The One Year Bible TLB (73 page)
Read The One Year Bible TLB Online
Authors: Tyndale
March 30“If there is a prophet among you, or one who claims to foretell the future by dreams,
2
and if his predictions come true but he says, ‘Come, let us worship the gods of the other nations,’
3
don’t listen to him. For the Lord is testing you to find out whether or not you really love him with all your heart and soul.
4
You must
never
worship any God but Jehovah; obey only his commands and cling to him.
5
“The prophet who tries to lead you astray must be executed, for he has attempted to foment rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you out of slavery in the land of Egypt. By executing him you will clear out the evil from among you.
6-7
“If your nearest relative or closest friend, even a brother, son, daughter, or beloved wife whispers to you to come and worship these foreign gods,
8
do not consent or listen, and have no pity: Do not spare that person from the penalty; don’t conceal his horrible suggestion.
9
Execute him! Your own hand shall be the first upon him to put him to death, then the hands of all the people.
10
Stone him to death because he has tried to draw you away from the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, the place of slavery.
11
Then all Israel will hear about his evil deed and will fear such wickedness as this among you.
12-14
“If you ever hear it said about one of the cities of Israel that some worthless rabble have led their fellow citizens astray with the suggestion that they worship foreign gods, first check the facts to see if the rumor is true. If you find that it is, that it is certain that such a horrible thing is happening among you in one of the cities the Lord has given you,
15
you must without fail declare war against that city and utterly destroy all of its inhabitants, and even all of the cattle.
16
Afterwards you must pile all the booty into the middle of the street and burn it, then put the entire city to the torch, as a burnt offering to Jehovah your God. That city shall forever remain a lifeless mound and may never be rebuilt.
17
Keep none of the booty! Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you, and have compassion upon you, and make you a great nation just as he promised your ancestors.
18
“Of course, the Lord your God will be merciful only if you have been obedient to him and to his commandments that I am giving you today, and if you have been doing that which is right in the eyes of the Lord.
14:
1
“Since you are the people of God, never cut yourselves as the heathen do when they worship their idols
*
nor shave the front halves of your heads for funerals.
2
You belong exclusively to the Lord your God, and he has chosen you to be his own possession, more so than any other nation on the face of the earth.
3-5
“You are not to eat any animal I have declared to be ceremonially defiled. These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.
6
“Any animal that has cloven hooves and chews the cud may be eaten,
7
but if the animal doesn’t have both, it may not be eaten. So you may not eat the camel, the hare, or the coney. They chew the cud but do not have cloven hooves.
8
Pigs may not be eaten because, although they have cloven hooves, they don’t chew the cud. You may not even touch the dead bodies of such animals.
9
“Only sea animals with fins and scales may be eaten;
10
all other kinds are ceremonially defiled.
11-18
“You may eat any bird except the following: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, the buzzard, the falcon (any variety), the raven (any variety), the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk (any variety), the screech owl, the great owl, the horned owl, the pelican, the vulture, the cormorant, the stork, the heron (any variety), the hoopoe, the bat.
19-20
“With certain exceptions,
*
insects are a defilement to you and may not be eaten.
21
“Don’t eat anything that has died a natural death. However, a foreigner among you may eat it. You may give it or sell it to him, but don’t eat it yourself, for you are holy to the Lord your God.
“You must not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.
22
“You must tithe all of your crops every year.
23
Bring this tithe to eat before the Lord your God at the place he shall choose as his sanctuary; this applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn of your flocks and herds. The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives.
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If the place the Lord chooses for his sanctuary is so far away that it isn’t convenient to carry your tithes to that place,
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then you may sell the tithe portion of your crops and herds and take the money to the Lord’s sanctuary.
26
When you arrive, use the money to buy an ox, a sheep, some wine, or beer, to feast there before the Lord your God, and to rejoice with your household.
27
“Don’t forget to share your income with the Levites in your community, for they have no property or crops as you do.
28
“Every third year you are to use your entire tithe for local welfare programs:
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Give it to the Levites who have no inheritance among you, or to foreigners, or to widows and orphans within your city, so that they can eat and be satisfied; and then Jehovah your God will bless you and your work.
15:
1
“At the end of every seventh year there is to be a canceling of all debts!
2
Every creditor shall write ‘Paid in full’ on any promissory note he holds against a fellow Israelite, for the Lord has released everyone from his obligation.
3
(This release does not apply to foreigners.)
4-5
No one will become poor because of this, for the Lord will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you if you obey this command. The only prerequisite for his blessing is that you carefully heed all the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today.
6
He will bless you as he has promised. You shall lend money to many nations but will never need to borrow! You shall rule many nations, but they shall not rule over you!
7
“But if, when you arrive in the land the Lord will give you, there are any among you who are poor, you must not shut your heart or hand against them;
8
you must lend them as much as they need.
9
Beware! Don’t refuse a loan because the year of debt cancellation is close at hand! If you refuse to make the loan and the needy man cries out to the Lord, it will be counted against you as a sin.
10
You must lend him what he needs, and don’t moan about it either! For the Lord will prosper you in everything you do because of this!
11
There will always be some among you who are poor; that is why this commandment is necessary. You must lend to them liberally.
12
“If you buy a Hebrew slave, whether a man or woman, you must free him at the end of the sixth year you have owned him,
13
and don’t send him away empty-handed!
14
Give him a large farewell present from your flock, your olive press, and your winepress. Share with him in proportion as the Lord your God has blessed you.
15
Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God rescued you! That is why I am giving you this command.
16
“But if your Hebrew slave doesn’t want to leave—if he says he loves you and enjoys your pleasant home and gets along well with you—
17
then take an awl and pierce his ear into the door, and after that he shall be your slave forever. Do the same with your women slaves.
18
But when you free a slave you must not feel bad, for remember that for six years he has cost you less than half the price of a hired hand! And the Lord your God will prosper all you do because you have released him!
19
“You shall set aside for God all the firstborn males from your flocks and herds. Do not use the firstborn of your herds to work your fields, and do not shear the firstborn of your flocks of sheep and goats.
20
Instead, you and your family shall eat these animals before the Lord your God each year at his sanctuary.
21
However, if this firstborn animal has any defect such as being lame or blind, or if anything else is wrong with it, you shall not sacrifice it.
22
Instead, use it for food for your family at home. Anyone, even if ceremonially defiled at the time, may eat it, just as anyone may eat a gazelle or deer.
23
But don’t eat the blood; pour it out upon the ground like water.”
On the other side of the lake the crowds received him [Jesus] with open arms, for they had been waiting for him.
41
And now a man named Jairus, a leader of a Jewish synagogue, came and fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come home with him,
42
for his only child was dying, a little girl twelve years old. Jesus went with him, pushing through the crowds.
43-44
As they went a woman who wanted to be healed came up behind and touched him, for she had been slowly bleeding for twelve years, and could find no cure (though she had spent everything she had on doctors
*
). But the instant she touched the edge of his robe, the bleeding stopped.
45
“Who touched me?”
Jesus asked.
Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, so many are crowding against you. . . . ”
46
But Jesus told him,
“No, it was someone who deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.”
47
When the woman realized that Jesus knew, she began to tremble and fell to her knees before him and told why she had touched him and that now she was well.
48
“Daughter,”
he said to her,
“your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
49
While he was still speaking to her, a messenger arrived from the Jairus’s home with the news that the little girl was dead. “She’s gone,” he told her father; “there’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”
50
But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to the father,
“Don’t be afraid! Just trust me, and she’ll be all right.”
51
When they arrived at the house, Jesus wouldn’t let anyone into the room except Peter, James, John, and the little girl’s father and mother.
52
The home was filled with mourning people, but he said,
“Stop the weeping! She isn’t dead; she is only asleep!”
53
This brought scoffing and laughter, for they all knew she was dead.
54
Then he took her by the hand and called,
“Get up, little girl!”
55
And at that moment her life returned and she jumped up!
“Give her something to eat!”
he said.
56
Her parents were overcome with happiness, but Jesus insisted that they not tell anyone the details of what had happened.
9:
1
One day Jesus called together his twelve apostles and gave them authority over all demons—power to cast them out—and to heal all diseases.
2
Then he sent them away to tell everyone about the coming of the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
3
“Don’t even take along a walking stick,”
he instructed them,
“nor a beggar’s bag, nor food, nor money. Not even an extra coat.
4
Be a guest in only one home at each village.
5
“If the people of a town won’t listen to you when you enter it, turn around and leave, demonstrating God’s anger against it
*
by shaking its dust from your feet as you go.”
6
So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick.
Lord, you are my refuge! Don’t let me down!
2
Save me from my enemies, for you are just! Rescue me! Bend down your ear and listen to my plea and save me.
3
Be to me a great protecting Rock, where I am always welcome, safe from all attacks. For you have issued the order to save me.
4
Rescue me, O God, from these unjust and cruel men.
5
O Lord, you alone are my hope; I’ve trusted you from childhood.
6
Yes, you have been with me from birth and have helped me constantly—no wonder I am always praising you!
7
My success—at which so many stand amazed—is because you are my mighty protector.
8
All day long I’ll praise and honor you, O God, for all that you have done for me.
9
And now, in my old age, don’t set me aside. Don’t forsake me now when my strength is failing.
10
My enemies are whispering,
11
“God has forsaken him! Now we can get him. There is no one to help him now!”
12
O God, don’t stay away! Come quickly! Help!
13
Destroy them! Cover them with failure and disgrace—these enemies of mine.
14
I will keep on expecting you to help me. I praise you more and more.
15
I cannot count the times when you have faithfully rescued me from danger. I will tell everyone how good you are, and of your constant, daily care.
16
I walk in the strength of the Lord God. I tell everyone that you alone are just and good.
17
O God, you have helped me from my earliest childhood—and I have constantly testified to others of the wonderful things you do.
18
And now that I am old and gray, don’t forsake me. Give me time to tell this new generation (and their children too) about all your mighty miracles.
19
Your power and goodness, Lord, reach to the highest heavens. You have done such wonderful things. Where is there another God like you?
20
You have let me sink down deep in desperate problems. But you will bring me back to life again, up from the depths of the earth.
21
You will give me greater honor than before and turn again and comfort me.
22
I will praise you with music, telling of your faithfulness to all your promises, O Holy One of Israel.
23
I will shout and sing your praises for redeeming me.
24
I will talk to others all day long about your justice and your goodness. For all who tried to hurt me have been disgraced and dishonored.