Old/New Testament
25 If two people have an argument and go to court, the judges will decide the case. They will ·declare one person right [acquit the innocent] and ·the other [convict the] guilty. 2 If the guilty person has to be ·punished with a beating [struck; flogged], the judge will make that person lie down and be ·beaten [struck; flogged] in front of him. The number of lashes should match the crime. 3 But don’t ·hit [strike] a person more than forty times, because more than that would disgrace ·him [your relative/neighbor] before others [2 Cor. 11:24].
4 When an ox is ·working in the grain [treading the grain], do not ·cover its mouth to keep it from eating [muzzle it; 1 Cor. 9:9].
5 If two brothers are living together, and one of them dies without having a son, his widow must not marry ·someone [a stranger] outside her husband’s family. Her husband’s brother must marry her, which is his duty to her as a brother-in-law. 6 The first son she has ·counts as the son of the dead [will raise up the name of his] brother so that his name will not be ·forgotten [blotted/wiped out] in Israel [Gen. 38; Ruth 4].
7 But if a man does not want to marry his brother’s widow, she should go to the elders at the town gate. She should say, “My brother-in-law will not ·carry on [raise up] his brother’s name in Israel. He refuses to do his duty for me.”
8 Then the elders of the town must call for the man and talk to him. But if he ·is stubborn [L stands] and says, “I don’t want to marry her,” 9 the woman must go up to him in ·front of the leaders [the presence of the elders]. She must take off one of his sandals and spit in his face and say, “This is for the man who won’t ·continue [L build] his brother’s ·family [L house]!” 10 Then that man’s ·family [L house] shall be known in Israel as the ·Family [L House] of the Unsandaled.
11 If two men are fighting and one man’s wife comes to ·save [protect] her husband from his attacker, grabbing the attacker by his ·sex organs [genitals], 12 you must cut off her hand. ·Show her no mercy [L Do not let your eyes show compassion on her].
13 Don’t carry two ·sets of weights [L stones] ·with you [L in your bag/pouch], one heavy and one light. 14 Don’t have two different sets of measures in your house, one large and one small. 15 You must have ·true [whole; full] and ·honest [accurate] weights and measures so that you will live a long time in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 16 The Lord your God ·hates [detests] anyone who ·is dishonest and uses dishonest measures [L does such things—who acts crookedly/does bad things; Lev. 19:35–37; Prov. 11:1; Ezek. 45:10–12; Amos 8:5; Mic. 6:10–12].
17 Remember what the Amalekites did to you when you came out of Egypt [Ex. 17:8–16]. 18 When you were tired and worn out, they met you on the road and ·attacked [picked off] all ·those lagging behind [the stragglers]. They were not afraid of God. 19 When the Lord your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he ·is giving you [L makes you inherit] as your ·own [possession], you shall ·destroy [blot/wipe out] any memory of the Amalekites ·on the earth [L from under the heavens]. Do not forget [C Saul forgot (1 Sam. 15), but the Amalekites (called Agagites) come to an end in the book of Esther (Esth. 3:1)]!
The First Harvest
26 When you go into the land the Lord your God is giving you as your ·own [L inheritance], to ·take it over [possess it] and live in it, 2 you must take some of the first harvest of crops that grow from the land the Lord your God is giving you. Put the food in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God will choose to ·be worshiped [L cause his name to dwell; C Zion; 12:4–6]. 3 Go and say to the priest ·on duty at that time [in office in those days], “Today I declare before the Lord your God that I have come into the land the Lord promised our ·ancestors [fathers] that he would give us [Gen. 12:1–3].” 4 The priest will take your basket and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. 5 Then you shall announce before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean [C likely a reference to Jacob/Israel’s stay in Paddan-Aram; Gen. 28–31]. He went down to Egypt and lived as a ·foreigner [resident alien] with only a few people, but they became a great, powerful, and large nation there [Gen. 12:1–3]. 6 But the Egyptians were ·cruel [mean] to us, ·making us suffer [afflicting/humiliating us] and ·work very hard [giving us onerous work]. 7 So we ·prayed [cried out] to the Lord, the God of our ·ancestors [fathers], and he heard us. When he saw our ·trouble [affliction; humiliation], hard work, and ·suffering [oppression; Ex. 2:23–25; 3:7, 9], 8 the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his ·great power [L strong hand] and ·strength [L outstretched arm], using great terrors, signs, and ·miracles [wonders]. 9 Then he brought us to this place and gave us this ·fertile land [L land flowing with milk and honey; Ex. 3:8]. 10 Now I bring part of the first harvest from this land that you, Lord, have given me.” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. 11 Then you and the Levites and ·foreigners [resident aliens] among you should rejoice, because the Lord your God has given good things to you and your ·family [L house].
12 ·Bring [Finish paying] a ·tenth [T tithe] of all your harvest the third year [14:28–29] (the year to give a ·tenth [T tithe] of your harvest). Give it to the Levites, ·foreigners [resident aliens], orphans, and widows so that they may eat in your ·towns [L gates] and be full. 13 Then say to the Lord your God, “I have taken out of my house ·the part of my harvest that belongs to God [L what is holy/consecrated/sacred], and I have given it to the Levites, ·foreigners [resident aliens], orphans, and widows. I have done everything you commanded me; I have not broken your commands, and I have not forgotten any of them. 14 I have not eaten any of the holy part while I was in ·sorrow [mourning]. I have not removed any of it while I was unclean [C in a ritual sense], and I have not offered it ·for [or to] dead people. I have obeyed you, the Lord my God, and have done everything you commanded me. 15 So look down from heaven, your holy home. Bless your people Israel and bless the land you have given us, which you ·promised [swore] to our ·ancestors [fathers]—a ·fertile land [L land flowing with milk and honey; Ex. 3:8].”
Obey the Lord’s Commands
16 Today the Lord your God commands you to obey all these ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and laws; be careful to obey them with ·your whole being [L all your heart/mind and all your soul]. 17 Today you have said that the Lord is your God, and you ·have promised to do what he wants you to do [L will walk on his way/path]—to keep his ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements], commands, and laws. You have said you will ·obey him [listen to his voice]. 18 And today the Lord has said that you are his ·very own people [treasured/special possession; Ex. 19:5], as he has promised you. But you must obey his commands. 19 He will ·make you greater [set you higher] than all the other nations he made. He will give you praise, fame, and honor, and you will be a holy people to the Lord your God, as he has said [Ex. 19:6].
The Law Written on Stones
27 Then Moses, along with the elders of Israel, commanded the people, saying, “Keep all the commands I have ·given [commanded] you today. 2 Soon you will cross the Jordan River to go into the land the Lord your God is giving you. On that day set up some large stones and cover them with plaster. 3 When you cross over, write all the words of these ·teachings [laws; instructions] on them. Then you may enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a ·fertile land [L land flowing with milk and honey; Ex. 3:8], just as the Lord, the God of your ·ancestors [fathers], promised. 4 After you have crossed the Jordan River, set up these stones on Mount Ebal [11:29; Josh. 8:30–35], as I command you today, and cover them with plaster. 5 Build an altar of stones there to the Lord your God, but don’t use any iron tool to cut the stones [Ex. 20:25]; 6 build the altar of the Lord your God with ·stones from the field [uncut stones; L whole stones]. Offer burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] on it to the Lord your God, 7 and offer ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1] there, and eat them and rejoice before the Lord your God. 8 Then write clearly all the words of these ·teachings [laws; instructions] on the stones.”
Curses of the Law
9 Then Moses and the Levites who were priests spoke to all Israel and said, “Be ·quiet [silent], Israel. Listen! Today you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10 ·Obey [L Listen to the voice of] the Lord your God, and keep his commands and ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements] that I ·give [command] you today.”
11 That day Moses also gave the people this command:
12 When you cross the Jordan River, these tribes must stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. 13 And these tribes must stand on Mount Ebal to announce the curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali [C these two mountains form a natural amphitheatre].
14 The Levites will say to all the people of Israel in a loud voice:
15 “Anyone will be cursed who makes an idol or statue and secretly sets it up, because the Lord ·hates [detests] the ·idols people make [L the work of the hand of an artisan; 5:8–10; Ex. 20:3–5; 34:17; Is. 44:9–20].”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
16 “Anyone will be cursed who dishonors his father or mother [5:16; Ex. 20:12; 21:17; Lev. 20:9].”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
17 “Anyone will be cursed who moves ·the stone that marks a neighbor’s border [L a neighbor’s boundary marker; 19:14; Job 24:2–4; Prov. 23:10–11; Hos. 5:10].”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
18 “Anyone will be cursed who ·sends [misleads] a blind person down the wrong road [Lev. 19:14].”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
19 “Anyone will be cursed who is ·unfair [deprives justice] to ·foreigners [resident aliens], orphans, or widows.”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
20 “A man will be cursed who ·has sexual relations [L lies] with his father’s wife, because it ·is a dishonor to [L uncovers the skirt of; Lev. 18:7–8; 20:11] his father.”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
21 “Anyone will be cursed who ·has sexual relations [L lies] with an animal [Ex. 22:19; Lev. 18:23; 20:15].”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
22 “A man will be cursed who ·has sexual relations [L lies] with his sister, whether she is his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter [Lev. 18:9, 11; 20:17].”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
23 “A man will be cursed who ·has sexual relations [L lies] with his mother-in-law [Lev. 18:17; 20:14].”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
24 “Anyone will be cursed who ·kills [L strikes] a neighbor secretly.”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
25 “Anyone will be cursed who takes ·money [a bribe] to ·murder [L strike] an innocent person [Ex. 23:8].”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
26 “Anyone will be cursed who does not ·agree with [confirm] the words of these ·teachings [laws; instructions] and does not obey them.”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
Jesus’ Followers Will Leave Him(A)
27 Then Jesus told them, “You will all ·stumble in your faith [fall away; desert me], because it is written in the Scriptures:
‘I will ·kill [strike] the shepherd,
and the sheep will ·scatter [be scattered]’ [Zech. 13:7].
28 But after ·I rise from the dead [L I am raised], I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
29 Peter said, “Everyone else may ·stumble in their faith [fall away; desert you], but I will not.”
30 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, tonight before the rooster crows twice you will ·say three times you don’t know me [deny/disown me three times].”
31 But Peter insisted, “Even if I must die with you, I will never ·say that I don’t know [deny/disown] you!” And all the others said the same thing.
Jesus Prays Alone(B)
32 Jesus and his ·followers [disciples] went to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be very ·sad [distressed] and ·troubled [anguished]. 34 He said to them, “My ·heart [soul] is ·full of sorrow [overwhelmed with grief], to the point of death. Stay here and ·watch [stay awake; be alert].”
35 After walking a little farther away from them, Jesus fell [with his face] to the ground and prayed that, if possible, ·he would not have this time of suffering [L the hour might pass him by]. 36 He prayed, “Abba [C Aramaic for “father”], Father! You can do all things. ·Take away this cup of suffering [L Take this cup from me; C suffering is metaphorically portrayed as something bitter to drink; see 10:38]. But do ·what you want [your will], not ·what I want [my will].”
37 Then Jesus went back to his ·followers [disciples] and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you ·stay awake [watch] with me for one hour? 38 ·Stay awake [Keep watch] and pray for strength ·against temptation [or not to fail the test]. The spirit ·wants to do what is right [is willing], but ·the body [human nature; T the flesh] is weak.”
39 Again Jesus went away and prayed the same thing. 40 Then he went back to his ·followers [disciples], and again he found them asleep, because their eyes were very heavy. And they did not know what to say to him.
41 After Jesus prayed a third time, he went back to his ·followers [disciples] and said to them, “·Are you still sleeping and resting? [or Go ahead, sleep and have your rest!] ·That’s enough [It’s all over; The account is settled; C the meaning of this phrase is uncertain]. The time has come for the Son of Man to be ·handed over to [L betrayed/delivered into the hands of] sinful people. 42 Get up, we must go. Look, here comes ·the man who has turned against me [my betrayer].”
Jesus Is Arrested(C)
43 At once, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of ·the twelve apostles [the Twelve], came up. With him were many people carrying swords and clubs who had been sent from the ·leading [T chief] priests, the ·teachers of the law [scribes], and the Jewish elders.
44 ·Judas [L The betrayer] had planned a signal for them, saying, “The man I kiss is Jesus. ·Arrest [Seize] him and guard him while you lead him away.” 45 So Judas went straight to Jesus and said, “·Teacher [L Rabbi]!” and kissed him. 46 Then the people grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 47 One of ·his followers [L those] standing nearby pulled out his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
48 Then Jesus said, “You came to get me with swords and clubs as if I were a ·criminal [revolutionary; rebel; L robber; C the term “robber” was used by the Romans of insurrectionists]. 49 Every day I was with you teaching in the Temple, and you did not arrest me there. But all these things have happened to ·make the Scriptures come true [fulfill the Scriptures].” 50 Then ·all of Jesus’ followers [L everyone] ·left [deserted] him and ·ran away [fled].
51 A young man [C perhaps the author Mark himself], wearing only a linen ·cloth [sheet; shirt], was following Jesus, and the people also grabbed him. 52 But the cloth [sheet; shirt] he was wearing came off, and he ran away naked.
Jesus Before the Leaders(D)
53 The people who arrested Jesus led him to the house of the high priest, where all the ·leading [T chief] priests, the elders, and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] were gathered.
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