Exodus 30, John 9, Proverbs 6, Galatians 5

Exodus 30,

1 "Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense.
 
2 It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high-its horns of one piece with it.
 
3 Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.
 
4 Make two gold rings for the altar below the molding-two on opposite sides-to hold the poles used to carry it.
 
5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
 
6 Put the altar in front of the curtain that is before the ark of the Testimony-before the atonement cover that is over the Testimony-where I will meet with you.
 
7 "Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps.
 
8 He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come.
 
9 Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it.
 
10 Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the LORD."
 
11 Then the LORD said to Moses,
 
12 "When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the LORD a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them.
 
13 Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD.
 
14 All who cross over, those twenty years old or more, are to give an offering to the LORD.
 
15 The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives.
 
16 Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD, making atonement for your lives."
 
17 Then the LORD said to Moses,
 
18 "Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it.
 
19 Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it.
 
20 Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made to the LORD by fire,
 
21 they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come."
 
22 Then the LORD said to Moses,
 
23 "Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane,
 
24 500 shekels of cassia-all according to the sanctuary shekel-and a hin of olive oil.
 
25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil.
 
26 Then use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony,
 
27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense,
 
28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand.
 
29 You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.
 
30 "Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.
 
31 Say to the Israelites, 'This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.
 
32 Do not pour it on men's bodies and do not make any oil with the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.
 
33 Whoever makes perfume like it and whoever puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from his people.' "
 
34 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take fragrant spices-gum resin, onycha and galbanum-and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts,
 
35 and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred.
 
36 Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.
 
37 Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the LORD.
 
38 Whoever makes any like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from his people."

John 9,

1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.
 
2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
 
3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
 
4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
 
5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
 
6 Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes.
 
7 "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
 
8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?"
 
9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him." But he himself insisted, "I am the man."
 
10 "How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded.
 
11 He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."
 
12 "Where is this man?" they asked him. "I don't know," he said.
 
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.
 
14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath.
 
15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see."
 
16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they were divided.
 
17 Finally they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened." The man replied, "He is a prophet."
 
18 The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man's parents.
 
19 "Is this your son?" they asked. "Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?"
 
20 "We know he is our son," the parents answered, "and we know he was born blind.
 
21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don't know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself."
 
22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.
 
23 That was why his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."
 
24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God," they said. "We know this man is a sinner."
 
25 He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"
 
26 Then they asked him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?"
 
27 He answered, "I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?"
 
28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, "You are this fellow's disciple! We are disciples of Moses!
 
29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from."
 
30 The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
 
31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.
 
32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.
 
33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."
 
34 To this they replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out.
 
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
 
36 "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him."
 
37 Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."
 
38 Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.
 
39 Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
 
40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?"
 
41 Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

Proverbs 6,

1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another,
 
2 if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth,
 
3 then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor!
 
4 Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.
 
5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
 
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
 
7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,
 
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
 
9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?
 
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-
 
11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
 
12 A scoundrel and villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth,
 
13 who winks with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers,
 
14 who plots evil with deceit in his heart-he always stirs up dissension.
 
15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed-without remedy.
 
16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:
 
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
 
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,
 
19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
 
20 My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
 
21 Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck.
 
22 When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.
 
23 For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life,
 
24 keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife.
 
25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes,
 
26 for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.
 
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?
 
28 Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?
 
29 So is he who sleeps with another man's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
 
30 Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
 
31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
 
32 But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.
 
33 Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away;
 
34 for jealousy arouses a husband's fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
 
35 He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse the bribe, however great it is.

Galatians 5

1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
 
2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.
 
3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.
 
4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
 
5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.
 
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
 
7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?
 
8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.
 
9 "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough."
 
10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.
 
11 Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.
 
12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
 
13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
 
14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
 
15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
 
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
 
17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
 
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
 
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
 
20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
 
21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
 
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
 
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
 
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
 
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
 
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.