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The Passover
16 Celebrate the Passover of the Lord your God during the month of Abib [C March-April], because it was during Abib that he brought you out of Egypt at night [Ex. 12:1–6; Lev. 23:5–8]. 2 As the sacrifice for the Passover to the Lord your God, offer an animal from your flock or herd at the place the Lord will choose to ·be worshiped [L cause his name to dwell there; C Zion; 12:4–7]. 3 Do not eat it with bread made with ·yeast [leaven]. But for seven days eat bread made without ·yeast [leaven], the bread of ·suffering [affliction], because you left Egypt in a hurry. So all your life you will remember the time you left Egypt. 4 There must be no ·yeast [leaven] anywhere in your land for seven days. Offer the sacrifice on the evening of the first day, and eat all the meat before morning; do not leave it overnight.
5 Do not offer the Passover sacrifice in just any ·town [L gate] the Lord your God gives you, 6 but offer it in the place he will choose to ·be worshiped [L cause his name to dwell there; 12:4–7]. Offer it in the evening as the sun goes down, which is when you left Egypt. 7 ·Roast the meat [Cook it] and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. The next morning go back to your tents. 8 Eat bread made without ·yeast [leaven] for six days. On the seventh day have a ·special meeting [festive assembly] for the Lord your God, and do not work that day.
The Feast of Weeks
9 Count seven weeks from the time you ·begin to harvest [L put the sickle to] the grain, 10 and then celebrate the ·Feast [Festival] of Weeks for the Lord your God [Ex. 23:16; 34:22; Lev. 23:9–21; Num. 28:26–31]. Bring an offering as a special gift to him, giving to him just as he has blessed you. 11 Rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose to ·be worshiped [L cause his name to dwell there; 12:4–7]. Everybody should rejoice: you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites in your ·town [L gates], the ·strangers [resident aliens], orphans, and widows living among you. 12 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and carefully obey all these ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
The Feast of Shelters
13 Celebrate the ·Feast [Festival] of ·Shelters [Booths; Tabernacles] for seven days, after you have gathered your harvest from the threshing floor and winepress [Ex. 23:16; 34:22; Lev. 23:33–36]. 14 Everybody should rejoice at your ·Feast [Festival]: you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites, ·strangers [resident aliens], orphans, and widows who live in your ·towns [L gates]. 15 Celebrate the ·Feast [Festival] to the Lord your God for seven days at the place he will choose [v. 2; 12:4–7], because the Lord your God will bless all your ·harvest [yield; produce] and all the work ·you do [L of your hands], and you will be completely happy.
16 All your men must ·come [L appear] before the Lord three times a year to the place he will choose [v. 2; 12:4–7]. They must come at these times: the ·Feast [Festival] of Unleavened Bread [C another name for Passover], the ·Feast [Festival] of Weeks, and the ·Feast [Festival] of ·Shelters [Booths; Tabernacles]. No man should come before the Lord ·without a gift [empty-handed]. 17 Each of you must bring a gift that will show how much the Lord your God has blessed you.
Judges for the People
18 Appoint judges and officers for your tribes in every ·town [L gate] the Lord your God is giving you; they must judge the people fairly. 19 Do not ·judge unfairly [distort justice] or ·take sides [show partiality/favoritism]. Do not ·let people pay you to make wrong decisions [take bribes], because ·that kind of payment [bribes] makes wise people seem blind, and it ·changes the words of good people [undermines the cause of the innocent; Ex. 23:8; Ps. 5:5; Prov. 6:35; 17:8, 23; 21:14; Eccl. 7:7]. 20 Do [pursue] what is ·right [righteous] so that you will live and ·always have [possess] the land the Lord your God is giving you.
God Hates Idols
21 Do not set up a wooden ·Asherah idol [L Asherah; 7:5; Judg. 3:7] next to the altar you build for the Lord your God, 22 and do not set up holy stone pillars. The Lord your God hates them.
17 If an ox or sheep has ·something wrong with it [L a blemish/defect, anything wrong with it; Lev. 22:17–25], do not offer it as a sacrifice to the Lord your God. He would ·hate [detest] that.
2 A man or woman in one of the ·towns [L gates] the Lord gave you might be found doing something evil in the ·sight [L eyes] of the Lord your God and ·breaking [transgressing] the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty]. 3 That person may have served other gods and bowed down to them or to the sun or moon or ·stars of the sky [any of the host of heaven], which I have commanded should not be done [4:19]. 4 If someone has told you about it, you must look into the matter carefully. If it is true that such a ·hateful [detestable; abhorrent; abominable] thing has happened in Israel, 5 take the man or woman who has done the evil thing to the city gates and ·throw stones at [stone] that person until he dies. 6 There must be two or three witnesses that it is true before the person is put to death; if there is only one witness, the person should not be put to death [Num. 35:30]. 7 The hands of the witnesses must be the first to ·throw stones at [stone] the person, and then everyone else will follow. You must get rid of the evil among you.
Courts of Law
8 Some cases that come before you, ·such as murder [between one kind of bloodshed and another; C intentional or unintentional], ·quarreling [between one kind of right and another], or ·attack [L between one kind of assault and another; Ex. 21:18–21], may be too difficult to judge. Take these cases to the place the Lord your God will choose [12:4–7]. 9 Go to the priests who are Levites and to the judge who is ·on duty at that time [in office in those days]. ·Ask them about the case [Make inquiry], and they will decide. 10 You must follow the decision they give you at the place the Lord your God will choose. Be careful to do everything they ·tell [L teach] you. 11 Follow the ·teachings [laws; instructions] they give you, and do whatever they decide, ·exactly as they tell you [L you must not turn aside from the thing they tell you to the right or to the left]. 12 The person who ·does not show respect for [presumes not to listen to] the judge or priest who is there serving the Lord your God must be put to death. You must ·get rid of [banish; purge] that evil from Israel. 13 Then everyone will hear about this and will be afraid, and they will not ·show disrespect [be presumptuous] anymore.
Choosing a King
14 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, taking it as your ·own [possession] and living in it, you will say, “·Let’s appoint [L I will set] a king over ·us [L me] like the nations all around us [1 Sam. 8:5, 20].” 15 Be sure to ·appoint [set] over you the king the Lord your God chooses. He must be one of your own ·people [relatives; L brothers]. Do not ·appoint [set] as your king a foreigner who is not a ·fellow Israelite [relative; L brother]. 16 The king must not ·have too many [multiply] horses for himself [Is. 2:7–9], and he must not send people to Egypt to get more horses, because the Lord has told you, “Don’t return that way again.” 17 The king must not ·have many [multiply for himself] wives, or his heart will ·be led away [turn aside] from God [1 Kin. 11:1–13]. He must not have too much silver and gold.
18 When he ·becomes king [L sits on the throne of his kingdom], he should write a copy of ·the teachings [these laws/instructions] on a scroll for himself, a copy taken from the priests and Levites. 19 He should keep it with him all the time and read from it every day of his life. Then he will learn to ·respect [fear] the Lord his God, and he will obey all ·the teachings [these laws/instructions] and ·commands [statutes; ordinances; requirements]. 20 He should not ·think he is better than his fellow Israelites [L exalt his heart above his relatives/brothers], and he must not ·stop obeying [turn aside from] the law ·in any way [L to the right or the left] so that he and his ·descendants [sons] may rule the kingdom for a long time [2 Sam. 7:16].
Herod Is Confused About Jesus(A)
7 [L Now; But] Herod, the ·governor [L tetrarch; C Herod Antipas; 3:1], heard about all the things that were happening and was ·confused [puzzled; perplexed], because some people said, “·John the Baptist [L John] has risen from the dead.” 8 Others said, “Elijah has ·come to us [reappeared; L appeared; C some Jews expected Elijah to return in the end times; Mal. 4:5].” And still others said, “One of the prophets who lived long ago has ·risen from the dead [or appeared once again; L arisen].” 9 Herod said, “I ·cut off John’s head [had John beheaded], so who is this man I hear such things about?” And Herod kept trying to see Jesus.
More than Five Thousand Fed(B)
10 When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then Jesus took them with him to a town called Bethsaida where they could be alone together. 11 But the ·people [crowds] learned where Jesus went and followed him. He welcomed them and talked with them about God’s kingdom and healed those who needed to be healed.
12 Late in the afternoon, ·the twelve apostles [L the Twelve] came to Jesus and said, “Send the ·people [crowd] away. They need to go to the ·towns [villages] and countryside around here and find places to sleep and something to eat, because ·no one lives in this [L we are in a remote/deserted] place.”
13 But Jesus said to them, “You give them something to eat.”
They said, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish, unless we go buy food for all these people.” 14 (There were about five thousand men there.)
Jesus said to his ·followers [disciples], “Tell the people to sit in groups of about fifty people.”
15 So ·the followers [L they] did this, and all the people sat down. 16 Then Jesus took the five loaves of bread and two fish, and looking up to heaven, he ·thanked God for [L blessed] the food. Then he ·divided the food [broke it into pieces] and gave it to the ·followers [disciples] to ·give to [distribute to; L set before] the people. 17 They all ate and were ·satisfied [filled], and what was left over was gathered up, filling twelve baskets.
Jesus Is the Christ(C)
18 One time when Jesus was praying alone, his ·followers [disciples] were with him, and he asked them, “Who do the ·people [crowds] say I am?”
19 They answered, “Some say you are John the Baptist. Others say you are Elijah [see 9:8; 1 Kin. 17]. And others say you are one of the prophets from long ago who has ·come back to life [risen/appeared again].”
20 Then Jesus asked, “But who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are ·the Christ from God [God’s Messiah; the Messiah sent from God].”
Jesus Speaks of His Crucifixion(D)
21 Jesus ·warned [sternly commanded] them not to tell anyone, saying, 22 “The Son of Man [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14] must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the Jewish elders, the ·leading [T chief] priests, and the ·teachers of the law [scribes]. He will be killed and ·after three days [L on the third day] will be raised from the dead.”
23 Jesus said to all of them, “If ·people want [L anyone wants] to follow me, they must ·give up the things they want [deny themselves; set aside their own interests]. They must ·be willing to give up their lives [L take up their cross] daily and follow me. 24 [L For] Those who want to save their lives will ·give up true life [L lose their life/soul; C Greek psychē can mean “life” or “soul”]. But those who ·give up [lose; sacrifice] their lives for ·me [my sake] will ·have true life [save their lives/souls]. 25 ·It is worthless [L What good/profit/benefit is it…?] to ·have [gain] the whole world if they themselves are destroyed or lost. 26 ·If people are [L For whoever is] ashamed of me and my ·teaching [message; words], then the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and with the glory of the Father and the holy angels. 27 I tell you the truth, some people standing here will not ·die [L taste death] before they see the kingdom of God.” [C “Seeing the kingdom of God” may refer to the Transfiguration which follows (9:28–36), Jesus’ resurrection, or the destruction of Jerusalem in ad 70.]
A Prayer for the King
Of Solomon.
72 God, give the king your good judgment
and the king’s son your ·goodness [righteousness].
2 Help him judge your people ·fairly [rightly]
and decide what is ·right [just] for the poor.
3 Let there be ·peace [or prosperity] on the mountains
and ·goodness [righteousness] on the hills for the people.
4 Help him be ·fair [just] to the poor
and ·save [give victory to] the ·needy [or children of the needy]
and ·punish [crush] those who ·hurt [oppress; exploit] them.
5 May they ·respect [fear] you as long as the sun
and as long as the moon, throughout the generations.
6 Let him ·be [L come down] like rain on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
7 Let ·goodness [righteousness] ·be plentiful [bloom forth] while he lives.
Let ·peace [or prosperity] continue ·as long as there is a [L until there is no] moon.
8 ·Let his kingdom go [L May he have dominion/rule] from sea to sea,
and from the ·Euphrates River [L river] to the ends of the earth.
9 Let the people of the ·desert [wilderness] ·bow down to [cringe/cower before] him,
and make his enemies lick the dust.
10 Let the kings of Tarshish [48:7] and the ·faraway lands [L islands]
bring him ·gifts [tribute].
Let the kings of Sheba [C an unknown location, perhaps present-day Yemen, Eritrea, or Ethiopia; see 1 Kin. 10:1–13] and Seba [C either in southern Egypt or further south; Gen. 10:7; Is. 43:3; 45:14]
bring their ·presents [tribute] to him.
11 Let all kings ·bow down [bend the knee] to him
and all nations serve him [Ps. 2].
12 He will ·help [protect] the poor when they cry out
and the needy when no one else will help.
13 He will ·be kind to [take pity on] the poor and the needy,
and he will ·save their lives [give victory to the needy].
14 He will ·save [redeem] them from ·cruel people who try to hurt them [L violence and oppression],
because their ·lives [L blood] are precious to ·him [L his eyes].
15 Long live the king!
Let him receive gold from Sheba [v. 10].
Let people always pray for him
and ·bless [praise] him all day long.
16 Let ·the fields grow plenty of grain [L there be much grain in the land/earth]
and ·the hills be covered with crops [L let there be abundance on the top of the mountains; or let it wave on the top of the mountains].
·Let the land be as fertile as Lebanon [L May its fruit be like that of Lebanon],
and let the cities grow like the grass in a field.
17 Let ·the king be famous [L his name/fame be] forever;
let ·him be remembered as long as the sun shines [L his name/fame continue as long as the sun].
Let the nations be ·blessed [praised] because of him,
and may they all ·bless [praise] him [Gen. 12:3].
18 ·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does such ·miracles [wonderful things].
19 Praise his glorious name forever.
Let his glory [C manifest presence] fill the whole world.
Amen and amen.
20 This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse [C at one time it did, but see other Davidic psalms at Ps. 101, 103, 108–110, and others].
8 The ·wisdom [insight] of the wise wins praise,
but there is ·no respect [shame] for the ·stupid [warped; distressed mind/heart].
9 A person who is ·not important [belittled; of low regard; ordinary] but has a servant is better off
than someone who ·acts [or is thought] ·important [honorable] but has no food.
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