Leviticus 11, 12, Psalm 13, 14, Proverbs 26, 1 Thessalonians 5

Leviticus 11, 12,

1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
 
2 "Say to the Israelites: 'Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat:
 
3 You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud.
 
4 " 'There are some that only chew the cud or only have a split hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you.
 
5 The coney, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you.
 
6 The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you.
 
7 And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.
 
8 You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.
 
9 " 'Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales.
 
10 But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales-whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water-you are to detest.
 
11 And since you are to detest them, you must not eat their meat and you must detest their carcasses.
 
12 Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be detestable to you.
 
13 " 'These are the birds you are to detest and not eat because they are detestable: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture,
 
14 the red kite, any kind of black kite,
 
15 any kind of raven,
 
16 the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk,
 
17 the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,
 
18 the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey,
 
19 the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.
 
20 " 'All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you.
 
21 There are, however, some winged creatures that walk on all fours that you may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground.
 
22 Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper.
 
23 But all other winged creatures that have four legs you are to detest.
 
24 " 'You will make yourselves unclean by these; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening.
 
25 Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening.
 
26 " 'Every animal that has a split hoof not completely divided or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you; whoever touches the carcass of any of them will be unclean.
 
27 Of all the animals that walk on all fours, those that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening.
 
28 Anyone who picks up their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening. They are unclean for you.
 
29 " 'Of the animals that move about on the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard,
 
30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon.
 
31 Of all those that move along the ground, these are unclean for you. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean till evening.
 
32 When one of them dies and falls on something, that article, whatever its use, will be unclean, whether it is made of wood, cloth, hide or sackcloth. Put it in water; it will be unclean till evening, and then it will be clean.
 
33 If one of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean, and you must break the pot.
 
34 Any food that could be eaten but has water on it from such a pot is unclean, and any liquid that could be drunk from it is unclean.
 
35 Anything that one of their carcasses falls on becomes unclean; an oven or cooking pot must be broken up. They are unclean, and you are to regard them as unclean.
 
36 A spring, however, or a cistern for collecting water remains clean, but anyone who touches one of these carcasses is unclean.
 
37 If a carcass falls on any seeds that are to be planted, they remain clean.
 
38 But if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you.
 
39 " 'If an animal that you are allowed to eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass will be unclean till evening.
 
40 Anyone who eats some of the carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening. Anyone who picks up the carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening.
 
41 " 'Every creature that moves about on the ground is detestable; it is not to be eaten.
 
42 You are not to eat any creature that moves about on the ground, whether it moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet; it is detestable.
 
43 Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean by them.
 
44 I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground.
 
45 I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.
 
46 " 'These are the regulations concerning animals, birds, every living thing that moves in the water and every creature that moves about on the ground.
 
47 You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.' "

1 The LORD said to Moses,
 
2 "Say to the Israelites: 'A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period.
 
3 On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised.
 
4 Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over.
 
5 If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding.
 
6 " 'When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering.
 
7 He shall offer them before the LORD to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood. " 'These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl.
 
8 If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.' "

Psalm 13, 14,

1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
 
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
 
3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
 
4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
 
5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
 
6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
 
2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
 
3 All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
 
4 Will evildoers never learn-those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the LORD?
 
5 There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous.
 
6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.
 
7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Proverbs 26,

1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.
 
2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
 
3 A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!
 
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.
 
5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.
 
6 Like cutting off one's feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.
 
7 Like a lame man's legs that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
 
8 Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.
 
9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard's hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
 
10 Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or any passer-by.
 
11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
 
12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
 
13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!"
 
14 As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.
 
15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
 
16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.
 
17 Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.
 
18 Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows
 
19 is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!"
 
20 Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.
 
21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
 
22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.
 
23 Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.
 
24 A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit.
 
25 Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.
 
26 His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
 
27 If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.
 
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

1 Thessalonians 5

1 Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,
 
2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
 
3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
 
4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
 
5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
 
6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.
 
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
 
8 But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
 
9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
 
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
 
12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
 
13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.
 
14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
 
15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
 
16 Be joyful always;
 
17 pray continually;
 
18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
 
19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire;
 
20 do not treat prophecies with contempt.
 
21 Test everything. Hold on to the good.
 
22 Avoid every kind of evil.
 
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
 
25 Brothers, pray for us.
 
26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
 
27 I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
 
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.