Leviticus 21–24

And the Lord said to Moses, Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, aNo one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people, except for his closest relatives, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, or his virgin sister (who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may make himself unclean). He shall not make himself unclean as a husband among his people and so profane himself. bThey shall not make bald patches on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts on their body. They shall be holy to their God and cnot profane the name of their God. For they offer the Lord’s food offerings, dthe bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy. eThey shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neither shall they marry a woman fdivorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. You shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for gI, the Lord, who sanctify you, ham holy. And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by whoring, profanes her father; ishe shall be burned with fire.

10 jThe priest who is chief among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, kshall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes. 11 He shall not lgo in to any dead bodies nor make himself unclean, even for his father or for his mother. 12 mHe shall not go out of the sanctuary, lest he nprofane the sanctuary of his God, for the oconsecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him: I am the Lord. 13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.1 14 A widow, por a divorced woman, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry. But he shall take as his wife a virgin2 of his own people, 15 that he may not profane his offspring among his people, for gI am the Lord who sanctifies him.

16 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17 Speak to Aaron, saying, None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a blemish may qapproach to offer the bread of his God. 18 For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man rblind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face sor a limb too long, 19 or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand, 20 or a hunchback or a dwarf or a man with a rdefect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or tcrushed testicles. 21 No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to uoffer the Lord’s food offerings; since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. 22 He may eat the bread of his God, both of vthe most holy and of the wholy things, 23 but he shall not go through the veil or approach the altar, because he has a blemish, that he may not xprofane my sanctuaries,3 yfor I am the Lord who sanctifies them. 24 So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to all the people of Israel.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and his sons so that they zabstain from the holy things of the people of Israel, which they adedicate to me, so that they do not bprofane my holy name: I am the Lord. Say to them, If any one of all your offspring throughout your generations approaches the holy things that the people of Israel dedicate to the Lord, while che has an uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from my presence: I am the Lord. None of the offspring of Aaron who has a leprous disease or a ddischarge may eat of the holy things euntil he is clean. fWhoever touches anything that is unclean through contact with the dead or ga man who has had an emission of semen, and hwhoever touches a swarming thing by which he may be made unclean or ia person from whom he may take uncleanness, whatever his uncleanness may be the person who touches such a thing shall be unclean until the evening and shall not eat of the holy things unless he has jbathed his body in water. When the sun goes down he shall be clean, and afterward he may eat of the holy things, because kthey are his food. lHe shall not eat what dies of itself or is torn by beasts, and so make himself unclean by it: I am the Lord. They shall therefore keep my charge, mlest they bear sin for it and die thereby when they profane it: nI am the Lord who sanctifies them.

10 oA lay person shall not eat of a holy thing; no foreign guest of the priest or hired worker shall eat of a holy thing, 11 but if a priest buys a slave4 as his property for money, the slave5 may eat of it, and panyone born in his house may eat of his food. 12 If a priest’s daughter marries a layman, she shall not eat of the contribution of the holy things. 13 But if a priest’s daughter is widowed or divorced and has no child and qreturns to her father’s house, ras in her youth, she may eat of her father’s food; yet no lay person shall eat of it. 14 sAnd if anyone eats of a holy thing unintentionally, he shall add tthe fifth of its value to it and give the holy thing to the priest. 15 They ushall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, which they contribute to the Lord, 16 and so cause them mto bear iniquity and guilt, by eating their holy things: nfor I am the Lord who sanctifies them.

17 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 18 Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the people of Israel and say to them, vWhen any one of the house of Israel or of the sojourners in Israel presents a burnt offering as his offering, for any of their vows or freewill offerings that they offer to the Lord, 19 if it is to be accepted for you it shall be a wmale without blemish, of the bulls or the sheep or the goats. 20 xYou shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you. 21 And when anyone yoffers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord zto fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock, to be accepted it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it. 22 Animals ablind or disabled or mutilated or having a discharge or ban itch or scabs you shall not offer to the Lord or give them to the Lord as a food coffering on the altar. 23 You may present a bull or a lamb that has a part dtoo long or too short for a freewill offering, but for a vow offering it cannot be accepted. 24 Any animal that has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut you shall not offer to the Lord; you shall not do it within your land, 25 neither shall you offer as ethe bread of your God any such animals gotten from a foreigner. Since there is a fblemish in them, because of their mutilation, they will not be accepted for you.

26 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 27 gWhen an ox or sheep or goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be acceptable as a food offering to the Lord. 28 But you shall not kill an ox or a sheep hand her young in one day. 29 And when you sacrifice a isacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. 30 It shall be eaten on the same day; jyou shall leave none of it until morning: I am the Lord.

31 kSo you shall keep my commandments and do them: I am the Lord. 32 lAnd you shall not profane my holy name, that mI may be sanctified among the people of Israel. nI am the Lord who sanctifies you, 33 who brought you out of the land of Egypt oto be your God: I am the Lord.

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, pThese are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall qproclaim as rholy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.

sSix days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places.

pThese are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the tholy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. uIn the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight,6 is the Lord’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. vOn the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. But you shall present a food offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, wWhen you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of xthe firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, 11 and he shall ywave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 And on the day when you ywave the sheaf, you shall offer a zmale lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord. 13 aAnd the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah7 of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma, band the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin.8 14 And you shall eat neither bread nor grain cparched or cfresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

15 dYou shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the ywave offering. 16 You shall count efifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of fnew grain to the Lord. 17 You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as gfirstfruits to the Lord. 18 And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 19 And you shall offer one hmale goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of ipeace offerings. 20 And the priest shall ywave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. jThey shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. 21 And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.

22 And kwhen you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.

23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In lthe seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, ma memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the Lord.

26 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 27 Now non the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves9 and present a food offering to the Lord. 28 And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. 29 For whoever is not afflicted10 on that very day oshall be cut off from his people. 30 And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31 You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. 32 It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.

33 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 34 Speak to the people of Israel, saying, pOn the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths11 to the Lord. 35 On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. 36 For seven days you shall present food offerings to the Lord. qOn the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a rsolemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work.

37 sThese are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the Lord food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, 38 tbesides the Lord’s Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the Lord.

39 On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have ugathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 And vyou shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and wyou shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. 41 xYou shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 yYou shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that zyour generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

44 Thus Moses adeclared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the Lord.

bThe Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly. Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall arrange it from evening to morning before the Lord regularly. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. He shall arrange the lamps on the clampstand of pure gold12 before the Lord regularly.

You shall take fine flour and bake twelve dloaves from it; two tenths of an ephah13 shall be in each loaf. And you shall set them in two piles, six in a pile, eon the table of pure gold14 before the Lord. And you shall put pure frankincense on each pile, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the Lord. fEvery Sabbath day Aaron shall arrange it before the Lord regularly; it is from the people of Israel as a covenant forever. And git shall be for Aaron and his sons, and hthey shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the Lord’s food offerings, a perpetual due.

10 Now an Israelite woman’s son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, 11 and the Israelite woman’s son iblasphemed the jName, and cursed. Then they kbrought him to Moses. His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 12 And lthey put him in custody, mtill the will of the Lord should be clear to them.

13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 14 nBring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him olay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall pbear his sin. 16 Whoever qblasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.

17 rWhoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. 18 sWhoever takes an animal’s life shall make it good, life for life. 19 If anyone injures his neighbor, tas he has done it shall be done to him, 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him. 21 sWhoever kills an animal shall make it good, rand whoever kills a person shall be put to death. 22 You shall have the usame rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the Lord your God. 23 So Moses spoke to the people of Israel, and vthey brought out of the camp the one who had cursed and stoned him with stones. Thus the people of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses.

Read in Context

1 Samuel 15:2–34

Thus says the Lord of hosts, I have noted what Amalek did to Israel din opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and edevote to destruction1 all that they have. Do not spare them, fbut kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.

So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. Then Saul said to gthe Kenites, Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. hFor you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. iAnd Saul defeated the Amalekites from jHavilah as far as kShur, which is east of Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive land devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. mBut Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves2 and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.

10 The word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 nI regret3 that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and ohas not performed my commandments. And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night. 12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, Saul came to pCarmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal. 13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, qBlessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord. 14 And Samuel said, What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear? 15 Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites, rfor the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction. 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night. And he said to him, Speak.

17 And Samuel said, sThough you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed. 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? tWhy did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord? 20 And Saul said to Samuel, uI have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21 vBut the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal. 22 And Samuel said,

wHas the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,

as in obeying the voice of the Lord?

Behold, xto obey is better than sacrifice,

and to listen than the fat of rams.

23  For rebellion is as the sin of divination,

and presumption is as iniquity and yidolatry.

Because zyou have rejected the word of the Lord,

ahe has also rejected you from being king.

24 Saul said to Samuel, bI have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin and creturn with me that I may bow before the Lord. 26 And Samuel said to Saul, I will not return with you. dFor you have rejected the word of the Lord, eand the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel. 27 fAs Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28 And Samuel said to him, gThe Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also the Glory of Israel hwill not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret. 30 Then he said, I have sinned; yet ihonor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, jand return with me, that I may bow before the Lord your God. 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul bowed before the Lord.

32 Then Samuel said, Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came to him cheerfully.4 Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. 33 And Samuel said, kAs your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord lin Gilgal.

34 Then Samuel went mto Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in nGibeah of Saul.

Read in Context

Ezekiel 44:15–31

15 But cthe Levitical priests, cthe sons of Zadok, who kept athe charge of my sanctuary rwhen the people of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me dto minister to me. And they shall stand before me to offer me ethe fat and the blood, declares the Lord God. 16 They shall enter my sanctuary, and they shall approach fmy table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge. 17 When they enter the gates of the inner court, they shall wear glinen garments. They shall have nothing of wool on them, while they minister at the gates of the inner court, and within. 18 They shall have linen turbans on their heads, and linen undergarments around their waists. They shall not bind themselves with anything that causes sweat. 19 And when they go out into the outer court to the people, they shall put off the garments in which they have been ministering hand lay them in the holy chambers. And ithey shall put on other garments, jlest they transmit holiness to the people with their garments. 20 kThey shall not shave their heads or llet their locks grow long; they shall surely trim the hair of their heads. 21 mNo priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court. 22 nThey shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman, but only virgins of the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest. 23 oThey shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and oshow them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean. 24 pIn a dispute, they shall act as judges, and they shall judge it according to my judgments. They shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts, and qthey shall keep my Sabbaths holy. 25 rThey shall not defile themselves by going near to a dead person. However, for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister they may defile themselves. 26 sAfter he1 has become clean, they shall count seven days for him. 27 And on the day that he goes into the Holy Place, tinto the inner court, to minister in the Holy Place, uhe shall offer his sin offering, declares the Lord God.

28 vThis shall be their inheritance: I am their inheritance: and wyou shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession. 29 xThey shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, and yevery devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs. 30 zAnd the first of all the firstfruits of all kinds, and every offering of all kinds from all your offerings, shall belong to the priests. aYou shall also give to the priests the first of your dough, bthat a blessing may rest on your house. 31 cThe priests shall not eat of danything, whether bird or beast, that has died of itself or is torn by wild animals.

Read in Context

Zechariah 14:16–21

16 Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem kshall go up year after year to worship lthe King, the Lord of hosts, and mto keep nthe Feast of Booths. 17 And if oany of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship lthe King, the Lord of hosts, pthere will be no rain on them. 18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain;1 there shall be jthe plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up mto keep the Feast of Booths. 19 This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up mto keep the Feast of Booths.

20 And qon that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, rHoly to the Lord. And the pots in the house of the Lord shall be as the bowls before the altar. 21 And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be rholy to the Lord of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And sthere shall no longer be ta trader2 in the house of the Lord of hosts qon that day.

Read in Context

Malachi 1

The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.1

aI have loved you, says the Lord. bBut you say, How have you loved us? Is not Esau cJacob’s brother? declares the Lord. Yet dI have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. eI have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert. If Edom says, We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins, the Lord of hosts says, They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called the wicked country, and the people with whom the Lord is angry forever. fYour own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!

gA son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am ha father, where is my honor? And if I am ia master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. bBut you say, How have we despised your name? jBy offering polluted food upon my altar. bBut you say, How have we polluted you? By saying that kthe Lord’s table may be despised. lWhen you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts. And now mentreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, nwill he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts. 10 oOh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, pand I will not accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name qwill be2 great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name qwill be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. 12 But you profane it when you say that rthe Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. 13 But you say, sWhat a weariness this is, and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. tYou bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord. 14 Cursed be the cheat who has ua male in his flock, and vvows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For wI am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name xwill be feared among the nations.

Read in Context

Matthew 25:1–13

Then the kingdom of heaven will be like dten virgins who took their lamps1 and went to meet ethe bridegroom.2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wwise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom fwas delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But gat midnight there was a cry, Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him. Then all those virgins rose and htrimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise answered, saying, Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and ithose who were ready went in with him to jthe marriage feast, and kthe door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, lLord, lord, open to us. 12 lBut he answered, Truly, I say to you, mI do not know you. 13 nWatch therefore, for you oknow neither the day nor the hour.

Read in Context

Mark 2:20–3:5

20 oThe days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and pthen they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old qwineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skinsand the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.1

23 rOne Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples sbegan to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, Look, twhy are they doing uwhat is not lawful on the Sabbath? 25 And he said to them, vHave you never read wwhat David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of2 xAbiathar the high priest, and ate ythe bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him? 27 And he said to them, zThe Sabbath was made for man, anot man for the Sabbath. 28 So bthe Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.

cAgain dhe entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And ethey watched Jesus,3 to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, Come here. And he said to them, fIs it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill? But they were silent. And he glooked around at them with anger, grieved at htheir hardness of heart, and said to the man, Stretch out your hand. iHe stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

Read in Context

Luke 12

In the meantime, twhen so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, uBeware of vthe leaven of the Pharisees, wwhich is hypocrisy. xNothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in yprivate rooms shall be proclaimed on zthe housetops.

I tell you, my friends, ado not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him bwho, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell.1 Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?2 And cnot one of them is forgotten before God. Why, deven the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; eyou are of more value than many sparrows.

And I tell you, feveryone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge gbefore the angels of God, but hthe one who denies me before men iwill be denied gbefore the angels of God. 10 And jeveryone who speaks a word kagainst the Son of Man lwill be forgiven, but the one who mblasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 nAnd when they obring you before the synagogues and pthe rulers and pthe authorities, qdo not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 rfor the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.

13 sSomeone in the crowd said to him, Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. 14 But he said to him, tMan, uwho made me a judge or arbitrator over you? 15 And he said to them, vTake care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. 16 And he told them a parable, saying, wThe land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, xWhat shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops? 18 And he said, I will do this: I will tear down my ybarns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up zfor many years; relax, aeat, drink, be merry. 20 But God said to him, bFool! zThis night cyour soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, dwhose will they be? 21 So is the one ewho lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

22 And he said to his disciples, fTherefore I tell you, gdo not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 hConsider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. iOf how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his jspan of life?3 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,4 yet I tell you, keven Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, lO you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor mbe worried. 30 For nall the nations of the world seek after these things, and nyour Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, oseek phis5 kingdom, qand these things will be added to you.

32 rFear not, little sflock, for tit is your Father’s good pleasure to give you uthe kingdom. 33 vSell your possessions, and wgive to the needy. xProvide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with ya treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 zFor where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

35 aStay dressed for action6 and bkeep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are cwaiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and dknocks. 37 eBlessed are those servants7 whom the master finds eawake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, fhe will dress himself for service and ghave them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 hBut know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour ithe thief was coming, he8 would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be jready, for kthe Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

41 Peter said, Lord, lare you telling this parable for us or for all? 42 And the Lord said, Who then is mthe faithful and mwise nmanager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 oBlessed is that servant9 whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, phe will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, My master qis delayed in coming, and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and rget drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come son a day when he does not expect him and sat an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 tAnd that servant who uknew his master’s will but vdid not get ready uor act according to his will, will receive a wsevere beating. 48 xBut the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, ywill receive a light beating. zEveryone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

49 aI came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 bI have a baptism to be baptized with, and how cgreat is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 dDo you think that I have come to give peace on earth? eNo, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, ffather against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.

54 He also said to the crowds, gWhen you see ha cloud rising in the west, you say at once, A shower is coming. And so it happens. 55 And gwhen you see the south wind blowing, you say, There will be iscorching heat, and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! jYou know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

57 And why kdo you not judge lfor yourselves what is right? 58 mAs you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. 59 I tell you, nyou will never get out until you have paid the very last openny.10

Read in Context

Acts 20:6–16

but we sailed away from Philippi after ythe days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.

zOn the first day of the week, when we were gathered together ato break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. There were many lamps in bthe upper room where we were gathered. And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he cfell down from the third story and was taken up dead. 10 But Paul went down and dbent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, eDo not be alarmed, for his life is in him. 11 And when Paul had gone up and fhad broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. 12 And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.

13 But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. 15 And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and1 the day after that we went to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening gto be at Jerusalem, if possible, hon the day of Pentecost.

Read in Context

Romans 11:11–36

11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass usalvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion1 mean!

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as vI am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and wthus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means xthe reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 yIf the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 But if zsome of the branches were broken off, and you, aalthough a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root2 of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in. 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you bstand fast through faith. So cdo not become proud, but dfear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, eprovided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise fyou too will be cut off. 23 And geven they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

25 hLest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:3 ia partial hardening has come upon Israel, juntil the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

kThe Deliverer will come lfrom Zion,

he will banish ungodliness from Jacob;

27  and this will be my mcovenant with them

nwhen I take away their sins.

28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are obeloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and pthe calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as qyou were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now4 receive mercy. 32 For God rhas consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and swisdom and knowledge of God! tHow unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34  For uwho has known the mind of the Lord,

or vwho has been his counselor?

35  Or wwho has given a gift to him

that he might be repaid?

36 For xfrom him and through him and to him are all things. yTo him be glory forever. Amen.

Read in Context

1 Corinthians 5:1–8

It is actually reported that there is wsexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, xfor a man has his father’s wife. And yyou are arrogant! Ought you znot rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

For though aabsent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled bin the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are cto deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so dthat his spirit may be saved ein the day of the Lord.1

fYour boasting is not good. Do you not know that ga little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, hnot with the old leaven, ithe leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Read in Context

Galatians 3:23–29

23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, qimprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, rthe law was our sguardian until Christ came, tin order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus uyou are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as vwere baptized winto Christ have xput on Christ. 28 yThere is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave1 nor free, zthere is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And aif you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, bheirs according to promise.

Read in Context

Ephesians 2

jAnd you were kdead in the trespasses and sins lin which you once walked, following the course of this world, following mthe prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in nthe sons of disobedience among whom we all once lived in othe passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body1 and the mind, and pwere by nature qchildren of wrath, like the rest of mankind.2 But3 God, being rrich in mercy, sbecause of the great love with which he loved us, even twhen we were dead in our trespasses, umade us alive together with Christvby grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and wseated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable xriches of his grace in ykindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For zby grace you have been saved athrough faith. And this is bnot your own doing; cit is the gift of God, dnot a result of works, eso that no one may boast. 10 For fwe are his workmanship, gcreated in Christ Jesus hfor good works, iwhich God prepared beforehand, jthat we should walk in them.

11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by what is called kthe circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands 12 remember lthat you were at that time separated from Christ, malienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to nthe covenants of promise, ohaving no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were pfar off have been brought near qby the blood of Christ. 14 For rhe himself is our peace, swho has made us both one and has broken down tin his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in uordinances, that he might create in himself one vnew man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might wreconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and xpreached peace to you who were yfar off and peace to those who were znear. 18 For athrough him we both have baccess in cone Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer dstrangers and aliens,4 but you are efellow citizens with the saints and fmembers of the household of God, 20 gbuilt on the foundation of the hapostles and prophets, iChrist Jesus himself being jthe cornerstone, 21 kin whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into la holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him myou also are being built together ninto a dwelling place for God by5 the Spirit.

Read in Context

Ephesians 5:25–27

25 gHusbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and hgave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by ithe washing of water jwith the word, 27 so kthat he might present the church to himself in splendor, lwithout spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.1

Read in Context

1 Thessalonians 5:1–11

Now concerning wthe times and the seasons, brothers,1 xyou have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that ythe day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, There is peace and security, then zsudden destruction will come upon them aas labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you bare not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all cchildren2 of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then dlet us not sleep, as others do, but let us ekeep awake and fbe sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, gare drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, hhaving put on the breastplate of ifaith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for jwrath, but kto obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 lwho died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Read in Context

1 Peter 2:1–10

jSo put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. kLike newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual lmilk, that by it you may grow up into salvation if indeed you have mtasted that the Lord is good.

As you come to him, a living stone nrejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, oyou yourselves like living stones are being built up as pa spiritual house, to be qa holy priesthood, rto offer spiritual sacrifices sacceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:

tBehold, I am laying in Zion a stone,

a cornerstone chosen and precious,

uand whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.

So the honor is for you who vbelieve, but for those who vdo not believe,

wThe stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone,1

and

xA stone of stumbling,

and a rock of offense.

They stumble because they disobey the word, yas they were destined to do.

But you are za chosen race, aa royal bpriesthood, ca holy nation, da people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you eout of darkness into fhis marvelous light. 10 gOnce you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Read in Context

2 Peter 3:13–18

13 But according to his promise we are waiting for fnew heavens and a new earth gin which righteousness dwells.

14 hTherefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him iwithout spot or jblemish, and kat peace. 15 And count lthe patience of our Lord as salvation, just as mour beloved brother Paul also wrote to you naccording to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. oThere are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, pas they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, qknowing this beforehand, rtake care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But sgrow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. tTo him be the glory both now and to the day of ueternity. Amen.

Read in Context

Revelation 21

Then I saw ya new heaven and a new earth, for zthe first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw athe holy city, bnew Jerusalem, ccoming down out of heaven from God, dprepared eas a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, fthe dwelling place1 of God is with man. He will gdwell with them, and they will be his people,2 and God himself will be with them as their God.3 hHe will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and ideath shall be no more, jneither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

And khe who was seated on the throne said, Behold, I lam making all things new. Also he said, Write this down, for mthese words are trustworthy and true. And he said to me, nIt is done! oI am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. pTo the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. qThe one who conquers will have this heritage, and rI will be his God and she will be my son. tBut as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, utheir portion will be in vthe lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is wthe second death.

Then came xone of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of ythe seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, Come, I will show you zthe Bride, the wife of the Lamb. 10 And ahe carried me away in the Spirit to ba great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 chaving the glory of God, dits radiance elike a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, fwith twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve gfoundations, and hon them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And the one who spoke with me ihad a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia.4 Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits5 by jhuman measurement, which is also kan angel’s measurement. 18 The wall was built of ljasper, while the city was pure gold, like lclear glass. 19 mThe foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and nthe street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

22 And oI saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city phas no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for qthe glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light rwill the nations walk, and the kings of the earth swill bring their glory into it, 25 and tits gates will never be shut by dayand uthere will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But vnothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s wbook of life.

Read in Context

Download the Free ESV Bible App

Go deeper into God’s Word with the ESV Bible app, featuring interactive reading plans, personal bookmarks and notes, streaming audio, powerful search tools, a free study Bible, and more.

Available for: iOS Android

2 View All Leviticus 19:27