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22 “‘Keep all my decrees and laws(A) and follow them, so that the land(B) where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. 23 You must not live according to the customs of the nations(C) I am going to drive out before you.(D) Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.(E) 24 But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.”(F) I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations.(G)
25 “‘You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds.(H) Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground—those that I have set apart as unclean for you. 26 You are to be holy to me(I) because I, the Lord, am holy,(J) and I have set you apart from the nations(K) to be my own.
27 “‘A man or woman who is a medium(L) or spiritist among you must be put to death.(M) You are to stone them;(N) their blood will be on their own heads.’”
Rules for Priests
21 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron,(O) and say to them: ‘A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean(P) for any of his people who die,(Q) 2 except for a close relative, such as his mother or father,(R) his son or daughter, his brother, 3 or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband—for her he may make himself unclean.(S) 4 He must not make himself unclean for people related to him by marriage,[a] and so defile himself.
5 “‘Priests must not shave(T) their heads or shave off the edges of their beards(U) or cut their bodies.(V) 6 They must be holy to their God(W) and must not profane the name of their God.(X) Because they present the food offerings to the Lord,(Y) the food of their God,(Z) they are to be holy.(AA)
7 “‘They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands,(AB) because priests are holy to their God.(AC) 8 Regard them as holy,(AD) because they offer up the food of your God.(AE) Consider them holy, because I the Lord am holy—I who make you holy.(AF)
9 “‘If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire.(AG)
10 “‘The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head(AH) and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments,(AI) must not let his hair become unkempt[b] or tear his clothes.(AJ) 11 He must not enter a place where there is a dead body.(AK) He must not make himself unclean,(AL) even for his father or mother,(AM) 12 nor leave the sanctuary(AN) of his God or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil(AO) of his God. I am the Lord.
13 “‘The woman he marries must be a virgin.(AP) 14 He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only a virgin from his own people, 15 so that he will not defile his offspring among his people. I am the Lord, who makes him holy.’”
16 The Lord said to Moses, 17 “Say to Aaron: ‘For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect(AQ) may come near to offer the food of his God.(AR) 18 No man who has any defect(AS) may come near: no man who is blind(AT) or lame,(AU) disfigured or deformed; 19 no man with a crippled foot or hand, 20 or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles.(AV) 21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect(AW) is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord.(AX) He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God.(AY) 22 He may eat the most holy food of his God,(AZ) as well as the holy food; 23 yet because of his defect,(BA) he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary.(BB) I am the Lord, who makes them holy.(BC)’”
24 So Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.
22 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings(BD) the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name.(BE) I am the Lord.(BF)
3 “Say to them: ‘For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord,(BG) that person must be cut off from my presence.(BH) I am the Lord.
4 “‘If a descendant of Aaron has a defiling skin disease[c] or a bodily discharge,(BI) he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse(BJ) or by anyone who has an emission of semen, 5 or if he touches any crawling thing(BK) that makes him unclean, or any person(BL) who makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be. 6 The one who touches any such thing will be unclean(BM) till evening.(BN) He must not eat any of the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water.(BO) 7 When the sun goes down, he will be clean, and after that he may eat the sacred offerings, for they are his food.(BP) 8 He must not eat anything found dead(BQ) or torn by wild animals,(BR) and so become unclean(BS) through it. I am the Lord.(BT)
9 “‘The priests are to perform my service(BU) in such a way that they do not become guilty(BV) and die(BW) for treating it with contempt. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.(BX)
10 “‘No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired worker eat it.(BY) 11 But if a priest buys a slave with money, or if slaves are born in his household, they may eat his food.(BZ) 12 If a priest’s daughter marries anyone other than a priest, she may not eat any of the sacred contributions. 13 But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, yet has no children, and she returns to live in her father’s household as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food. No unauthorized person, however, may eat it.
14 “‘Anyone who eats a sacred offering by mistake(CA) must make restitution to the priest for the offering and add a fifth of the value(CB) to it. 15 The priests must not desecrate the sacred offerings(CC) the Israelites present to the Lord(CD) 16 by allowing them to eat(CE) the sacred offerings and so bring upon them guilt(CF) requiring payment.(CG) I am the Lord, who makes them holy.(CH)’”
9 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come(A) with power.”(B)
The Transfiguration(C)(D)
2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John(E) with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white,(F) whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi,(G) it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud:(H) “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”(I)
8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone(J) what they had seen until the Son of Man(K) had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.
11 And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
12 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man(L) must suffer much(M) and be rejected?(N) 13 But I tell you, Elijah has come,(O) and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.”
Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit(P)
14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.(Q)
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”(R)
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene,(S) he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately,(T) “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.[a]”
Psalm 43[a]
1 Vindicate me, my God,
and plead my cause(A)
against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me(B) from those who are
deceitful and wicked.(C)
2 You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected(D) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(E)
oppressed by the enemy?(F)
3 Send me your light(G) and your faithful care,(H)
let them lead me;(I)
let them bring me to your holy mountain,(J)
to the place where you dwell.(K)
4 Then I will go(L) to the altar(M) of God,
to God, my joy(N) and my delight.(O)
I will praise you with the lyre,(P)
O God, my God.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.(Q)
18 Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips(A)
and spreads slander is a fool.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.