Old/New Testament
Offering Sacrifices
17 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to Aaron, his sons and all the people of Israel. Tell them: ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: 3 An Israelite might sacrifice an ox, a lamb or a goat. He might kill it inside the camp or outside it. 4 But he should have brought the animal to the entrance to the Meeting Tent. He should have given the animal as a gift to the Lord. If he didn’t, he is guilty of killing. He must be separated from his people. 5 This rule is so people will bring their sacrifices to the Lord. They have been sacrificing in the open fields. But they must bring those animals to the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. They must bring them to the priest and offer them as fellowship offerings. 6 Then the priest will sprinkle the blood from those animals on the Lord’s altar. It is near the entrance to the Meeting Tent. And the priest will burn the fat from those animals on the altar. This smell will be pleasing to the Lord. 7 They must not offer any more sacrifices to their goat idols. They have chased after those other gods. In that way they have acted like prostitutes. These rules will continue for people from now on.’
8 “Tell the people this: ‘Someone might offer a burnt offering or sacrifice. He might be a citizen of Israel. Or he might be a traveler or foreigner living with you. 9 That person must take his sacrifice to the entrance to the Meeting Tent. There he may offer it to the Lord. If he does not do this, he must be separated from his people.
10 “‘I will be against anyone who eats blood. It does not matter if it is a citizen of Israel or a foreigner living with you. I will separate that person from his people. 11 This is because the life of the body is in the blood. And I have given you rules for pouring that blood on the altar. You must do this to remove your sins so you will belong to the Lord. It is the blood that removes the sins from your life so you will belong to the Lord. 12 So I tell the people of Israel this: “None of you may eat blood. And no foreigner living among you may eat blood.”
13 “‘Someone may catch a wild animal or bird that can be eaten. The person may be a citizen of Israel or a foreigner living among you. He must pour the blood on the ground and cover it with dirt. 14 This is because if blood is still in the meat, the animal’s life is still in it. So I give this command to the people of Israel: “Don’t eat meat that still has blood in it. Anyone who eats blood must be separated from his people.”
15 “‘Someone may eat an animal that died by itself. Or he may eat an animal that was killed by another animal. The person may be a citizen of Israel or a foreigner living among you. If he eats the animal, he will be unclean until evening. He must wash his clothes and whole body with water. 16 If he does not wash his clothes and bathe his body, he will be guilty of sin.’”
Rules About Physical Relations
18 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God. 3 In the past you lived in Egypt. You must not do what was done in that country. And you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you. Do not follow their customs. 4 You must obey my rules and follow them. I am the Lord your God. 5 Obey my laws and rules. A person who obeys my laws and rules will live because of them. I am the Lord.
6 “‘You must never have physical relations with your close relatives. I am the Lord.
7 “‘You must not shame your father by having physical relations with your mother. She is your mother. Do not have physical relations with her. 8 You must not have physical relations with your father’s wife. That would shame your father.
9 “‘You must not have physical relations with your sister. She may be the daughter of your father or your mother. It doesn’t matter if she was born in your house or somewhere else.
10 “‘You must not have physical relations with your granddaughter. She may be your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter. That would bring shame on you.
11 “‘If your father and his wife have a daughter, she is your sister. You must not have physical relations with her.
12 “‘You must not have physical relations with your father’s sister. She is your father’s close relative. 13 You must not have physical relations with your mother’s sister. She is your mother’s close relative. 14 You must not have physical relations with the wife of your father’s brother. This would shame him. His wife is your aunt.
15 “‘You must not have physical relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife. Do not have physical relations with her.
16 “‘You must not have physical relations with your brother’s wife. That would shame your brother.
17 “‘You must not have physical relations with both a woman and her daughter. And do not have physical relations with this woman’s granddaughter. It may be the daughter of her son or her daughter. They are her close relatives. It is evil to do this.
18 “‘While your wife is still living, you must not take her sister as another wife. Do not have physical relations with her.
19 “‘You must not go near a woman to have physical relations with her during her monthly period. She is unclean during this time.
20 “‘You must not commit adultery with your neighbor’s wife and make yourself unclean with her.
21 “‘You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech. This will show that you do not respect your God. I am the Lord.
22 “‘You must not have physical relations with a man as you would a woman. That is a hated sin.
23 “‘You must not have unnatural physical relations with an animal and make yourself unclean with it. Also a woman must not have unnatural physical relations with an animal. It is not natural.
24 “‘Don’t make yourself unclean by any of these wrong things. I am forcing nations out of their countries because they did these sins. And I am giving their land to you. 25 The land has become unclean. So I punished it for its sins. And the land is throwing out those people who live there.
26 “‘You must obey my laws and rules. You must not do any of these hated sins. These rules are for the citizens of Israel. They are also for the people who live with you. 27 The people who lived in the land before you did all these hated things. So the land became unclean. 28 If you do these things, you will also make the land unclean. And it will throw you out as it threw out the nations before you. 29 Anyone who does these hated sins must be separated from his people. 30 The people who lived in the land before you have done these hated sins. But you must not do them. You must obey my laws. Don’t make yourself unclean by these hated sins. I am the Lord your God.’”
27 Pilate’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s palace. All the soldiers gathered around Jesus. 28 They took off his clothes and put a red robe on him. 29 Then the soldiers used thorny branches to make a crown. They put this crown of thorns on Jesus’ head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then the soldiers bowed before Jesus and made fun of him. They said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 They spit on Jesus. Then they took his stick and hit him on the head many times. 31 After they finished making fun of Jesus, the soldiers took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led Jesus away to be killed on a cross.
Jesus Is Killed on a Cross
32 The soldiers were going out of the city with Jesus. They forced another man to carry the cross to be used for Jesus. This man was Simon, from Cyrene. 33 They all came to the place called Golgotha. (Golgotha means the Place of the Skull.) 34 At Golgotha, the soldiers gave Jesus wine to drink. This wine was mixed with gall.[a] He tasted the wine but refused to drink it. 35 The soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross. They threw lots to decide who would get his clothes.[b] 36 The soldiers sat there and continued watching him. 37 They put a sign above Jesus’ head with the charge against him written on it. The sign read: “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 38 Two robbers were nailed to crosses beside Jesus, one on the right and the other on the left. 39 People walked by and insulted Jesus. They shook their heads, 40 saying, “You said you could destroy the Temple and build it again in three days. So save yourself! Come down from that cross, if you are really the Son of God!”
41 The leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the Jewish elders were also there. These men made fun of Jesus 42 and said, “He saved other people, but he can’t save himself! People say he is the King of Israel! If he is the King, then let him come down now from the cross. Then we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. So let God save him now, if God really wants him. He himself said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And in the same way, the robbers who were being killed on crosses beside Jesus also insulted him.
Jesus Dies
45 At noon the whole country became dark. This darkness lasted for three hours. 46 About three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” This means, “My God, my God, why have you left me alone?”
47 Some of the people standing there heard this. They said, “He is calling Elijah.”
48 Quickly one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled the sponge with vinegar and tied it to a stick. Then he used the stick to give the sponge to Jesus to drink from it. 49 But the others said, “Don’t bother him. We want to see if Elijah will come to save him.”
50 Again Jesus cried out in a loud voice. Then he died.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.