Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man^(A)(B)

5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.^{[a] 2} When Jesus got out of the boat,^(C) a man with an impure spirit^(D) came from the tombs to meet him. ³ This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. ⁴ For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵ Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

⁶ When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. ⁷ He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me,^(E) Jesus, Son of the Most High God?^(F) In God’s name don’t torture me!” ⁸ For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

⁹ Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,”^(G) he replied, “for we are many.” ¹⁰ And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

¹¹ A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹² The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” ¹³ He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

Olive Oil and Bread Set Before the Lord^(A)

24 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually. ³ Outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the Lord from evening till morning, continually. This is to be a lasting ordinance^(B) for the generations to come. ⁴ The lamps on the pure gold lampstand^(C) before the Lord must be tended continually.

⁵ “Take the finest flour and bake twelve loaves of bread,^(D) using two-tenths of an ephah^[a](E) for each loaf. ⁶ Arrange them in two stacks, six in each stack, on the table of pure gold^(F) before the Lord. ⁷ By each stack put some pure incense^(G) as a memorial^[b] portion^(H) to represent the bread and to be a food offering presented to the Lord. ⁸ This bread is to be set out before the Lord regularly,^(I) Sabbath after Sabbath,^(J) on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant. ⁹ It belongs to Aaron and his sons,^(K) who are to eat it in the sanctuary area,^(L) because it is a most holy^(M) part of their perpetual share of the food offerings presented to the Lord.”

A Blasphemer Put to Death

¹⁰ Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite. ¹¹ The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name^(N) with a curse;^(O) so they brought him to Moses.^(P) (His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite.)^{(Q) 12} They put him in custody until the will of the Lord should be made clear to them.^(R)

¹³ Then the Lord said to Moses: ¹⁴ “Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him.^{(S) 15} Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who curses their God^(T) will be held responsible;^{(U) 16} anyone who blasphemes^(V) the name of the Lord is to be put to death.^(W) The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death.

¹⁷ “‘Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death.^{(X) 18} Anyone who takes the life of someone’s animal must make restitution^(Y)—life for life. ¹⁹ Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: ²⁰ fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.^(Z) The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury. ²¹ Whoever kills an animal must make restitution,^(AA) but whoever kills a human being is to be put to death.^{(AB) 22} You are to have the same law for the foreigner^(AC) and the native-born.^(AD) I am the Lord your God.’”

²³ Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him.^(AE) The Israelites did as the Lord commanded Moses.