Matthew 27:1-31; Deuteronomy 5; Deuteronomy 6; Job 6

Matthew 27:1-31

1 When daybreak came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.

2 After tying Him up, they led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate, the governor.

3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.

4 "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood," he said. "What's that to us?" they said. "See to it yourself!"

5 So he threw the silver into the sanctuary and departed. Then he went and hanged himself.

6 The chief priests took the silver and said, "It's not lawful to put it into the temple treasury, since it is blood money."

7 So they conferred together and bought the potter's field with it as a burial place for foreigners.

8 Therefore that field has been called "Blood Field" to this day.

9 Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: They took the 30 pieces of silver, the price of Him whose price was set by the sons of Israel,

10 and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me.

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. "Are You the King of the Jews?" the governor asked Him. Jesus answered, "You have said it."

12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He didn't answer.

13 Then Pilate said to Him, "Don't You hear how much they are testifying against You?"

14 But He didn't answer him on even one charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

15 At the festival the governor's custom was to release to the crowd a prisoner they wanted.

16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

17 So when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Who is it you want me to release for you-Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Messiah?"

18 For he knew they had handed Him over because of envy.

19 While he was sitting on the judge's bench, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I've suffered terribly in a dream because of Him!"

20 The chief priests and the elders, however, persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus.

21 The governor asked them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" "Barabbas!" they answered.

22 Pilate asked them, "What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Messiah?" They all answered, "Crucify Him!"

23 Then he said, "Why? What has He done wrong?" But they kept shouting, "Crucify Him!" all the more.

24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, "I am innocent of this man's blood. See to it yourselves!"

25 All the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!"

26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

27 Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into headquarters and gathered the whole company around Him.

28 They stripped Him and dressed Him in a scarlet robe.

29 They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and placed a reed in His right hand. And they knelt down before Him and mocked Him: "Hail, King of the Jews!"

30 Then they spit at Him, took the reed, and kept hitting Him on the head.

31 When they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe, put His clothes on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

Deuteronomy 5

1 Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, "Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances I am proclaiming as you hear them today. Learn and follow them carefully.

2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.

3 He did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with all of us who are alive here today.

4 The Lord spoke to you face to face from the fire on the mountain.

5 At that time I was standing between the Lord and you to report the word of the Lord to you, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain. And He said:

6 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.

7 Do not have other gods besides Me.

8 Do not make an idol for yourself in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.

9 You must not bow down to them or worship them, because I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers' sin to the third and fourth [generations] of those who hate Me,

10 but showing faithful love to a thousand [generations] of those who love Me and keep My commands.

11 Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will punish anyone who misuses His name.

12 Be careful to dedicate the Sabbath day, as the Lord your God has commanded you.

13 You are to labor six days and do all your work,

14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work-you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your ox or donkey, any of your livestock, or the foreigner who lives within your gates, so that your male and female slaves may rest as you do.

15 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

16 Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and so that you may prosper in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

17 Do not murder.

18 Do not commit adultery.

19 Do not steal.

20 Do not give dishonest testimony against your neighbor.

21 Do not desire your neighbor's wife or covet your neighbor's house, his field, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

22 "The Lord spoke these commands in a loud voice to your entire assembly from the fire, cloud, and thick darkness on the mountain; He added nothing more. He wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.

23 All of you approached me with your tribal leaders and elders when you heard the voice from the darkness and while the mountain was blazing with fire.

24 You said, 'Look, the Lord our God has shown us His glory and greatness, and we have heard His voice from the fire. Today we have seen that God speaks with a person, yet he still lives.

25 But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer.

26 For who out of all mankind has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the fire, as we have, and lived?

27 Go near and listen to everything the Lord our God says. Then you can tell us everything the Lord our God tells you; we will listen and obey.'

28 "The Lord heard your words when you spoke to me. He said to me, 'I have heard the words that these people have spoken to you. Everything they have said is right.

29 If only they had such a heart to fear Me and keep all My commands, so that they and their children will prosper forever.

30 Go and tell them: Return to your tents.

31 But you stand here with Me, and I will tell you every command-the statutes and ordinances-you are to teach them, so that they may follow [them] in the land I am giving them to possess.'

32 "Be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or the left.

33 Follow the whole instruction the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live, prosper, and have a long life in the land you will possess.

Deuteronomy 6

1 "This is the command-the statutes and ordinances-the Lord your God has instructed [me] to teach you, so that you may follow [them] in the land you are about to enter and possess.

2 [Do this] so that you may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life by keeping all His statutes and commands I am giving you, your son, and your grandson, and so that you may have a long life.

3 Listen, Israel, and be careful to follow [them], so that you may prosper and multiply greatly, because the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you a land flowing with milk and honey.

4 "Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One.

5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.

7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead.

9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

10 "When the Lord your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He would give you-a [land with] large and beautiful cities that you did not build,

11 houses full of every good thing that you did not fill [them with], wells dug that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant-and when you eat and are satisfied,

12 be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.

13 Fear the Lord your God, worship Him, and take [your] oaths in His name.

14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you,

15 for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God. Otherwise, the Lord your God will become angry with you and wipe you off the face of the earth.

16 Do not test the Lord your God as you tested [Him] at Massah.

17 Carefully observe the commands of the Lord your God, the decrees and statutes He has commanded you.

18 Do what is right and good in the Lord's sight, so that you may prosper and so that you may enter and possess the good land the Lord your God swore to [give] your fathers,

19 by driving out all your enemies before you, as the Lord has said.

20 "When your son asks you in the future, 'What is the meaning of the decrees, statutes, and ordinances, which the Lord our God has commanded you?'

21 tell him, 'We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand.

22 Before our eyes the Lord inflicted great and devastating signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh and all his household,

23 but He brought us from there in order to lead us in and give us the land that He swore to our fathers.

24 The Lord commanded us to follow all these statutes and to fear the Lord our God for our prosperity always and for our preservation, as it is today.

25 Righteousness will be ours if we are careful to follow every one of these commands before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us.'

Job 6

1 Then Job answered:

2 If only my grief could be weighed and my devastation placed with it on a scale.

3 For then it would outweigh the sand of the seas! That is why my words are rash.

4 Surely the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me; my spirit drinks their poison. God's terrors are arrayed against me.

5 Does a wild donkey bray over fresh grass or an ox low over its fodder?

6 Is bland food eaten without salt? Is there flavor in an egg white?

7 I refuse to touch [them]; they are like contaminated food.

8 If only my request would be granted and God would provide what I hope for:

9 that He would decide to crush me, to unleash His power and cut me off!

10 It would still bring me comfort, and I would leap for joy in unrelenting pain that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

11 What strength do I have that I should continue to hope? What is my future, that I should be patient?

12 Is my strength that of stone, or my flesh made of bronze?

13 Since I cannot help myself, [the hope for] success has been banished from me.

14 A despairing man should receive loyalty from his friends, even if he abandons the fear of the Almighty.

15 My brothers are as treacherous as a wadi, as seasonal streams that overflow

16 and become darkened because of ice, and the snow melts into them.

17 The wadis evaporate in warm weather; they disappear from their channels in hot weather.

18 Caravans turn away from their routes, go up into the desert, and perish.

19 The caravans of Tema look [for these streams]. The traveling merchants of Sheba hope for them.

20 They are ashamed because they had been confident [of finding water]. When they arrive there, they are frustrated.

21 So [this] is what you have now become [to me]. When you see something dreadful, you are afraid.

22 Have I ever said: Give me [something] or Pay a bribe for me from your wealth

23 or Deliver me from the enemy's power or Redeem me from the grasp of the ruthless?

24 Teach me, and I will be silent. Help me understand what I did wrong.

25 How painful honest words can be! But what does your rebuke prove?

26 Do you think that you can disprove [my] words or that a despairing man's words are [mere] wind?

27 No doubt you would cast [lots] for a fatherless child and negotiate a price to [sell] your friend.

28 But now, please look at me; would I lie to your face?

29 Reconsider; don't be unjust. Reconsider; my righteousness is still the issue.

30 Am I lying, or can I not recognize lies?