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7 Then Moses told Aaron, “Go to the altar and offer ·sin [or purification; 4:3] offerings and whole burnt offerings [1:1–17]. Do this to ·remove your sins and the people’s sins so you will belong to God [make atonement for you and the people]. Offer the sacrifices for the people and ·perform the acts to remove their sins for them so they will belong to the Lord [make atonement for them] as the Lord has commanded.”
8 So Aaron went to the altar and ·killed [slaughtered] the bull calf as a ·sin [purification; 4:3] offering for himself. 9 Then Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the ·corners [horns; 27:2] of the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the ·bottom [base] of the altar. 10 Aaron took the fat, the kidneys, and the ·best part [appendage] of the liver from the ·sin [or purification; 4:3] offering and ·burned them [L turned them into smoke] on the altar, in the way the Lord had commanded Moses. 11 The meat and skin he burned outside the camp.
12 Then Aaron ·killed [slaughtered] the animal for the whole burnt offering [1:1–17]. His sons brought the blood to him, and he ·sprinkled [dashed] it on all sides of the altar. 13 As they gave him the pieces and head of the burnt offering [1:1–17], Aaron ·burned them [L turned them into smoke] on the altar. 14 He also washed the inner organs and the legs of the burnt offering [1:1–17] and ·burned them [L turned them into smoke] on top of the burnt offering [1:1–17] on the altar.
15 Then Aaron brought the offering that was for the people. He took the goat of the people’s ·sin [or purification; 4:3] offering and ·killed [slaughtered] it and offered it for the sin [or purification; 4:3] offering, just as he had done the first ·sin [or purification; 4:3] offering.
16 Then Aaron brought the whole ·burnt offering [1:1–17] and offered it ·in the way that the Lord had commanded [L according to regulations]. 17 He also brought the ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [2:1] to the altar. He ·took a handful of the grain [L filled his hand with a portion] and ·burned it [L turned it into smoke] on the altar, in addition to the morning’s burnt offering.
18 Aaron also ·killed [slaughtered] the bull and the ·male sheep [ram] as the ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [3:1] for the people. His sons brought him the blood, and he ·sprinkled [dashed] it on all sides of the altar. 19 Aaron’s sons also brought to Aaron the fat of the bull and the ·male sheep [ram]—the fat tail, the fat covering the inner organs, the kidneys, and the ·best part [appendage] of the liver. 20 Aaron’s sons put them on the breasts of the bull and the sheep. Then Aaron ·burned [L turned into smoke] these fat parts on the altar. 21 He ·presented [raised] the breasts and the right thigh before the Lord as ·the priests’ share of the [an elevation] offering, as Moses had commanded.
22 Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. When he had finished offering the ·sin [or purification; 4:3] offering, the burnt offering [1:1–17], and the ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offering [3:1], he stepped down from the altar.
23 Moses and Aaron went into the Meeting Tent. Then they came out and blessed the people, and the Lord’s glory [C his manifest presence] came to all the people. 24 Fire came out from the Lord and burned up the burnt offering [1:1–17] and fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and bowed facedown on the ground.
God Destroys Nadab and Abihu
10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their ·pans for burning incense [censers; firepans], put fire in them, and added incense; ·but they did not use the special fire Moses had commanded them to use in the presence of the Lord [L and they offered unholy/illicit/L strange fire such as he had not commanded them; C they failed, in some unknown way, to follow strict ritual protocol]. 2 So fire came down from the Lord and ·destroyed [consumed] Nadab and Abihu, and they died in front of the Lord. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord was speaking about when he said,
‘I ·must be respected as [or will show myself] holy
·by [or through] those who come near me;
before all the people
I must be ·given honor [glorified].’”
So Aaron did not say anything about the death of his sons.
4 Aaron’s uncle Uzziel had two sons named Mishael and Elzaphan. Moses said to them, “Come here and pick up your cousins’ bodies. Carry them outside the camp away from the front of the ·Holy Place [sanctuary].” 5 So Mishael and Elzaphan obeyed Moses and carried the bodies of Nadab and Abihu, still clothed in the special priest’s inner robes [Ex. 28:39–43], outside the camp.
6 Then Moses said to Aaron and his other sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Don’t show sadness by tearing your clothes or leaving your hair uncombed. If you do, you will die, and the Lord will be angry with all the ·people [community; congregation; assembly]. All the ·people [L house] of Israel, your relatives, may cry loudly about the Lord burning Nadab and Abihu, 7 but you must not even leave the Meeting Tent. If you go out of the entrance, you will die, because the ·Lord has appointed you to his service [L anointing oil of the Lord is on you].” So Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar obeyed Moses.
8 Then the Lord said to Aaron, 9 “You and your sons must not drink wine or ·beer [T strong drink; C an alcoholic beverage made from grain] when you go into the Meeting Tent. If you do, you will die. This ·law will continue [is a perpetual/eternal regulation] ·from now on [L throughout your generations]. 10 You must keep what is holy separate from what is ·not holy [common]; you must keep what is clean separate from what is unclean [L in a ritual sense]. 11 You must teach the ·people [L sons/T children of Israel] all the ·laws [regulations] that the Lord gave to them through Moses.”
12 Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Eat the part of the ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [2:1] that is left from the sacrifices offered by fire to the Lord, but do not add ·yeast [leaven] to it. Eat it near the altar because it is most holy. 13 You must eat it in a holy place, because this part of the offerings made by fire to the Lord ·belongs to you and [L is your due and the due of] your sons. I have been commanded to tell you this.
14 “Also, you and your sons and daughters may eat the breast and thigh of the ·fellowship [L elevation; C the offering was lifted to the Lord before it was eaten] offering that was presented to the Lord. You must eat them in a clean [C in a ritual sense] place; they are your ·share [due] of the ·fellowship [peace; well-being] offerings [3:1] given by the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel]. 15 The people must bring the fat from their animals that was part of the offering made by fire, and they must ·present it to the Lord along with the thigh [L that is raised] and the breast of the ·fellowship [L elevation—see v. 14] offering. They will be ·the regular share of the offerings for you and [your due and the due of] your children, as the Lord has commanded.”
16 Moses ·looked for [made inquiry about] the goat of the ·sin [or purification; 4:3] offering, but it had already been burned up. So he became very angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons. He said, 17 “Why didn’t you eat ·that goat [L the sin/or purification offering] in a holy place? It is most holy, and the Lord gave it to you to take away the guilt of the people, to ·remove their sins so they will belong to [make atonement for them before] the Lord. 18 You didn’t bring the goat’s blood inside the Holy Place. You were supposed to eat the goat in a holy place, as I commanded!”
19 But Aaron said to Moses, “Today they brought their ·sin [or purification] offering [4:3] and burnt offering [1:1–17] before the Lord, but these terrible things have still happened to me! Do you think the Lord would ·be any happier [or think it right] if I ate the ·sin [or purification] offering [4:3] today?” 20 When Moses heard this, he was satisfied.
Jesus Tells a Story About Seed
26 Then Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who ·plants seed in [scatters seed on] the ground. 27 Night and day, whether the person is asleep or awake, the seed still [sprouts and] grows, but the person does not know how it grows. 28 By itself the earth produces grain. First the ·plant [blade; stalk] grows, then the head, and then ·all the [the ripe] grain in the head. 29 When the grain is ready, the farmer cuts it [with a sickle], because this is the harvest time.”
A Story About Mustard Seed(A)
30 Then Jesus said, “How can I show you what the kingdom of God is like? What ·story [parable; see 3:23] can I use to explain it? 31 The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the smallest seed you plant in the ground. [C The mustard seed was the smallest seed known to Jesus’ hearers.] 32 But when planted, this seed grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants. It produces large branches, and the wild birds can make nests in its shade.”
33 Jesus used many ·stories [parables] like these to teach the crowd God’s ·message [word]—as much as they could ·understand [hear]. 34 He always used ·stories [parables] to teach them. But when he and his ·followers [disciples] were alone, Jesus explained everything to them.
Jesus Calms a Storm(B)
35 That evening, Jesus said to ·his followers [L them], “Let’s go across the lake.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him in the boat just as he was [C meaning he was already in the boat; 4:1]. There were also other boats with them. 37 A very strong wind came up on the lake. The waves came over the sides and into the boat so that it was ·already full of water [nearly swamped]. 38 Jesus was at the ·back of the boat [stern], sleeping on a cushion. ·His followers [L They] woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are ·drowning [perishing]?”
39 Jesus stood up and ·commanded [reprimanded; rebuked] the wind and said to the ·waves [sea], “·Quiet! [T Peace!] Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and it became completely calm. [C This parallels God’s subduing of the waters representing chaos in the OT; Ps. 65:7; 89:9; 107:29.]
40 Jesus said to ·his followers [L them], “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were ·very afraid [terrified; filled with awe] and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the ·waves [sea] obey him!”
A Man with Demons Inside Him(C)
5 ·Jesus and his followers [L They] went to the other side of the lake to the ·area [land; region] of the ·Gerasene[a] people [C Gerasa was southeast of Lake Galilee; the exact location is uncertain]. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, immediately a man with an ·evil [defiling; L unclean] spirit came to him from the ·burial caves [tombs; cemetery]. 3 This man lived in the ·caves [tombs], and no one could tie him up [any more], not even with a chain. 4 [For] Many times people had used [shackles and] chains to tie the man’s hands and feet, but he always ·broke them off [tore apart the chains and smashed the shackles]. No one was strong enough to ·control [subdue] him. 5 Day and night he would wander around the ·burial caves [tombs] and on the hills, screaming and ·cutting [bruising] himself with stones. 6 While Jesus was still far away, the man saw him, ran to him, and ·fell [bowed] down before him.
7 The man shouted in a loud voice, “·What do you want with me [Let me alone; What business do we have with each other; L What to me and to you; see 1:24], Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I ·command [beg; implore; swear to] you in God’s name not to ·torture [torment] me!” 8 He said this because Jesus was saying to him, “You ·evil [defiling; L unclean] spirit, come out of the man.”
9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
He answered, “My name is Legion [C a legion was about 5,000 soldiers in the Roman army], because we are many spirits.” 10 He begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of that ·area [land; region].
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on a hill near there. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us into the pigs; let us go into them.” 13 So Jesus allowed them to do this. The ·evil [defiling; L unclean] spirits left the man and went into the pigs. Then the herd of pigs—about two thousand of them—rushed down the ·hill [steep bank; precipice] into the lake and were drowned.
14 The herdsmen ran away and went to the town and to the countryside, telling everyone about this. So people went out to see what had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the man who used to have ·the many evil spirits [L the “legion”], sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. And they were frightened. 16 The people who saw this told the others what had happened to the man who had ·the demons living in him [been demon-possessed], and they told about the pigs. 17 Then the people began to beg Jesus to leave their area.
18 As Jesus was getting back into the boat, the man who ·was freed from the demons [had been demon-possessed] begged to go with him.
19 But Jesus would not let him. He said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man left and began to ·tell [proclaim/preach to] the people in the ·Ten Towns [or Decapolis; C a league of ten cities east of Lake Galilee] about what Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.
30 ·Good people speak with [L The mouth of the righteous mutters] wisdom,
and ·they say what is fair [L their tongue speaks justice/judgment].
31 The ·teachings [instructions; laws] of their God are in their heart [Jer. 31:33],
so ·they do not fail to keep them [L their steps do not slip/slide/totter].
32 The wicked watch for ·good [righteous] people
·so that they may [L to seek to] kill them [Prov. 1:8–19].
33 But the Lord will not ·take away his protection [L abandon/forsake them to their hand/power/control]
or let ·good people be judged guilty [them be condemned when brought to trial].
34 ·Wait for [Hope in] the Lord
and ·follow him [L keep/guard his way].
He will ·honor [exalt] you and ·give you [you will inherit] the land,
and you will see the wicked ·sent away [or destroyed].
35 I saw a wicked and ·cruel [oppressive] man
who ·looked [flourished] like a luxurious cedar tree [C strong and healthy].
36 But he ·died [passed on] and was ·gone [no more];
I ·looked for [sought] him, but he couldn’t be found.
37 ·Think of [Observe] the ·innocent [blameless] person,
and watch the ·honest [upright; virtuous] one.
The man who has peace
will have ·children to live after him [posterity].
38 But sinners will be destroyed;
·in the end [or the posterity of] the wicked will ·die [L be cut off].
39 The Lord ·saves [rescues; T delivers] ·good [righteous] people;
he is their strength in times of ·trouble [distress].
40 The Lord helps them and ·saves [rescues; T delivers] them;
he ·saves [rescues; T delivers] them from the wicked,
because they ·trust [take refuge] in him for protection.
6 ·Good [Righteous] people will have rich blessings,
but the mouth of the wicked ·will be overwhelmed by [or conceals] violence.
7 ·Good [Righteous] people will be remembered as a blessing,
but the name of evil people will soon ·be forgotten [L rot].
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.