March 6 - Matthew 11.1-19, Leviticus 11-12 and Proverbs 24
March 6 - Matthew 11.1-19, Leviticus 11-12 and Proverbs 24
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John the Baptist
 2John was in prison when he heard what Christ was doing. So John sent some of his followers 3to ask Jesus, "Are you the one we should be looking for? Or must we wait for someone else?"
4Jesus answered, "Go and tell John what you have heard and seen. 5The blind are now able to see, and the lame can walk. People with leprosy are being healed, and the deaf can hear. The dead are raised to life, and the poor are hearing the good news. 6God will bless everyone who doesn't reject me because of what I do."
7As John's followers were going away, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John:
 17"We played the flute,
but you would not dance!
 We sang a funeral song,
but you would not mourn!"
18John the Baptist did not go around eating and drinking, and you said, "That man has a demon in him!" 19But the Son of Man goes around eating and drinking, and you say, "That man eats and drinks too much! He is even a friend of tax collectors and sinners." Yet Wisdom is shown to be right by what it does.
Clean and Unclean Animals
You may eat 3any animal that has divided hoofs and chews the cud. 4-8But you must not eat animals such as camels, rock badgers, and rabbits that chew the cud but don't have divided hoofs. And you must not eat pigs--they have divided hoofs, but don't chew the cud. All of these animals are unclean, and you are forbidden even to touch their dead bodies.
9-12You may eat anything that lives in water and has fins and scales. But it would be disgusting for you to eat anything else that lives in water, and you must not even touch their dead bodies.
13-19Eagles, vultures, buzzards, crows, ostriches, hawks, sea gulls, owls, pelicans, storks, herons, hoopoes, and bats are also disgusting, and you are forbidden to eat any of them.
20-23The only winged insects you may eat are locusts, grasshoppers, and crickets. All other winged insects that crawl are too disgusting for you to eat.
24-28Don't even touch the dead bodies of animals that have divided hoofs but don't chew the cud. And don't touch the dead bodies of animals that have paws. If you do, you must wash your clothes, but you are still unclean until evening.
29-30Moles, rats, mice, and all kinds of lizards are unclean. 31Anyone who touches their dead bodies or anything touched by their dead bodies becomes unclean until evening. 32If something made of wood, cloth, or leather touches one of their dead bodies, it must be washed, but it is still unclean until evening. 33If any of these animals is found dead in a clay pot, the pot must be broken to pieces, and everything in it becomes unclean. 34If you pour water from this pot on any food, that food becomes unclean, and anything drinkable in the pot becomes unclean.
35If the dead body of one of these animals touches anything else, including ovens and stoves, that thing becomes unclean and must be destroyed. 36A spring or a cistern where one of these dead animals is found is still clean, but anyone who touches the animal becomes unclean. 37If the dead body of one of these animals is found lying on seeds that have been set aside for planting, the seeds remain clean. 38But seeds that are soaking in water become unclean, if the dead animal is found in the water.
39If an animal that may be eaten happens to die, and you touch it, you become unclean until evening. 40If you eat any of its meat or carry its body away, you must wash your clothes, but you are still unclean until evening.
41-42Don't eat any of those disgusting little creatures that crawl or walk close to the ground. 43If you eat any of them, you will become just as disgusting and unclean as they are. 44I am the LORD your God, and you must dedicate yourselves to me and be holy, just as I am holy. Don't become disgusting by eating any of these unclean creatures. 45I brought you out of Egypt so that I could be your God. Now you must become holy, because I am holy!
46-47I have given these laws so that you will know what animals, birds, and fish are clean and may be eaten, and which ones are unclean and may not be eaten.
What Women Must Do after Giving Birth Leviticus 12 The LORD told Moses 2to say to the community of Israel:If a woman gives birth to a son, she is unclean for seven days, just as she is during her monthly period. 3Her son must be circumcised on the eighth day, 4but her loss of blood keeps her from being completely clean for another thirty-three days. During this time she must not touch anything holy or go to the place of worship. 5Any woman who gives birth to a daughter is unclean for two weeks, just as she is during her period. And she won't be completely clean for another sixty-six days.
6When the mother has completed her time of cleansing, she must come to the front of the sacred tent and bring to the priest a year-old lamb as a sacrifice to please me and a dove or a pigeon as a sacrifice for sin. 7After the priest offers the sacrifices to me, the mother will become completely clean from her loss of blood, whether her child is a boy or a girl. 8If she cannot afford a lamb, she can offer two doves or two pigeons, one as a sacrifice to please me and the other as a sacrifice for sin.
--19-- Proverbs 24 Don't be jealous of crooks or want to be their friends. 2All they think about
and talk about
is violence and cruelty.
--20-- 3Use wisdom and understanding
to establish your home;
 4 let good sense fill the rooms
with priceless treasures.
--21-- 5Wisdom brings strength,
and knowledge gives power.
6Battles are won
by listening to advice
 and making a lot of plans.
--22-- 7Wisdom is too much for fools!
Their advice is no good.
--23-- 8No one but troublemakers
think up trouble.
9Everyone hates senseless fools
who think up ways to sin.
--24-- 10Don't give up and be helpless
in times of trouble.
--25-- 11Don't fail to rescue those
who are doomed to die.
12Don't say, "I didn't know it!"
 God can read your mind.
He watches each of us
and knows our thoughts.
And God will pay us back
for what we do.
--26-- 13Honey is good for you,
my children,
and it tastes sweet.
14Wisdom is like honey
for your life--
if you find it,
your future is bright.
--27-- 15Don't be a cruel person
who attacks good people
and hurts their families.
16Even if good people
fall seven times,
they will get back up.
But when trouble strikes
the wicked,
that's the end of them.
--28-- 17Don't be happy
to see your enemies trip
and fall down.
18The LORD will find out
and be unhappy.
Then he will stop
being angry with them.
--29-- 19Don't let evil people
worry you
or make you jealous.
20They will soon be gone
like the flame of a lamp
that burns out.
--30-- 21My children, you must respect
the LORD and the king,
and you must not make friends
with anyone
who rebels
against either of them.
22Who knows what sudden disaster
the LORD or a ruler
might bring?
More Sayings That Make Good Sense 23Here are some more sayings
that make good sense:
When you judge,
you must be fair.
24If you let the guilty
go free,
people of all nations
will hate and curse you.
25But if you punish the guilty,
things will go well for you,
and you will prosper.
26Giving an honest answer
is a sign
of true friendship.
27Get your fields ready
and plant your crops
before starting a home.
28Don't accuse anyone
who isn't guilty.
Don't ever tell a lie
29or say to someone,
"I'll get even with you!"
30I once walked by the field
and the vineyard
of a lazy fool.
31Thorns and weeds
were everywhere,
and the stone wall
had fallen down.
32When I saw this,
it taught me a lesson:
33Sleep a little. Doze a little.
Fold your hands
and twiddle your thumbs.
34Suddenly poverty hits you
and everything is gone!
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This reading is from The
Holy Bible, Contemporary English Version, copyright © American
Bible Society, 1995.
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