Deuteronomy 25; Deuteronomy 26; Deuteronomy 27; Mark 14:27-53

1 Suppose two men don't agree about something. Then they must take their case to court. The judges will decide the case. They will let the one who isn't guilty go free. And they will punish the one who is guilty.

2 The guilty one might have done something that's worthy of a beating. Then the judge will make him lie down and be beaten with a whip right there in court. The number of strokes should fit the crime.

3 But the judge must not give the guilty man more than 40 strokes. If more than that are used, you will look down on your Israelite neighbor.

4 Don't stop an ox from eating while you use it to separate grain from straw.

5 Suppose two brothers are living near each other. And one of them dies without having a son. Then his widow must not get married to anyone outside the family. Her husband's brother should marry her. That's what a brother-in-law is supposed to do.

6 Her first baby boy will be named after her first husband. Then the dead man's name will not be wiped out in Israel.

7 But suppose the man doesn't want to get married to his brother's wife. Then she will go to the elders at the gate of the town. She will say, "My husband's brother refuses to keep his brother's name alive in Israel. He won't do for me what a brother-in-law is supposed to do."

8 Then the elders in his town will send for him. They will talk to him. But he still might say, "I don't want to marry her."

9 Then his brother's widow will go up to him in front of the elders. She'll pull one of his sandals off his foot. She'll spit in his face. And she'll say, "That's what we do to a man who won't build up his brother's family line."

10 That man's family line will be known in Israel as The Family of the Man Whose Sandal Was Pulled Off.

11 Suppose two men are fighting. And the wife of one of them comes to save her husband from his attacker. So she reaches out and grabs hold of his sex organs.

12 Then you must cut off her hand. Don't feel sorry for her.

13 Don't have two different scales. You must not have one that weighs things heavier than they really are and another that weighs them lighter than they are.

14 And don't have two different sets of measures. You must not have one set that measures things larger than they really are and another that measures them smaller than they are.

15 You must use weights and measures that are honest and exact. Then you will live a long time in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

16 He hates anyone who cheats.

17 Remember what the Amalekites did to you on your way out of Egypt.

18 You were tired and worn out. They met you on your journey. They attacked everyone who was lagging behind. They didn't have any respect for God.

19 The LORD your God will give you peace and rest from all of the enemies who are around you. He'll do it in the land he's giving you to take over as your very own. Then you will wipe out the memory of the Amalekites from the earth. Don't forget to do it!

1 You will enter the land the LORD your God is giving you as your own. You will take it over. You will settle down in it.

2 When you do, get some of the first share of everything your soil produces. Put it in a basket. It's from the land the LORD your God is giving you. Take your gifts and go to the special place he will choose. He will put his Name there.

3 Speak to the priest who is in office at that time. Tell him, "I announce today to the LORD your God that I have come to this land. It's the land he promised with an oath to our fathers to give us."

4 The priest will take the basket from you. He'll set it down in front of the altar of the LORD your God.

5 Then you will speak while the LORD is listening. You will say, "My father Jacob was a wanderer from the land of Aram. He went down into Egypt with a few people. He lived there and became the father of a great nation. It had huge numbers of people.

6 "But the people of Egypt treated us badly. They made us suffer. They made us work very hard.

7 Then we cried out to the Lord. He is the God of our people who lived long ago. He heard our voice. He saw how much we were suffering. The Egyptians were crushing us. They were making us work very hard.

8 "So the LORD reached out his mighty hand and powerful arm and brought us out of Egypt. He did great and wonderful things. He did miraculous signs and wonders.

9 He brought us to this place. He gave us this land. It's a land that has plenty of milk and honey.

10 "Now, Lord, I'm bringing you the first share of crops from the soil. After all, you have given them to me." Place the basket in front of the LORD your God. Bow down to him.

11 You and the Levites and the outsiders among you will be full of joy. You will enjoy all of the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your family.

12 You will set apart a tenth of everything you produce in the third year. That's the year for giving the tenth to people who have special needs. You will give it to the Levites, outsiders and widows. You will also give it to children whose fathers have died. Then all of them will have plenty to eat in your towns.

13 Speak to the LORD your God. Say to him, "I have taken your sacred share from my house. I have given it to the Levites, outsiders and widows. I have also given it to children whose fathers have died. I've done everything you commanded me to do. I haven't turned away from your commands. I haven't forgotten any of them.

14 I haven't eaten any part of your sacred share while I was sobbing over someone who had died. I haven't taken any of it from my house while I was 'unclean.' And I haven't offered any of it to the dead. LORD my God, I've obeyed you. I've done everything you commanded me to do.

15 "Look down from the holy place where you live in heaven. Bless your people Israel. Bless the land you have given us. It's the land you promised with an oath to give to our fathers. It's a land that has plenty of milk and honey."

16 This very day the LORD your God commands you to follow all of those rules and laws. Be careful to obey them with all your heart and with all your soul.

17 Today you have announced that the LORD is your God. You have said you would live exactly as he wants you to live. You have agreed to keep his rules, commands and laws. And you have said you would obey him.

18 Today the LORD has announced that you are his people. He has said that you are his special treasure. He promised that you would be. He has told you to keep all of his commands.

19 He has announced that he will make you famous. He'll give you more praise and honor than all of the other nations he has made. And he has said that you will be a holy nation. The LORD your God has set you apart for himself. That's exactly what he promised to do.

1 The elders of Israel and I gave commands to the people. We said, "Obey all of the commands we're giving you today.

2 "You will go across the Jordan River. You will enter the land the LORD your God is giving you. When you do, set up some large stones. Put a coat of plaster on them.

3 Write all of the words of this law on them. Do it when you have crossed over into the land the LORD your God is giving you. It's a land that has plenty of milk and honey. The LORD is the God of your fathers. He promised you that you would enter the land.

4 After you have gone across the Jordan, set up those stones on Mount Ebal. Put a coat of plaster on them. We're commanding you today to do that.

5 "Build an altar there to honor the LORD your God. Make it out of stones. Don't use any iron tool on them.

6 Use stones you find in the fields to build his altar. Then offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God.

7 Sacrifice friendship offerings there. Eat them and be filled with joy in the sight of the LORD your God.

8 "You must write all of the words of this law on the stones you have set up. Write the words very clearly."

9 Then the priests, who are Levites, and I spoke to all of the people of Israel. We said, "Israel, be quiet! Listen! You have now become the people of the LORD your God.

10 Obey him. Follow his commands and rules that we're giving you today."

11 Here are the commands I gave the people that very day.

12 You will go across the Jordan River. When you do, I want six tribes to stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people. Those tribes are Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin.

13 I want the other six tribes to stand on Mount Ebal to announce some curses. Those tribes are Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.

14 The Levites will speak to all of the people of Israel in a loud voice. They will say,

15 "May any man who makes a wooden or metal statue of a god and sets it up in secret be under the LORD's curse. That statue is made by a skilled worker. And the LORD hates it." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!"

16 "May anyone who brings shame on his father or mother be under the LORD's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!"

17 "May anyone who moves his neighbor's boundary stone be under the LORD's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!"

18 "May anyone who leads blind people down the wrong road be under the LORD's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!"

19 "May anyone who isn't fair in the way he treats outsiders, widows, and children whose fathers have died be under the LORD's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!"

20 "May any man who has sex with his stepmother be under the LORD's curse. That man brings shame on his father by doing that." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!"

21 "May anyone who has sex with animals be under the LORD's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!"

22 "May any man who has sex with his sister be under the LORD's curse. It doesn't matter whether she is his full sister or his half sister." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!"

23 "May any man who has sex with his mother-in-law be under the LORD's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!"

24 "May anyone who kills his neighbor secretly be under the LORD's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!"

25 "May anyone who accepts money to kill someone who isn't guilty of doing anything wrong be under the LORD's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!"

26 "May anyone who doesn't honor the words of this law by obeying them be under the LORD's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!"

27 "You will all turn away," Jesus told the disciples. "It is written, " 'I will strike the shepherd down. Then the sheep will be scattered.' (Zechariah 13:7)

28 But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."

29 Peter said, "All the others may turn away. But I will not."

30 "What I'm about to tell you is true," Jesus answered. "It will happen today, this very night. Before the rooster crows twice, you yourself will say three times that you don't know me."

31 But Peter would not give in. He said, "I may have to die with you. But I will never say I don't know you." And all the others said the same thing.

32 Jesus and his disciples went to a place called Gethsemane. Jesus said to them, "Sit here while I pray."

33 He took Peter, James and John along with him. He began to be very upset and troubled.

34 "My soul is very sad. I feel close to death," he said to them. "Stay here. Keep watch."

35 He went a little farther. Then he fell to the ground. He prayed that, if possible, the hour might pass by him.

36 "Abba"," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from me. But let what you want be done, not what I want." "Abba" means Father.

37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Couldn't you keep watch for one hour?

38 Watch and pray. Then you won't fall into sin when you are tempted. The spirit is willing. But the body is weak."

39 Once more Jesus went away and prayed the same thing.

40 Then he came back. Again he found them sleeping. They couldn't keep their eyes open. They did not know what to say to him.

41 Jesus returned the third time. He said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look! The Son of Man is about to be handed over to sinners.

42 Get up! Let us go! Here comes the one who is handing me over to them!"

43 Just as Jesus was speaking, Judas appeared. He was one of the Twelve. A crowd was with him. They were carrying swords and clubs. The chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders had sent them.

44 Judas, who was going to hand Jesus over, had arranged a signal with them. "The one I kiss is the man," he said. "Arrest him and have the guards lead him away."

45 So Judas went to Jesus at once. He said, "Rabbi!" And he kissed him.

46 The men grabbed Jesus and arrested him.

47 Then one of those standing nearby pulled his sword out. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

48 "Am I leading a band of armed men against you?" asked Jesus. "Do you have to come out with swords and clubs to capture me?

49 Every day I was with you. I taught in the temple courtyard, and you didn't arrest me. But the Scriptures must come true."

50 Then everyone left him and ran away.

51 A young man was following Jesus. The man was wearing nothing but a piece of linen cloth. When the crowd grabbed him,

52 he ran away naked. He left his clothing behind.

53 The crowd took Jesus to the high priest. All of the chief priests, the elders, and the teachers of the law came together.