M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Parashah 24: Vayikra (He called) 1:1–5:26(6:7)

1 Adonai called to Moshe and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, ² “Speak to the people of Isra’el; say to them, ‘When any of you brings an offering to Adonai, you may bring your animal offering either from the herd or from the flock. ³ If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he must offer a male without defect. He is to bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, so that it can be accepted by Adonai. ⁴ He is to lay his hand upon the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. ⁵ He is to slaughter the young bull before Adonai ; and the sons of Aharon, the cohanim, are to present the blood. They are to splash the blood against all sides of the altar, which is by the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁶ He is to skin the burnt offering and cut it in pieces. ⁷ The descendants of Aharon the cohen are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. ⁸ The sons of Aharon, the cohanim, are to arrange the pieces, the head and the fat on the wood which is on the fire on the altar. ⁹ He is to wash the entrails and lower parts of the legs with water, and the cohen is to cause all of it to go up in smoke on the altar as a burnt offering; it is an offering made by fire, a fragrant aroma for Adonai.

¹⁰ “‘If his offering is from the flock, whether from the sheep or from the goats, for a burnt offering, he must offer a male without defect. ¹¹ He is to slaughter it on the north side of the altar before Adonai; and the sons of Aharon, the cohanim, are to splash its blood against all sides of the altar. ¹² He is to cut it into pieces, and the cohen is to arrange them with the head and fat on the wood which is on the fire on the altar. ¹³ He is to wash the entrails and lower parts of the legs with water; and the cohen is to offer it all and make it go up in smoke on the altar as a burnt offering; it is an offering made by fire, a fragrant aroma for Adonai.

(ii) ¹⁴ “‘If his offering to Adonai is a burnt offering of birds, he must offer a dove or a young pigeon. ¹⁵ The cohen is to bring it to the altar, snap off its head and make it go up in smoke on the altar; its blood is to be drained out on the side of the altar. ¹⁶ He is to remove the food pouch and its feathers from its neck and discard it on the pile of ashes just east of the altar. ¹⁷ He is to pull it open with a wing on each side, but without tearing it in half. The cohen is to make it go up in smoke on the altar, on the wood which is on the fire, as a burnt offering; it is an offering made by fire, a fragrant aroma for Adonai.

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Miryam from Magdala went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. ² So she came running to Shim‘on Kefa and the other talmid, the one Yeshua loved, and said to them, “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him!”

³ Then Kefa and the other talmid started for the tomb. ⁴ They both ran, but the other talmid outran Kefa and reached the tomb first. ⁵ Stooping down, he saw the linen burial-sheets lying there but did not go in. ⁶ Then, following him, Shim‘on Kefa arrived, entered the tomb and saw the burial-sheets lying there, ⁷ also the cloth that had been around his head, lying not with the sheets but in a separate place and still folded up. ⁸ Then the other talmid, who had arrived at the tomb first, also went in; he saw, and he trusted. ⁹ (They had not yet come to understand that the Tanakh teaches that the Messiah has to rise from the dead.)

¹⁰ So the talmidim returned home, ¹¹ but Miryam stood outside crying. As she cried, she bent down, peered into the tomb, ¹² and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Yeshua had been, one at the head and one at the feet. ¹³ “Why are you crying?” they asked her. “They took my Lord,” she said to them, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

¹⁴ As she said this, she turned around and saw Yeshua standing there, but she didn’t know it was he. ¹⁵ Yeshua said to her, “Lady, why are you crying? Whom are you looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you’re the one who carried him away, just tell me where you put him; and I’ll go and get him myself.” ¹⁶ Yeshua said to her, “Miryam!” Turning, she cried out to him in Hebrew, “Rabbani!” (that is, “Teacher!”) ¹⁷ “Stop holding onto me,” Yeshua said to her, “because I haven’t yet gone back to the Father. But go to my brothers, and tell them that I am going back to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ¹⁸ Miryam of Magdala went to the talmidim with the news that she had seen the Lord and that he had told her this.

¹⁹ In the evening that same day, the first day of the week, when the talmidim were gathered together behind locked doors out of fear of the Judeans, Yeshua came, stood in the middle and said, “Shalom aleikhem!” ²⁰ Having greeted them, he showed them his hands and his side. The talmidim were overjoyed to see the Lord. ²¹ “Shalom aleikhem!” Yeshua repeated. “Just as the Father sent me, I myself am also sending you.” ²² Having said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Ruach HaKodesh! ²³ If you forgive someone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you hold them, they are held.”

²⁴ Now T’oma (the name means “twin”), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Yeshua came. ²⁵ When the other talmidim told him, “We have seen the Lord,” he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger into the place where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe it.”

²⁶ A week later his talmidim were once more in the room, and this time T’oma was with them. Although the doors were locked, Yeshua came, stood among them and said, “Shalom aleikhem!” ²⁷ Then he said to T’oma, “Put your finger here, look at my hands, take your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be lacking in trust, but have trust!” ²⁸ T’oma answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Yeshua said to him, “Have you trusted because you have seen me? How blessed are those who do not see, but trust anyway!”

³⁰ In the presence of the talmidim Yeshua performed many other miracles which have not been recorded in this book. ³¹ But these which have been recorded are here so that you may trust that Yeshua is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by this trust you may have life because of who he is.

4 So, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, my dear friends, keep standing firm in union with the Lord.

² I beg Evodia and I beg Syntyche to agree with each other in union with the Lord. ³ I also request you, loyal Syzygus, to help these women; for they have worked hard proclaiming the Good News with me, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow-workers whose names are in the Book of Life.

⁴ Rejoice in union with the Lord always! I will say it again: rejoice! ⁵ Let everyone see how reasonable and gentle you are. The Lord is near! ⁶ Don’t worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. ⁷ Then God’s shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua. ⁸ In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on some virtue or on something praiseworthy. ⁹ Keep doing what you have learned and received from me, what you have heard and seen me doing; then the God who gives shalom will be with you.

¹⁰ In union with the Lord I greatly rejoice that now, after this long time, you have let your concern for me express itself again. Of course, you were concerned for me all along, but you had no opportunity to express it. ¹¹ Not that I am saying this to call attention to any need of mine; since, as far as I am concerned, I have learned to be content regardless of circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in want, and I know what it is to have more than enough — in everything and in every way I have learned the secret of being full and being hungry, of having abundance and being in need. ¹³ I can do all things through him who gives me power.

¹⁴ Nevertheless, it was good of you to share in my trouble. ¹⁵ And you Philippians yourselves know that in the early days of my work spreading the Good News, when I left Macedonia, not a single congregation shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving — only you. ¹⁶ Indeed, in Thessalonica when I needed it, you sent me aid twice. ¹⁷ I am not seeking the gift; rather, I am looking for what will increase the credit balance of your account. ¹⁸ I have been more than paid in full: I have been filled, since I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent — they are a fragrant aroma,^[a] an acceptable sacrifice, one that pleases God well. ¹⁹ Moreover, my God will fill every need of yours according to his glorious wealth, in union with the Messiah Yeshua. ²⁰ And to God our Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

²¹ Greet each of God’s people in the Messiah Yeshua. The brothers with me send their greetings to you. ²² All God’s people send greetings, but especially those in the Emperor’s household.

²³ The grace of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with your spirit.