Today's Reading

¹Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and to the ordinances, which I teach you, to do them; that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, gives you.

²You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

³Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baal Peor; for all the men who followed Baal Peor, the Lord your God has destroyed them from the midst of you.

⁴But you who were faithful to the Lord your God are all alive this day.

⁵Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do so in the midst of the land where you go in to possess it.

⁶Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who shall hear all these statutes, and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people."

⁷For what great nation is there, that has a god so near to them, as the Lord our God is whenever we call on him?

⁸What great nation is there, that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

⁹Only take heed to yourself, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes saw, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your children and your children's children;

¹⁰the day that you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, "Assemble me the people, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children."

¹¹You came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire to the heart of the sky, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness.

¹²The Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire: you heard the voice of words, but you saw no form; you only heard a voice.

¹³He declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even the ten commandments; and he wrote them on two tables of stone.

¹⁴The Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances, that you might do them in the land where you go over to possess it.

¹⁵Take therefore good heed to yourselves; for you saw no kind of form on the day that the Lord spoke to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire.

¹⁶Lest you corrupt yourselves, and make yourself an engraved image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

¹⁷the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky,

¹⁸the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth;

¹⁹and lest you lift up your eyes to the sky, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the army of the sky, you are drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole sky.

²⁰But the Lord has taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be to him a people of inheritance, as at this day.

²¹Furthermore the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over the Jordan, and that I should not go in to that good land, which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance:

²²but I must die in this land, I must not go over the Jordan; but you shall go over, and possess that good land.

²³Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make you an engraved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you.

²⁴For the Lord your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God.

²⁵When you shall father children, and children's children, and you shall have been long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make an engraved image in the form of anything, and shall do that which is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, to provoke him to anger;

²⁶I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto you go over the Jordan to possess it; you shall not prolong your days on it, but shall utterly be destroyed.

²⁷The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you shall be left few in number among the nations, where the Lord shall lead you away.

²⁸There you shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

²⁹But from there you shall seek the Lord your God, and you shall find him, when you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

³⁰When you are in oppression, and all these things have come on you, in the latter days you shall return to the Lord your God, and listen to his voice:

³¹for the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not fail you, neither destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which he swore to them.

³²For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and from the one end of the sky to the other, whether there has been anything as this great thing is, or has been heard like it?

³³Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live?

³⁴Or has God tried to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

³⁵It was shown to you so that you might know that the Lord is God. There is no one else besides him.

³⁶Out of heaven he made you to hear his voice, that he might instruct you: and on earth he made you to see his great fire; and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire.

³⁷Because he loved your fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought you out with his presence, with his great power, out of Egypt;

³⁸to drive out nations from before you greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as at this day.

³⁹Know therefore this day, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is none else.

⁴⁰You shall keep his statutes, and his commandments, which I command you this day, that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land, which the Lord your God gives you, forever.

⁴¹Then Moses set apart three cities beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise;

⁴²that the manslayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unawares, and did not hate him in time past; and that fleeing to one of these cities he might live:

⁴³Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, for the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites.

⁴⁴This is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel:

⁴⁵these are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which Moses spoke to the children of Israel, when they came forth out of Egypt,

⁴⁶beyond the Jordan, in the valley over against Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel struck, when they came forth out of Egypt.

⁴⁷They took his land in possession, and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise;

⁴⁸from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, even to Mount Sion (the same is Hermon),

⁴⁹and all the Arabah beyond the Jordan eastward, even to the sea of the Arabah, under the slopes of Pisgah.

¹Moses called to all Israel, and said to them, Hear, Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your ears this day, that you may learn them, and observe to do them.

²The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.

³The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.

⁴The Lord spoke with you face to face on the mountain out of the midst of the fire,

⁵(I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to show you the words of the Lord: for you were afraid because of the fire, and did not go up onto the mountain;) saying,

⁶"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

⁷"You shall have no other gods before me.

⁸"You shall not make an engraved image for yourself, or any likeness of what is in heaven above, or what is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

⁹you shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them; for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me;

¹⁰and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

¹¹"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

¹²"Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.

¹³You shall labor six days, and do all your work;

¹⁴but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God, in which you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

¹⁵You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm: therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

¹⁶"Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you; that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you, in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

¹⁷"You shall not murder.

¹⁸"Neither shall you commit adultery.

¹⁹"Neither shall you steal.

²⁰"Neither shall you give false testimony against your neighbor.

²¹"Neither shall you covet your neighbor's wife; neither shall you covet your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."

²²These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly on the mountain out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. He wrote them on two tables of stone, and gave them to me.

²³It happened, when you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;

²⁴and you said, "Behold, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God does speak with man, and he lives.

²⁵Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, then we shall die.

²⁶For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?

²⁷Go near, and hear all that the Lord our God shall say: and tell us all that the Lord our God shall tell you; and we will hear it, and do it."

²⁸The Lord heard the voice of your words, when you spoke to me; and the Lord said to me, "I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken to you: they have well said all that they have spoken.

²⁹Oh that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!

³⁰"Go tell them, Return to your tents.

³¹But as for you, stand here by me, and I will tell you all the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it."

³²You shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God has commanded you: you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

³³You shall walk in all the way which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.

¹Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you go over to possess it;

²that you might fear the Lord your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, you, and your son, and your son's son, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged.

³Hear therefore, Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with you, and that you may increase mightily, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised to you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

⁴Hear, Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is one.

⁵And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

⁶These words, which I command you this day, shall be on your heart;

⁷and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.

⁸You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for symbols between your eyes.

⁹You shall write them on the door posts of your house, and on your gates.

¹⁰It shall be, when the Lord your God shall bring you into the land which he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, great and goodly cities, which you did not build,

¹¹and houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, and cisterns dug out, which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees, which you did not plant, and you shall eat and be full;

¹²then beware lest you forget the Lord, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

¹³You shall fear the Lord your God; and you shall serve him only, and shall swear by his name.

¹⁴You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are around you;

¹⁵for the Lord your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.

¹⁶You shall not tempt the Lord your God, as you tempted him in Massah.

¹⁷You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you.

¹⁸You shall do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord; that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land which the Lord swore to your fathers,

¹⁹to thrust out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has spoken.

²⁰When your son asks you in time to come, saying, "What do the testimonies, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the Lord our God has commanded you mean?"

²¹then you shall tell your son, "We were Pharaoh's bondservants in Egypt: and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand;

²²and the Lord showed great and awesome signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his house, before our eyes;

²³and he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he swore to our fathers.

²⁴The Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as at this day.

²⁵It shall be righteousness to us, if we observe to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us."

¹He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.

²He sent them forth to proclaim the Kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

³He said to them, "Take nothing for your journey-neither staffs, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats apiece.

⁴Into whatever house you enter, stay there, and depart from there.

⁵As many as do not receive you, when you depart from that city, shake off even the dust from your feet for a testimony against them."

⁶They departed, and went throughout the villages, proclaiming the Good News, and healing everywhere.

⁷Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done; and he was very perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead,

⁸and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.

⁹Herod said, "John I beheaded, but who is this, about whom I hear such things?" He sought to see him.

¹⁰The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. He took them, and withdrew apart to a city called Bethsaida.

¹¹But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, and spoke to them of the Kingdom of God, and he cured those who needed healing.

¹²The day began to wear away; and the twelve came, and said to him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms, and lodge, and get food, for we are here in a deserted place."

¹³But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people."

¹⁴For they were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each."

¹⁵They did so, and made them all sit down.

¹⁶He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.

¹⁷They ate, and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.

¹⁸It happened, as he was praying alone, that the disciples were with him, and he asked them, "Who do the multitudes say that I am?"

¹⁹They answered, "'John the Baptist,' but others say, 'Elijah,' and others, that one of the old prophets is risen again."

²⁰He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "The Messiah of God."

²¹But he warned them, and commanded them to tell this to no one,

²²saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up."

²³He said to all, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.

²⁴For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same will save it.

²⁵For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self?

²⁶For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels.

²⁷But I tell you the truth: There are some of those who stand here, who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Kingdom of God."

²⁸It happened about eight days after these sayings, that he took with him Peter, John, and Jacob, and went up onto the mountain to pray.

²⁹As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became white and dazzling.

³⁰Behold, two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah,

³¹who appeared in glory, and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

³²Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men who stood with him.

³³It happened, as they were parting from him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents: one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah," not knowing what he said.

³⁴While he said these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud.

³⁵A voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my chosen. Listen to him!"

³⁶When the voice came, Jesus was found alone. They were silent, and told no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.

³⁷It happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met him.

³⁸Behold, a man from the crowd called out, saying, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.

³⁹Behold, a spirit takes him, he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him so that he foams, and it hardly departs from him, bruising him severely.

⁴⁰I begged your disciples to cast it out, and they could not."

⁴¹Jesus answered, "Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here."

⁴²While he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

⁴³They were all astonished at the majesty of God. But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples,

⁴⁴"Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of Man will be delivered up into the hands of men."

⁴⁵But they did not understand this saying. It was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

⁴⁶There arose an argument among them about which of them was the greatest.

⁴⁷Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side,

⁴⁸and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great."

⁴⁹John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he does not follow with us."

⁵⁰Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against you is for you."

⁵¹It came to pass, when the days were near that he should be taken up, he intently set his face to go to Jerusalem,

⁵²and sent messengers before his face. They went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, so as to prepare for him.

⁵³They did not receive him, because he was traveling with his face set towards Jerusalem.

⁵⁴When his disciples, Jacob and John, saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from the sky, and destroy them?"

⁵⁵But he turned and rebuked them.

⁵⁶They went to another village.

⁵⁷As they went on the way, a certain man said to him, "I want to follow you wherever you go."

⁵⁸And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

⁵⁹He said to another, "Follow me!" But he said, "Allow me first to go and bury my father."

⁶⁰But Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce the Kingdom of God."

⁶¹Another also said, "I want to follow you, Lord, but first allow me to bid farewell to those who are at my house."

⁶²But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God."

¹ The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity. There is no one who does good.

²God looks down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there are any who understood, who seek after God.

³Every one of them has gone back. They have become filthy together. There is no one who does good, no, not one.

⁴Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call on God?

⁵There they were in great fear, where no fear was, for God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you. You have put them to shame, because God has rejected them.

⁶Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back his people from captivity, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

¹A good name is more desirable than great riches, and loving favor is better than silver and gold.

²The rich and the poor have this in common: The Lord is the maker of them all.

³A prudent man sees danger, and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

⁴The result of humility and the fear of the Lord is wealth, honor, and life.

⁵Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked: whoever guards his soul stays from them.

⁶Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

⁷The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender.

⁸He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

⁹He who has a generous eye will be blessed; for he shares his food with the poor.

¹⁰Drive out the mocker, and strife will go out; yes, quarrels and insults will stop.

¹¹He who loves purity of heart and speaks gracefully is the king's friend.

¹²The eyes of the Lord watch over knowledge; but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

¹³The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the streets!"

¹⁴The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit: he who is under the Lord's wrath will fall into it.

¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a child: the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

¹⁶Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich, both come to poverty.

¹⁷Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise. Apply your heart to my teaching.

¹⁸For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.

¹⁹That your trust may be in the Lord, I teach you today, even you.

²⁰Haven't I written to you thirty excellent things of counsel and knowledge,

²¹To teach you truth, reliable words, to give sound answers to the ones who sent you?

²²Do not exploit the poor, because he is poor; and do not crush the needy in court;

²³for the Lord will plead their case, and plunder the life of those who plunder them.

²⁴Do not befriend a hot-tempered man, and do not associate with one who harbors anger:

²⁵lest you learn his ways, and ensnare your soul.

²⁶Do not be one of those who strike hands, of those who are collateral for debts.

²⁷If you do not have means to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you?

²⁸Do not move the ancient boundary stone, which your fathers have set up.

²⁹Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve kings. He won't serve obscure men.