Holiness in Daily Life and Radical Joy

1. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2. “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘You shall be holy; for I, Yahweh your God, am holy. 3. “‘Each one of you shall respect his mother and his father. You shall keep my Sabbaths. I am Yahweh your God. 4. “‘Don’t turn to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I am Yahweh your God. 5. “‘When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. 6. It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day: and if anything remains until the third day, it shall be burned with fire. 7. If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It will not be accepted; 8. but everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the holy thing of Yahweh, and that soul shall be cut off from his people. 9. “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10. You shall not glean your vineyard, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am Yahweh your God. 11. “‘You shall not steal. “‘You shall not lie. “‘You shall not deceive one another. 12. “‘You shall not swear by my name falsely, and profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh. 13. “‘You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. “‘The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning. 14. “‘You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind; but you shall fear your God. I am Yahweh. 15. “‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness. 16. “‘You shall not go up and down as a slanderer among your people. “‘You shall not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am Yahweh. 17. “‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. 18. “‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh. 19. “‘You shall keep my statutes. “‘You shall not cross-breed different kinds of animals. “‘You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; “‘Don’t wear a garment made of two kinds of material. 20. “‘If a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave girl, pledged to be married to another man, and not ransomed, or given her freedom; they shall be punished. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free. 21. He shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, even a ram for a trespass offering. 22. The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before Yahweh for his sin which he has committed: and the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven him. 23. “‘When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as forbidden. Three years they shall be forbidden to you. It shall not be eaten. 24. But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, for giving praise to Yahweh. 25. In the fifth year you shall eat its fruit, that it may yield its increase to you. I am Yahweh your God. 26. “‘You shall not eat any meat with the blood still in it. You shall not use enchantments, nor practice sorcery. 27. “‘You shall not cut the hair on the sides of your head or clip off the edge of your beard. 28. “‘You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am Yahweh. 29. “‘Don’t profane your daughter, to make her a prostitute; lest the land fall to prostitution, and the land become full of wickedness. 30. “‘You shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary; I am Yahweh. 31. “‘Don’t turn to those who are mediums, nor to the wizards. Don’t seek them out, to be defiled by them. I am Yahweh your God. 32. “‘You shall rise up before the gray head, and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God. I am Yahweh. 33. “‘If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34. The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God. 35. “‘You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measures of length, of weight, or of quantity. 36. You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 37. “‘You shall observe all my statutes, and all my ordinances, and do them. I am Yahweh.’” 1. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2. “Moreover, you shall tell the children of Israel, ‘Anyone of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners in Israel, who gives any of his offspring to Molech; he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3. I also will set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people because he has given of his offspring to Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. 4. If the people of the land all hide their eyes from that person, when he gives of his offspring to Molech, and don’t put him to death; 5. then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all who play the prostitute after him, to play the prostitute with Molech, from among their people. 6. “‘The person that turns to those who are mediums, and to the wizards, to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people. 7. “‘Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am Yahweh your God. 8. You shall keep my statutes, and do them. I am Yahweh who sanctifies you. 9. “‘For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death: he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him. 10. “‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, even he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. 11. “‘The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. 12. “‘If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have committed a perversion; their blood shall be upon them. 13. “‘If a man lies with a male, as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. 14. “‘If a man takes a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burned with fire, both he and they; that there may be no wickedness among you. 15. “‘If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death; and you shall kill the animal. 16. “‘If a woman approaches any animal, and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. 17. “‘If a man takes his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness; it is a shameful thing. They shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear his iniquity. 18. “‘If a man lies with a woman having her monthly period, and uncovers her nakedness; he has made naked her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from among their people. 19. “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, nor of your father’s sister; for he has made his close relative naked. They shall bear their iniquity. 20. If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness. They shall bear their sin. They shall die childless. 21. “‘If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an impurity. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless. 22. “‘You shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my ordinances, and do them; that the land, where I am bringing you to dwell, may not vomit you out. 23. You shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which I am casting out before you: for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. 24. But I have said to you, “You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am Yahweh your God, who has separated you from the peoples. 25. “‘You shall therefore make a distinction between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean fowl and the clean: and you shall not make yourselves abominable by animal, or by bird, or by anything with which the ground teems, which I have separated from you as unclean for you. 26. You shall be holy to me; for I, Yahweh, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that you should be mine. 27. “‘A man or a woman that is a medium, or is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them.’” 1. Yahweh said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, ‘A priest shall not defile himself for the dead among his people; 2. except for his relatives that are near to him: for his mother, for his father, for his son, for his daughter, for his brother, 3. and for his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband; for her he may defile himself. 4. He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself. 5. “‘They shall not shave their heads or shave off the corners of their beards or make any cuttings in their flesh. 6. They shall be holy to their God, and not profane the name of their God; for they offer the offerings of Yahweh made by fire, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy. 7. “‘They shall not marry a woman who is a prostitute, or profane. They shall not marry a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God. 8. You shall sanctify him therefore; for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you; for I Yahweh, who sanctify you, am holy. 9. “‘The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire. 10. “‘He who is the high priest among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose, or tear his clothes. 11. He must not go in to any dead body, or defile himself for his father, or for his mother. 12. He shall not go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. I am Yahweh. 13. “‘He shall take a wife in her virginity. 14. A widow, or one divorced, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry: but a virgin of his own people shall he take as a wife. 15. He shall not profane his offspring among his people, for I am Yahweh who sanctifies him.’” 16. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 17. “Say to Aaron, ‘None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect may approach to offer the bread of his God. 18. For whatever man he is that has a defect, he shall not draw near: a blind man, or a lame, or he who has a flat nose, or any deformity, 19. or a man who has an injured foot, or an injured hand, 20. or hunchbacked, or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye, or an itching disease, or scabs, or who has damaged testicles. 21. No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall come near to offer the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Since he has a defect, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. 22. He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy. 23. He shall not come near to the veil, nor come near to the altar, because he has a defect; that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.’” 24. So Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel. 1. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2. “Tell Aaron and his sons to separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, which they make holy to me, and that they not profane my holy name. I am Yahweh. 3. “Tell them, ‘If anyone of all your offspring throughout your generations approaches the holy things, which the children of Israel make holy to Yahweh, having his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from before me. I am Yahweh. 4. “‘Whoever of the offspring of Aaron is a leper or has an issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose offspring goes from him; 5. or whoever touches any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatever uncleanness he has; 6. the person that touches any such shall be unclean until the evening, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he bathes his body in water. 7. When the sun is down, he shall be clean; and afterward he shall eat of the holy things, because it is his bread. 8. That which dies of itself, or is torn by animals, he shall not eat, defiling himself by it. I am Yahweh. 9. “‘They shall therefore follow my commandment, lest they bear sin for it, and die therein, if they profane it. I am Yahweh who sanctifies them. 10. “‘No stranger shall eat of the holy thing: a foreigner living with the priests, or a hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing. 11. But if a priest buys a slave, purchased by his money, he shall eat of it; and such as are born in his house, they shall eat of his bread. 12. If a priest’s daughter is married to an outsider, she shall not eat of the heave offering of the holy things. 13. But if a priest’s daughter is a widow, or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father’s house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s bread: but no stranger shall eat any of it. 14. “‘If a man eats something holy unwittingly, then he shall add the fifth part of its value to it, and shall give the holy thing to the priest. 15. The priests shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer to Yahweh, 16. and so cause them to bear the iniquity that brings guilt, when they eat their holy things; for I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.’” 17. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18. “Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘Whoever is of the house of Israel, or of the foreigners in Israel, who offers his offering, whether it is any of their vows, or any of their freewill offerings, which they offer to Yahweh for a burnt offering; 19. that you may be accepted, you shall offer a male without defect, of the bulls, of the sheep, or of the goats. 20. But whatever has a defect, that you shall not offer; for it shall not be acceptable for you. 21. Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh to accomplish a vow, or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it shall be perfect to be accepted. It shall have no defect. 22. Blind, injured, maimed, having a wart, festering, or having a running sore: you shall not offer these to Yahweh, nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to Yahweh. 23. Either a bull or a lamb that has any deformity or lacking in his parts, that you may offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted. 24. You must not offer to Yahweh that which has its testicles bruised, crushed, broken, or cut. You must not do this in your land. 25. You must not offer the bread of your God from the hand of a foreigner as any of these; because their corruption is in them. There is a defect in them. They shall not be accepted for you.’” 26. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 27. “When a bull, or a sheep, or a goat, is born, then it shall remain seven days with its mother; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for the offering of an offering made by fire to Yahweh. 28. Whether it is a cow or ewe, you shall not kill it and its young both in one day. 29. “When you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to Yahweh, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. 30. It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until the morning. I am Yahweh. 31. “Therefore you shall keep my commandments, and do them. I am Yahweh. 32. You shall not profane my holy name, but I will be made holy among the children of Israel. I am Yahweh who makes you holy, 33. who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am Yahweh.”

1. Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ; To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and servants: 2. Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3. I thank my God whenever I remember you, 4. always in every request of mine on behalf of you all, making my requests with joy, 5. for your partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now; 6. being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. 7. It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace. 8. For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus. 9. This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment; 10. so that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ; 11. being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. 12. Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News; 13. so that it became evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ; 14. and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear. 15. Some indeed preach Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also out of good will. 16. The former insincerely preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains; 17. but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News. 18. What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this, yes, and will rejoice. 19. For I know that this will turn out to my salvation, through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20. according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death. 21. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22. But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don’t know what I will choose. 23. But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 24. Yet, to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake. 25. Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26. that your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again. 27. Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News; 28. and in nothing frightened by the adversaries, which is for them a proof of destruction, but to you of salvation, and that from God. 29. Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf, 30. having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear is in me. 1. If therefore there is any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, 2. make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; 3. doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; 4. each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others. 5. Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6. who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7. but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. 8. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. 9. Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; 10. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11. and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12. So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13. For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. 14. Do all things without murmurings and disputes, 15. that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world, 16. holding up the word of life; that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ, that I didn’t run in vain nor labor in vain. 17. Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all. 18. In the same way, you also rejoice, and rejoice with me. 19. But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing. 20. For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you. 21. For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ. 22. But you know the proof of him, that, as a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News. 23. Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me. 24. But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly. 25. But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need; 26. since he longed for you all, and was very troubled, because you had heard that he was sick. 27. For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow. 28. I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that, when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. 29. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such in honor, 30. because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me. 1. Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe. 2. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision. 3. For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh; 4. though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more: 5. circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6. concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless. 7. However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ. 8. Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ 9. and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10. that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death; 11. if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12. Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13. Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, 14. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you. 16. Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind. 17. Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example. 18. For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ, 19. whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things. 20. For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21. who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself. 1. Therefore, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. 2. I exhort Euodia, and I exhort Syntyche, to think the same way in the Lord. 3. Yes, I beg you also, true partner, help these women, for they labored with me in the Good News, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. 4. Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!” 5. Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6. In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. 8. Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things. 9. The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you. 10. But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your thought for me; in which you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity. 11. Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. 12. I know how to be humbled, and I know also how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. 13. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. 14. However you did well that you shared in my affliction. 15. You yourselves also know, you Philippians, that in the beginning of the Good News, when I departed from Macedonia, no assembly shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you only. 16. For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again to my need. 17. Not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account. 18. But I have all things, and abound. I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God. 19. My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever! Amen. 21. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. 22. All the saints greet you, especially those who are of Caesar’s household. 23. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

1. God presides in the great assembly. He judges among the gods. 2. “How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” Selah. 3. “Defend the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. 4. Rescue the weak and needy. Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.” 5. They don’t know, neither do they understand. They walk back and forth in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6. I said, “You are gods, all of you are sons of the Most High. 7. Nevertheless you shall die like men, and fall like one of the rulers.” 8. Arise, God, judge the earth, for you inherit all of the nations.