Day 59 of 365

Lev 17:1–18:30

17:1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

17:2 "Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them: 'This is the thing which the Lord has commanded,

17:3 Whatever man there is of the house of Israel, who kills a bull, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp,

17:4 and hasn't brought it to the door of the Tent of Meeting, [so as to sacrifice it for a burnt offering or peace offering to the Lord to be acceptable for a soothing aroma, and whoever shall kill it without, and shall not bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting] to offer it as an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, blood shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people.

17:5 This is to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to the priest, and sacrifice them for sacrifices of peace offerings to the Lord.

17:6 The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the Lord at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and burn the fat for a pleasant aroma to the Lord.

17:7 They shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat idols, after which they play the prostitute. This shall be a statute forever to them throughout their generations.'

17:8 "You shall say to them, 'Any man there is of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,

17:9 and doesn't bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to sacrifice it to the Lord; that man shall be cut off from his people.

17:10 "'Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who eats any kind of blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people.

17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.

17:12 Therefore I have said to the children of Israel, "No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who lives as a foreigner among you eat blood."

17:13 "'Whatever man there is of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who takes in hunting any animal or bird that may be eaten; he shall pour out its blood, and cover it with dust.

17:14 For as to the life of all flesh, its blood is with its life: therefore I said to the children of Israel, "You shall not eat the blood of any kind of flesh; for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off."

17:15 "'Every person that eats what dies of itself, or that which is torn by animals, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening: then he shall be clean.

17:16 But if he doesn't wash them, or bathe his flesh, then he shall bear his iniquity.'"

18:1 The Lord said to Moses,

18:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, 'I am the Lord your God.

18:3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived: and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you; neither shall you walk in their statutes.

18:4 You shall do my ordinances, and you shall keep my statutes, and walk in them: I am the Lord your God.

18:5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which if a man does, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.

18:6 "'None of you shall approach anyone who are his close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am the Lord.

18:7 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your mother: she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.

18:8 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife: it is your father's nakedness.

18:9 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home, or born abroad.

18:10 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter, or of your daughter's daughter, even their nakedness: for theirs is your own nakedness.

18:11 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, conceived by your father, since she is your sister.

18:12 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister: she is your father's near kinswoman.

18:13 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister: for she is your mother's near kinswoman.

18:14 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother, you shall not approach his wife: she is your aunt.

18:15 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law: she is your son's wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness.

18:16 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife: it is your brother's nakedness.

18:17 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter. You shall not take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; they are near kinswomen: it is wickedness.

18:18 "'You shall not take a wife to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is yet alive.

18:19 "'You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness.

18:20 "'You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, and defile yourself with her.

18:21 "'You shall not give any of your children to sacrifice to Molech; neither shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

18:22 "'You shall not lie with a man, as with a woman. That is detestable.

18:23 "'You shall not lie with any animal to defile yourself with it; neither shall any woman give herself to an animal, to lie down with it: it is a perversion.

18:24 "'Do not defile yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations which I am casting out before you were defiled.

18:25 The land was defiled: therefore I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out her inhabitants.

18:26 You therefore shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the native-born, nor the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you;

18:27 (for all these abominations have the men of the land done, that were before you, and the land became defiled);

18:28 that the land not vomit you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.

18:29 "'For whoever shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people.

18:30 Therefore you shall keep my requirements, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs, which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves with them: I am the Lord your God.'"

Mark 7:1–24

1 Then the Pharisees, and some of the scribes gathered together to him, having come from Jerusalem.

2 Now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is, unwashed, hands, they found fault.

3 (For the Pharisees, and all the Judeans, do not eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders.

4 They do not eat when they come from the marketplace, unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things, which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, and bronze vessels.)

5 The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?"

6 He said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7 But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

8 "For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men."

9 He said to them, "Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother;' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.'

11 But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban, that is to say, given to God;"'

12 then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother,

13 making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this."

14 He called all the multitude to himself, and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand.

15 There is nothing from outside of the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man." [

16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!]

17 When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable.

18 He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him,

19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, cleansing all the foods?"

20 He said, "That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man.

21 For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts,

22 covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness.

23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man."

24 From there he arose, and went away into the region of Tyre and Sidon. He entered into a house, and did not want anyone to know it, but he could not escape notice.

Prov 14:1–15

1 Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

2 He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is perverse in his ways despises him.

3 The fool's talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.

4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean, but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

5 A truthful witness will not lie, but a false witness pours out lies.

6 A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn't find it, but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.

7 Stay away from a foolish man, for you won't find knowledge on his lips.

8 The wisdom of the prudent is to think about his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.

9 Fools mock at making atonement for sins, but among the upright there is good will.

10 The heart knows its own bitterness and joy; he will not share these with a stranger.

11 The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish.

12 There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

13 Even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful, and mirth may end in heaviness.

14 The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways; likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways.

15 A simple man believes everything, but the prudent man carefully considers his ways.