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Leviticus 1

Laws for Burnt Offerings
1 The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying,
2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.
3 “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD.
4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 5 Then he shall kill the bull before the LORD, and Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 6 Then he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces, 7 and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8 And Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar; 9 but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
10 “If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish,
11 and he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the LORD, and Aaron's sons the priests shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. 12 And he shall cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar, 13 but the entrails and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
14 “If his offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or pigeons.
15 And the priest shall bring it to the altar and wring off its head and burn it on the altar. Its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. 16 He shall remove its crop with its contents and cast it beside the altar on the east side, in the place for ashes. 17 He shall tear it open by its wings, but shall not sever it completely. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

Leviticus 2

Laws for Grain Offerings
1 “When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it
2 and bring it to Aaron's sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 3 But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the LORD's food offerings.
4 “When you bring a grain offering baked in the oven as an offering, it shall be unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil.
5 And if your offering is a grain offering baked on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil. 6 You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. 7 And if your offering is a grain offering cooked in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. 8 And you shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the LORD, and when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar. 9 And the priest shall take from the grain offering its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 10 But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the LORD's food offerings.
11 “No grain offering that you bring to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as a food offering to the LORD.
12 As an offering of firstfruits you may bring them to the LORD, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma. 13 You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.
14 “If you offer a grain offering of firstfruits to the LORD, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits fresh ears, roasted with fire, crushed new grain.
15 And you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. 16 And the priest shall burn as its memorial portion some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is a food offering to the LORD.

Jeremiah 14

Drought, Famine, Sword, and Plague
1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:

2 “Judah mourns,
 and her gates languish;
her people lament on the ground,
 and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.
3 Her nobles send their servants for water;
 they come to the cisterns;
they find no water;
 they return with their vessels empty;
they are ashamed and confounded
 and cover their heads.
4 Because of the ground that is dismayed,
 since there is no rain on the land,
the farmers are ashamed;
 they cover their heads.
5 Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn
 because there is no grass.
6 The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights;
 they pant for air like jackals;
their eyes fail
 because there is no vegetation.

7 “Though our iniquities testify against us,
 act, O LORD, for your name's sake;
for our backslidings are many;
 we have sinned against you.
8 O you hope of Israel,
 its savior in time of trouble,
why should you be like a stranger in the land,
 like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?
9 Why should you be like a man confused,
 like a mighty warrior who cannot save?
Yet you, O LORD, are in the midst of us,
 and we are called by your name;
 do not leave us.”


10 Thus says the LORD concerning this people:
“They have loved to wander thus;
 they have not restrained their feet;
therefore the LORD does not accept them;
 now he will remember their iniquity
 and punish their sins.”

11 The LORD said to me: “Do not pray for the welfare of this people.
12 Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”
13 Then I said: “Ah, Lord GOD, behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.’”
14 And the LORD said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.
15 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land’: By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. 16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, with none to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them.

17 “You shall say to them this word:
‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,
 and let them not cease,
for the virgin daughter of my people is shattered with a great wound,
 with a very grievous blow.
18 If I go out into the field,
 behold, those pierced by the sword!
And if I enter the city,
 behold, the diseases of famine!
For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land
 and have no knowledge.’”

A Prayer for Mercy

19 Have you utterly rejected Judah?
 Does your soul loathe Zion?
Why have you struck us down
 so that there is no healing for us?
We looked for peace, but no good came;
 for a time of healing, but behold, terror.
20 We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD,
 and the iniquity of our fathers,
 for we have sinned against you.
21 Do not spurn us, for your name's sake;
 do not dishonor your glorious throne;
 remember and do not break your covenant with us.
22 Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain?
 Or can the heavens give showers?
Are you not he, O LORD our God?
 We set our hope on you,
 for you do all these things.

Job 16

Job: Poor Comforters are You
1 Then Job answered and said:

2 “I have heard many such things;
 miserable comforters are you all.
3 Shall windy words have an end?
 Or what provokes you that you answer?
4 I also could speak as you do,
 if you were in my place;
I could join words together against you
 and shake my head at you.
5 I could strengthen you with my mouth,
 and the solace of my lips would assuage your pain.

6 “If I speak, my pain is not assuaged,
 and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me?
7 Surely now God has worn me out;
 he has made desolate all my company.
8 And he has shriveled me up,
 which is a witness against me,
and my leanness has risen up against me;
 it testifies to my face.
9 He has torn me in his wrath and hated me;
 he has gnashed his teeth at me;
 my adversary sharpens his eyes against me.
10 Men have gaped at me with their mouth;
 they have struck me insolently on the cheek;
 they mass themselves together against me.
11 God gives me up to the ungodly
 and casts me into the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, and he broke me apart;
 he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces;
he set me up as his target;
13  his archers surround me.
He slashes open my kidneys and does not spare;
 he pours out my gall on the ground.
14 He breaks me with breach upon breach;
 he runs upon me like a warrior.
15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin
 and have laid my strength in the dust.
16 My face is red with weeping,
 and on my eyelids is deep darkness,
17 although there is no violence in my hands,
 and my prayer is pure.

18 “O earth, cover not my blood,
 and let my cry find no resting place.
19 Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven,
 and he who testifies for me is on high.
20 My friends scorn me;
 my eye pours out tears to God,
21 that he would argue the case of a man with God,
 as a son of man does with his neighbor.
22 For when a few years have come
 I shall go the way from which I shall not return.

Acts 8

Saul Persecutes the Church
1 And Saul approved of his execution.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
Philip in Samaria
4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was much joy in that city.
Simon the Sorcerer
9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.
10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,
15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” 24 And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
25 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
Philip and the Ethiopian
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place.
27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

 “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
 and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
 so he opens not his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
 Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?”
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.