Numbers 35; Numbers 36; Mark 10:1-31

1 The LORD spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho. He said,

2 "Tell the Israelites to give the Levites some cities from their own property. They must also give the Levites the pastureland around those cities.

3 Then the Levites will have cities to live in and pastureland for their cattle, the flocks they own, and any other animals they have.

4 "The land around the cities that you give the Levites will extend 1,500 feet from the city wall.

5 Outside the city measure off 3,000 feet on the east side, 3,000 feet on the south side, 3,000 feet on the west side, and 3,000 feet on the north side, with the city in the center. This will be their pastureland around the city.

6 "Six of the cities you give the Levites will be cities of refuge. You must allow murderers to escape to these cities. In addition, you must also give the Levites 42 other cities.

7 So you will give a total of 48 cities with pastureland to the Levites.

8 The cities you give the Levites from the property of the other Israelites must be given based on the amount of land each tribe owns. Take more cities from larger tribes and fewer from smaller tribes."

9 The LORD said to Moses,

10 "Tell the Israelites: When you cross the Jordan River and enter Canaan,

11 select certain cities to be places of refuge. Anyone who unintentionally kills another person may run to them.

12 These cities will be places of refuge from any relative who can avenge the death. So anyone accused of murder will not have to die until he has had a trial in front of the community.

13 There will be six cities you select as places of refuge,

14 three on the east side of the Jordan River and three in Canaan.

15 These six cities will be places of refuge for Israelites, foreigners, and strangers among you. Anyone who unintentionally kills another person may flee to these cities.

16 "But if any of you uses an iron weapon to kill another person, you are a murderer. Murderers must be put to death.

17 If any of you picks up a stone as a weapon and uses it to kill another person, you are a murderer. Murderers must be put to death.

18 Or if any of you picks up a piece of wood as a weapon and uses it to kill another person, you are a murderer. Murderers must be put to death.

19 The relative who can avenge the death must make sure a murderer is put to death. When he catches up with the murderer, he must kill him.

20 If any of you kills someone you hate by shoving him or by deliberately throwing something at him,

21 or if you beat your enemy to death with your bare hands, you must be put to death. You are a murderer. The relative who can avenge the death must kill you when he catches up with you, because you are a murderer.

22 "But suppose you accidentally kill someone who wasn't your enemy. Maybe you shoved him or threw something at him but didn't mean to kill him.

23 Or suppose you drop a big stone, and someone is killed. However, you didn't know the person was there, he wasn't your enemy, and you weren't trying to harm him.

24 Then the community must use these rules in order to decide if you [are innocent] or if the dead person's relative can avenge the death.

25 [If you are innocent,] the community must protect you from that relative. They must take you back to the city of refuge you fled to. You must live there until the death of the chief priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

26 "But don't go outside the city of refuge you fled to.

27 If the relative who can avenge the death finds you outside the city of refuge and kills you, the relative is not guilty of murder.

28 Accused murderers must stay in their city of refuge until the death of the chief priest. They may go back to their own property only after his death.

29 "These will be the rules for future generations wherever you live.

30 "Whoever kills another person will be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of more than one witness. No one can be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.

31 "Never accept a cash payment in exchange for the life of a convicted murderer who has been given the death penalty. Murderers must be put to death.

32 "An accused murderer who has fled to a city of refuge must never go back and live on his own land before the death of the chief priest. Don't accept a cash payment to allow him to do this.

33 "You must not pollute the land where you live. Murder is what pollutes the land. The land where a murder was committed can never make peace with the LORD except through the death of the murderer.

34 Never make the land where you and I live unclean. I, the LORD, live among the Israelites."

1 The heads of the households whose families were descended from Gilead, son of Machir and grandson of Manasseh (families of Joseph's descendants), came and spoke to Moses and the leaders of the other Israelite households.

2 They said, "Sir, the LORD commanded you to give the Israelites their land by drawing lots. The LORD also commanded you to give the land of our relative Zelophehad to his daughters.

3 Suppose they marry men from the other tribes of Israel. Their land will be taken away from that of our ancestors and added to the land of the tribe they marry into. Then we will have lost part of our land.

4 When the Israelites' jubilee year comes, their land will be added to that of the tribe they married into. Then part of the land of our ancestors' tribe will be gone."

5 So Moses gave the Israelites a command from the LORD. "The tribe of Joseph's descendants is right.

6 This is what the LORD commands for Zelophehad's daughters: They may marry anyone they want to, but only within a family of their ancestor's tribe.

7 In this way no land of the Israelites will pass from one tribe to another. Every Israelite must keep the tribal land inherited from his ancestors.

8 A woman who inherits land in any of the tribes of Israel may marry a man from any family in her ancestor's tribe. In this way every Israelite keeps the land inherited from his ancestors.

9 No land may pass from one tribe to another. Each Israelite tribe must keep the land it inherits."

10 Zelophehad's daughters did as the LORD commanded Moses.

11 Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah married their cousins on their father's side of the family.

12 They married within the families of the descendants of Manasseh, son of Joseph. So their land stayed in the tribe of their father's family.

13 These are the commands and rules the LORD gave the Israelites through Moses on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho.

1 Jesus left there and went into the territory of Judea along the other side of the Jordan River. Crowds gathered around him again, and he taught them as he usually did.

2 Some Pharisees came to test him. They asked, "Can a husband divorce his wife?"

3 Jesus answered them, "What command did Moses give you?"

4 They said, "Moses allowed a man to give his wife a written notice to divorce her."

5 Jesus said to them, "He wrote this command for you because you're heartless.

6 But God made them male and female in the beginning, at creation.

7 That's why a man will leave his father and mother and will remain united with his wife,

8 and the two will be one. So they are no longer two but one.

9 Therefore, don't let anyone separate what God has joined together."

10 When they were in a house, the disciples asked him about this.

11 He answered them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman is committing adultery.

12 If a wife divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery."

13 Some people brought little children to Jesus to have him hold them. But the disciples told the people not to do that.

14 When Jesus saw this, he became irritated. He told them, "Don't stop the children from coming to me. Children like these are part of the kingdom of God.

15 I can guarantee this truth: Whoever doesn't receive the kingdom of God as a little child receives it will never enter it."

16 Jesus put his arms around the children and blessed them by placing his hands on them.

17 As Jesus was coming out to the road, a man came running to him and knelt in front of him. He asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?"

18 Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

19 You know the commandments: Never murder. Never commit adultery. Never steal. Never give false testimony. Never cheat. Honor your father and mother."

20 The man replied, "Teacher, I've obeyed all these commandments since I was a boy."

21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. He told him, "You're still missing one thing. Sell everything you have. Give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then follow me!"

22 When the man heard that, he looked unhappy and went away sad, because he owned a lot of property.

23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for rich people to enter the kingdom of God!"

24 The disciples were stunned by his words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

26 This amazed his disciples more than ever. They asked each other, "Who, then, can be saved?"

27 Jesus looked at them and said, "It's impossible for people [to save themselves], but it's not impossible for God to save them. Everything is possible for God."

28 Then Peter spoke up, "We've given up everything to follow you."

29 Jesus said, "I can guarantee this truth: Anyone who gave up his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or fields because of me and the Good News

30 will certainly receive a hundred times as much here in this life. They will certainly receive homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields, along with persecutions. But in the world to come they will receive eternal life.

31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first."