Font Size
Leviticus 17-18
Contemporary English Version
Leviticus 17-18
Contemporary English Version
Where To Offer Sacrifices
17 The Lord told Moses 2 to tell Aaron, his sons, and everyone else in Israel:
3-4 Whenever you kill any of your cattle, sheep, or goats as sacrifices to me, you must do it at the entrance to the sacred tent. If you don't, you will be guilty of pouring out blood, and you will no longer belong to the community of Israel. 5 And so, when you sacrifice an animal to ask my blessing,[a] it must not be done out in a field, 6 but in front of the sacred tent. Then a priest can splatter its blood against the bronze altar and send its fat up in smoke with a smell that pleases me. 7 Don't ever turn from me again and offer sacrifices to goat-demons. This law will never change.
8 Remember! No one in Israel, including foreigners, is to offer a sacrifice anywhere 9 except at the entrance to the sacred tent. If you do, you will no longer belong to my people.
Do Not Eat Blood
The Lord said:
10 (A) I will turn against any of my people who eat blood. This also includes any foreigners living among you. 11 (B) Life is in the blood, and I have given you the blood of animals to sacrifice in place of your own. 12 That's also why I have forbidden you to eat blood. 13 Even if you should hunt and kill a bird or an animal, you must drain out the blood and cover it with soil.
14 The life of every living creature is in its blood. That's why I have forbidden you to eat blood and why I have warned you that anyone who does will no longer belong to my people.
15 If you happen to find a dead animal and eat it, you must take a bath and wash your clothes, but you are still unclean until evening. 16 If you don't take a bath, you will suffer for what you did wrong.
Forbidden Sex
18 The Lord told Moses 2 to tell the people of Israel:
I am the Lord your God! 3 So don't follow the customs of Egypt where you used to live or those of Canaan where I am bringing you. 4 I am the Lord your God, and you must obey my teachings. 5 (C) Obey them and you will live. I am the Lord.
6 Don't have sex with any of your close relatives, 7 especially your own mother. This would disgrace your father. 8 (D) And don't disgrace him by having sex with any of his other wives. 9 (E) Don't have sex with your sister or stepsister, whether you grew up together or not. 10 Don't disgrace yourself by having sex with your granddaughter 11 or half sister 12-13 (F) or a sister of your father or mother. 14 Don't disgrace your uncle by having sex with his wife. 15 (G) Don't have sex with your daughter-in-law 16 (H) or sister-in-law. 17 (I) And don't have sex with the daughter or granddaughter of any woman that you have earlier had sex with. You will be having sex with her closest relatives, and that would make you unclean. 18 As long as your wife is alive, don't cause trouble for her by taking one of her sisters as a second wife.
19 (J) When a woman is having her monthly period, she is unclean, so don't have sex with her.
20 (K) Don't have sex with another man's wife—that would make you unclean.
21 (L) Don't sacrifice your children on the altar fires to the god Molech. I am the Lord your God, and that would disgrace me.
22 (M) It is disgusting for a man to have sex with another man.
23 (N) Anyone who has sex with an animal is unclean.
24 Don't make yourselves unclean by any of these disgusting practices of those nations that I am forcing out of the land for you. They made themselves 25 and the land so unclean, that I punished the land because of their sins, and I made it vomit them up. 26-27 Now don't do these sickening things that make the land filthy. Instead, obey my laws and teachings. 28 Then the land won't become sick of you and vomit you up, just as it did them. 29-30 If any of you do these vulgar, disgusting things, you will be unclean and no longer belong to my people. I am the Lord your God, and I forbid you to follow their sickening way of life.
Footnotes
- 17.5 sacrifice … to ask my blessing: See the note at 3.1.
Leviticus 17-18
New International Version
Leviticus 17-18
New International Version
Eating Blood Forbidden
17 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to Aaron and his sons(A) and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: 3 Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox,[a] a lamb(B) or a goat(C) in the camp or outside of it 4 instead of bringing it to the entrance to the tent of meeting(D) to present it as an offering to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord(E)—that person shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; they have shed blood and must be cut off from their people.(F) 5 This is so the Israelites will bring to the Lord the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the Lord, at the entrance to the tent of meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings.(G) 6 The priest is to splash the blood against the altar(H) of the Lord(I) at the entrance to the tent of meeting and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(J) 7 They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols[b](K) to whom they prostitute themselves.(L) This is to be a lasting ordinance(M) for them and for the generations to come.’(N)
8 “Say to them: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice 9 and does not bring it to the entrance to the tent(O) of meeting(P) to sacrifice it to the Lord(Q) must be cut off from the people of Israel.
10 “‘I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats blood,(R) and I will cut them off from the people. 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood,(S) and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.[c](T) 12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood.”
13 “‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth,(U) 14 because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”(V)
15 “‘Anyone, whether native-born or foreigner, who eats anything(W) found dead or torn by wild animals(X) must wash their clothes and bathe with water,(Y) and they will be ceremonially unclean till evening;(Z) then they will be clean. 16 But if they do not wash their clothes and bathe themselves, they will be held responsible.(AA)’”
Unlawful Sexual Relations
18 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God.(AB) 3 You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.(AC) 4 You must obey my laws(AD) and be careful to follow my decrees.(AE) I am the Lord your God.(AF) 5 Keep my decrees and laws,(AG) for the person who obeys them will live by them.(AH) I am the Lord.
6 “‘No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord.
7 “‘Do not dishonor your father(AI) by having sexual relations with your mother.(AJ) She is your mother; do not have relations with her.
8 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife;(AK) that would dishonor your father.(AL)
9 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your sister,(AM) either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.(AN)
10 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter; that would dishonor you.
11 “‘Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, born to your father; she is your sister.
12 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister;(AO) she is your father’s close relative.
13 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister,(AP) because she is your mother’s close relative.
14 “‘Do not dishonor your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt.(AQ)
15 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law.(AR) She is your son’s wife; do not have relations with her.(AS)
16 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife;(AT) that would dishonor your brother.
17 “‘Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter.(AU) Do not have sexual relations with either her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness.
18 “‘Do not take your wife’s sister(AV) as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.
19 “‘Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness(AW) of her monthly period.(AX)
20 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife(AY) and defile yourself with her.
21 “‘Do not give any of your children(AZ) to be sacrificed to Molek,(BA) for you must not profane the name of your God.(BB) I am the Lord.(BC)
22 “‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman;(BD) that is detestable.(BE)
23 “‘Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.(BF)
24 “‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you(BG) became defiled.(BH) 25 Even the land was defiled;(BI) so I punished it for its sin,(BJ) and the land vomited out its inhabitants.(BK) 26 But you must keep my decrees and my laws.(BL) The native-born and the foreigners residing among you must not do any of these detestable things, 27 for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. 28 And if you defile the land,(BM) it will vomit you out(BN) as it vomited out the nations that were before you.
29 “‘Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people. 30 Keep my requirements(BO) and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.(BP)’”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 17:3 The Hebrew word can refer to either male or female.
- Leviticus 17:7 Or the demons
- Leviticus 17:11 Or atonement by the life in the blood
Matthew 27:27-50
Contemporary English Version
Matthew 27:27-50
Contemporary English Version
Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus
(Mark 15.16-21; John 19.2,3)
27 The governor's soldiers led Jesus into the fortress[a] and brought together the rest of the troops. 28 They stripped off Jesus' clothes and put a scarlet robe[b] on him. 29 They made a crown out of thorn branches and placed it on his head, and they put a stick in his right hand. The soldiers knelt down and pretended to worship him. They made fun of him and shouted, “Hey, you king of the Jews!” 30 Then they spit on him. They took the stick from him and beat him on the head with it.
Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross
(Mark 15.22-32; Luke 23.27-43; John 19.17-27)
31 When the soldiers had finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the robe. They put his own clothes back on him and led him off to be nailed to a cross. 32 On the way they met a man named Simon who was from Cyrene, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross.
33 They came to a place named Golgotha, which means “Place of a Skull.”[c] 34 (A) There they gave Jesus some wine mixed with a drug to ease the pain. But when Jesus tasted what it was, he refused to drink it.
35 (B) The soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross and gambled to see who would get his clothes. 36 Then they sat down to guard him. 37 Above his head they put a sign that told why he was nailed there. It read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 The soldiers also nailed two criminals on crosses, one to the right of Jesus and the other to his left.
39 (C) People who passed by said terrible things about Jesus. They shook their heads and 40 (D) shouted, “So you're the one who claimed you could tear down the temple and build it again in three days! If you are God's Son, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
41 The chief priests, the leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses also made fun of Jesus. They said, 42 “He saved others, but he can't save himself. If he is the king of Israel, he should come down from the cross! Then we will believe him. 43 (E) He trusted God, so let God save him, if he wants to. He even said he was God's Son.” 44 The two criminals also said cruel things to Jesus.
The Death of Jesus
(Mark 15.33-41; Luke 23.44-49; John 19.28-30)
45 At noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until three o'clock. 46 (F) Then about that time Jesus shouted, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”[d] which means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”
47 Some of the people standing there heard Jesus and said, “He's calling for Elijah.”[e] 48 (G) One of them at once ran and grabbed a sponge. He soaked it in wine, then put it on a stick and held it up to Jesus.
49 Others said, “Wait! Let's see if Elijah will come[f] and save him.” 50 Once again Jesus shouted, and then he died.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 27.27 fortress: The place where the Roman governor stayed. It was probably at Herod's palace west of Jerusalem, though it may have been Fortress Antonia north of the temple, where the Roman troops were stationed.
- 27.28 scarlet robe: This was probably a Roman soldier's robe.
- 27.33 Place of a Skull: The place was probably given this name because it was near a large rock in the shape of a human skull.
- 27.46 Eli … sabachthani: These words are in Hebrew.
- 27.47 Elijah: In Aramaic the name “Elijah” sounds like “Eli,” which means “my God.”
- 27.49 Elijah will come: See the note at 16.14.
Matthew 27:27-50
New International Version
Matthew 27:27-50
New International Version
The Soldiers Mock Jesus(A)
27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium(B) and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,(C) 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.(D) 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.(E) 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.(F)
The Crucifixion of Jesus(G)
32 As they were going out,(H) they met a man from Cyrene,(I) named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.(J) 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).(K) 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall;(L) but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.(M) 36 And sitting down, they kept watch(N) over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.
38 Two rebels were crucified with him,(O) one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads(P) 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,(Q) save yourself!(R) Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”(S) 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel!(T) Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe(U) in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him(V) now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
The Death of Jesus(W)
45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness(X) came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[a] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[b](Y)
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar,(Z) put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.(AA)
Footnotes
- Matthew 27:46 Some manuscripts Eloi, Eloi
- Matthew 27:46 Psalm 22:1
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.