Leviticus 5; Psalms 3–4; Proverbs 20; Colossians 3

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Leviticus 5

If anyone sins in that he hears a public eadjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall fbear his iniquity; or gif anyone touches an unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean wild animal or a carcass of unclean livestock or a carcass of unclean swarming things, and it is hidden from him and he has become unclean, and he realizes his guilt; or if he touches hhuman uncleanness, of whatever sort the uncleanness may be with which one becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and realizes his guilt; or if anyone utters with his lips a irash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people jswear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these; when he realizes his guilt in any of these and kconfesses the sin he has committed, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation1 for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.

But lif he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed two mturtledoves or two pigeons,2 one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first the one for the sin offering. He shall nwring its head from its neck nbut shall not sever it completely, and he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while othe rest of the blood shall be drained out pat the base of the altar; it is a sin offering. 10 Then he shall offer the second for a burnt offering according to the rule. qAnd the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.

11 But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a rtenth of an ephah3 of fine flour for a sin offering. He rshall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12 And he shall bring it to sthe priest, and the priest shall take a handful of it as its memorial portion and tburn this on the altar, on the Lord’s food offerings; it is a sin offering. 13 Thus qthe priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed in any one of these things, and he shall be forgiven. And the remainder4 shall be for the priest, as in the grain offering.

Laws for Guilt Offerings

14 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 15 uIf anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the Lord, vhe shall bring to the Lord as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued5 in silver shekels,6 according to the wshekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. 16 He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and xshall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. qAnd the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.

17 yIf anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, zthough he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity. 18 aHe shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering, and qthe priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven. 19 It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before7 the Lord.


Psalms 3–4

Save Me, O My God

A Psalm of David, nwhen he fled from Absalom his son.

O Lord, ohow many are my foes!

Many are prising against me;

many are saying of my soul,

qThere is no salvation for him in God. Selah1

But you, O Lord, are ra shield sabout me,

my glory, and tthe lifter of my head.

I ucried aloud to the Lord,

and he vanswered me from his wholy hill. Selah

I xlay down and slept;

I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.

I ywill not be afraid of many thousands of people

who have zset themselves against me all around.

aArise, O Lord!

Save me, O my God!

For you bstrike all my enemies on the cheek;

you cbreak the teeth of the wicked.

dSalvation belongs to the Lord;

your blessing be on your people! Selah

Answer Me When I Call

To the echoirmaster: with estringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

Answer me when I call, O God of my frighteousness!

You have ggiven me relief when I was in distress.

Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

O men,2 how long shall my honor be turned into shame?

How long will you love vain words and seek after hlies? Selah

But know that the Lord has iset apart jthe godly for himself;

the Lord hears when I call to him.

kBe angry,3 and do not sin;

lponder in your own hearts mon your beds, and be silent. Selah

Offer nright sacrifices,

and put your otrust in the Lord.

There are many who say, Who will show us some good?

pLift up qthe light of your face upon us, O Lord!

You have put rmore joy in my heart

than they have when their grain and wine abound.

In peace I will both slie down and sleep;

for you alone, O Lord, make me tdwell in safety.


Proverbs 20

yWine is a mocker, zstrong drink a brawler,

and whoever ais led astray by it is not wise.1

The terror of a king is like bthe growling of a lion;

whoever provokes him to anger cforfeits his life.

It is an honor for a man to dkeep aloof from strife,

but every fool will be quarreling.

eThe sluggard does not plow in the autumn;

fhe will seek at harvest and have nothing.

The purpose in a man’s heart is like gdeep water,

but a man of understanding will draw it out.

Many a man hproclaims his own steadfast love,

but ia faithful man who can find?

The righteous who jwalks in his integrity

kblessed are his children after him!

lA king who sits on the throne of judgment

mwinnows all evil with his eyes.

nWho can say, I have made my heart pure;

I am clean from my sin?

10  oUnequal2 weights and unequal measures

are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

11  Even a child pmakes himself known by his acts,

by whether his conduct is pure and upright.3

12  qThe hearing ear and the seeing eye,

rthe Lord has made them both.

13  sLove not sleep, lest you tcome to poverty;

open your eyes, and you will have uplenty of bread.

14  Bad, bad, says the buyer,

but when he goes away, then he boasts.

15  There is gold and abundance of vcostly stones,

wbut the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

16  xTake a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger,

and yhold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.4

17  zBread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,

but afterward his mouth will be full of agravel.

18  bPlans are established by counsel;

by cwise guidance dwage war.

19  Whoever egoes about slandering reveals secrets;

therefore do not associate with fa simple babbler.5

20  gIf one curses his father or his mother,

hhis lamp will be put out in utter darkness.

21  iAn inheritance gained hastily in the beginning

will not be blessed in the end.

22  Do not say, jI will repay evil;

kwait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.

23  lUnequal weights are an abomination to the Lord,

and mfalse scales are not good.

24  A man’s nsteps are from the Lord;

how then can man understand his way?

25  It is a snare to say rashly, It is holy,

and to reflect only oafter making vows.

26  A wise king pwinnows the wicked

and drives qthe wheel over them.

27  rThe spirit6 of man is the lamp of the Lord,

ssearching all this innermost parts.

28  uSteadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,

and by steadfast love his vthrone is upheld.

29  The glory of young men is their strength,

but wthe splendor of old men is their gray hair.

30  xBlows that wound cleanse away evil;

strokes make clean tthe innermost parts.


Colossians 3

Put On the New Self

bIf then you have been raised with Christ, seek cthe things that are above, where Christ is, dseated at the right hand of God. eSet your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For fyou have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ gwho is your1 life happears, then you also will appear with him iin glory.

jPut to death therefore kwhat is earthly in you:2 lsexual immorality, impurity, mpassion, evil desire, and covetousness, nwhich is idolatry. oOn account of these the wrath of God is coming.3 pIn these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now qyou must put them all away: ranger, wrath, malice, sslander, and obscene talk from your mouth. tDo not lie to one another, seeing that uyou have put off vthe old self4 with its practices 10 and whave put on xthe new self, ywhich is being renewed in knowledge zafter the image of aits creator. 11 bHere there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,5 free; but Christ is call, and in all.

12 dPut on then, as eGod’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, fcompassionate hearts, gkindness, hhumility, meekness, and patience, 13 hbearing with one another and, iif one has a complaint against another, gforgiving each other; gas the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on jlove, which kbinds everything together in lperfect harmony. 15 And let mthe peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called nin one body. And obe thankful. 16 Let pthe word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, qsinging psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, rwith thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And swhatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, tgiving thanks to God the Father through him.

Rules for Christian Households

18 uWives, submit to your husbands, as vis fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and wdo not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents xin everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22 Bondservants, obey xin everything those who are your earthly masters,6 not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 yWhatever you do, work heartily, zas for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord ayou will receive the inheritance as your reward. bYou are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.