Matthew 17:14–27; Acts 24; Psalm 39; Leviticus 5–7

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Matthew 17:14–27

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

14 aAnd when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has bseizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and cthey could not heal him. 17 And Jesus answered, O faithless and dtwisted generation, how long am I to be with you? eHow long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me. 18 And Jesus frebuked the demon,1 and it2 came out of him, and gthe boy was healed instantly.3 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, Why could we not cast it out? 20 He said to them, hBecause of your little faith. For itruly, I say to you, jif you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, kyou will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move, and lnothing will be impossible for you.4

Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection

22 mAs they were gathering5 in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on nthe third day. And they were greatly distressed.

The Temple Tax

24 oWhen they came to Capernaum, the collectors of pthe two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, Does your teacher not pay the tax? 25 He said, Yes. And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, qWhat do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or rtax? From their sons or from others? 26 And when he said, From others, Jesus said to him, Then the sons are free. 27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel.6 Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.


Acts 24

Paul Before Felix at Caesarea

And safter five days the high priest tAnanias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before uthe governor their case against Paul. And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:

Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, vmost excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. But, to detain1 you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. For we have found this man a plague, wone who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of xthe sect of the Nazarenes. yHe even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him.2 By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.

The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.

10 And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied:

Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. 11 You can verify that zit is not more than twelve days since I awent up bto worship in Jerusalem, 12 and cthey did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. 13 dNeither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. 14 But this I confess to you, that according to ethe Way, which they call fa sect, gI worship hthe God of our fathers, believing everything ilaid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15 jhaving ka hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be la resurrection mof both the just and the unjust. 16 So I always ntake pains to have a oclear conscience toward both God and man. 17 Now pafter several years qI came to bring alms to rmy nation and to present sofferings. 18 While I was doing this, they found me tpurified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But usome Jews from Asia 19 vthey ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. 20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, 21 other than this one thing wthat I cried out while standing among them: It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.

Paul Kept in Custody

22 But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of xthe Way, put them off, saying, When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case. 23 Then he gave orders to the centurion that he yshould be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that znone of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.

24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about afaith bin Christ Jesus. 25 And as he reasoned cabout righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, Go away for the present. dWhen I get an opportunity I will summon you. 26 At the same time he hoped ethat money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. 27 When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius fFestus. And gdesiring to do the Jews a favor, hFelix left Paul in prison.


Psalm 39

What Is the Measure of My Days?

To the choirmaster: to vJeduthun. A Psalm of David.

I said, I will wguard my ways,

that I xmay not sin with my tongue;

I will yguard my mouth with a muzzle,

so long as the wicked are in my presence.

I was zmute and silent;

I held my peace to no avail,

and my distress grew worse.

My aheart became hot within me.

As I mused, the fire burned;

then I spoke with my tongue:

O Lord, bmake me know my end

and what is the measure of my days;

let me know how fleeting I am!

Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,

and cmy lifetime is as nothing before you.

Surely dall mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah

Surely a man egoes about as a shadow!

Surely for nothing1 they are in turmoil;

man fheaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?

gMy hope is in you.

Deliver me from all my transgressions.

hDo not make me the scorn of the fool!

iI am mute; I do not open my mouth,

jfor it is you who have done it.

10  kRemove your stroke from me;

I am spent by the hostility of your hand.

11  When you discipline a man

with lrebukes for sin,

you mconsume like a nmoth what is dear to him;

osurely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah

12  pHear my prayer, O Lord,

and give ear to my cry;

hold not your peace at my tears!

For I am qa sojourner with you,

qa guest, like all my fathers.

13  rLook away from me, that I may smile again,

sbefore I depart and tam no more!


Leviticus 5–7

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.

8 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, If anyone sins and bcommits a breach of faith against the Lord by cdeceiving his neighbor in da matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or eif he has oppressed his neighbor or fhas found something lost and lied about it, gswearing falselyin any of all the things that people do and sin thereby if he has sinned and has realized his guilt and will restore ewhat he took by robbery or what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him or the lost thing that he found or anything about which he has sworn falsely, he shall hrestore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt. And he shall bring to the priest as his compensation to the Lord ia ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering. jAnd the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord, and he shall be forgiven for any of the things that one may do and thereby become guilty.

The Priests and the Offerings

9 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. 10 And kthe priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them lbeside the altar. 11 Then mhe shall take off his garments and put on other garments and carry the ashes noutside the camp to a clean place. 12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it othe fat of the peace offerings. 13 Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.

14 And this is the law of pthe grain offering. The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord in front of the altar. 15 And one shall take from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering and its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn this as its qmemorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 16 And rthe rest of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten unleavened sin a holy place. In the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it. 17 tIt shall not be baked with leaven. uI have given it as their portion of my food offerings. vIt is a thing most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. 18 Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as decreed forever throughout your generations, from the Lord’s food offerings. Whatever touches them shall become holy.

19 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 20 wThis is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a xtenth of an ephah10 of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. 21 It shall be made with oil yon a griddle. You shall bring it zwell mixed, in baked11 pieces like a grain offering, and offer it for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 22 The priest from among Aaron’s sons, who is anointed to succeed him, shall offer it to the Lord as decreed forever. aThe whole of it shall be burned. 23 Every grain offering of a priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten.

24 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 25 Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, bThis is the law of the sin offering. cIn the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord; dit is most holy. 26 eThe priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. fIn a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting. 27 Whatever touches its flesh shall be holy, and when any of its blood is splashed on a garment, you shall wash that on which it was splashed in a holy place. 28 And gthe earthenware vessel in which it is boiled hshall be broken. But if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, that shall be scoured and rinsed in water. 29 Every male among the priests may eat of it; dit is most holy. 30 iBut no sin offering shall be eaten from which any blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it shall be burned up with fire.

jThis is the law of the kguilt offering. lIt is most holy. mIn the place where they kill the burnt offering they shall kill the guilt offering, and its blood shall be thrown against the sides of the altar. And nall its fat shall be offered, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove owith the kidneys. The priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering to the Lord; it is a guilt offering. pEvery male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. qIt is most holy. The rguilt offering is just like the sin offering; there is one law for them. The priest who makes atonement with it shall have it. And the priest who offers any man’s burnt offering shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering that he has offered. And severy grain offering baked tin the oven and all that is prepared uon a pan or a griddle shall belong to the priest who offers it. 10 And every grain offering, mixed with oil or dry, shall be shared equally among all the sons of Aaron.

11 And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings that one may offer to the Lord. 12 If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice vunleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loaves of fine flour wwell mixed with oil. 13 xWith the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving he shall bring his offering with loaves of leavened bread. 14 And from it he shall offer one loaf from each offering, as a ygift to the Lord. zIt shall belong to the priest who throws the blood of the peace offerings. 15 And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings afor thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning. 16 But bif the sacrifice of his offering is a vow offering or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten. 17 But what remains of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned up with fire. 18 If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten on the third day, he who offers it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be credited to him. It is ctainted, and he who eats of it shall bear his iniquity.

19 Flesh that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. It shall be burned up with fire. All who are clean may eat flesh, 20 but the person who eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of the Lord’s peace offerings dwhile an uncleanness is on him, that person shall be cut off from his people. 21 And if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether ehuman uncleanness or an funclean beast or any gunclean detestable creature, and then eats some flesh from the sacrifice of the Lord’s peace offerings, that person shall be cut off from his people.

22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 Speak to the people of Israel, saying, hYou shall eat no fat, of ox or sheep or goat. 24 The fat of an animal ithat dies of itself and the fat of one that is torn by beasts may be put to any other use, but on no account shall you eat it. 25 For every person who eats of the fat of an animal of which a food offering may be made to the Lord shall be cut off from his people. 26 Moreover, jyou shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwelling places. 27 Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.

28 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 29 Speak to the people of Israel, saying, kWhoever offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the Lord shall bring his offering to the Lord from the sacrifice of his peace offerings. 30 lHis own hands shall bring the Lord’s food offerings. He shall bring the fat with mthe breast, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the Lord. 31 nThe priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but othe breast shall be for Aaron and his sons. 32 And othe right thigh you shall give to the priest as a contribution from the sacrifice of your peace offerings. 33 Whoever among the sons of Aaron offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat shall have the right thigh for a portion. 34 For the breast that is owaved and the thigh that is ocontributed I have taken from the people of Israel, out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and phave given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons, as a perpetual due from the people of Israel. 35 This is the portion of Aaron and of his sons from the Lord’s food offerings, from the day they were presented to serve as priests of the Lord. 36 The Lord commanded this to be given them by the people of Israel, qfrom the day that he anointed them. It is a perpetual due throughout their generations.

37 This is the law rof the burnt offering, of the grain offering, of the sin offering, sof the guilt offering, tof the ordination offering, and uof the peace offering, 38 which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day that he commanded the people of Israel vto bring their offerings to the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai.