Old/New Testament
The Land Is Divided
45 “‘When you divide the land for the Israelite tribes by throwing lots, you must give a part of the land to belong to the Lord. It will be ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] long and ·about six miles [L twenty thousand cubits] wide; all of this land will be holy. 2 From this land, an area ·eight hundred seventy-five feet [L five hundred cubits] square will be for the ·Temple [sanctuary]. There will be an open space around the Temple that is ·eighty-seven and one-half feet [L fifty cubits] wide. 3 In the holy area you will measure a part ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] long and ·three miles wide [L ten thousand cubits], and in it will be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 4 This ·holy part [sacred portion] of the land will be for the priests who ·serve [minister] in the ·Temple [sanctuary], who come near to the Lord to ·serve [minister to] him. It will be a place for the priests’ houses and ·for the Temple [L a holy place for the sanctuary]. 5 Another area ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] long and ·three miles wide [L ten thousand cubits] will be for the Levites, who ·serve [minister] in the Temple area. It will belong to them so they will have cities in which to live.
6 “‘You must give the city an area that is ·about one and one-half miles [L five thousand cubits] wide and ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] long, along the side of the holy area. It will belong to all the ·people [L house] of Israel.
7 “‘The ·ruler [prince] will have land on both sides of the holy ·area [allotment; contribution] and the city. On the west of the holy area, his land will reach to the eastern border [C apparently the Mediterranean Sea]. On the east of the holy area, his land will reach to the eastern border [C of the country]. It will be as long as the land given to each tribe. 8 Only this land will be the ruler’s ·property [possession] in Israel. So my rulers will not ·be cruel to [oppress] my people anymore [C such a large portion would keep the king from wanting to seize land, as Ahab had done (1 Kin. 21); see v. 9], but they will let each tribe in the ·nation [L house] of Israel have its share of the land.
9 “‘This is what the Lord God says: ·You have gone far enough [Enough!], you ·rulers [princes] of Israel! Stop ·being cruel and hurting people [your violence and oppression], and do what is right and ·fair [just]. Stop ·forcing my people out of their homes [evicting my people], says the Lord God. 10 You must have ·honest [just] scales, an ·honest [just] ·dry measurement [L ephah] and an ·honest [just] ·liquid measurement [L bath]. 11 The dry measure [L ephah] and the liquid measure [L bath] will be the same: The ·liquid measure [L bath] will always be a tenth of a homer [C the Hebrew means “donkey-load,” and was about five bushels of dry measure and 55 gallons of liquid measure], and the dry measure [L ephah] will always be a tenth of a homer. The ·measurement they follow [standard measure] will be the homer. 12 The shekel [C coin weighing about two-fifths of an ounce] will be worth twenty gerahs, and a mina will be worth ·sixty shekels [L twenty shekels and twenty-five shekels and fifteen shekels].
Offerings and Holy Days
13 “‘This is the ·gift [offering] you should offer: a sixth of an ephah [v. 11] from every homer [v. 11] of wheat, and a sixth of an ephah from every homer of barley. 14 The amount of oil you are to offer is a tenth of a bath [v. 11] from each cor. (Ten baths make a homer and also make a cor.) 15 You should give one sheep from each flock of two hundred from the watering places of Israel. All these are to be offered for the ·grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1], burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17], and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1] to ·remove the sins of [make atonement for] the people, says the Lord God. 16 All people in the land will give this special offering to the ·ruler [prince] of Israel. 17 It will be the ·ruler’s [prince’s] responsibility to supply the burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17], ·grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1], and drink offerings. These offerings will be given at the ·feasts [appointed festivals], at the New Moons, on the Sabbaths, and at all the other feasts of [L the house of] Israel. He will supply the ·sin [or purification] offerings [Lev. 4:3], ·grain [L gift; tribute] offerings, and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1] to pay for the sins of [L the house of] Israel.
18 “‘This is what the Lord God says: On the first day of the first month take a young bull ·that has nothing wrong with it [without blemish/defect]. Use it to ·make the Temple pure and ready for God’s service [L purify the sanctuary]. 19 The priest will take some of the blood from this ·sin [or purification] offering [Lev. 4:3] and put it on the doorposts of the ·Temple [L house], on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the posts of the gate to the inner courtyard. 20 You will do the same thing on the seventh day of the month for anyone who has sinned ·by accident [unintentionally] or ·without knowing it [through ignorance]. This is how you make ·the Temple pure and ready for God’s service [L atonement for the house].
Passover Feast Offerings
21 “‘On the fourteenth day of the first month you will celebrate the Feast of Passover [Ex. 12:1–20; Lev. 23:4–8; Num. 28:16–25; Deut. 16:1–5]. It will be a feast of seven days when you eat ·bread made without yeast [unleavened bread]. 22 On that day the ·ruler [prince] ·must offer [will provide] a bull for himself and for all the people of the land as a ·sin [or purification] offering [Lev. 4:3]. 23 During the seven days of the feast he ·must offer [will provide] seven bulls and seven ·male sheep [rams] ·that have nothing wrong with them [without blemish/defect]. They will be burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] to the Lord, which the ruler will offer every day of the seven days of the feast. He must also offer a male goat every day as a ·sin [or purification] offering [Lev. 4:3]. 24 The ruler ·must give [will provide] as a ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1] ·one-half bushel [L an ephah; v. 11] for each bull and ·one-half bushel [L an ephah] for each sheep. He must give a ·gallon [L hin] of olive oil for each half bushel.
25 “‘Beginning on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you celebrate the ·Feast of Shelters [L Feast/Festival; Lev. 23:33–44; Num. 28:12–40], the ruler will supply the same ·things [provisions] for seven days: the ·sin [or purification] offerings [Lev. 4:3], burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17], ·grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1], and the olive oil.
Rules for Worship
46 “‘This is what the Lord God says: The east gate of the inner courtyard will stay shut on the six working days, but it will be opened on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon. 2 The ·ruler [prince] will enter from outside through the ·porch [portico] of the gateway and stand by the gatepost, while the priests offer the ·ruler’s [prince’s] burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offering [Lev. 3:1]. The ruler will ·worship [bow down] at the ·entrance [threshold] of the gateway, and then he will go out. But the gate will not be shut until evening. 3 The people of the land will worship at the entrance of that gateway ·in the presence of [before] the Lord on the Sabbaths and New Moons. 4 This is the burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] the ruler will offer to the Lord on the Sabbath day: six male lambs ·that have nothing wrong with them [without blemish/defect] and a ·male sheep [ram] ·that has nothing wrong with it [without blemish/defect]. 5 He must give a ·half-bushel [L ephah; 45:11] ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering with the male sheep, but he ·may [or will] give as much grain offering with the lambs as ·he pleases [or he is able; L a gift of his hand]. He must also give a ·gallon [L hin] of olive oil for each ·half bushel [L ephah] of grain. 6 On the day of the New Moon he must offer a young bull ·that has nothing wrong with it [without blemish/defect]. He must also offer six lambs and a male sheep ·that have nothing wrong with them [all without blemish/defect]. 7 The ruler must give a ·half-bushel [L ephah] ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1] with the bull and ·one-half bushel [L an ephah] with the ·male sheep [ram]. With the lambs, he ·may [or will] give as much grain ·as he pleases [or as he is able; L a gift of his hand]. But he must give a ·gallon [L hin] of olive oil for each half bushel of grain. 8 When the ·ruler [prince] enters, he must go in through the ·porch [portico] of the gateway, and he must go out the same way.
9 “‘When the people of the land come ·into the Lord’s presence [before the Lord] at the ·special feasts [appointed festivals], those who enter through the north gate to worship must go out through the south gate. Those who enter through the south gate must go out through the north gate. They must not return the same way they entered; everyone must go out ·the opposite way [straight ahead]. 10 The ·ruler [prince] will go in with the people when they go in and go out with them when they go out.
11 “‘At the feasts and ·regular times of worship [appointed festivals] ·one-half bushel [L an ephah] of grain must be offered with a young bull, and ·one-half bushel [L an ephah] of grain must be offered with a ·male sheep [ram]. But with an offering of lambs, the ruler may give as much grain as ·he pleases [or he is able; L a gift of his hand]. He should give a ·gallon [L hin] of olive oil for each ·half bushel [L ephah] of grain. 12 The ·ruler [prince] may give an ·offering as a special gift to the Lord [freewill offering]; it may be a burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] or ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offering [Lev. 3:1]. When he gives it to the Lord, the ·inner east gate [gate facing east] is to be opened for him. He must offer his burnt offering or his ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offering [Lev. 3:1] as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he will go out, and the gate will be shut after he has left.
13 “‘Every day you will give a year-old lamb ·that has nothing wrong with it [without blemish/defect] for a burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] to the Lord. Do it ·every morning [morning by morning]. 14 Also, you must offer a ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1] with the lamb ·every morning [morning by morning]. For this you will give ·three and one-third quarts [L a sixth of an ephah] of grain and ·one and one-third quarts [L a third of an ephah] of olive oil, to make the fine flour moist, as a ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1] to the Lord. This is a ·rule that must be kept from now on [perpetual statute; lasting ordinance]. 15 So you must always give the lamb, together with the ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1] and the olive oil, ·every morning [morning by morning] as a ·regular [perpetual] burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17].
Rules for the Ruler
16 “‘This is what the Lord God says: If the ·ruler [prince] gives a gift from his ·land [inheritance] to any of his sons, that land will belong to the son and then to the son’s children. It is their property ·passed down from their family [L by inheritance]. 17 But if the ruler gives a gift from his ·land [inheritance] to any of his servants, that land will belong to the servant only until the year of freedom [C the year of Jubilee; Lev. 25:8–15]. Then the land will go back to the ·ruler [prince]. ·Only the ruler’s sons may keep a gift of land from the ruler [L His inheritance shall be only for his sons]. 18 The ·ruler [prince] must not take any of the people’s ·land [inheritance], forcing them out of their land. He must give his sons ·some of his own land [inheritance from his own property] so my people will not be scattered out of their own land.’”
The Special Kitchens
19 The man led me through the entrance at the side of the gateway to the priests’ ·holy rooms [sacred chambers] that face north. ·There I saw [L And look/T behold] a place at the far west end. 20 The man said to me, “This is where the priests will boil the ·meat of the penalty [L penalty; or guilt; reparation] offering [Lev. 5:14—6:7] and ·sin [or purification] offering [Lev. 4:3] and bake the ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 3:1]. Then they will not need to bring these holy offerings into the outer courtyard, ·because that would hurt [L which would transmit holiness to] the people [C the purity of God’s holiness would destroy sinful human beings; Lev. 16:2].”
21 Then the man brought me out into the outer courtyard and led me to its four corners. [L And look/T behold] In each corner of the courtyard was a smaller courtyard. 22 Small courtyards were in the four corners of the courtyard. Each small courtyard was the same size, ·seventy feet [L forty cubits] long and ·fifty-two and one-half feet [L thirty cubits] wide. 23 A ·stone wall [L row] was around each of the four small courtyards, and ·places for cooking [fireplaces; boiling places] were built in each of the ·stone walls [rows]. 24 The man said to me, “These are the kitchens where those who ·work [minister] in the Temple will boil the sacrifices offered by the people.”
Jesus Is Our Helper
2 My ·dear children [L little children; C a term of endearment], I write ·this letter [L these things] to you so you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a ·helper [counselor; advocate; Rom. 8:34] in the presence of the Father—Jesus Christ, ·the One who does what is right [or the Righteous One]. 2 He ·died in our place to take away [is the atoning sacrifice/T propitiation for] our sins [C his death pays the penalty and removes God’s anger from us; 4:10; Rom. 3:25; Heb. 2:17], and not only our sins but the sins of ·all people [L the whole world].
3 We ·can be sure [know] that we know ·God [L him] if we ·obey [keep] his commands. 4 Anyone who says, “I know ·God [L him],” but does not ·obey [keep] ·God’s [L his] commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if someone ·obeys [keeps] ·God’s teaching [L his word], then in that person ·God’s love [or love for God] has ·truly reached its goal [been fulfilled/perfected/completed]. This is how we can be sure we are ·living in God [L in him]: 6 Whoever says that he ·lives [abides; remains] in God must ·live [L walk] as ·Jesus lived [L he walked].
The Command to Love Others
7 ·My dear friends [L Beloved], I am not writing a new command to you but an old command you have had from the beginning [3:23; John 13:34]. It is the ·teaching [L word] you have already heard. 8 But also I am writing a new command to you, ·and you can see its truth in Jesus [L which is true in him] and in you, ·because [or that] the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
9 Anyone who ·says [claims; C as do the false teachers; see 2:18–19], “I am in the light,” [C following God’s goodness and truthfulness] but hates a brother or sister [C fellow Christian], is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves a brother or sister ·lives [abides; remains] in the light and ·will not cause anyone to stumble in his faith [or he will not stumble in his faith; L there is no cause of stumbling in him; C the “stumbling” may be either by apostasy or sin; John 6:61; 16:1; Rom. 14:13; Rev. 2:14]. 11 But whoever hates a brother or sister is in darkness, ·lives [L walks] in darkness, and does not know where to go, because the darkness has ·made that person blind [L blinded his eyes].
12 I write to you, dear children [2:1],
because your sins are forgiven ·through Christ [L on account of his name; C the name represents the person].
13 I write to you, fathers [C probably senior members of the congregation],
·because [or that] you know the One who existed from the beginning [C Christ; John 1:1].
I write to you, young people,
·because [or that] you have ·defeated [conquered; overcome] the Evil One.
14 I ·write [or have written] to you, children,
·because [or that] you ·know [have come to know] the Father.
I ·write [or have written] to you, fathers,
·because [or that] you ·know [have come to know] the One who existed from the beginning [2:13].
I ·write [or have written] to you, young people,
·because [or that] you are strong;
the ·teaching [L word] of God ·lives [abides; remains] in you,
and you have ·defeated [conquered; overcome] the Evil One.
15 Do not love the world or the things ·in [associated with] the world. If you love the world, the love ·of [or for] the Father is not in you [James 4:4]. 16 [L For] ·These are the ways of [All that is in/associated with] the world: ·wanting to please our sinful selves [L the desire/lust of the flesh], ·wanting the sinful things we see [L the desire/lust of the eyes], and ·being too proud of what we have [L the pride of life/possessions]. None of these come from the Father, but all of them come from the world. 17 The world and ·everything that people want in it [L its desire/lust] are passing away [1 Cor. 7:31], but the person who does ·what God wants [the will of God] ·lives [abides; remains] forever.
Reject the Enemies of Christ
18 My dear children [2:1], ·these are the last days [L it is the last hour; C suggesting urgency, though not claiming the end was near]. [L Just as] You have heard that the ·enemy of Christ [L antichrist] is coming, and now many ·enemies of Christ [L antichrists; C false teachers; 2:22; 2 John 7] are already here. This is how we know that ·these are the last days [L it is the last hour]. 19 ·These enemies of Christ were in our fellowship, but they left us [L They went out from us; C probably to form a rival fellowship]. They never really belonged to us [L But they were not of us]; [L For] if they had been a part of us, they would have ·stayed [remained; abided] with us. But they left, ·and this shows [or so that it would be shown] that none of them really belonged to us.
20 You have the ·gift [L anointing; C probably the Holy Spirit and/or the spiritual gift of the Word of God applied to their hearts; v. 24; 1 Sam. 16:13; Is. 61:1; John 16:13; 2 Cor. 1:21–22] that the Holy One gave you [L from the Holy One; C a reference to God the Father (Ps. 71:22) or more likely Jesus Christ (Mark 1:24; John 6:69)], so you all ·know the truth[a] [or have knowledge; L know]. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth but because you do know the truth. And you know that no lie comes from the truth.
22 Who is the liar? It is the person who ·does not accept [denies; repudiates] Jesus as the ·Christ [Messiah; Anointed One]. This is the ·enemy of Christ [L antichrist]: the person who ·does not accept [denies; repudiates] the Father and ·his [the] Son. 23 Whoever ·does not accept [denies; repudiates] the Son does not have the Father. But whoever ·confesses [acknowledges; accepts] the Son has the Father, too.
24 [L As for you] Be sure you ·continue to follow [abide/remain in] ·the teaching [L what] you heard from the beginning [C when they first became Christians; 1 Tim. 6:3; 2 Tim. 1:13; Titus 1:9; 2 Pet. 3:2; Jude 17, 20]. If you ·continue to follow [abide/remain in] what you heard from the beginning, you will [L also; indeed] ·stay [abide; remain] in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is ·what the Son [L the promise which he himself] promised to us—·life forever [eternal life; 1 Tim. 4:8; 2 Tim. 1:1].
26 I ·am writing [or have written] ·this letter [L these things] about those people who are ·trying to lead you the wrong way [deceiving you; leading you astray]. 27 [L As for you] ·Christ gave you a special gift that is still in you [L The anointing that you received from him abides/remains in you; 2:20], so you do not need ·any other teacher [L anyone to teach you; Jer. 31:34]. [L But just as] His ·gift [L anointing] teaches you about everything, and it is true, not false. So ·continue to live in Christ, as his gift taught you [L just as he taught you, abide/remain in him].
28 ·Yes [Now], my dear children [2:1], ·live [abide; remain] in him so that when ·Christ comes back [L he appears/is revealed], we can be ·without fear [confident] and not be ashamed [L of him] ·in his presence [at his coming]. 29 ·Since [If] you know that ·Christ [L he] is righteous, you know that all who ·do right [practice righteousness] ·are God’s children [L have been born of/begotten by him].
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