Leviticus 8
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, the anointing oil, the sin offering bull, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread, 3 and assemble the whole congregation at the entrance of the Meeting Tent.” 4 So Moses did just as the Lord commanded him, and the congregation assembled at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. 5 Then Moses said to the congregation: “This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.”
6 So Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. 7 Then he put the tunic on Aaron, wrapped the sash around him, and clothed him with the robe. Next he put the ephod on him and placed on him the decorated band of the ephod, and fastened the ephod closely to him with the band. 8 He then set the breastpiece on him and put the Urim and Thummim into the breastpiece. 9 Finally, he set the turban on his head and attached the gold plate, the holy diadem, to the front of the turban just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
10 Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them. 11 Next he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times and so anointed the altar, all its vessels, and the washbasin and its stand to consecrate them. 12 He then poured some of the anointing oil on the head of Aaron and anointed him to consecrate him. 13 Moses also brought forward Aaron’s sons, clothed them with tunics, wrapped sashes around them, and wrapped headbands on them just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
14 Then he brought near the sin offering bull and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the sin offering bull, 15 and he slaughtered it. Moses then took the blood and put it all around on the horns of the altar with his finger and purified the altar, and he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and so consecrated it to make atonement on it. 16 Then he took all the fat on the entrails, the protruding lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat, and Moses offered it all up in smoke on the altar, 17 but the rest of the bull—its hide, its flesh, and its dung—he completely burned up outside the camp just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
18 Then he presented the burnt offering ram and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram, 19 and he slaughtered it. Moses then splashed the blood against the altar’s sides. 20 Then he cut the ram into parts, and Moses offered the head, the parts, and the suet up in smoke, 21 but the entrails and the legs he washed with water, and Moses offered the whole ram up in smoke on the altar—it was a burnt offering for a soothing aroma, a gift to the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
22 Then he presented the second ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram 23 and he slaughtered it. Moses then took some of its blood and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 24 Next he brought Aaron’s sons forward, and Moses put some of the blood on their right earlobes, on their right thumbs, and on the big toes of their right feet, and Moses splashed the rest of the blood against the altar’s sides.
25 Then he took the fat (the fatty tail, all the fat on the entrails, the protruding lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat) and the right thigh, 26 and from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one unleavened loaf, one loaf of bread mixed with olive oil, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat parts and on the right thigh. 27 He then put all of them on the palms of Aaron and his sons, who waved them as a wave offering before the Lord. 28 Moses then took them from their palms and offered them up in smoke on the altar on top of the burnt offering—they were an ordination offering for a soothing aroma; it was a gift to the Lord. 29 Finally, Moses took the breast and waved it as a wave offering before the Lord from the ram of ordination. It was Moses’ share just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
30 Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and his sons’ garments. So he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons and his sons’ garments. 31 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, and there you are to eat it and the bread which is in the ordination offering basket, just as I have commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it,’ 32 but the remainder of the meat and the bread you must burn with fire. 33 And you must not go out from the entrance of the Meeting Tent for seven days, until the day when your days of ordination are completed, because you must be ordained over a seven-day period. 34 What has been done on this day the Lord has commanded to be done to make atonement for you. 35 You must reside at the entrance of the Meeting Tent day and night for seven days and keep the charge of the Lord so that you will not die, for this is what I have been commanded.” 36 So Aaron and his sons did all the things the Lord had commanded through Moses.
Psalms 9
1 I will thank the Lord with all my heart!
I will tell about all your amazing deeds.
2 I will be happy and rejoice in you.
I will sing praises to you, O Most High.
3 When my enemies turn back,
they trip and are defeated before you.
4 For you defended my just cause;
from your throne you pronounced a just decision.
5 You terrified the nations with your battle cry.
You destroyed the wicked;
you permanently wiped out all memory of them.
6 The enemy’s cities have been reduced to permanent ruins.
You destroyed their cities;
all memory of the enemies has perished.
7 But the Lord rules forever;
he reigns in a just manner.
8 He judges the world fairly;
he makes just legal decisions for the nations.
9 Consequently the Lord provides safety for the oppressed;
he provides safety in times of trouble.
10 Your loyal followers trust in you,
for you, Lord, do not abandon those who seek your help.
11 Sing praises to the Lord, who rules in Zion.
Tell the nations what he has done.
12 For the one who takes revenge against murderers took notice of the oppressed;
he did not overlook their cry for help
13 when they prayed:
“Have mercy on me, Lord!
See how I am oppressed by those who hate me,
O one who can snatch me away from the gates of death!
14 Then I will tell about all your praiseworthy acts;
in the gates of Daughter Zion I will rejoice because of your deliverance.”
15 The nations fell into the pit they had made;
their feet were caught in the net they had hidden.
16 The Lord revealed himself;
he accomplished justice.
The wicked were ensnared by their own actions. (Higgaion. Selah)
17 The wicked are turned back and sent to Sheol;
this is the destiny of all the nations that ignore God,
18 for the needy are not permanently ignored,
the hopes of the oppressed are not forever dashed.
19 Rise up, Lord!
Don’t let men be defiant.
May the nations be judged in your presence.
20 Terrify them, Lord.
Let the nations know they are mere mortals. (Selah)
Proverbs 23
1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
consider carefully what is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you possess a large appetite.
3 Do not crave that ruler’s delicacies,
for that food is deceptive.
4 Do not wear yourself out to become rich;
be wise enough to restrain yourself.
5 When you gaze upon riches, they are gone,
for they surely make wings for themselves,
and fly off into the sky like an eagle!
6 Do not eat the food of a stingy person,
do not crave his delicacies;
7 for he is like someone who has calculated the cost in his mind.
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you;
8 you will vomit up the little bit you have eaten,
and will have wasted your pleasant words.
9 Do not speak in the ears of a fool,
for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone,
or take over the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Protector is strong;
he will plead their case against you.
12 Apply your heart to instruction
and your ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
even if you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
14 If you strike him with the rod,
you will deliver him from death.
15 My child, if your heart is wise,
then my heart also will be glad;
16 my soul will rejoice
when your lips speak what is right.
17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,
but rather be zealous in fearing the Lord all the time.
18 For surely there is a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Listen, my child, and be wise,
and guide your heart on the right way.
20 Do not spend time among drunkards,
among those who eat too much meat,
21 because drunkards and gluttons become impoverished,
and drowsiness clothes them with rags.
22 Listen to your father who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Acquire truth and do not sell it—
wisdom, and discipline, and understanding.
24 The father of a righteous person will rejoice greatly;
whoever fathers a wise child will have joy in him.
25 May your father and your mother have joy;
may she who bore you rejoice.
26 Give me your heart, my son,
and let your eyes observe my ways;
27 for a prostitute is like a deep pit;
a harlot is like a narrow well.
28 Indeed, she lies in wait like a robber,
and increases the unfaithful among men.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions? Who has complaints?
Who has wounds without cause? Who has dullness of the eyes?
30 Those who linger over wine,
those who go looking for mixed wine.
31 Do not look on the wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup,
when it goes down smoothly.
32 Afterward it bites like a snake,
and stings like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
and your mind will speak perverse things.
34 And you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
and like one who lies down on the top of the rigging.
35 You will say, “They have struck me, but I am not harmed!
They beat me, but I did not know it!
When will I awake? I will look for another drink.”
1 Thessalonians 2
1 For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, about our coming to you—it has not proven to be purposeless. 2 But although we suffered earlier and were mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of much opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not come from error or impurity or with deceit, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we declare it, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts. 5 For we never appeared with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is our witness— 6 nor to seek glory from people, either from you or from others, 7 although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became little children among you. Like a nursing mother caring for her own children, 8 with such affection for you we were happy to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. 9 For you recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery: By working night and day so as not to impose a burden on any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, as to how holy and righteous and blameless our conduct was toward you who believe. 11 As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his own children, 12 exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you live in a way worthy of God who calls you to his own kingdom and his glory. 13 And so we too constantly thank God that when you received God’s message that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human message, but as it truly is, God’s message, which is at work among you who believe. 14 For you became imitators, brothers and sisters, of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you too suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they in fact did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and persecuted us severely. They are displeasing to God and are opposed to all people, 16 because they hinder us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they constantly fill up their measure of sins, but wrath has come upon them completely.
17 But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters, for a short time (in presence, not in affection) we became all the more fervent in our great desire to see you in person. 18 For we wanted to come to you (I, Paul, in fact tried again and again) but Satan thwarted us. 19 For who is our hope or joy or crown to boast of before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not of course you? 20 For you are our glory and joy!
