Leviticus 23; Leviticus 24; Mark 1:1-22

1 The LORD spoke to Moses. He said,

2 "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Here are my appointed feast days. They are the appointed feast days of the Lord. Tell the people that they must come together for these sacred feasts.

3 " 'There are six days when you can work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath. You must rest on it. Come together on that sacred day. You must not do any work on it. No matter where you live, it is a Sabbath day in my honor.

4 " 'Here are my appointed feasts. Tell the people that they must come together for these sacred feasts at their appointed times

5 My Passover begins when the sun goes down on the 14th day of the first month.

6 " 'My Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th day of that month. For seven days you must eat bread that is made without yeast.

7 On the first day you must come together for a special service. Do not do any regular work on that day.

8 On each of the seven days bring an offering that is made to me with fire. On the seventh day come together for a special service. Do not do any regular work on that day.' "

9 The LORD spoke to Moses. He said,

10 "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'When you enter the land I am going to give you, bring an offering to me. Gather your crops. Bring the first bundle of grain to the priest.

11 He must lift the grain up and wave it in front of me. Then I will accept it from you. The priest must wave it on the day after the Sabbath.

12 " 'On the day he waves the grain for you, you must sacrifice a burnt offering to me. It must be a lamb that does not have any flaws. It must be a year old.

13 You must bring it together with its grain offering. The grain offering must be 16 cups of fine flour. Mix it with olive oil. It is an offering that is made to me with fire. It has a pleasant smell. You must offer a drink offering along with the burnt offering. It must be a quart of wine.

14 " 'You must not eat any bread until the very day you bring your offering to me. You must not eat any grain that has been cooked or any of your first grain until that time. That is a law that will last for all time to come. It applies no matter where you live

15 " 'The day you brought the grain for the wave offering was the day after the Sabbath. Count off seven full weeks from that day.

16 Count off 50 days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath. On that day bring me an offering of your first grain.

17 Bring two loaves of bread that are made with 16 cups of fine flour. They must be baked with yeast. Bring them to me as a wave offering from the first share of your crops. That applies no matter where you live.

18 " 'Together with the bread, bring seven male lambs. Each lamb must be a year old. It must not have any flaws. Also bring one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to me. They will be offered together with their grain offerings and drink offerings. They are an offering that is made with fire. They give a pleasant smell to me.

19 " 'Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering. Also sacrifice two lambs for a friendship offering. Each of the lambs must be a year old

20 The priest must lift the two lambs up and wave them in front of me as a wave offering. He must offer them together with the bread that is made out of the first share of your crops. They are a sacred offering to me. They will be given to the priest.

21 " 'On that same day tell the people that they must come together for a special service. They must not do any regular work. That is a law that will last for all time to come. It applies no matter where you live

22 " 'Suppose you are gathering your crops. Then do not harvest all the way to the edges of your field. And do not pick up the grain you missed. Leave some for poor people and outsiders. I am the LORD your God.' "

23 The LORD spoke to Moses. He said,

24 "Say to the people of Israel, 'On the first day of the seventh month you must have a day of rest. It must be a special service that is announced with trumpet blasts.

25 Do not do any regular work on that day. Instead, bring an offering that is made to me with fire.' "

26 The LORD spoke to Moses. He said,

27 "The tenth day of the seventh month is the day when sin is paid for. Come together for a special service. Do not eat any food. Bring an offering that is made to me with fire.

28 Do not do any work on that day. It is the day when sin is paid for. On that day your sin will be paid for in my sight. I am the LORD your God.

29 "Suppose you do eat food on that day. Then you will be cut off from your people.

30 I will destroy anyone among your people who does any work on that day.

31 You must not do any work at all. That is a law that will last for all time to come. It applies no matter where you live.

32 "That day is a sabbath for you. You must rest on it. You must not eat anything on that day. You must keep your sabbath from the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening."

33 The LORD spoke to Moses. He said,

34 "Say to the people of Israel, 'On the 15th day of the seventh month my Feast of Booths begins. It lasts for seven days.

35 " 'On the first day you must come together for a special service. Do not do any regular work on that day.

36 On each of the seven days bring an offering that is made to me with fire. On the eighth day come together for a special service. Bring an offering that is made to me with fire. That special service is the closing service. Do not do any regular work on that day

37 " 'Those are my appointed feasts. Tell the people that they must come together for those sacred feasts. During those times, the people must bring offerings that are made to me with fire. They are burnt offerings and grain offerings. They are sacrifices and drink offerings. Each offering must be brought at its required time.

38 " 'The feasts are in addition to my Sabbath days. The offerings are in addition to your gifts and anything you have promised. They are also in addition to all of the offerings you choose to give me

39 " 'Begin with the 15th day of the seventh month. That is after you have gathered your crops. On that day celebrate my Feast of Booths for seven days. The first day is a day of rest. The eighth day is also a day of rest.

40 On the first day you must get the best fruit from the trees. You must also get palm leaves, leafy branches and poplar branches. You must be filled with joy in my sight for seven days. I am the LORD your God.

41 " 'Celebrate my Feast of Booths for seven days each year. That is a law that will last for all time to come. Celebrate the feast in the seventh month.

42 Live in booths for seven days. All of the people of Israel must live in booths.

43 Then your children after you will know that I made the people of Israel live in booths. I made them do it after I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.' "

44 So Moses announced to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the Lord.

1 The LORD spoke to Moses. He said,

2 "Command the people of Israel to bring you clear oil that is made from pressed olives. Use it to keep the lamps burning and giving light all the time.

3 "Aaron must take care of the lamps in my sight from evening until morning all the time. That is a law that will last for all time to come. The lamps are outside the curtain that is in front of the tablets of the covenant in the Tent of Meeting.

4 The lamps are on the pure gold lampstand in front of me. They must be taken care of all the time.

5 "Get fine flour and bake 12 loaves of bread. Use 16 cups of flour for each loaf.

6 Place them in two rows. Put six loaves in each row on the table that is made out of pure gold. The table stands in front of me.

7 "Along each row put some pure incense. It will remind you that all good things come from me. Burn the incense in place of the bread. The incense is an offering that is made to me with fire.

8 "The bread must be set out in front of me regularly. Do it every Sabbath day. It will be Israel's duty to provide it for all time to come.

9 "The bread belongs to Aaron and his sons. They must eat it in a holy place. It is a very holy part of their regular share of the offerings that are made to me with fire."

10 There was a man who had an Israelite mother. His father was born in Egypt. The man went out among the people of Israel. A fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite.

11 The son of the Israelite woman spoke evil things against the LORD by using a curse. So the people brought him to Moses. The name of the man's mother was Shelomith. She was the daughter of Dibri. Dibri was from the tribe of Dan.

12 The people kept her son under guard until they could find out what the LORD wanted them to do.

13 Then the LORD spoke to Moses. He said,

14 "Get the man who spoke evil things against me. Take him outside the camp. All those who heard him say those things must place their hands on his head. Then the whole community must kill him by throwing stones at him.

15 "Say to the people of Israel, 'If anyone calls down a curse on me, he will be held accountable.

16 If anyone speaks evil things against my Name, he must be put to death. The whole community must kill him by throwing stones at him. It does not matter whether he is an outsider or an Israelite. When he speaks evil things against my Name, he must be put to death.

17 " 'If anyone kills another human being, he must be put to death.

18 If anyone kills someone's animal, he must pay its owner. A life must be taken for a life.

19 " 'Suppose someone hurts his neighbor. Then what he has done must be done to him.

20 A bone must be broken for a bone. An eye must be put out for an eye. A tooth must be knocked out for a tooth. He must be hurt in the same way he hurt someone else.

21 " 'If anyone kills an animal, he must pay its owner. But if he kills a human being, he must be put to death.

22 The same law applies whether he is an outsider or an Israelite. I am the LORD your God.' "

23 Then Moses spoke to the people of Israel. They got the man who had spoken evil things against the Lord. They took him outside the camp. There they killed him by throwing stones at him. The people of Israel did just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

1 This is the beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 Long ago Isaiah the prophet wrote, "I will send my messenger ahead of you. He will prepare your way." (Malachi 3:1)

3 "A messenger is calling out in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight paths for him.' " (Isaiah 40:3)

4 And so John came. He baptized people in the desert. He also preached that people should be baptized and turn away from their sins. Then God would forgive them.

5 All the people from the countryside of Judea went out to him. All the people from Jerusalem went too. When they admitted they had sinned, John baptized them in the Jordan River.

6 John wore clothes made out of camel's hair. He had a leather belt around his waist. And he ate locusts and wild honey.

7 Here is what John was preaching. "After me, one will come who is more powerful than I am. I'm not good enough to bend down and untie his sandals.

8 I baptize you with water. But he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee. John baptized him in the Jordan River.

10 Jesus was coming up out of the water. Just then he saw heaven being torn open. He saw the Holy Spirit coming down on him like a dove.

11 A voice spoke to him from heaven. It said, "You are my Son, and I love you. I am very pleased with you."

12 At once the Holy Spirit sent Jesus out into the desert.

13 He was in the desert 40 days. There Satan tempted him. The wild animals didn't harm Jesus. Angels took care of him.

14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee. He preached God's good news.

15 "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Turn away from your sins and believe the good news!"

16 One day Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee. There he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the lake. They were fishermen.

17 "Come. Follow me," Jesus said. "I will make you fishers of people."

18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

19 Then Jesus walked a little farther. As he did, he saw James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat preparing their nets.

20 Right away he called out to them. They left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men. Then they followed Jesus.

21 Jesus and those with him went to Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue. There he began to teach.

22 The people were amazed at his teaching. He taught them like one who had authority. He did not talk like the teachers of the law.