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Laws for the Levites
18 The Levitical priests—in fact, the whole tribe of Levi—will receive no land or property of their own like the rest of the Israelites. They will eat what has been sacrificed to Yahweh. These sacrifices will be what they receive.[a] 2 So the Levites will have no land of their own like the other Israelites. Yahweh will be their inheritance, as he promised them.
3 This is what the people owe the priests whenever they sacrifice an ox, a sheep, or a goat: the shoulder, jaws, and stomach. 4 Also, give them the first produce harvested: grain, new wine, olive oil, and the first wool you shear from your sheep. 5 Out of all your tribes, Yahweh your Elohim has chosen the Levites and their descendants to do the work of serving in the name of Yahweh forever.
6 A Levite from any of your cities in Israel may come from where he has been living to the place Yahweh will choose. He may come as often as he wants 7 and may serve in the name of Yahweh his Elohim like all the other Levites who do their work in Yahweh’s presence. 8 If he does, he’ll get the same amount of food as they do, in addition to what he gets from selling his family’s goods.[b]
Laws about Prophets
9 When you come to the land that Yahweh your Elohim is giving you, never learn the disgusting practices of those nations. 10 You must never sacrifice your sons or daughters by burning them alive, practice black magic, be a fortuneteller, witch, or sorcerer, 11 cast spells, ask ghosts or spirits for help, or consult the dead. 12 Whoever does these things is disgusting to Yahweh. Yahweh your Elohim is forcing these nations out of your way because of their disgusting practices. 13 You must have integrity in dealing with Yahweh your Elohim. 14 These nations you are forcing out listen to fortunetellers and to those who practice black magic. But Yahweh your Elohim won’t let you do anything like that.
15 Yahweh your Elohim will send you a prophet, an Israelite like me. You must listen to him. 16 This is what you asked Yahweh your Elohim to give you on the day of the assembly at Mount Horeb. You said, “We never want to hear the voice of Yahweh our Elohim or see this raging fire again. If we do, we’ll die!”
17 Yahweh told me, “What they’ve said is good. 18 So I will send them a prophet, an Israelite like you. I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. 19 Whoever refuses to listen to the words that prophet speaks in my name will answer to me. 20 But any prophet who dares to say something in my name that I didn’t command him to say or who speaks in the name of other gods must die.”
21 You may be wondering, “How can we recognize that Yahweh didn’t speak this message?” 22 If a prophet speaks in Yahweh’s name and what he says doesn’t happen or come true, then it didn’t come from Yahweh. That prophet has spoken on his own authority. Never be afraid of him.
Criminal Laws
19 Yahweh your Elohim will destroy all the nations that are living in the land that Yahweh your Elohim is giving you. You will force them out and live in their cities and houses. 2 When all this is done, set aside three cities in the land that Yahweh your Elohim is giving you. 3 Provide a route to each of these cities and divide the land that Yahweh your Elohim is giving you into three regions. Whoever kills someone may run to one of these cities.
4 A person who unintentionally kills someone he never hated in the past may run to one of these cities to save his life. 5 Suppose two people go into the woods to cut wood. As one of them swings the ax to cut down a tree, the head flies off the handle, hits, and kills the other person. The one who accidentally killed the other person may run to one of these cities and save his life. 6 Otherwise, in a rage the relative who has the authority to avenge the death will pursue him. If the place is too far away, the relative may catch up with him and take his life even though he didn’t deserve the death penalty, because in the past he never hated the person he killed. 7 This is why I’m commanding you to set aside three cities for yourselves.
8 Yahweh your Elohim may expand your country’s borders as he promised your ancestors with an oath. He may give you the whole land he promised to give them. 9 He may do this because you faithfully obey all these commands I am now giving you—to love Yahweh your Elohim and follow his directions as long as you live. If this happens, you may add three more cities of refuge to these three. 10 That way, innocent people won’t be killed in the land that Yahweh your Elohim is giving you, and you won’t be guilty of murder.
11 Suppose someone hates another person, waits in ambush for him, attacks him, takes his life, and runs to one of these cities. 12 If someone does this, the leaders of your city must send for that person. They must take him from that city and hand him over to the relative who has the authority to avenge the death. He must die. 13 They must have no pity on him. The guilt of murdering an innocent person must be removed from Israel. Then things will go well for Israel.
14 Never move your neighbor’s original boundary marker on any property in the land that Yahweh your Elohim is giving you.
15 One witness is never enough to convict someone of a crime, offense, or sin he may have committed. Cases must be settled based on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
16 This is what you must do whenever a witness takes the stand to accuse a person falsely of a crime. 17 The two people involved must stand in Yahweh’s presence, in front of the priests and judges who are serving at that time. 18 The judges must make a thorough investigation. If it is found that the witness lied when he testified against the other Israelite, 19 then do to him what he planned to do to the other person. You must get rid of this evil. 20 When the rest of the people hear about this, they will be afraid. Never again will such an evil thing be done among you. 21 Have no pity on him: Take a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot.
Laws for Warfare
20 When you go to war against your enemies, you may see horses, chariots, and armies larger than yours. Don’t be afraid of them, because Yahweh your Elohim, who brought you out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 Before the battle starts, a priest must come and speak to the troops. 3 He should tell them, “Listen, Israel, today you’re going into battle against your enemies. Don’t lose your courage! Don’t be afraid or alarmed or tremble because of them. 4 Yahweh your Elohim is going with you. He will fight for you against your enemies and give you victory.”
5 The officers should tell the troops, “If you have built a new house but not dedicated it, you may go home. Otherwise, you might die in battle, and someone else will dedicate it. 6 If you have planted a vineyard and not enjoyed the grapes, you may go home. Otherwise, you might die in battle, and someone else will enjoy the grapes. 7 If you are engaged to a woman but have not married her, you may go home. Otherwise, you might die in battle, and someone else will marry her.”
8 The officers should also tell the troops, “If you are afraid or have lost your courage, you may go home. Then you won’t ruin the morale of the other Israelites.” 9 When the officers finish speaking to the troops, they should appoint commanders to lead them.
10 When you approach a city to attack it, offer its people a peaceful way to surrender. 11 If they accept it and open their gates to you, then all the people there will be made to do forced labor and serve you. 12 If they won’t accept your offer of peace but declare war on you, set up a blockade around the city. 13 When Yahweh your Elohim hands the city over to you, kill every man in that city with your swords. 14 But take the women and children, the cattle and everything else in the city, including all its goods, as your loot. You may enjoy your enemies’ goods that Yahweh your Elohim has given you. 15 This is what you must do to all the cities that are far away which don’t belong to the nations nearby.
16 However, you must not spare anyone’s life in the cities of these nations that Yahweh your Elohim is giving you as your property. 17 You must claim the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites for the Lord and completely destroy them, as Yahweh your Elohim has commanded you. 18 Otherwise, they will teach you to do all the disgusting things they do for their gods, and you will sin against Yahweh your Elohim.
19 This is what you must do whenever you blockade a city for a long time in order to capture it in war. Don’t harm any of its fruit trees with an ax. You can eat the fruit. Never cut those trees down, because the trees of the field are not people you have come to blockade. 20 You may destroy trees that you know are not fruit trees. You may cut them down and use them in your blockade until you capture the city.
Moses and Elijah Appear with Jesus(A)
28 About eight days after he had said this, Yeshua took Peter, John, and James with him and went up a mountain to pray. 29 While Yeshua was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly, both Moses and Elijah were talking with him. 31 They appeared in heavenly glory and were discussing Yeshua’s approaching death and what he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem.
32 Peter and the men with him were sleeping soundly. When they woke up, they saw Yeshua’s glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As Moses and Elijah were leaving him, Peter said to Yeshua, “Teacher, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s put up three tents—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Peter didn’t know what he was saying.
34 While he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them. They were frightened as they went into the cloud. 35 A voice came out of the cloud and said, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to him!”
36 After the voice had spoken, they saw that Yeshua was alone. The disciples said nothing, and for some time they told no one about what they had seen.
Jesus Cures a Demon-Possessed Boy(B)
37 The next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a large crowd met Yeshua. 38 A man in the crowd shouted, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son. He’s my only child. 39 Whenever a spirit takes control of him, he shrieks, goes into convulsions, and foams at the mouth. After a struggle, the spirit goes away, leaving the child worn out. 40 I begged your disciples to force the spirit out of him, but they couldn’t do it.”
41 Yeshua answered, “You unbelieving and corrupt generation! How long must I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here!”
42 While he was coming to Yeshua, the demon knocked the boy to the ground and threw him into convulsions.
Yeshua ordered the evil spirit to leave. He cured the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 Everyone was amazed to see God’s wonderful power.
The Son of Man Again Foretells His Betrayal(C)
Everyone was amazed at all the things that Yeshua was doing. So he said to his disciples, 44 “Listen carefully to what I say. The Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over to people.”
45 They didn’t know what he meant. The meaning was hidden from them so that they didn’t understand it. Besides, they were afraid to ask him about what he had said.
Greatness in the Kingdom(D)
46 A discussion started among them about who would be the greatest. 47 Yeshua knew what they were thinking. So he took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. The one who is least among all of you is the one who is greatest.”
Using the Name of Jesus(E)
49 John replied, “Master, we saw someone forcing demons out of a person by using the power and authority of your name. We tried to stop him because he was not one of us.”
50 Yeshua said to him, “Don’t stop him! Whoever isn’t against you is for you.”
BOOK THREE
(Psalms 73–89)
Psalm 73
A psalm by Asaph.
1 Elohim is truly good to Israel,
to those whose lives are pure.
2 But my feet had almost stumbled.
They had almost slipped
3 because I was envious of arrogant people
when I saw the prosperity that wicked people enjoy.
4 They suffer no pain.
Their bodies are healthy.
5 They have no drudgery in their lives like ordinary people.
They are not plagued with problems like others.
6 That is why they wear arrogance like a necklace
and acts of violence like clothing.
7 Their eyes peer out from their fat faces,[a]
and their imaginations run wild.
8 They ridicule.
They speak maliciously.
They speak arrogantly about oppression.
9 They verbally attack heaven,
and they order people around on earth.
10 That is why Elohim’s people turn to wickedness[b]
and swallow their words.
11 Then wicked people ask, “What does Elohim know?”
“Does Elyon know anything?”
12 Look how wicked they are!
They never have a worry.
They grow more and more wealthy.
13 I’ve received no reward for keeping my life pure
and washing my hands of any blame.
14 I’m plagued with problems all day long,
and every morning my punishment begins again.
15 If I had said, “I will continue to talk like that,”
I would have betrayed Elohim’s people.
16 But when I tried to understand this,
it was too difficult for me.
17 Only when I came into Elohim’s holy place
did I finally understand what would happen to them.
18 You put them in slippery places
and make them fall into ruin.
19 They are suddenly destroyed.
They are completely swept away by terror!
20 As someone gets rid of a dream when he wakes up,
so you, O Adonay, get rid of the thought of them
when you wake up.
21 When my heart was filled with bitterness
and my mind was seized with envy,
22 I was stupid, and I did not understand.
I was like a dumb animal in your presence.
23 Yet, I am always with you.
You hold on to my right hand.
24 With your advice you guide me,
and in the end you will take me to glory.
25 As long as I have you,
I don’t need anyone else in heaven or on earth.
26 My body and mind may waste away,
but Elohim remains the foundation of my life
and my inheritance forever.
27 Without a doubt, those who are far from you will die.
You destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 Being united with Elohim is my highest good.
I have made Adonay Yahweh my Machseh
so that I may report everything that he has done.
10 A righteous person cares even about the life of his animals,
but the compassion of wicked people is nothing but cruelty.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.