22 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings^(A) the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name.^(B) I am the Lord.^(C)

³ “Say to them: ‘For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord,^(D) that person must be cut off from my presence.^(E) I am the Lord.

⁴ “‘If a descendant of Aaron has a defiling skin disease^[a] or a bodily discharge,^(F) he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse^(G) or by anyone who has an emission of semen, ⁵ or if he touches any crawling thing^(H) that makes him unclean, or any person^(I) who makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be. ⁶ The one who touches any such thing will be unclean^(J) till evening.^(K) He must not eat any of the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water.^{(L) 7} When the sun goes down, he will be clean, and after that he may eat the sacred offerings, for they are his food.^{(M) 8} He must not eat anything found dead^(N) or torn by wild animals,^(O) and so become unclean^(P) through it. I am the Lord.^(Q)

⁹ “‘The priests are to perform my service^(R) in such a way that they do not become guilty^(S) and die^(T) for treating it with contempt. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.^(U)

¹⁰ “‘No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired worker eat it.^{(V) 11} But if a priest buys a slave with money, or if slaves are born in his household, they may eat his food.^{(W) 12} If a priest’s daughter marries anyone other than a priest, she may not eat any of the sacred contributions. ¹³ But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, yet has no children, and she returns to live in her father’s household as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food. No unauthorized person, however, may eat it.

¹⁴ “‘Anyone who eats a sacred offering by mistake^(X) must make restitution to the priest for the offering and add a fifth of the value^(Y) to it. ¹⁵ The priests must not desecrate the sacred offerings^(Z) the Israelites present to the Lord^{(AA) 16} by allowing them to eat^(AB) the sacred offerings and so bring upon them guilt^(AC) requiring payment.^(AD) I am the Lord, who makes them holy.^(AE)’”

Unacceptable Sacrifices

¹⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁸ “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘If any of you—whether an Israelite or a foreigner residing in Israel^(AF)—presents a gift^(AG) for a burnt offering to the Lord, either to fulfill a vow^(AH) or as a freewill offering,^{(AI) 19} you must present a male without defect^(AJ) from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf.^{(AK) 20} Do not bring anything with a defect,^(AL) because it will not be accepted on your behalf.^{(AM) 21} When anyone brings from the herd or flock^(AN) a fellowship offering^(AO) to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering,^(AP) it must be without defect or blemish^(AQ) to be acceptable.^{(AR) 22} Do not offer to the Lord the blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores. Do not place any of these on the altar as a food offering presented to the Lord. ²³ You may, however, present as a freewill offering an ox^[b] or a sheep that is deformed or stunted, but it will not be accepted in fulfillment of a vow. ²⁴ You must not offer to the Lord an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut.^(AS) You must not do this in your own land, ²⁵ and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God.^(AT) They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.^(AU)’”

²⁶ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁷ “When a calf, a lamb or a goat^(AV) is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days.^(AW) From the eighth day^(AX) on, it will be acceptable^(AY) as a food offering presented to the Lord. ²⁸ Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day.^(AZ)

²⁹ “When you sacrifice a thank offering^(BA) to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. ³⁰ It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning.^(BB) I am the Lord.^(BC)

³¹ “Keep^(BD) my commands and follow them.^(BE) I am the Lord. ³² Do not profane my holy name,^(BF) for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites.^(BG) I am the Lord, who made you holy^{(BH) 33} and who brought you out of Egypt^(BI) to be your God.^(BJ) I am the Lord.”

Psalm 74

A maskil^[a] of Asaph.

Freedom in Christ

5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.^(A) Stand firm,^(B) then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.^(C)

² Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised,^(D) 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.^{(E) 4} You who are trying to be justified by the law^(F) have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.^{(G) 5} For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.^{(H) 6} For in Christ Jesus^(I) neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.^(J) The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.^(K)

⁷ You were running a good race.^(L) Who cut in on you^(M) to keep you from obeying the truth? ⁸ That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.^{(N) 9} “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”^{(O) 10} I am confident^(P) in the Lord that you will take no other view.^(Q) The one who is throwing you into confusion,^(R) whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. ¹¹ Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?^(S) In that case the offense^(T) of the cross has been abolished. ¹² As for those agitators,^(U) I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Life by the Spirit

¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.^(V) But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh^[a];^(W) rather, serve one another^(X) humbly in love. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^{[b](Y) 15} If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit,^(Z) and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.^{(AA) 17} For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.^(AB) They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever^[c] you want.^{(AC) 18} But if you are led by the Spirit,^(AD) you are not under the law.^(AE)

¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality,^(AF) 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.^(AG) I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.^(AH)

²² But the fruit^(AI) of the Spirit is love,^(AJ) joy, peace,^(AK) forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control.^(AL) Against such things there is no law.^{(AM) 24} Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh^(AN) with its passions and desires.^{(AO) 25} Since we live by the Spirit,^(AP) let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited,^(AQ) provoking and envying each other.

Doing Good to All

6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit^(AR) should restore^(AS) that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. ² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.^{(AT) 3} If anyone thinks they are something^(AU) when they are not, they deceive themselves.^{(AV) 4} Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone,^(AW) without comparing themselves to someone else,^{(AX) 5} for each one should carry their own load.^{(AY) 6} Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.^(AZ)

⁷ Do not be deceived:^(BA) God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.^{(BB) 8} Whoever sows to please their flesh,^(BC) from the flesh will reap destruction;^(BD) whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.^{(BE) 9} Let us not become weary in doing good,^(BF) for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.^{(BG) 10} Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good^(BH) to all people, especially to those who belong to the family^(BI) of believers.

Not Circumcision but the New Creation

¹¹ See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!^(BJ)

¹² Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh^(BK) are trying to compel you to be circumcised.^(BL) The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted^(BM) for the cross of Christ. ¹³ Not even those who are circumcised keep the law,^(BN) yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh.^{(BO) 14} May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,^(BP) through which^[d] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.^{(BQ) 15} Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything;^(BR) what counts is the new creation.^{(BS) 16} Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to^[e] the Israel of God.

¹⁷ From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks^(BT) of Jesus.

¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ^(BU) be with your spirit,^(BV) brothers and sisters. Amen.