Daily Bible GNT February 24 Scroll

Teaching about Anger

Matthew 5 ²¹"You have heard that people were told in the past, 'Do not commit murder; anyone who does will be brought to trial.' ²²But now I tell you: if you are angry with your brother you will be brought to trial, if you call your brother 'You good-for-nothing!' you will be brought before the Council, and if you call your brother a worthless fool you will be in danger of going to the fire of hell. ²³So if you are about to offer your gift to God at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God.

²⁵"If someone brings a lawsuit against you and takes you to court, settle the dispute while there is time, before you get to court. Once you are there, you will be turned over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, and you will be put in jail. ²⁶There you will stay, I tell you, until you pay the last penny of your fine.

Teaching about Adultery

²⁷"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' ²⁸But now I tell you: anyone who looks at a woman and wants to possess her is guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹So if your right eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. ³⁰If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose one of your limbs than to have your whole body go off to hell.

Teaching about Divorce
(Matthew 19.9; Mark 10.11, 12; Luke 16.18)

³¹"It was also said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.' ³²But now I tell you: if a man divorces his wife for any cause other than her unfaithfulness, then he is guilty of making her commit adultery if she marries again; and the man who marries her commits adultery also.

Teaching about Vows

³³"You have also heard that people were told in the past, 'Do not break your promise, but do what you have vowed to the Lord to do.' ³⁴But now I tell you: do not use any vow when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven, for it is God's throne; ³⁵nor by earth, for it is the resting place for his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. ³⁷Just say 'Yes' or 'No'--anything else you say comes from the Evil One.

Teaching about Revenge
(Luke 6.29, 30)

³⁸"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' ³⁹But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too. ⁴⁰And if someone takes you to court to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well. ⁴¹And if one of the occupation troops forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles. ⁴²When someone asks you for something, give it to him; when someone wants to borrow something, lend it to him.

Love for Enemies
(Luke 6.27, 28, 32-36)

⁴³"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your friends, hate your enemies.' ⁴⁴But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil. ⁴⁶Why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you? Even the tax collectors do that! ⁴⁷And if you speak only to your friends, have you done anything out of the ordinary? Even the pagans do that! ⁴⁸You must be perfect--just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

The Altar for Burning Incense
(Exodus 37.25-28)

Exodus 30 "Make an altar out of acacia wood, for burning incense. ²It is to be square, 18 inches long and 18 inches wide, and it is to be 36 inches high. Its projections at the four corners are to form one piece with it. ³Cover its top, all four sides, and its projections with pure gold, and put a gold border around it. ⁴Make two gold carrying rings for it and attach them below the border on two sides to hold the poles with which it is to be carried. ⁵Make these poles of acacia wood and cover them with gold. ⁶Put this altar outside the curtain which hangs in front of the Covenant Box. That is the place where I will meet you. ⁷Every morning when Aaron comes to take care of the lamps, he is to burn sweet-smelling incense on it. ⁸He must do the same when he lights the lamps in the evening. This offering of incense is to continue without interruption for all time to come. ⁹Do not offer on this altar any forbidden incense, any animal offering, or any grain offering, and do not pour out any wine offering on it. ¹⁰Once a year Aaron is to perform the ritual for purifying the altar by putting on its four projections the blood of the animal sacrificed for sin. This is to be done every year for all time to come. This altar is to be completely holy, dedicated to me, the LORD."

The Tax for the Tent of the LORD's Presence

¹¹The LORD said to Moses, ¹²"When you take a census of the people of Israel, each man is to pay me a price for his life, so that no disaster will come on him while the census is being taken. ¹³Everyone included in the census must pay the required amount of money, weighed according to the official standard. Everyone must pay this as an offering to me. ¹⁴Everyone being counted in the census, that is, every man twenty years old or older, is to pay me this amount. ¹⁵The rich man is not to pay more, nor the poor man less, when they pay this amount for their lives. ¹⁶Collect this money from the people of Israel and spend it for the upkeep of the Tent of my presence. This tax will be the payment for their lives, and I will remember to protect them."

The Bronze Basin

¹⁷The LORD said to Moses, ¹⁸"Make a bronze basin with a bronze base. Place it between the Tent and the altar, and put water in it. ¹⁹Aaron and his sons are to use the water to wash their hands and feet ²⁰before they go into the Tent or approach the altar to offer the food offering. Then they will not be killed. ²¹They must wash their hands and feet, so that they will not die. This is a rule which they and their descendants are to observe forever."

The Anointing Oil

²²The LORD said to Moses, ²³"Take the finest spices--12 pounds of liquid myrrh, 6 pounds of sweet-smelling cinnamon, 6 pounds of sweet-smelling cane, ²⁴and 12 pounds of cassia (all weighed according to the official standard). Add one gallon of olive oil, ²⁵and make a sacred anointing oil, mixed like perfume. ²⁶Use it to anoint the Tent of my presence, the Covenant Box, ²⁷the table and all its equipment, the lampstand and its equipment, the altar for burning incense, ²⁸the altar for burning offerings, together with all its equipment, and the washbasin with its base. ²⁹Dedicate these things in this way, and they will be completely holy, and anyone or anything that touches them will be harmed by the power of its holiness. ³⁰Then anoint Aaron and his sons, and ordain them as priests in my service. ³¹Say to the people of Israel, 'This holy anointing oil is to be used in my service for all time to come. ³²It must not be poured on ordinary men, and you must not use the same formula to make any mixture like it. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy. ³³Whoever makes any like it or uses any of it on anyone who is not a priest will no longer be considered one of my people.'"

The Incense

³⁴The LORD said to Moses, "Take an equal part of each of the following sweet spices--stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense. ³⁵Use them to make incense, mixed like perfume. Add salt to keep it pure and holy. ³⁶Beat part of it into a fine powder, take it into the Tent of my presence, and sprinkle it in front of the Covenant Box. Treat this incense as completely holy. ³⁷Do not use the same formula to make any incense like it for yourselves. Treat it as a holy thing dedicated to me. ³⁸If anyone makes any like it for use as perfume, he will no longer be considered one of my people."

Craftsmen for the Tent of the LORD's Presence
(Exodus 35.30--36.1)

Exodus 31 The LORD said to Moses, ²"I have chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah, ³and I have filled him with my power. I have given him understanding, skill, and ability for every kind of artistic work-- ⁴for planning skillful designs and working them in gold, silver, and bronze; ⁵for cutting jewels to be set; for carving wood; and for every other kind of artistic work. ⁶I have also selected Oholiab son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, to work with him. I have also given great ability to all the other skilled workers, so that they can make everything I have commanded to be made: ⁷the Tent of my presence, the Covenant Box and its lid, all the furnishings of the Tent, ⁸the table and its equipment, the lampstand of pure gold and all its equipment, the altar for burning incense, ⁹the altar for burnt offerings and all its equipment, the washbasin and its base, ¹⁰the magnificent priestly garments for Aaron and his sons to use when they serve as priests, ¹¹the anointing oil, and the sweet-smelling incense for the Holy Place. In making all these things, they are to do exactly as I have commanded you."

Sabbath, the Day of Rest

¹²The LORD commanded Moses ¹³to tell the people of Israel, "Keep the Sabbath, my day of rest, because it is a sign between you and me for all time to come, to show that I, the LORD, have made you my own people. ¹⁴You must keep the day of rest, because it is sacred. Whoever does not keep it, but works on that day, is to be put to death. ¹⁵You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a solemn day of rest dedicated to me. Whoever does any work on that day is to be put to death. ¹⁶The people of Israel are to keep this day as a sign of the covenant. ¹⁷It is a permanent sign between the people of Israel and me, because I, the LORD, made heaven and earth in six days, and on the seventh day I stopped working and rested."

¹⁸When God had finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets on which God himself had written the commandments.

The Gold Bull-Calf
(Deuteronomy 9.6-29)

Exodus 32 When the people saw that Moses had not come down from the mountain but was staying there a long time, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, "We do not know what has happened to this man Moses, who led us out of Egypt; so make us a god to lead us."

²Aaron said to them, "Take off the gold earrings which your wives, your sons, and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." ³So all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. ⁴He took the earrings, melted them, poured the gold into a mold, and made a gold bull-calf.

The people said, "Israel, this is our god, who led us out of Egypt!"

⁵Then Aaron built an altar in front of the gold bull-calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to honor the LORD." ⁶Early the next morning they brought some animals to burn as sacrifices and others to eat as fellowship offerings. The people sat down to a feast, which turned into an orgy of drinking and sex.

⁷The LORD said to Moses, "Hurry and go back down, because your people, whom you led out of Egypt, have sinned and rejected me. ⁸They have already left the way that I commanded them to follow; they have made a bull-calf out of melted gold and have worshiped it and offered sacrifices to it. They are saying that this is their god, who led them out of Egypt. ⁹I know how stubborn these people are. ¹⁰Now, don't try to stop me. I am angry with them, and I am going to destroy them. Then I will make you and your descendants into a great nation."

¹¹But Moses pleaded with the LORD his God and said, "LORD, why should you be so angry with your people, whom you rescued from Egypt with great might and power? ¹²Why should the Egyptians be able to say that you led your people out of Egypt, planning to kill them in the mountains and destroy them completely? Stop being angry; change your mind and do not bring this disaster on your people. ¹³Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Remember the solemn promise you made to them to give them as many descendants as there are stars in the sky and to give their descendants all that land you promised would be their possession forever." ¹⁴So the LORD changed his mind and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

¹⁵Moses went back down the mountain, carrying the two stone tablets with the commandments written on both sides. ¹⁶God himself had made the tablets and had engraved the commandments on them.

¹⁷Joshua heard the people shouting and said to Moses, "I hear the sound of battle in the camp."

¹⁸Moses said, "That doesn't sound like a shout of victory or a cry of defeat; it's the sound of singing."

¹⁹When Moses came close enough to the camp to see the bull-calf and to see the people dancing, he became furious. There at the foot of the mountain, he threw down the tablets he was carrying and broke them. ²⁰He took the bull-calf which they had made, melted it, ground it into fine powder, and mixed it with water. Then he made the people of Israel drink it. ²¹He said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you, that you have made them commit such a terrible sin?"

²²Aaron answered, "Don't be angry with me; you know how determined these people are to do evil. ²³They said to me, 'We don't know what has happened to this man Moses, who brought us out of Egypt; so make us a god to lead us.' ²⁴I asked them to bring me their gold ornaments, and those who had any took them off and gave them to me. I threw the ornaments into the fire and out came this bull-calf!"

²⁵Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get out of control and make fools of themselves in front of their enemies. ²⁶So he stood at the gate of the camp and shouted, "Everyone who is on the LORD's side come over here!" So all the Levites gathered around him, ²⁷and he said to them, "The LORD God of Israel commands every one of you to put on your sword and go through the camp from this gate to the other and kill your brothers, your friends, and your neighbors." ²⁸The Levites obeyed, and killed about three thousand men that day. ²⁹Moses said to the Levites, "Today you have consecrated yourselves as priests in the service of the LORD by killing your sons and brothers, so the LORD has given you his blessing."

³⁰The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a terrible sin. But now I will again go up the mountain to the LORD; perhaps I can obtain forgiveness for your sin." ³¹Moses then returned to the LORD and said, "These people have committed a terrible sin. They have made a god out of gold and worshiped it. ³²Please forgive their sin; but if you won't, then remove my name from the book in which you have written the names of your people."

³³The LORD answered, "It is those who have sinned against me whose names I will remove from my book. ³⁴Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Remember that my angel will guide you, but the time is coming when I will punish these people for their sin."

³⁵So the LORD sent a disease on the people, because they had caused Aaron to make the gold bull-calf.

Proverbs 14 Homes are made by the wisdom of women, but are destroyed by foolishness.

²Be honest and you show that you have reverence for the LORD; be dishonest and you show that you do not.

³Proud fools talk too much; the words of the wise protect them.

⁴Without any oxen to pull the plow your barn will be empty, but with them it will be full of grain.

⁵A reliable witness always tells the truth, but an unreliable one tells nothing but lies.

⁶Conceited people can never become wise, but intelligent people learn easily.

⁷Stay away from foolish people; they have nothing to teach you.

⁸Why is a clever person wise? Because he knows what to do. Why is a stupid person foolish? Because he only thinks he knows.

⁹Foolish people don't care if they sin, but good people want to be forgiven.

¹⁰Your joy is your own; your bitterness is your own. No one can share them with you.

¹¹A good person's house will still be standing after an evildoer's house has been destroyed.

¹²What you think is the right road may lead to death.

¹³Laughter may hide sadness. When happiness is gone, sorrow is always there.

¹⁴Bad people will get what they deserve. Good people will be rewarded for their deeds.

¹⁵A fool will believe anything; smart people watch their step.

¹⁶Sensible people are careful to stay out of trouble, but stupid people are careless and act too quickly.

¹⁷People with a hot temper do foolish things; wiser people remain calm.

¹⁸Ignorant people get what their foolishness deserves, but the clever are rewarded with knowledge.

¹⁹Evil people will have to bow down to the righteous and humbly beg their favor.

²⁰No one likes the poor, not even their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.

²¹If you want to be happy, be kind to the poor; it is a sin to despise anyone.

²²You will earn the trust and respect of others if you work for good; if you work for evil, you are making a mistake.

²³Work and you will earn a living; if you sit around talking you will be poor.

²⁴Wise people are rewarded with wealth, but fools are known by their foolishness.

²⁵A witness saves lives when he tells the truth; when he tells lies, he betrays people.

²⁶Reverence for the LORD gives confidence and security to a man and his family.

²⁷Do you want to avoid death? Reverence for the LORD is a fountain of life.

²⁸A king's greatness depends on how many people he rules; without them he is nothing.

²⁹If you stay calm, you are wise, but if you have a hot temper, you only show how stupid you are.

³⁰Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.

³¹If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship.

³²Wicked people bring about their own downfall by their evil deeds, but good people are protected by their integrity.

³³Wisdom is in every thought of intelligent people; fools know nothing about wisdom.

³⁴Righteousness makes a nation great; sin is a disgrace to any nation.

³⁵Kings are pleased with competent officials, but they punish those who fail them.

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.