Day 54 of 730

¹The Lord 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 the Lord has commanded,

³Whatever 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,

⁴and hasn't brought it to the door of the Tent of Meeting, [so as to sacrifice it for a burnt offering or peace offering to the Lord to be acceptable for a soothing aroma, and whoever shall kill it without, and shall not bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting] to offer it as an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, blood shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people.

⁵This 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 the Lord, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to the priest, and sacrifice them for sacrifices of peace offerings to the Lord.

⁶The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the Lord at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and burn the fat for a pleasant aroma to the Lord.

⁷They 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,

⁹and doesn't bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to sacrifice it to the Lord; 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.

¹¹For 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.

¹²Therefore I have said to the children of Israel, "No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall 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.

¹⁴For 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.

¹⁶But if he doesn't wash them, or bathe his flesh, then he shall bear his iniquity.'"

¹The Lord said to Moses,

²"Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, 'I am the Lord your God.

³You 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; neither shall you walk in their statutes.

⁴You shall do my ordinances, and you shall keep my statutes, and walk in them: I am the Lord your God.

⁵You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which if a man does, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.

⁶"'None of you shall approach anyone who are his close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am the Lord.

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 to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is yet 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 to sacrifice to Molech; neither shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

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; neither shall any woman give herself to an animal, to lie down with it: it is a perversion.

²⁴"'Do not defile yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations which I am casting out before you were defiled.

²⁵The land was defiled: therefore I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out her inhabitants.

²⁶You 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 all these abominations have the men of the land done, that were before you, and the land became defiled);

²⁸that 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.

³⁰Therefore 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 the Lord your God.'"

¹Save me, God, by your name. Vindicate me in your might.

²Hear my prayer, God. Listen to the words of my mouth.

³For strangers have risen up against me. Violent men have sought after my soul. They haven't set God before them. Selah.

⁴Behold, God is my helper. The Lord is the one who sustains my soul.

⁵He will repay the evil to my enemies. Destroy them in your truth.

⁶With a free will offering, I will sacrifice to you. I will give thanks to your name, Lord, for it is good.

⁷For he has delivered me out of all trouble. My eye has seen triumph over my enemies.

¹When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;

²put a knife to your throat, if you are a man given to appetite.

³Do not be desirous of his dainties, seeing they are deceitful food.

⁴Do not weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.

⁵Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.

⁶Do not eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and do not crave his delicacies:

⁷for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. "Eat and drink!" he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

⁸The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up, and lose your good words.

⁹Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

¹⁰Do not move the ancient boundary stone. Do not encroach on the fields of the fatherless:

¹¹for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.

¹²Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.

¹³Do not withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.

¹⁴Punish him with the rod, and save his soul from Sheol.

¹⁵My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine:

¹⁶yes, my heart will rejoice, when your lips speak what is right.

¹⁷Do not let your heart envy sinners; but rather fear the Lord all the day long.

¹⁸Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁹Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path!

²⁰Do not be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat:

²¹for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

²²Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

²³Buy the truth, and do not sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.

²⁴The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.

²⁵Let your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you rejoice!

²⁶My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.

²⁷For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.

²⁸Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.

²⁹Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

³⁰Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.

³¹Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.

³²In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.

³³Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.

³⁴Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging:

³⁵"They hit me, and I was not hurt! They beat me, and I do not feel it! When will I wake up? I can do it again. I can find another."