The Sin of Nadab and Abihu

10 Now ^(A)Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective ^(B)firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. ^2 (C)And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. ³ Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the Lord spoke, saying,

So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.

⁴ Moses called also to ^(G)Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come forward, carry your ^[b]relatives away from the front of the sanctuary to the outside of the camp.” ⁵ So they came forward and carried them still in their ^(H)tunics to the outside of the camp, as Moses had said. ⁶ Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “^(I)Do not ^[c]uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, so that you will not die and that He will not ^(J)become wrathful against all the congregation. But your ^[d]kinsmen, the whole house of Israel, shall bewail the burning which the Lord has ^[e]brought about. ⁷ You shall not even go out from the doorway of the tent of meeting, or you will die; for ^(K)the Lord’s anointing oil is upon you.” So they did according to the word of Moses.

⁸ The Lord then spoke to Aaron, saying, ⁹ “^(L)Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die—it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations— ¹⁰ and ^(M)so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean, ¹¹ and ^(N)so as to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them through Moses.”

¹² Then Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his surviving sons, ^(O)Eleazar and Ithamar, “^(P)Take the grain offering that is left over from the Lord’s offerings by fire and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy. ¹³ You shall eat it, moreover, in a holy place, because it is your due and your sons’ due out of the Lord’s offerings by fire; for thus I have been commanded. ^14 (Q)The breast of the wave offering, however, and the thigh of the offering you may eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you; for they have been given as your due and your sons’ due out of the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the sons of Israel. ^15 (R)The thigh offered by lifting up and the breast offered by waving they shall bring along with the offerings by fire of the portions of fat, to present as a wave offering before the Lord; so it shall be a thing perpetually due you and your sons with you, just as the Lord has commanded.”

¹⁶ But Moses searched carefully for the ^(S)goat of the sin offering, and behold, it had been burned up! So he was angry with Aaron’s surviving sons Eleazar and Ithamar, saying, ¹⁷ “Why ^(T)did you not eat the sin offering at the holy place? For it is most holy, and ^[f]He gave it to you to bear away ^(U)the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord. ¹⁸ Behold, ^(V)since its blood had not been brought inside, into the sanctuary, you should certainly have ^(W)eaten it in the sanctuary, just as I commanded.” ¹⁹ But Aaron spoke to Moses, “Behold, this very day they ^(X)presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord. When things like these happened to me, if I had eaten a sin offering today, would it have been good in the sight of the Lord?” ²⁰ When Moses heard that, it seemed good in his sight.

Laws about Animals for Food

11 The Lord spoke again to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, ² “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘^(Y)These are the creatures which you may eat from all the animals that are on the earth. ³ Whatever divides a hoof, thus making split hoofs, and chews the cud, among the animals, that you may eat. ⁴ Nevertheless, ^(Z)you are not to eat of these, among those which chew the cud, or among those which divide the hoof: the camel, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you. ⁵ Likewise, the ^[g]shaphan, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you; ⁶ the ^[h]rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you; ⁷ and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you. ⁸ You shall not eat of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.

⁹ ‘^(AA)These you may eat, whatever is in the water: all that have fins and scales, those in the water, in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. ^10 (AB)But whatever is in the seas and in the rivers that does not have fins and scales among all the teeming life of the water, and among all the living creatures that are in the water, they are detestable things to you, ¹¹ and they shall be ^[i]abhorrent to you; you may not eat of their flesh, and their carcasses you shall detest. ¹² Whatever in the water does not have fins and scales is ^[j]abhorrent to you.

Avoid the Unclean

¹³ ‘These, moreover, ^(AC)you shall detest among the birds; they are ^[k]abhorrent, not to be eaten: the ^[l]eagle and the vulture and the ^[m]buzzard, ¹⁴ and the kite and the falcon in its kind, ¹⁵ every raven in its kind, ¹⁶ and the ostrich and the owl and the sea gull and the hawk in its kind, ¹⁷ and the little owl and the cormorant and the ^[n]great owl, ¹⁸ and the white owl and the ^[o]pelican and the carrion vulture, ¹⁹ and the stork, the heron in its kinds, and the hoopoe, and the bat.

²⁰ ‘All the ^[p]winged insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you. ²¹ Yet these you may eat among all the ^[q]winged insects which walk on all fours: those which have above their feet jointed legs with which to jump on the earth. ²² These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds, and the devastating locust in its kinds, and the cricket in its kinds, and the grasshopper in its kinds. ²³ But all other ^[r]winged insects which are four-footed are detestable to you.

²⁴ ‘By these, moreover, you will be made unclean: whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, ²⁵ and ^(AD)whoever picks up any of their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. ²⁶ Concerning all the animals which divide the hoof but do not make a split hoof, or which do not chew cud, they are unclean to you: whoever touches them becomes unclean. ²⁷ Also whatever walks on its paws, among all the creatures that walk on all fours, are unclean to you; whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, ²⁸ and the one who picks up their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening; they are unclean to you.

²⁹ ‘Now these are to you the unclean among the swarming things which swarm on the earth: the mole, and the mouse, and the ^[s]great lizard in its kinds, ³⁰ and the gecko, and the ^[t]crocodile, and the lizard, and the ^[u]sand reptile, and the chameleon. ³¹ These are to you the unclean among all the swarming things; whoever touches them when they are dead becomes unclean until evening. ³² Also anything on which one of them may fall when they are dead becomes unclean, including any wooden article, or clothing, or a skin, or a sack—any article ^[v]of which use is made—^(AE)it shall be put in the water and be unclean until evening, then it becomes clean. ³³ As for any ^(AF)earthenware vessel into which one of them may fall, whatever is in it becomes unclean and you shall break ^[w]the vessel. ³⁴ Any of the ^[x]food which may be eaten, on which water comes, shall become unclean, and any ^[y]liquid which may be drunk in every vessel shall become unclean. ³⁵ Everything, moreover, on which part of their carcass may fall becomes unclean; an oven or a ^[z]stove shall be smashed; they are unclean and shall continue as unclean to you. ³⁶ Nevertheless a spring or a cistern ^[aa]collecting water shall be clean, though the one who touches their carcass shall be unclean. ³⁷ If a part of their carcass falls on any seed for sowing which is to be sown, it is clean. ³⁸ Though if water is put on the seed and a part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.

³⁹ ‘Also if one of the animals dies which you have for food, the one who touches its carcass becomes unclean until evening. ^40 (AG)He too, who eats some of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening, and the one who picks up its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

⁴¹ ‘^(AH)Now every swarming thing that swarms on the earth is detestable, not to be eaten. ⁴² Whatever crawls on its belly, and whatever walks on all fours, whatever has many feet, in respect to every swarming thing that swarms on the earth, you shall not eat them, for they are detestable. ^43 (AI)Do not render ^[ab]yourselves detestable through any of the swarming things that swarm; and you shall not make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean. ⁴⁴ For ^(AJ)I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and ^(AK)be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. ^45 (AL)For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus ^(AM)you shall be holy, for I am holy.’”

⁴⁶ This is the law regarding the animal and the bird, and every living thing that moves in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth, ^47 (AN)to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the edible creature and the creature which is not to be eaten.

Laws of Motherhood

12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying:

‘When a woman ^[ac]gives birth and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days, ^(AO)as in the days of ^[ad]her menstruation she shall be unclean. ³ On ^(AP)the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. ⁴ Then she shall remain in the blood of her purification for thirty-three days; she shall not touch any consecrated thing, nor enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are completed. ⁵ But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean for two weeks, as in her ^[ae]menstruation; and she shall remain in the blood of her purification for sixty-six days.

⁶ ‘^(AQ)When the days of her purification are completed, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the doorway of the tent of meeting a one year old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove ^(AR)for a sin offering. ⁷ Then he shall offer it before the Lord and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the ^[af]flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, whether a male or a female. ⁸ But if ^[ag]she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take ^(AS)two turtledoves or two young pigeons, ^(AT)the one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the ^(AU)priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’”

Teaching at Nazareth

6 ^(A)Jesus went out from there and *came into ^[a](B)His hometown; and His disciples *followed Him. ² When the Sabbath came, He began ^(C)to teach in the synagogue; and the ^(D)many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such ^[b]miracles as these performed by His hands? ³ Is not this ^(E)the carpenter, ^(F)the son of Mary, and brother of ^[c]James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not ^(G)His sisters here with us?” And they took ^(H)offense at Him. ⁴ Jesus said to them, “^(I)A prophet is not without honor except in ^[d](J)his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” ⁵ And He could do no ^[e]miracle there except that He ^(K)laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶ And He wondered at their unbelief.

^(L)And He was going around the villages teaching.

The Twelve Sent Out

^7 (M)And ^(N)He *summoned the twelve and began to send them out ^(O)in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; ^8 (P)and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no ^[f]bag, no money in their belt— ⁹ but ^[g]to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two ^[h]tunics.” ¹⁰ And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you ^[i]leave town. ¹¹ Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, ^(Q)shake the dust ^[j]off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” ^12 (R)They went out and ^[k]preached that men should repent. ¹³ And they were casting out many demons and ^(S)were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

John’s Fate Recalled

^14 (T)And King Herod heard of it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, “^(U)John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” ¹⁵ But others were saying, “He is ^(V)Elijah.” And others were saying, “He is ^(W)a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” ¹⁶ But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!”

¹⁷ For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of ^(X)Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. ¹⁸ For John had been saying to Herod, “^(Y)It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” ^19 (Z)Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so; ²⁰ for ^(AA)Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; ^[l]but he ^[m]used to enjoy listening to him. ²¹ A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday ^(AB)gave a banquet for his lords and ^[n]military commanders and the leading men ^(AC)of Galilee; ²² and when the daughter of ^(AD)Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and ^[o]his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” ²³ And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to ^(AE)half of my kingdom.” ²⁴ And she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” ²⁵ Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” ²⁶ And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of ^[p]his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her. ²⁷ Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison, ²⁸ and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When his disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.

^30 (AF)The ^(AG)apostles *gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. ³¹ And He *said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and ^(AH)they did not even have time to eat.) ^32 (AI)They went away in ^(AJ)the boat to a secluded place by themselves.

Five Thousand Fed

³³ The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ When Jesus went ^[q]ashore, He ^(AK)saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because ^(AL)they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. ³⁵ When it was already quite late, His disciples came to Him and said, “^[r]This place is desolate and it is already quite late; ³⁶ send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves ^[s]something to eat.” ³⁷ But He answered them, “You give them something to eat!” ^(AM)And they *said to Him, “Shall we go and spend two hundred ^[t](AN)denarii on bread and give them something to eat?” ³⁸ And He *said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they found out, they *said, “Five, and two fish.” ³⁹ And He commanded them all to ^[u]sit down by groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ They ^[v]sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. ⁴¹ And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He ^(AO)blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all. ⁴² They all ate and were satisfied, ⁴³ and they picked up twelve full ^(AP)baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish. ⁴⁴ There were ^(AQ)five thousand men who ate the loaves.

Jesus Walks on the Water

^45 (AR)Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into ^(AS)the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to ^(AT)Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. ⁴⁶ After ^(AU)bidding them farewell, He left ^(AV)for the mountain to pray.

⁴⁷ When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. ⁴⁸ Seeing them ^[w]straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the ^[x](AW)fourth watch of the night He *came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. ⁴⁹ But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; ⁵⁰ for they all saw Him and were ^[y]terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and *said to them, “^(AX)Take courage; it is I, ^(AY)do not be afraid.” ⁵¹ Then He got into ^(AZ)the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, ⁵² for ^(BA)they ^[z]had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but ^[aa]their heart ^(BB)was hardened.

Healing at Gennesaret

^53 (BC)When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. ⁵⁴ When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ⁵⁵ and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to ^[ab]the place they heard He was. ⁵⁶ Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just ^(BD)touch ^(BE)the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.