Atonement, Unity, and Listening to God's Voice

1. Yahweh spoke to Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they came near before Yahweh, and died; 2. and Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother, not to come at all times into the Most Holy Place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark; lest he die: for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat. 3. “Aaron shall come into the sanctuary with a young bull for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. 4. He shall put on the holy linen coat. He shall have the linen breeches on his body, and shall put on the linen sash, and he shall be clothed with the linen turban. They are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water, and put them on. 5. He shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. 6. “Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house. 7. He shall take the two goats, and set them before Yahweh at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 8. Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats; one lot for Yahweh, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9. Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for Yahweh, and offer him for a sin offering. 10. But the goat on which the lot fell for the scapegoat shall be presented alive before Yahweh, to make atonement for him, to send him away as the scapegoat into the wilderness. 11. “Aaron shall present the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull of the sin offering which is for himself. 12. He shall take a censer full of coals of fire from off the altar before Yahweh, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil: 13. and he shall put the incense on the fire before Yahweh, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the testimony, so that he will not die. 14. He shall take some of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. 15. “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat. 16. He shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, even all their sins; and so he shall do for the Tent of Meeting, that dwells with them in the middle of their uncleanness. 17. No one shall be in the Tent of Meeting when he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, and has made atonement for himself and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel. 18. “He shall go out to the altar that is before Yahweh and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the bull’s blood, and some of the goat’s blood, and put it around on the horns of the altar. 19. He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and make it holy from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. 20. “When he has finished atoning for the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat. 21. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. 22. The goat shall carry all their iniquities on himself to a solitary land, and he shall release the goat in the wilderness. 23. “Aaron shall come into the Tent of Meeting, and shall take off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there. 24. Then he shall bathe himself in water in a holy place, and put on his garments, and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people. 25. The fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar. 26. “He who lets the goat go as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp. 27. The bull for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp; and they shall burn their skins, their flesh, and their dung with fire. 28. He who burns them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp. 29. “It shall be a statute to you forever: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and shall do no kind of work, the native-born, or the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you: 30. for on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before Yahweh. 31. It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever. 32. The priest, who is anointed and who is consecrated to be priest in his father’s place, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen garments, even the holy garments. 33. Then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary; and he shall make atonement for the Tent of Meeting and for the altar; and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34. “This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” It was done as Yahweh commanded Moses. 1. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2. “Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded, 3. Whatever man there is of the house of Israel, who kills a bull, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp, 4. and hasn’t brought it to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to offer it as an offering to Yahweh before Yahweh’s tabernacle: blood shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people. 5. This is to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to Yahweh, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to the priest, and sacrifice them for sacrifices of peace offerings to Yahweh. 6. The priest shall sprinkle the blood on Yahweh’s altar at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and burn the fat for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 7. They shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat idols, after which they play the prostitute. This shall be a statute forever to them throughout their generations.’ 8. “You shall say to them, ‘Any man there is of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, 9. and doesn’t bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to sacrifice it to Yahweh; that man shall be cut off from his people. 10. “‘Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who eats any kind of blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11. For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life. 12. Therefore I have said to the children of Israel, “No person among you may eat blood, nor may any stranger who lives as a foreigner among you eat blood.” 13. “‘Whatever man there is of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who takes in hunting any animal or bird that may be eaten; he shall pour out its blood, and cover it with dust. 14. For as to the life of all flesh, its blood is with its life: therefore I said to the children of Israel, “You shall not eat the blood of any kind of flesh; for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.” 15. “‘Every person that eats what dies of itself, or that which is torn by animals, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening: then he shall be clean. 16. But if he doesn’t wash them, or bathe his flesh, then he shall bear his iniquity.’” 1. Yahweh said to Moses, 2. “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘I am Yahweh your God. 3. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived: and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes. 4. You shall do my ordinances, and you shall keep my statutes, and walk in them: I am Yahweh your God. 5. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am Yahweh. 6. “‘None of you shall approach any close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am Yahweh. 7. “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your mother: she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness. 8. “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife. It is your father’s nakedness. 9. “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home, or born abroad. 10. “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter, or of your daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness: for theirs is your own nakedness. 11. “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, conceived by your father, since she is your sister. 12. “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister: she is your father’s near kinswoman. 13. “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister: for she is your mother’s near kinswoman. 14. “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother, you shall not approach his wife. She is your aunt. 15. “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law: she is your son’s wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness. 16. “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife. It is your brother’s nakedness. 17. “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter. You shall not take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; they are near kinswomen: it is wickedness. 18. “‘You shall not take a wife in addition to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is still alive. 19. “‘You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness. 20. “‘You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, and defile yourself with her. 21. “‘You shall not give any of your children as a sacrifice to Molech. You shall not profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh. 22. “‘You shall not lie with a man, as with a woman. That is detestable. 23. “‘You shall not lie with any animal to defile yourself with it. No woman may give herself to an animal, to lie down with it: it is a perversion. 24. “‘Don’t defile yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations which I am casting out before you were defiled. 25. The land was defiled: therefore I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out her inhabitants. 26. You therefore shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the native-born, nor the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you; 27. (for the men of the land that were before you had done all these abominations, and the land became defiled); 28. that the land not vomit you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. 29. “‘For whoever shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people. 30. Therefore you shall keep my requirements, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs, which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves with them. I am Yahweh your God.’”

1. I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, 2. with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love; 3. being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling; 5. one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6. one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all. 7. But to each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8. Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” 9. Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10. He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. 11. He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; 12. for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13. until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14. that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; 15. but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ; 16. from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love. 17. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18. being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts; 19. who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20. But you did not learn Christ that way; 21. if indeed you heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus: 22. that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit; 23. and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24. and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth. 25. Therefore putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another. 26. “Be angry, and don’t sin.” Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath, 27. and don’t give place to the devil. 28. Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need. 29. Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30. Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice. 32. And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you. 1. Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. 2. Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance. 3. But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints; 4. nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not appropriate; but rather giving of thanks. 5. Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God. 6. Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. 7. Therefore don’t be partakers with them. 8. For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, 9. for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, 10. proving what is well pleasing to the Lord. 11. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even reprove them. 12. For the things which are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of. 13. But all things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the light, for everything that reveals is light. 14. Therefore he says, “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” 15. Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise; 16. redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17. Therefore don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18. Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19. speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing, and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20. giving thanks always concerning all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God, even the Father; 21. subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ. 22. Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the assembly, being himself the savior of the body. 24. But as the assembly is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their own husbands in everything. 25. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it; 26. that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, 27. that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without defect. 28. Even so husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. 29. For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord also does the assembly; 30. because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones. 31. “For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh.” 32. This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and of the assembly. 33. Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband. 1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with a promise: 3. “that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.” 4. You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 5. Servants, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ; 6. not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as men pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7. with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men; 8. knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive the same again from the Lord, whether he is bound or free. 9. You masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him. 10. Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. 11. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13. Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. 14. Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15. and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace; 16. above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. 17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18. with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints: 19. on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News, 20. for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. 21. But that you also may know my affairs, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make known to you all things; 22. whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our state, and that he may comfort your hearts. 23. Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love. Amen.

1. Sing aloud to God, our strength! Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob! 2. Raise a song, and bring here the tambourine, the pleasant lyre with the harp. 3. Blow the trumpet at the New Moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. 4. For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. 5. He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out over the land of Egypt, I heard a language that I didn’t know. 6. “I removed his shoulder from the burden. His hands were freed from the basket. 7. You called in trouble, and I delivered you. I answered you in the secret place of thunder. I tested you at the waters of Meribah.” Selah. 8. “Hear, my people, and I will testify to you, Israel, if you would listen to me! 9. There shall be no strange god in you, neither shall you worship any foreign god. 10. I am Yahweh, your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. 11. But my people didn’t listen to my voice. Israel desired none of me. 12. So I let them go after the stubbornness of their hearts, that they might walk in their own counsels. 13. Oh that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! 14. I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their adversaries. 15. The haters of Yahweh would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. 16. But he would have also fed them with the finest of the wheat. I will satisfy you with honey out of the rock.”