Matthew 5:1-20; Exodus 28; Exodus 29; Proverbs 13

Matthew 5:1-20

1 When He saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.

2 Then He began to teach them, saying:

3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

4 Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the gentle, because they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful, because they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

11 "Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me.

12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It's no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men.

14 "You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.

15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.

16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

17 "Don't assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

18 For I assure you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all things are accomplished.

19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever practices and teaches [these commandments] will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Exodus 28

1 "Have your brother Aaron, with his sons, come to you from the Israelites to serve Me as priest-Aaron, his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

2 Make holy garments for your brother Aaron, for glory and beauty.

3 You are to instruct all the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, to make Aaron's garments for consecrating him to serve Me as priest.

4 These are the garments that they must make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a specially woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make holy garments for your brother Aaron and his sons so that they may serve Me as priests.

5 They should use gold; blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; and fine linen.

6 "They are to make the ephod of finely spun linen embroidered with gold, and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn.

7 It must have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges so that it can be joined together.

8 The artistically woven waistband that is on the ephod must be of one piece, according to the same workmanship of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen.

9 "Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of Israel's sons:

10 six of their names on the first stone and the remaining six names on the second stone, in the order of their birth.

11 Engrave the two stones with the names of Israel's sons as a gem cutter engraves a seal. Mount them, surrounded with gold filigree settings.

12 Fasten both stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the Israelites. Aaron will carry their names on his two shoulders before the Lord as a reminder.

13 Fashion gold filigree settings

14 and two chains of pure gold; you will make them of braided cord work, and attach the cord chains to the settings.

15 "You are to make an embroidered breastpiece for decisions. Make it with the same workmanship as the ephod; make it of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen.

16 It must be square and folded double, nine inches long and nine inches wide.

17 Place a setting of gemstones on it, four rows of stones: The first row should be a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald;

18 the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;

19 the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;

20 and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They should be adorned with gold filigree in their settings.

21 The 12 stones are to correspond to the names of Israel's sons. Each stone must be engraved like a seal, with one of the names of the 12 tribes.

22 "You are to make braided chains of pure gold cord work for the breastpiece.

23 Fashion two gold rings for the breastpiece and attach them to its two corners.

24 Then attach the two gold cords to the two gold rings at the corners of the breastpiece.

25 Attach the other ends of the two cords to the two filigree settings and in this way attach [them] to the ephod's shoulder pieces in the front.

26 Make two [other] gold rings and put them at the two other corners of the breastpiece on the edge that is next to the inner border of the ephod.

27 Make two [more] gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the ephod's two shoulder pieces on its front, close to its seam, and above the ephod's woven waistband.

28 The craftsmen are to tie the breastpiece from its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece is above the ephod's waistband and does not come loose from the ephod.

29 "Whenever he enters the sanctuary, Aaron is to carry the names of Israel's sons over his heart on the breastpiece for decisions, as a continual reminder before the Lord.

30 Place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece for decisions, so that they will also be over Aaron's heart whenever he comes before the Lord. Aaron will continually carry the [means of] decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.

31 "You are to make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue yarn.

32 There should be an opening at its top in the center of it. Around the opening, there should be a woven collar with an opening like that for body armor so that it does not tear.

33 Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn on its lower hem and all around it. Put gold bells between them all the way around,

34 [so that] gold bells and pomegranates alternate around the lower hem of the robe.

35 The robe must be [worn by] Aaron whenever he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he enters the sanctuary before the Lord and when he exits, so that he does not die.

36 "You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave it, like the engraving of a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD

37 Fasten it to a cord of blue yarn so it can be placed on the turban; the plate is to be on the front of the turban.

38 It will be on Aaron's forehead so that Aaron may bear the guilt connected with the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate as all their holy gifts. It is always to be on his forehead, so that they may find acceptance with the Lord.

39 "You are to weave the tunic from fine linen, make a turban of fine linen, and make an embroidered sash.

40 Make tunics, sashes, and headbands for Aaron's sons to [give them] glory and beauty.

41 Put these on your brother Aaron and his sons; then anoint, ordain, and consecrate them, so that they may serve Me as priests.

42 Make them linen undergarments to cover [their] naked bodies; they must extend from the waist to the thighs.

43 These must be [worn by] Aaron and his sons whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to minister in the sanctuary [area], so that they do not incur guilt and die. This is to be a permanent statute for Aaron and for his descendants after him.

Exodus 29

1 "This is what you are to do for them to consecrate them to serve Me as priests. Take a young bull and two unblemished rams,

2 with unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers coated with oil. Make them out of fine wheat flour,

3 put them in a basket, and bring them in the basket, along with the bull and two rams.

4 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.

5 Then take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe for the ephod, the ephod itself, and the breastpiece; fasten the ephod on him with its woven waistband.

6 Put the turban on his head and place the holy diadem on the turban.

7 Take the anointing oil, pour [it] on his head, and anoint him.

8 You must also bring his sons, clothe them with tunics,

9 fasten headbands on them, and tie sashes around both Aaron and his sons. The priesthood is to be theirs by a permanent statute. This is the way you will ordain Aaron and his sons.

10 "You are to bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the bull's head.

11 Slaughter the bull before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

12 Take some of the bull's blood and apply [it] to the horns of the altar with your finger; then pour out all the [rest] of the blood at the base of the altar.

13 Take all the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat on them, and burn [them] on the altar.

14 But burn up the bull's flesh, its hide, and its dung outside the camp; it is a sin offering.

15 "Take one ram, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on the ram's head.

16 You are to slaughter the ram, take its blood, and sprinkle [it] on all sides of the altar.

17 Cut the ram into pieces. Wash its entrails and shanks, and place [them] with its head and its pieces [on the altar].

18 Then burn the whole ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the Lord. It is a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the Lord.

19 "You are to take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the ram's head.

20 Slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on Aaron's right earlobe, on his sons' right earlobes, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Sprinkle the [remaining] blood on all sides of the altar.

21 Take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle [them] on Aaron and his garments, as well as on his sons and their garments. In this way, he and his garments will become holy, as well as his sons and their garments.

22 "Take the fat from the ram, the fat tail, the fat covering the entrails, the fatty lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat on them, and the right thigh (since this is a ram for ordination);

23 take one loaf of bread, one cake of bread [made] with oil, and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread that is before the Lord;

24 and put all of them in the hands of Aaron and his sons and wave them as a presentation offering before the Lord.

25 Take them from their hands and burn [them] on the altar on top of the burnt offering, as a pleasing aroma before the Lord; it is a fire offering to the Lord.

26 "Take the breast from the ram of Aaron's ordination and wave it as a presentation offering before the Lord; it is to be your portion.

27 Consecrate for Aaron and his sons the breast of the presentation offering that is waved and the thigh of the contribution that is lifted up from the ram of ordination.

28 This will belong to Aaron and his sons as a regular portion from the Israelites, for it is a contribution. It will be the Israelites' contribution from their fellowship sacrifices, their contribution to the Lord.

29 "The holy garments that belong to Aaron are to belong to his sons after him, so that they can be anointed and ordained in them.

30 Any priest who is one of his sons and who succeeds him and enters the tent of meeting to minister in the sanctuary must wear them for seven days.

31 "You are to take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place.

32 Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

33 They must eat those things by which atonement was made at [the time of] their ordination and consecration. An unauthorized person must not eat [them], for these things are holy.

34 If any of the meat of ordination or any of the bread is left until morning, burn up what is left over. It must not be eaten because it is holy.

35 "This is what you are to do for Aaron and his sons based on all I have commanded you. Ordain them for seven days.

36 Sacrifice a bull as a sin offering each day for atonement. Purify the altar when you make atonement for it, and anoint it in order to consecrate it.

37 For seven days you must make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. The altar will become especially holy; whatever touches the altar will become holy.

38 "This is what you are to offer regularly on the altar every day: two year-old lambs.

39 In the morning offer one lamb, and at twilight offer the other lamb.

40 With the first lamb offer two quarts of fine flour mixed with one quart of crushed olive oil, and a drink offering of one quart of wine.

41 You are to offer the second lamb at twilight. Offer a grain offering and a drink offering with it, like the one in the morning, as a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the Lord.

42 This will be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet you to speak with you.

43 I will also meet with the Israelites there, and that place will be consecrated by My glory.

44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve Me as priests.

45 I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.

46 And they will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

Proverbs 13

1 A wise son [hears his] father's instruction, but a mocker doesn't listen to rebuke.

2 From the words of his mouth, a man will enjoy good things, but treacherous people have an appetite for violence.

3 The one who guards his mouth protects his life; the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.

4 The slacker craves, yet has nothing, but the diligent is fully satisfied.

5 The righteous hate lying, but the wicked act disgustingly and disgracefully.

6 Righteousness guards people of integrity, but wickedness undermines the sinner.

7 One man pretends to be rich but has nothing; another pretends to be poor but has great wealth.

8 Riches are a ransom for a man's life, but a poor man hears no threat.

9 The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is extinguished.

10 Arrogance leads to nothing but strife, but wisdom is gained by those who take advice.

11 Wealth obtained by fraud will dwindle, but whoever earns it through labor will multiply it.

12 Delayed hope makes the heart sick, but fulfilled desire is a tree of life.

13 The one who has contempt for instruction will pay the penalty, but the one who respects a command will be rewarded.

14 A wise man's instruction is a fountain of life, turning people away from the snares of death.

15 Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous never changes.

16 Every sensible person acts knowledgeably, but a fool displays his stupidity.

17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy courier [brings] healing.

18 Poverty and disgrace [come to] those who ignore instruction, but the one who accepts rebuke will be honored.

19 Desire fulfilled is sweet to the taste, but fools hate to turn from evil.

20 The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.

21 Disaster pursues sinners, but good rewards the righteous.

22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren, but the sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous.

23 The field of the poor yields abundant food, but without justice, it is swept away.

24 The one who will not use the rod hates his son, but the one who loves him disciplines him diligently.

25 A righteous man eats until he is satisfied, but the stomach of the wicked is empty.