The Burnt Offering

1 The Lord called to Moses^(A) and spoke to him from the tent of meeting.^(B) He said, ² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When anyone among you brings an offering to the Lord,^(C) bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.^(D)

³ “‘If the offering is a burnt offering^(E) from the herd,^(F) you are to offer a male without defect.^(G) You must present it at the entrance to the tent^(H) of meeting so that it will be acceptable^(I) to the Lord. ⁴ You are to lay your hand on the head^(J) of the burnt offering,^(K) and it will be accepted^(L) on your behalf to make atonement^(M) for you. ⁵ You are to slaughter^(N) the young bull^(O) before the Lord, and then Aaron’s sons^(P) the priests shall bring the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar^(Q) at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁶ You are to skin^(R) the burnt offering and cut it into pieces.^{(S) 7} The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood^(T) on the fire. ⁸ Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat,^(U) on the wood^(V) that is burning on the altar. ⁹ You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water,^(W) and the priest is to burn all of it^(X) on the altar.^(Y) It is a burnt offering,^(Z) a food offering,^(AA) an aroma pleasing to the Lord.^(AB)

¹⁰ “‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the flock, from either the sheep^(AC) or the goats,^(AD) you are to offer a male without defect. ¹¹ You are to slaughter it at the north side of the altar^(AE) before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall splash its blood against the sides of the altar.^{(AF) 12} You are to cut it into pieces, and the priest shall arrange them, including the head and the fat,^(AG) on the wood that is burning on the altar. ¹³ You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water,^(AH) and the priest is to bring all of them and burn them^(AI) on the altar.^(AJ) It is a burnt offering,^(AK) a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

¹⁴ “‘If the offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, you are to offer a dove or a young pigeon.^{(AL) 15} The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off the head^(AM) and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar.^{(AN) 16} He is to remove the crop and the feathers^[a] and throw them down east of the altar where the ashes^(AO) are. ¹⁷ He shall tear it open by the wings, not dividing it completely,^(AP) and then the priest shall burn it on the wood^(AQ) that is burning on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

The Grain Offering

2 “‘When anyone brings a grain offering^(AR) to the Lord, their offering is to be of the finest flour.^(AS) They are to pour olive oil^(AT) on it,^(AU) put incense on it^{(AV) 2} and take it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour^(AW) and oil, together with all the incense,^(AX) and burn this as a memorial^[b] portion^(AY) on the altar, a food offering,^(AZ) an aroma pleasing to the Lord.^{(BA) 3} The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons;^(BB) it is a most holy^(BC) part of the food offerings presented to the Lord.

⁴ “‘If you bring a grain offering baked in an oven,^(BD) it is to consist of the finest flour: either thick loaves made without yeast and with olive oil mixed in or thin loaves^(BE) made without yeast and brushed with olive oil.^{(BF) 5} If your grain offering is prepared on a griddle,^(BG) it is to be made of the finest flour mixed with oil, and without yeast. ⁶ Crumble it and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. ⁷ If your grain offering is cooked in a pan,^(BH) it is to be made of the finest flour and some olive oil. ⁸ Bring the grain offering made of these things to the Lord; present it to the priest, who shall take it to the altar. ⁹ He shall take out the memorial portion^(BI) from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.^{(BJ) 10} The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons;^(BK) it is a most holy part of the food offerings presented to the Lord.^(BL)

¹¹ “‘Every grain offering you bring to the Lord must be made without yeast,^(BM) for you are not to burn any yeast or honey in a food offering presented to the Lord. ¹² You may bring them to the Lord as an offering of the firstfruits,^(BN) but they are not to be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma. ¹³ Season all your grain offerings with salt.^(BO) Do not leave the salt of the covenant^(BP) of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.

¹⁴ “‘If you bring a grain offering of firstfruits^(BQ) to the Lord, offer crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire. ¹⁵ Put oil and incense^(BR) on it; it is a grain offering. ¹⁶ The priest shall burn the memorial portion^(BS) of the crushed grain and the oil, together with all the incense,^(BT) as a food offering presented to the Lord.^(BU)

Psalm 51^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.^(A)

Psalm 52^[c]

For the director of music. A maskil^[d] of David. When Doeg the Edomite^(AV) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”

Concerning Married Life

7 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”^{(A) 2} But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. ³ The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife,^(B) and likewise the wife to her husband. ⁴ The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. ⁵ Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time,^(C) so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan^(D) will not tempt you^(E) because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ I say this as a concession, not as a command.^{(F) 7} I wish that all of you were as I am.^(G) But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.^(H)

⁸ Now to the unmarried^[a] and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do.^{(I) 9} But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry,^(J) for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

¹⁰ To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.^{(K) 11} But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband.^(L) And a husband must not divorce his wife.

¹² To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord):^(M) If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. ¹³ And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.^(N)

¹⁵ But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.^{(O) 16} How do you know, wife, whether you will save^(P) your husband?^(Q) Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Concerning Change of Status

¹⁷ Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.^(R) This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.^{(S) 18} Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised.^{(T) 19} Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing.^(U) Keeping God’s commands is what counts. ²⁰ Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.^(V)

²¹ Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. ²² For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person;^(W) similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave.^{(X) 23} You were bought at a price;^(Y) do not become slaves of human beings. ²⁴ Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.^(Z)

Concerning the Unmarried

²⁵ Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord,^(AA) but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy^(AB) is trustworthy. ²⁶ Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is.^{(AC) 27} Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife.^{(AD) 28} But if you do marry, you have not sinned;^(AE) and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

²⁹ What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short.^(AF) From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; ³⁰ those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; ³¹ those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.^(AG)

³² I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs^(AH)—how he can please the Lord. ³³ But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— ³⁴ and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.^(AI) But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. ³⁵ I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided^(AJ) devotion to the Lord.

³⁶ If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong^[b] and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning.^(AK) They should get married. ³⁷ But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. ³⁸ So then, he who marries the virgin does right,^(AL) but he who does not marry her does better.^[c]

³⁹ A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives.^(AM) But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.^{(AN) 40} In my judgment,^(AO) she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.