Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret is pleasant. Proverbs 9:17

Leviticus 1-3

Leviticus 1

Laws for Burnt Offerings

¹ The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying, ² “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When anyone of you makes 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 defect. He shall offer it of his own freewill at the door of the Tent of Meeting, 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 He shall kill the bull before the Lord. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the door of the Tent of Meeting. ⁶ He shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces.

⁷ The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and lay wood in order on the fire, ⁸ and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar. ⁹ The innards and its legs must be washed with water. The priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasant aroma to the Lord.

¹⁰ If his offering is a burnt offering from the flock, from the sheep or from the goats, he shall offer a male without defect. ¹¹ He shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the Lord. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. ¹² He shall cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat. The priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar, ¹³ but the innards and the legs he shall wash with water. The priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasant aroma to the Lord.

¹⁴ If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall present his offering from turtledoves or of young pigeons. ¹⁵ The priest shall bring it to the altar and wring off its head and burn it on the altar, and its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar, ¹⁶ and he shall take away its crop and its feathers and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes. ¹⁷ He shall tear it by its wings, but shall not divide it apart. The priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasant aroma to the the Lord.”

Leviticus 2

Laws for Grain Offerings

¹ “When anyone offers a grain offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it. ² He shall bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests. The priest shall take a handful of its fine flour and of its oil with all its frankincense, and the priest shall burn it as a memorial on the altar, an offering made by fire, a pleasant aroma to the Lord. ³ And what remains from the grain offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to the Lord.

⁴ When you offer a grain offering baked in the oven, it shall be either unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

⁵ If your offering is a grain offering made on a griddle, it shall be of unleavened fine flour, mixed with oil. ⁶ You shall cut it in pieces and pour oil on it. It is a grain offering.

⁷ If your offering is a grain offering made in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.

⁸ You shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the Lord. It shall be presented to the priest, and he shall bring it to the altar. ⁹ The priest shall take from the grain offering a memorial portion and shall burn it on the altar, an offering made by fire, a pleasant aroma to the Lord. ¹⁰ That which is left of the grain offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to the Lord.

¹¹ No grain offering which you shall offer to the Lord shall be made with yeast, for you shall burn no yeast or honey as an offering made by fire to the Lord.

¹² As for the offering of first fruits, you shall offer them to the Lord, but they shall not be burnt on the alter as a sweet aroma to the Lord. ¹³ Every offering of your grain offering, you shall season with salt. You shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.

¹⁴ If you offer a grain offering of first fruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your first fruits, fresh heads of grain parched with fire and crushed. ¹⁵ You shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it. It is a grain offering. ¹⁶ The priest shall burn as its memorial, part of its crushed grain and part of its oil, along with all its frankincense. It is an offering made by fire to the Lord.”

Leviticus 3

Laws for Peace Offerings

¹ “If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers it from the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without defect before the Lord. ² He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle the blood around on the altar.

³ He shall present the sacrifice of peace offerings as an offering made by fire to the Lord and all the fat that is on and around the internal organs ⁴ and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall remove. ⁵ Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar on the burnt offering, which is on the wood that is on the fire. It is an offering made by fire, a pleasant aroma to the Lord.

⁶ If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord is from the flock, either male or female, he shall offer it without defect.

⁷ If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the Lord, ⁸ and he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it before the Tent of Meeting. Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

⁹ He shall present, from the sacrifice of peace offerings, an offering made by fire to the Lord. He shall remove its fat, the entire tail fat, close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, ¹⁰ and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall remove. ¹¹ The priest shall burn it on the altar. It is the food of the offering made by fire to the Lord.

¹² If his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the Lord. ¹³ He shall lay his hand on its head and kill it before the Tent of Meeting, and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

¹⁴ He shall offer from it as his offering, an offering made by fire to the Lord, and the fat that covers the internal organs and all the fat that is on the internal organs, ¹⁵ and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall remove.

¹⁶ The priest shall burn them on the altar. It is the food of the offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma. All the fat is the Lord’s.

¹⁷ It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings, that you shall eat neither fat nor blood.”

Mark 1:29-2:12

Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-Law

²⁹ Immediately after they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. ³⁰ Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever and immediately they told Jesus about her. ³¹ He came and took her by the hand and raised her up. The fever left her immediately, and she ministered to them.

Jesus Heals after Sabbath Sunset

³² At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by demons. ³³ All the city was gathered together at the door. ³⁴ He healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons. He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.

Jesus Prays and Preaches

³⁵ And very early in the morning, having risen while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a solitary place and was praying there. ³⁶ Simon and those who were with him searched for him. ³⁷ They found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.”

³⁸ He said to them, “Let us go another way, into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come.” ³⁹ He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.

The Leper’s Prayer

⁴⁰ A leper came to him, kneeling down to him and imploring him, “If you are willing, you are able to make me clean.”

⁴¹ Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I am willing. Be clean.” ⁴² When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was clean. ⁴³ He strictly warned him and immediately sent him away, ⁴⁴ and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest and offer the things which Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

⁴⁵ But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the matter so that Jesus could no longer openly enter into a city but was outside in desert places. People came to him from everywhere.

Mark 2

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

¹ When he entered back into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was in the house. ² Immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the Word to them. ³ Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him. ⁴ When they could not come near to him due to the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on. ⁵ Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

⁶ But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, ⁷ “Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

⁸ Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your bed and walk?’ ¹⁰ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— ¹¹ “I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house.”

¹² He arose, and immediately took up the mat and went out in front of all of them so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Psalm 35:17-28

¹⁷ Lord, how long will you look on?
Rescue me from their destruction,
my precious life from the lions.
¹⁸ I will give you thanks in the great assembly.
I will praise you among many people.
¹⁹ Do not let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me,
nor let those who hate me without a cause wink with malice.
²⁰ For they do not speak peace,
but they conceive deceit against those in the land who live quietly.
²¹ Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me.
They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”
²² You have seen it, O Lord. Do not keep silent.
O Lord, do not be far from me.
²³ Stir yourself up and awake to my defense!
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.
²⁴ Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to your righteousness.
Do not let them gloat over me.
²⁵ Do not let them say in their heart, “Aha! That’s what we wanted!”
Do not let them say, “We have devoured him!”
²⁶ Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together, those who rejoice at my hurt.
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me.

²⁷ Let those who favor my righteous cause shout for joy and be glad.
Yes, let them say continually, “May the Lord be magnified,
who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant!”
²⁸ My tongue shall speak of your righteousness and praise you all day long.

Proverbs 9:13-18

¹³ The woman, Folly, is clamorous,
easily deceived, and ignorant.
¹⁴ She sits at the door of her house,
on a seat in the high places of the city,
¹⁵ to call to those who pass by,
who are going right in their ways,
¹⁶ “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.”
as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,
¹⁷ “Stolen water is sweet.
Food eaten in secret is pleasant.”
¹⁸ But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of hell.

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