Today's Reading

¹The Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him out of the Tent of Meeting, saying,

²"Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'When anyone of you offers an offering to the Lord, you shall offer your offering of the livestock, from the herd and from the flock.

³"'If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall offer it at the door of the Tent of Meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord.

⁴He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

⁵He shall kill the bull before the Lord. Aaron's sons, the priests, shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

⁶He shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into pieces.

⁷The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay wood in order on the fire;

⁸and Aaron's sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar;

⁹but its innards and its legs he shall wash with water. The priest shall burn the whole on the altar, for a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the Lord.

¹⁰"'If his offering is from the flock, from the sheep, or from the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer a male without blemish.

¹¹He shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the Lord. Aaron's sons, the priests, shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

¹²He shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat. The priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar,

¹³but the innards and the legs he shall wash with water. The priest shall offer the whole, and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the Lord.

¹⁴"'If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall offer his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.

¹⁵The priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; and its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar;

¹⁶and he shall take away its crop with its filth, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes.

¹⁷He shall tear it by its wings, but shall not divide it apart. The priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the Lord.

¹"'When anyone offers a grain offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it.

²He shall bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests; and he shall take his handful of its fine flour, and of its oil, with all its frankincense; and the priest shall burn its memorial on the altar, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the Lord.

³That which is left of the meal offering shall be Aaron's and his sons'. It is a most holy thing of the offerings of the Lord made by fire.

⁴"'When you offer an offering of a meal offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

⁵If your offering is a meal offering of the griddle, it shall be of unleavened fine flour, mixed with oil.

⁶You shall cut it in pieces, and pour oil on it. It is a meal offering.

⁷If your offering is a meal offering of the pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.

⁸You shall bring the meal offering that is made of these things to the Lord: and it shall be presented to the priest, and he shall bring it to the altar.

⁹The priest shall take from the meal offering its memorial, and shall burn it on the altar, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the Lord.

¹⁰That which is left of the meal offering shall be Aaron's and his sons'. It is a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire.

¹¹"'No meal offering, which you shall offer to the Lord, shall be made with yeast; for you shall burn no yeast, nor any honey, as an offering made by fire to the Lord.

¹²As an offering of firstfruits you shall offer them to the Lord: but they shall not ascend for a pleasant aroma on the altar.

¹³Every offering of your meal offering you shall season with salt; neither shall you allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your meal offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.

¹⁴"'If you offer a meal offering of first fruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the meal offering of your first fruits grain in the ear parched with fire, bruised grain of the fresh ear.

¹⁵You shall put oil on it, and lay frankincense on it: it is a meal offering.

¹⁶The priest shall burn as its memorial, part of its bruised grain, and part of its oil, along with all its frankincense: it is an offering made by fire to the Lord.

¹"'If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offerings; if he offers it from the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord.

²He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the Tent of Meeting: and Aaron's sons, the priests shall sprinkle the blood around on the altar.

³He shall offer of the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to the Lord; the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,

⁴and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.

⁵Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar on the burnt offering, which is on the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the Lord.

⁶"'If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord is from the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.

⁷If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the Lord;

⁸and he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it before the Tent of Meeting: and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

⁹He shall offer from the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to the Lord; its fat, the entire tail fat, he shall take away close to the backbone; and the fat that covers the inwards, and all the fat that is on the inwards,

¹⁰and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.

¹¹The priest shall burn it on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire to the Lord.

¹²"'If his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the Lord:

¹³and he shall lay his hand on its head, and kill it before the Tent of Meeting; and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

¹⁴He shall offer from it as his offering, an offering made by fire to the Lord; the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,

¹⁵and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.

¹⁶The priest shall burn them on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma; all the fat is the Lord's.

¹⁷"'It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings, that you shall eat neither fat nor blood.'"

¹He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had his hand withered.

²They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him.

³He said to the man with the withered hand, "Stand up in the middle."

⁴He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?" But they were silent.

⁵When he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

⁶The Pharisees went out, and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

⁷Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples, and a great multitude followed from Galilee, from Judea,

⁸from Jerusalem, from Idumaea, beyond the Jordan, and those from around Tyre and Sidon. A great multitude, when they heard what great things he did, came to him.

⁹And he told his disciples that a small boat should stay near him because of the crowd, so that they would not press on him.

¹⁰For he had healed many, so that as many as had diseases pressed on him that they might touch him.

¹¹The unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him, and shouted, "You are the Son of God!"

¹²And he sternly warned them that they should not make him known.

¹³And he went up into the mountain, and called to himself those whom he wanted, and they went to him.

¹⁴And he appointed twelve, designating them apostles, and that he might send them out to preach,

¹⁵and to have authority to cast out demons:

¹⁶And he appointed the Twelve: Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter;

¹⁷Jacob the son of Zebedee; John, the brother of Jacob, and he surnamed them Boanerges which means, Sons of Thunder;

¹⁸Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; Jacob, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot;

¹⁹and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

²⁰Then he came into a house. The multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

²¹When his family heard it, they went out to take charge of him: for they said, "He is out of his mind."

²²The scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul," and, "By the prince of the demons he casts out the demons."

²³So he summoned them, and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?

²⁴If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

²⁵If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

²⁶If Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.

²⁷But no one can enter into the house of the strong man to plunder, unless he first binds the strong man; and then he will plunder his house.

²⁸Truly I tell you, all sins of the sons of men will be forgiven, including their blasphemies with which they may blaspheme;

²⁹but whoever may blaspheme against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal judgment"

³⁰-because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."

³¹Then his brothers and his mother came, and standing outside, they sent to him, calling him.

³²A multitude was sitting around him, and they told him, "Behold, your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you."

³³And he answered them, saying, "Who are my mother or my brothers?"

³⁴Looking around at those who sat around him, he said, "Behold, my mother and my brothers!

³⁵For whoever does the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother."

¹ In you, Lord, I take refuge. Let me never be disappointed. Deliver me in your righteousness.

²Bow down your ear to me. Deliver me speedily. Be to me a strong rock, a house of defense to save me.

³For you are my rock and my fortress, therefore for your name's sake lead me and guide me.

⁴Pluck me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me, for you are my stronghold.

⁵Into your hand I commend my spirit. You redeem me, Lord, God of truth.

⁶I hate those who regard lying vanities, but I trust in the Lord.

⁷I will be glad and rejoice in your loving kindness, for you have seen my affliction. You have known my soul in adversities.

⁸You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. You have set my feet in a large place.

⁹Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. My eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief.

¹⁰For my life is spent with sorrow, my years with sighing. My strength fails because of my iniquity. My bones are wasted away.

¹¹Because of all my adversaries I have become utterly contemptible to my neighbors, A fear to my acquaintances. Those who saw me on the street fled from me.

¹²I am forgotten from their hearts like a dead man. I am like broken pottery.

¹³For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, while they conspire together against me, they plot to take away my life.

¹⁴But I trust in you, Lord. I said, "You are my God."

¹⁵My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.

¹⁶Make your face to shine on your servant. Save me in your loving kindness.

¹⁷Let me not be disappointed, Lord, for I have called on you. Let the wicked be disappointed. Let them be silent in Sheol.

¹⁸Let the lying lips be mute, which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt.

¹⁹Oh how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have worked for those who take refuge in you, before the sons of men!

²⁰In the shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting of man. You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from the strife of tongues.

²¹Praise be to the Lord, for he has shown me his marvelous loving kindness in a strong city.

²²As for me, I said in my haste, "I am cut off from before your eyes." Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions when I cried to you.

²³Oh love the Lord, all you his holy ones! The Lord preserves the faithful, and fully recompenses him who behaves arrogantly.

²⁴Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord.

¹The words of king Lemuel; the oracle which his mother taught him.

²"Oh, my son! Oh, son of my womb! Oh, son of my vows!

³Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

⁴It is not for kings, Lemuel; it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes to say, 'Where is strong drink?'

⁵lest they drink, and forget the decree, and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.

⁶Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish; and wine to the bitter in soul:

⁷Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

⁸Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate.

⁹Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy."

¹⁰Who can find a worthy woman? For her price is far above rubies.

¹¹The heart of her husband trusts in her. He shall have no lack of gain.

¹²She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.

¹³She seeks wool and flax, and works eagerly with her hands.

¹⁴She is like the merchant ships. She brings her bread from afar.

¹⁵She rises also while it is yet night, gives food to her household, and portions for her servant girls.

¹⁶She considers a field, and buys it. With the fruit of her hands, she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷She girds her waist with strength, and makes her arms strong.

¹⁸She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp doesn't go out by night.

¹⁹She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.

²⁰She opens her arms to the poor; yes, she extends her hands to the needy.

²¹She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

²²She makes for herself carpets of tapestry. Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

²³Her husband is respected in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.

²⁴She makes linen garments and sells them, and delivers sashes to the merchant.

²⁵Strength and dignity are her clothing. She laughs at the time to come.

²⁶She opens her mouth with wisdom. Faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn't eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her:

²⁹"Many women do noble things, but you excel them all."

³⁰Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands! Let her works praise her in the gates!