Matthew 9:1-17; Leviticus 3; Leviticus 4; Proverbs 20

Matthew 9:1-17

1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own town.

2 Just then some men brought to Him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, "Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven."

3 At this, some of the scribes said among themselves, "He's blaspheming!"

4 But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?

5 For which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?

6 But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" -then He told the paralytic, "Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home."

7 And he got up and went home.

8 When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck and gave glory to God who had given such authority to men.

9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, "Follow Me!" So he got up and followed Him.

10 While He was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came as guests to eat with Jesus and His disciples.

11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

12 But when He heard this, He said, "Those who are well don't need a doctor, but the sick do.

13 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners."

14 Then John's disciples came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?"

15 Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests be sad while the groom is with them? The days will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

16 No one patches an old garment with unshrunk cloth, because the patch pulls away from the garment and makes the tear worse.

17 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. But they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved."

Leviticus 3

1 "If his offering is a fellowship sacrifice, and he is presenting [an animal] from the herd, whether male or female, he must present one without blemish before the Lord.

2 He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then Aaron's sons the priests will sprinkle the blood on all sides of the altar.

3 He will present part of the fellowship sacrifice as a fire offering to the Lord: the fat surrounding the entrails, all the fat that is on the entrails,

4 and the two kidneys with the fat on them at the loins; he will also remove the fatty lobe of the liver with the kidneys.

5 Aaron's sons will burn it on the altar along with the burnt offering that is on the burning wood, a fire offering of a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

6 "If his offering as a fellowship sacrifice to the Lord is from the flock, he must present a male or female without blemish.

7 If he is presenting a lamb for his offering, he is to present it before the Lord.

8 He must lay his hand on the head of his offering, then slaughter it before the tent of meeting. Aaron's sons will sprinkle its blood on all sides of the altar.

9 He will then present part of the fellowship sacrifice as a fire offering to the Lord [consisting of] its fat and the entire fat tail, which he is to remove close to the backbone. He will also remove the fat surrounding the entrails, all the fat on the entrails,

10 the two kidneys with the fat on them at the loins, and the fatty lobe of the liver above the kidneys.

11 Then the priest will burn it on the altar as food, a fire offering to the Lord.

12 "If his offering is a goat, he is to present it before the Lord.

13 He must lay his hand on its head and slaughter it before the tent of meeting. Aaron's sons will sprinkle its blood on all sides of the altar.

14 He will present part of his offering as a fire offering to the Lord: the fat surrounding the entrails, all the fat that is on the entrails,

15 and the two kidneys with the fat on them at the loins; he will also remove the fatty lobe of the liver with the kidneys.

16 Then the priest will burn them on the altar as food, a fire offering for a pleasing aroma. "All fat belongs to the Lord.

17 This is a permanent statute throughout your generations, wherever you live: you must not eat any fat or any blood."

Leviticus 4

1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses:

2 "Tell the Israelites: When someone sins unintentionally against any of the Lord's commands and does anything prohibited by them-

3 "If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he is to present to the Lord a young, unblemished bull as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.

4 He must bring the bull to the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord, lay his hand on the bull's head, and slaughter it before the Lord.

5 The anointed priest must then take some of the bull's blood and bring it into the tent of meeting.

6 The priest is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lord in front of the veil of the sanctuary.

7 The priest must apply some of the blood to the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting. He must pour out the rest of the bull's blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

8 He is to remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering: the fat surrounding the entrails; all the fat that is on the entrails;

9 and the two kidneys with the fat on them at the loins. He will also remove the fatty lobe of the liver with the kidneys,

10 just as the fat is removed from the ox of the fellowship sacrifice. The priest is to burn them on the altar of burnt offering.

11 But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, with its head and shanks, and its entrails and dung-

12 all [the rest] of the bull-he must bring to a ceremonially clean place outside the camp to the ash heap, and must burn it on a wood fire. It is to be burned at the ash heap.

13 "Now if the whole community of Israel errs, and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, so that they violate any of the Lord's commands and incur guilt by doing what is prohibited,

14 then the assembly must present a young bull as a sin offering. When the sin they have committed in regard to the command becomes known, they are to bring it before the tent of meeting.

15 The elders of the assembly are to lay their hands on the bull's head before the Lord and it is to be slaughtered before the Lord.

16 The anointed priest will bring some of the bull's blood into the tent of meeting.

17 The priest is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle [it] seven times before the Lord in front of the veil.

18 He is to apply some of the blood to the horns of the altar that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting. He must pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

19 He is to remove all the fat from it and burn it on the altar.

20 He is to offer this bull just as he did with the bull in the sin offering; he will offer it the same way. So the priest will make atonement on their behalf, and they will be forgiven.

21 Then he will bring the bull outside the camp and burn it just as he burned the first bull. It is the sin offering for the assembly.

22 "When a leader sins and unintentionally violates any of the commands of the Lord his God by doing what is prohibited, and incurs guilt,

23 or someone informs him about the sin he has committed, he is to bring an unblemished male goat as his offering.

24 He is to lay his hand on the head of the goat and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the Lord. It is a sin offering.

25 Then the priest must take some of the blood from the sin offering with his finger and apply it to the horns of the altar of burnt offering. The rest of its blood he must pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering.

26 He must burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the fellowship sacrifice. In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf for that person's sin, and he will be forgiven.

27 "Now if any of the common people sins unintentionally by violating one of the Lord's commands, does what is prohibited, and incurs guilt,

28 or if someone informs him about the sin he has committed, then he is to bring an unblemished female goat as his offering for the sin that he has committed.

29 He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering.

30 Then the priest must take some of its blood with his finger and apply it to the horns of the altar of burnt offering. He must pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.

31 He is to remove all its fat just as the fat is removed from the fellowship sacrifice. The priest is to burn [it] on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf, and he will be forgiven.

32 "Or if the offering that he brings as a sin offering is a lamb, he is to bring an unblemished female.

33 He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it as a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered.

34 Then the priest must take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and apply it to the horns of the altar of burnt offering. He must pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.

35 He is to remove all its fat just as the fat of the lamb is removed from the fellowship sacrifice. The priest will burn it on the altar along with the fire offerings to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

Proverbs 20

1 Wine is a mocker, beer is a brawler, and whoever staggers because of them is not wise.

2 A king's terrible wrath is like the roaring of a lion; anyone who provokes him endangers himself.

3 It is honorable for a man to resolve a dispute, but any fool can get himself into a quarrel.

4 The slacker does not plow during planting season; at harvest time he looks, and there is nothing.

5 Counsel in a man's heart is deep water; but a man of understanding draws it up.

6 Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, but who can find a trustworthy man?

7 The one who lives with integrity is righteous; his children who come after him will be happy.

8 A king sitting on a throne to judge sifts out all evil with his eyes.

9 Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin"?

10 Differing weights and varying measures- both are detestable to the Lord.

11 Even a young man is known by his actions- by whether his behavior is pure and upright.

12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye- the Lord made them both.

13 Don't love sleep, or you will become poor; open your eyes, and you'll have enough to eat.

14 "It's worthless, it's worthless!" the buyer says, but after he is on his way, he gloats.

15 There is gold and a multitude of jewels, but knowledgeable lips are a rare treasure.

16 Take his garment, for he has put up security for a stranger; get collateral if it is for foreigners.

17 Food gained by fraud is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is full of gravel.

18 Finalize plans through counsel, and wage war with sound guidance.

19 The one who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid someone with a big mouth.

20 Whoever curses his father or mother- his lamp will go out in deep darkness.

21 An inheritance gained prematurely will not be blessed ultimately.

22 Don't say, "I will avenge this evil!" Wait on the Lord, and He will rescue you.

23 Differing weights are detestable to the Lord, and dishonest scales are unfair.

24 A man's steps are determined by the Lord, so how can anyone understand his own way?

25 It is a trap for anyone to dedicate something rashly and later to reconsider his vows.

26 A wise king separates out the wicked and drives the threshing wheel over them.

27 A person's breath is the lamp of the Lord, searching the innermost parts.

28 Loyalty and faithfulness deliver a king; through loyalty he maintains his throne.

29 The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is gray hair.

30 Lashes and wounds purge away evil, and beatings cleanse the innermost parts.