Holy Days

23 The Lord spoke to Moses: ² “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: These are my appointed times,^(A) the times of the Lord that you will proclaim as sacred assemblies.^(B)

³ “Work may be done for six days, but on the seventh day there is to be a Sabbath of complete rest,^(C) a sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; it is a Sabbath^(D) to the Lord wherever you live.

⁴ “These are the Lord’s appointed times, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times. ⁵ The Passover^(E) to the Lord comes in the first month, at twilight on the fourteenth day of the month. ⁶ The Festival of Unleavened Bread^(F) to the Lord is on the fifteenth day of the same month. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. ⁷ On the first day you are to hold a sacred assembly; you are not to do any daily work. ⁸ You are to present a food offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day there will be a sacred assembly; do not do any daily work.”

⁹ The Lord spoke to Moses: ¹⁰ “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you enter the land I am giving you and reap its harvest,^[a] you are to bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest. ¹¹ He will present the sheaf before the Lord so that you may be accepted; the priest is to present it on the day after the Sabbath. ¹² On the day you present the sheaf, you are to offer a year-old male lamb^[b] without blemish^(G) as a burnt offering to the Lord. ¹³ Its grain offering is to be four quarts^[c] of fine flour mixed with oil as a food offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma, and its drink offering will be one quart^[d] of wine. ¹⁴ You must not eat bread, roasted grain, or any new grain^[e] until this very day, and until you have brought the offering to your God. This is to be a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you live.

¹⁵ “You are to count seven^[f] complete weeks^[g](H) starting from the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the presentation offering.^{(I) 16} You are to count fifty days until the day after the seventh Sabbath and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. ¹⁷ Bring two loaves of bread from your settlements as a presentation offering, each of them made from four quarts of fine flour, baked with yeast, as firstfruits^(J) to the Lord. ¹⁸ You are to present with the bread seven unblemished male lambs a year old, one young bull, and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offerings and drink offerings, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. ¹⁹ You are also to prepare one male goat as a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a fellowship sacrifice. ²⁰ The priest will present the lambs with the bread of firstfruits as a presentation offering before the Lord; the bread and the two lambs will be holy to the Lord for the priest. ²¹ On that same day you are to make a proclamation and hold a sacred assembly. You are not to do any daily work. This is to be a permanent statute wherever you live throughout your generations. ²² When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap all the way to the edge of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the resident alien;^(K) I am the Lord your God.”

²³ The Lord spoke to Moses: ²⁴ “Tell the Israelites: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a day of complete rest, commemoration, and trumpet blasts^(L)—a sacred assembly.^{(M) 25} You must not do any daily work, but you must present a food offering to the Lord.”

²⁶ The Lord again spoke to Moses: ²⁷ “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement.^(N) You are to hold a sacred assembly and practice self-denial;^(O) you are to present a food offering to the Lord. ²⁸ On this particular day you are not to do any work, for it is a Day of Atonement to make atonement for yourselves before the Lord your God. ²⁹ If any person does not practice self-denial on this particular day, he is to be cut off from his people. ³⁰ I will destroy among his people anyone who does any work on this same day. ³¹ You are not to do any work. This is a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you live. ³² It will be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must practice self-denial. You are to observe your Sabbath from the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening.”

³³ The Lord spoke to Moses: ³⁴ “Tell the Israelites: The Festival of Shelters^[h](P) to the Lord begins on the fifteenth day of this seventh month and continues for seven days. ³⁵ There is to be a sacred assembly on the first day; you are not to do any daily work. ³⁶ You are to present a food offering to the Lord for seven days. On the eighth day you are to hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly;^(Q) you are not to do any daily work.

³⁷ “These are the Lord’s appointed times that you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for presenting food offerings to the Lord, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its designated day. ³⁸ These are in addition to the offerings for the Lord’s Sabbaths, your gifts, all your vow offerings, and all your freewill offerings that you give to the Lord.

³⁹ “You are to celebrate the Lord’s festival on the fifteenth day of the seventh month for seven days after you have gathered the produce of the land. There will be complete rest on the first day and complete rest on the eighth day. ⁴⁰ On the first day you are to take the product^(R) of majestic trees—palm fronds,^(S) boughs of leafy trees,^(T) and willows of the brook^(U)—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. ⁴¹ You are to celebrate it as a festival to the Lord seven days each year. This is a permanent statute for you throughout your generations; celebrate it in the seventh month. ⁴² You are to live in shelters^(V) for seven days. All the native-born of Israel must live in shelters, ⁴³ so that your generations may know that I made the Israelites live in shelters when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.” ⁴⁴ So Moses declared the Lord’s appointed times to the Israelites.

Psalm 30

Joy in the Morning

A psalm; a dedication song for the house. Of David.

6 Here is a tragedy I have observed under the sun,^(A) and it weighs heavily on humanity:^{[a] 2} God gives a person riches, wealth, and honor^(B) so that he lacks nothing of all he desires for himself,^(C) but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a sickening tragedy. ³ A man may father a hundred children and live many years. No matter how long he lives,^[b] if he is not satisfied by good things and does not even have a proper burial,^(D) I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.^{(E) 4} For he comes in futility and he goes in darkness, and his name is shrouded in darkness. ⁵ Though a stillborn child does not see the sun and is not conscious, it has more rest than he. ⁶ And if a person lives a thousand years twice, but does not experience happiness, do not both go to the same place?

⁸ What advantage then does the wise person have over the fool?^(G) What advantage is there for the poor person who knows how to conduct himself before others? ⁹ Better what the eyes see than wandering desire.^(H) This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.^[d](I)

¹⁰ Whatever exists was given its name long ago,^[e](J) and it is known what mankind is. But he is not able to contend with the one stronger than he.^{(K) 11} For when there are many words, they increase futility.^(L) What is the advantage for mankind? ¹² For who knows what is good for anyone in life, in the few days of his futile life that he spends like a shadow?^(M) Who can tell anyone what will happen after him under the sun?

Be Strong in Grace

2 You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace^(A) that is in Christ Jesus. ² What you have heard from me^(B) in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful^(C) men^[a] who will be able to teach others also.

³ Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.^{(D) 4} No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the commanding officer. ⁵ Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶ The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to get a share of the crops.^{(E) 7} Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead^(F) and descended from David, according to my gospel, ⁹ for which I suffer to the point of being bound like a criminal. But the word of God is not bound. ¹⁰ This is why I endure^(G) all things for the elect:^(H) so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.^{(I) 11} This saying is trustworthy:^(J)

An Approved Worker

¹⁴ Remind them of these things, and charge them before God^[b] not to fight about words.^(M) This is useless and leads to the ruin of those who listen. ¹⁵ Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.^{(N) 16} Avoid irreverent and empty speech, since those who engage in it will produce even more godlessness,^{(O) 17} and their teaching will spread like gangrene. Hymenaeus^(P) and Philetus are among them. ¹⁸ They have departed from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place,^(Q) and are ruining the faith of some.^{(R) 19} Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, bearing this inscription:^(S) The Lord knows those who are his,^[c](T) and let everyone who calls on the name^(U) of^[d] the Lord turn away from wickedness.^(V)

²⁰ Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels,^(W) but also those of wood and clay; some for honorable^[e] use and some for dishonorable.^{[f](X) 21} So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable,^[g] he will be a special^[h] instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.^(Y)

²² Flee^(Z) from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace,^(AA) along with those who call on the Lord^(AB) from a pure heart. ²³ But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, because you know that they breed quarrels. ²⁴ The Lord’s^(AC) servant must not quarrel,^(AD) but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach,^[i] and patient, ²⁵ instructing his opponents with gentleness.^(AE) Perhaps God will grant them repentance^(AF) leading them to the knowledge of the truth. ²⁶ Then they may come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil,^(AG) who has taken them captive to do his will.^(AH)