouble.
16 May your deeds be shown to your servants,
    your splendor to their children.(Z)

17 May the favor[a] of the Lord our God rest on us;
    establish the work of our hands for us—
    yes, establish the work of our hands.(AA)

Psalm 91

Whoever dwells in the shelter(AB) of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow(AC) of the Almighty.[b]
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge(AD) and my fortress,(AE)
    my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare(AF)
    and from the deadly pestilence.(AG)
He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;(AH)
    his faithfulness will be your shield(AI) and rampart.
You will not fear(AJ) the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.(AK)

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm(AL) will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels(AM) concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;(AN)
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.(AO)
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.(AP)

14 “Because he[c] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.(AQ)
16 With long life(AR) I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.(AS)

Psalm 92[d]

A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.

It is good to praise the Lord
    and make music(AT) to your name,(AU) O Most High,(AV)
proclaiming your love in the morning(AW)
    and your faithfulness at night,
to the music of the ten-stringed lyre(AX)
    and the melody of the harp.(AY)

For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;
    I sing for joy(AZ) at what your hands have done.(BA)
How great are your works,(BB) Lord,
    how profound your thoughts!(BC)
Senseless people(BD) do not know,
    fools do not understand,
that though the wicked spring up like grass
    and all evildoers flourish,
    they will be destroyed forever.(BE)

But you, Lord, are forever exalted.

For surely your enemies(BF), Lord,
    surely your enemies will perish;
    all evildoers will be scattered.(BG)
10 You have exalted my horn[e](BH) like that of a wild ox;(BI)
    fine oils(BJ) have been poured on me.
11 My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;
    my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.(BK)

12 The righteous will flourish(BL) like a palm tree,
    they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;(BM)
13 planted in the house of the Lord,
    they will flourish in the courts of our God.(BN)
14 They will still bear fruit(BO) in old age,
    they will stay fresh and green,
15 proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
    he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.(BP)

Psalm 93

The Lord reigns,(BQ) he is robed in majesty;(BR)
    the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;(BS)
    indeed, the world is established,(BT) firm and secure.(BU)
Your throne was established(BV) long ago;
    you are from all eternity.(BW)

The seas(BX) have lifted up, Lord,
    the seas have lifted up their voice;(BY)
    the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.(BZ)
Mightier than the thunder(CA) of the great waters,
    mightier than the breakers(CB) of the sea—
    the Lord on high is mighty.(CC)

Your statutes, Lord, stand firm;
    holiness(CD) adorns your house(CE)
    for endless days.

Psalm 94

The Lord is a God who avenges.(CF)
    O God who avenges, shine forth.(CG)
Rise up,(CH) Judge(CI) of the earth;
    pay back(CJ) to the proud what they deserve.
How long, Lord, will the wicked,
    how long will the wicked be jubilant?(CK)

They pour out arrogant(CL) words;
    all the evildoers are full of boasting.(CM)
They crush your people,(CN) Lord;
    they oppress your inheritance.(CO)
They slay the widow(CP) and the foreigner;
    they murder the fatherless.(CQ)
They say, “The Lord does not see;(CR)
    the God of Jacob(CS) takes no notice.”

Take notice, you senseless ones(CT) among the people;
    you fools, when will you become wise?
Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?
    Does he who formed the eye not see?(CU)
10 Does he who disciplines(CV) nations not punish?
    Does he who teaches(CW) mankind lack knowledge?
11 The Lord knows all human plans;(CX)
    he knows that they are futile.(CY)

12 Blessed is the one you discipline,(CZ) Lord,
    the one you teach(DA) from your law;
13 you grant them relief from days of trouble,(DB)
    till a pit(DC) is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not reject his people;(DD)
    he will never forsake his inheritance.
15 Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,(DE)
    and all the upright in heart(DF) will follow it.

16 Who will rise up(DG) for me against the wicked?
    Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?(DH)
17 Unless the Lord had given me help,(DI)
    I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.(DJ)
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,(DK)
    your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
19 When anxiety(DL) was great within me,
    your consolation(DM) brought me joy.

20 Can a corrupt throne(DN) be allied with you—
    a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?(DO)
21 The wicked band together(DP) against the righteous
    and condemn the innocent(DQ) to death.(DR)
22 But the Lord has become my fortress,
    and my God the rock(DS) in whom I take refuge.(DT)
23 He will repay(DU) them for their sins
    and destroy(DV) them for their wickedness;
    the Lord our God will destroy them.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 90:17 Or beauty
  2. Psalm 91:1 Hebrew Shaddai
  3. Psalm 91:14 That is, probably the king
  4. Psalm 92:1 In Hebrew texts 92:1-15 is numbered 92:2-16.
  5. Psalm 92:10 Horn here symbolizes strength.

17 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
    than a house full of feasting, with strife.(A)

A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
    and will share the inheritance as one of the family.

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,(B)
    but the Lord tests the heart.(C)

A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
    a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

Whoever mocks the poor(D) shows contempt for their Maker;(E)
    whoever gloats over disaster(F) will not go unpunished.(G)

Children’s children(H) are a crown to the aged,
    and parents are the pride of their children.

Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—
    how much worse lying lips to a ruler!(I)

A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;
    they think success will come at every turn.(J)

Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,(K)
    but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.(L)

10 A rebuke impresses a discerning person
    more than a hundred lashes a fool.

11 Evildoers foster rebellion against God;
    the messenger of death will be sent against them.

12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
    than a fool bent on folly.(M)

13 Evil will never leave the house
    of one who pays back evil(N) for good.(O)

14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
    so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.(P)

15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent(Q)
    the Lord detests them both.(R)

16 Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,
    when they are not able to understand it?(S)

17 A friend loves at all times,
    and a brother is born for a time of adversity.(T)

18 One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge
    and puts up security for a neighbor.(U)

19 Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;
    whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.

20 One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;
    one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.

21 To have a fool for a child brings grief;
    there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.(V)

22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed(W) spirit dries up the bones.(X)

23 The wicked accept bribes(Y) in secret
    to pervert the course of justice.(Z)

24 A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
    but a fool’s eyes(AA) wander to the ends of the earth.

25 A foolish son brings grief to his father
    and bitterness to the mother who bore him.(AB)

26 If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,(AC)
    surely to flog honest officials is not right.

27 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,(AD)
    and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.(AE)

28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
    and discerning if they hold their tongues.(AF)

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