Daily Bible GNT March 02 Scroll

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man
(Mark 2.1-12; Luke 5.17-26)

Matthew 9 Jesus got into the boat and went back across the lake to his own town, ²where some people brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a bed. When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the paralyzed man, "Courage, my son! Your sins are forgiven."

³Then some teachers of the Law said to themselves, "This man is speaking blasphemy!"

⁴Jesus perceived what they were thinking, and so he said, "Why are you thinking such evil things? ⁵Is it easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? ⁶I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "Get up, pick up your bed, and go home!"

⁷The man got up and went home. ⁸When the people saw it, they were afraid, and praised God for giving such authority to people.

Jesus Calls Matthew
(Mark 2.13-17; Luke 5.27-32)

⁹Jesus left that place, and as he walked along, he saw a tax collector, named Matthew, sitting in his office. He said to him, "Follow me."

Matthew got up and followed him.

¹⁰While Jesus was having a meal in Matthew's house, many tax collectors and other outcasts came and joined Jesus and his disciples at the table. ¹¹Some Pharisees saw this and asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with such people?"

¹²Jesus heard them and answered, "People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. ¹³Go and find out what is meant by the scripture that says: 'It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices.' I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts."

The Question about Fasting
(Mark 2.18-22; Luke 5.33-39)

¹⁴Then the followers of John the Baptist came to Jesus, asking, "Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don't fast at all?"

¹⁵Jesus answered, "Do you expect the guests at a wedding party to be sad as long as the bridegroom is with them? Of course not! But the day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

¹⁶"No one patches up an old coat with a piece of new cloth, for the new patch will shrink and make an even bigger hole in the coat. ¹⁷Nor does anyone pour new wine into used wineskins, for the skins will burst, the wine will pour out, and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins, and both will keep in good condition."

Fellowship Offerings

Leviticus 3 When any of you offer one of your cattle as a fellowship offering, it is to be a bull or a cow without any defects. ²You shall put your hand on the head of the animal and kill it at the entrance of the Tent of the LORD's presence. The Aaronite priests shall throw the blood against all four sides of the altar ³and present the following parts of the animal as a food offering to the LORD: all the fat on the internal organs, ⁴the kidneys and the fat on them, and the best part of the liver. ⁵The priests shall burn all this on the altar along with the burnt offerings. The odor of this food offering is pleasing to the LORD.

⁶If a sheep or goat is used as a fellowship offering, it may be male or female, but it must be without any defects. ⁷If you offer a sheep, ⁸you shall put your hand on its head and kill it in front of the Tent. The priests shall throw its blood against all four sides of the altar ⁹and present the following parts of the animal as a food offering to the LORD: the fat, the entire fat tail cut off near the backbone, all the fat covering the internal organs, ¹⁰the kidneys and the fat on them, and the best part of the liver. ¹¹The officiating priest shall burn all this on the altar as a food offering to the LORD.

¹²If you offer a goat, ¹³you shall put your hand on its head and kill it in front of the Tent. The priests shall throw its blood against all four sides of the altar ¹⁴and present the following parts as a food offering to the LORD: all the fat on the internal organs, ¹⁵the kidneys and the fat on them, and the best part of the liver. ¹⁶The priest shall burn all this on the altar as a food offering pleasing to the LORD. All the fat belongs to the LORD. ¹⁷No Israelite may eat any fat or any blood; this is a rule to be kept forever by all Israelites wherever they live.

Offerings for Unintentional Sins

Leviticus 4 The LORD commanded Moses ²to tell the people of Israel that anyone who sinned and broke any of the LORD's commands without intending to, would have to observe the following rules.

³If it is the High Priest who sins and so brings guilt on the people, he shall present a young bull without any defects and sacrifice it to the LORD for his sin. ⁴He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the Tent, put his hand on its head, and kill it there in the LORD's presence. ⁵Then the High Priest shall take some of the bull's blood and carry it into the Tent. ⁶He shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it in front of the sacred curtain seven times. ⁷Then he shall put some of the blood on the projections at the corners of the incense altar in the Tent. He shall pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar used for burning sacrifices, which is at the entrance of the Tent. ⁸From this bull he shall take all the fat, the fat on the internal organs, ⁹the kidneys and the fat on them, and the best part of the liver. ¹⁰The priest shall take this fat and burn it on the altar used for the burnt offerings, just as he does with the fat from the animal killed for the fellowship offering. ¹¹But he shall take its skin, all its flesh, its head, its legs, and its internal organs, including the intestines, ¹²carry it all outside the camp to the ritually clean place where the ashes are poured out, and there he shall burn it on a wood fire.

¹³If it is the whole community of Israel that sins and becomes guilty of breaking one of the LORD's commands without intending to, ¹⁴then as soon as the sin becomes known, the community shall bring a young bull as a sin offering. They shall bring it to the Tent of the LORD's presence; ¹⁵the leaders of the community shall put their hands on its head, and it shall be killed there. ¹⁶The High Priest shall take some of the bull's blood into the Tent, ¹⁷dip his finger in it, and sprinkle it in front of the curtain seven times. ¹⁸He shall put some of the blood on the projections at the corners of the incense altar inside the Tent and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar used for burning sacrifices, which is at the entrance of the Tent. ¹⁹Then he shall take all its fat and burn it on the altar. ²⁰He shall do the same thing with this bull as he does with the bull for the sin offering, and in this way he shall make the sacrifice for the people's sin, and they will be forgiven. ²¹Then he shall take the bull outside the camp and burn it, just as he burns the bull offered for his own sin. This is an offering to take away the sin of the community.

²²If it is a ruler who sins and becomes guilty of breaking one of the LORD's commands without intending to, ²³then as soon as the sin is called to his attention, he shall bring as his offering a male goat without any defects. ²⁴He shall put his hand on its head and kill it on the north side of the altar, where the animals for the burnt offerings are killed. This is an offering to take away sin. ²⁵The priest shall dip his finger in the blood of the animal, put it on the projections at the corners of the altar, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar. ²⁶Then he shall burn all of its fat on the altar, just as he burns the fat of the animals killed for the fellowship offerings. In this way the priest shall offer the sacrifice for the sin of the ruler, and he will be forgiven.

²⁷If any of you people sin and become guilty of breaking one of the LORD's commands without intending to, ²⁸then as soon as the sin is called to your attention, you shall bring as your offering a female goat without any defects. ²⁹You shall put your hand on its head and kill it on the north side of the altar, where the animals for the burnt offerings are killed. ³⁰The priest shall dip his finger in the blood of the animal, put it on the projections at the corners of the altar, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar. ³¹Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat is removed from the animals killed for the fellowship offerings, and he shall burn it on the altar as an odor pleasing to the LORD. In this way the priest shall offer the sacrifice for the man's sin, and he will be forgiven.

³²If you bring a sheep as a sin offering, it must be a female without any defects. ³³You shall put your hand on its head and kill it on the north side of the altar, where the animals for the burnt offerings are killed. ³⁴The priest shall dip his finger in the blood of the animal, put it on the projections at the corners of the altar, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar. ³⁵Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat is removed from the sheep killed for the fellowship offerings, and he shall burn it on the altar along with the food offerings given to the LORD. In this way the priest shall offer the sacrifice for your sin, and you will be forgiven.

Proverbs 20 Drinking too much makes you loud and foolish. It's stupid to get drunk.

²Fear an angry king as you would a growling lion; making him angry is suicide.

³Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them.

⁴A farmer too lazy to plow his fields at the right time will have nothing to harvest.

⁵A person's thoughts are like water in a deep well, but someone with insight can draw them out.

⁶Everyone talks about how loyal and faithful he is, but just try to find someone who really is!

⁷Children are fortunate if they have a father who is honest and does what is right.

⁸The king sits in judgment and knows evil when he sees it.

⁹Can anyone really say that his conscience is clear, that he has gotten rid of his sin?

¹⁰The LORD hates people who use dishonest weights and measures.

¹¹Even children show what they are by what they do; you can tell if they are honest and good.

¹²The LORD has given us eyes to see with and ears to listen with.

¹³If you spend your time sleeping, you will be poor. Keep busy and you will have plenty to eat.

¹⁴The customer always complains that the price is too high, but then he goes off and brags about the bargain he got.

¹⁵If you know what you are talking about, you have something more valuable than gold or jewels.

¹⁶Anyone stupid enough to promise to be responsible for a stranger's debts ought to have their own property held to guarantee payment.

¹⁷What you get by dishonesty you may enjoy like the finest food, but sooner or later it will be like a mouthful of sand.

¹⁸Get good advice and you will succeed; don't go charging into battle without a plan.

¹⁹A gossip can never keep a secret. Stay away from people who talk too much.

²⁰If you curse your parents, your life will end like a lamp that goes out in the dark.

²¹The more easily you get your wealth, the less good it will do you.

²²Don't take it on yourself to repay a wrong. Trust the LORD and he will make it right.

²³The LORD hates people who use dishonest scales and weights.

²⁴The LORD has determined our path; how then can anyone understand the direction his own life is taking?

²⁵Think carefully before you promise an offering to God. You might regret it later.

²⁶A wise king will find out who is doing wrong, and will punish him without pity.

²⁷The LORD gave us mind and conscience; we cannot hide from ourselves.

²⁸A king will remain in power as long as his rule is honest, just, and fair.

²⁹We admire the strength of youth and respect the gray hair of age.

³⁰Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways.

This reading is from The Holy Bible, Today's English Version, Second Edition copyright © American Bible Society, 1992;
Old Testament copyright © American Bible Society, 1976, 1992; New Testament © American Bible Society, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992.

These daily Bible readings from the Good News Translation (GNT), formerly the Today's English Version (TEV), are published by BibleNetUSA. The web site and BibleCard® designs are by iCreative. All BibleCard® images are copyrighted by iCreative. All rights reserved.