Identity Shaped by Grace

Virtuous: A Devotional for Women

____ for Christ - Salvation for All

Be Sustained While Waiting

Following the Call of Jesus

God, Not the Glass -- Reset Your Mind and Spirit

The Way to True Happiness

One New Humanity: Mission in Ephesians

Conversation Starters - Film + Faith - Redemption, Revenge & Justice

The Art of Being Still

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkLEV">
 <div class="chapter ch20" data-usfm="LEV.20">
 <div class="label">20</div><div class="s1">Punishments for Sin</div><div class="p"> 1The Lord said to Moses, 2&#8220;Say to the Israelites: &#8216;Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him. 3I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. 4If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death, 5I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.</div><div class="p"> 6&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.</div><div class="p"> 7&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. 8Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.</div><div class="p"> 9&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. Because they have cursed their father or mother, their blood will be on their own head.</div><div class="p"> 10&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;If a man commits adultery with another man&#8217;s wife&#8212;with the wife of his neighbor&#8212;both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.</div><div class="p"> 11&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;If a man has sexual relations with his father&#8217;s wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man and the woman are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.</div><div class="p"> 12&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;If a man has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law, both of them are to be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads.</div><div class="p"> 13&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.</div><div class="p"> 14&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that no wickedness will be among you.</div><div class="p"> 15&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he is to be put to death, and you must kill the animal.</div><div class="p"> 16&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.</div><div class="p"> 17&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They are to be publicly removed from their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible.</div><div class="p"> 18&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her monthly period, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them are to be cut off from their people.</div><div class="p"> 19&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father, for that would dishonor a close relative; both of you would be held responsible.</div><div class="p"> 20&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;If a man has sexual relations with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible; they will die childless.</div><div class="p"> 21&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;If a man marries his brother&#8217;s wife, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless.</div><div class="p"> 22&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. 23You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them. 24But I said to you, &#8220;You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.&#8221; I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations.</div><div class="p"> 25&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds. Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground&#8212;those that I have set apart as unclean for you. 26You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.</div><div class="p"> 27&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkLEV">
 <div class="chapter ch21" data-usfm="LEV.21">
 <div class="label">21</div><div class="s1">Rules for Priests</div><div class="p"> 1The Lord said to Moses, &#8220;Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: &#8216;A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die, 2except for a close relative, such as his mother or father, his son or daughter, his brother, 3or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband&#8212;for her he may make himself unclean. 4He must not make himself unclean for people related to him by marriage,#21:4 Or unclean as a leader among his people and so defile himself.</div><div class="p"> 5&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies. 6They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the food offerings to the Lord, the food of their God, they are to be holy.</div><div class="p"> 7&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God. 8Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the Lord am holy&#8212;I who make you holy.</div><div class="p"> 9&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;If a priest&#8217;s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire.</div><div class="p"> 10&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair become unkempt#21:10 Or not uncover his head or tear his clothes. 11He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother, 12nor leave the sanctuary of his God or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 13&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;The woman he marries must be a virgin. 14He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only a virgin from his own people, 15so that he will not defile his offspring among his people. I am the Lord, who makes him holy.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16The Lord said to Moses, 17&#8220;Say to Aaron: &#8216;For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God. 18No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; 19no man with a crippled foot or hand, 20or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles. 21No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God. 22He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food; 23yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24So Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkLEV">
 <div class="chapter ch22" data-usfm="LEV.22">
 <div class="label">22</div><div class="p"> 1The Lord said to Moses, 2&#8220;Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name. I am the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 3&#8220;Say to them: &#8216;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, that person must be cut off from my presence. I am the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 4&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;If a descendant of Aaron has a defiling skin disease#22:4 The Hebrew word for defiling skin disease, traditionally translated &#8220;leprosy,&#8221; was used for various diseases affecting the skin. or a bodily discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse or by anyone who has an emission of semen, 5or if he touches any crawling thing that makes him unclean, or any person who makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be. 6The one who touches any such thing will be unclean till evening. He must not eat any of the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water. 7When the sun goes down, he will be clean, and after that he may eat the sacred offerings, for they are his food. 8He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, and so become unclean through it. I am the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 9&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;The priests are to perform my service in such a way that they do not become guilty and die for treating it with contempt. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.</div><div class="p"> 10&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;No one outside a priest&#8217;s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired worker eat it. 11But if a priest buys a slave with money, or if slaves are born in his household, they may eat his food. 12If a priest&#8217;s daughter marries anyone other than a priest, she may not eat any of the sacred contributions. 13But if a priest&#8217;s daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, yet has no children, and she returns to live in her father&#8217;s household as in her youth, she may eat her father&#8217;s food. No unauthorized person, however, may eat it.</div><div class="p"> 14&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;Anyone who eats a sacred offering by mistake must make restitution to the priest for the offering and add a fifth of the value to it. 15The priests must not desecrate the sacred offerings the Israelites present to the Lord 16by allowing them to eat the sacred offerings and so bring upon them guilt requiring payment. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Unacceptable Sacrifices</div><div class="p"> 17The Lord said to Moses, 18&#8220;Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: &#8216;If any of you&#8212;whether an Israelite or a foreigner residing in Israel&#8212;presents a gift for a burnt offering to the Lord, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, 19you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf. 20Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf. 21When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable. 22Do 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. 23You may, however, present as a freewill offering an ox#22:23 The Hebrew word can refer to either male or female. or a sheep that is deformed or stunted, but it will not be accepted in fulfillment of a vow. 24You must not offer to the Lord an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut. You must not do this in your own land, 25and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God. They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 26The Lord said to Moses, 27&#8220;When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as a food offering presented to the Lord. 28Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day.</div><div class="p"> 29&#8220;When you sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 30It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. I am the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 31&#8220;Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord. 32Do not profane my holy name, for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the Lord, who made you holy 33and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkACT">
 <div class="chapter ch20" data-usfm="ACT.20">
 <div class="label">20</div><div class="s1">Through Macedonia and Greece</div><div class="p"> 1When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. 2He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 3where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.</div><div class="s1">Eutychus Raised From the Dead at Troas</div><div class="p"> 7On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. &#8220;Don&#8217;t be alarmed,&#8221; he said. &#8220;He&#8217;s alive!&#8221; 11Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.</div><div class="s1">Paul&#8217;s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders</div><div class="p"> 13We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.</div><div class="p"> 17From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18When they arrived, he said to them: &#8220;You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.</div><div class="p"> 22&#8220;And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me&#8212;the task of testifying to the good news of God&#8217;s grace.</div><div class="p"> 25&#8220;Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,#20:28 Many manuscripts of the Lord which he bought with his own blood.#20:28 Or with the blood of his own Son. 29I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.</div><div class="p"> 32&#8220;Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33I have not coveted anyone&#8217;s silver or gold or clothing. 34You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: &#8216;It is more blessed to give than to receive.&#8217; &#8221;</div><div class="p"> 36When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkPRO">
 <div class="chapter ch13" data-usfm="PRO.13">
 <div class="label">13</div><div class="q1"> 1A wise son heeds his father&#8217;s instruction,</div><div class="q2">but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 2From the fruit of their lips people enjoy good things,</div><div class="q2">but the unfaithful have an appetite for violence.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 3Those who guard their lips preserve their lives,</div><div class="q2">but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 4A sluggard&#8217;s appetite is never filled,</div><div class="q2">but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 5The righteous hate what is false,</div><div class="q2">but the wicked make themselves a stench</div><div class="q2">and bring shame on themselves.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 6Righteousness guards the person of integrity,</div><div class="q2">but wickedness overthrows the sinner.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 7One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;</div><div class="q2">another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 8A person&#8217;s riches may ransom their life,</div><div class="q2">but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 9The light of the righteous shines brightly,</div><div class="q2">but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 10Where there is strife, there is pride,</div><div class="q2">but wisdom is found in those who take advice.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 11Dishonest money dwindles away,</div><div class="q2">but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 12Hope deferred makes the heart sick,</div><div class="q2">but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 13Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it,</div><div class="q2">but whoever respects a command is rewarded.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 14The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,</div><div class="q2">turning a person from the snares of death.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 15Good judgment wins favor,</div><div class="q2">but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction.#13:15 Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 16All who are prudent act with#13:16 Or prudent protect themselves through knowledge,</div><div class="q2">but fools expose their folly.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 17A wicked messenger falls into trouble,</div><div class="q2">but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 18Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame,</div><div class="q2">but whoever heeds correction is honored.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 19A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,</div><div class="q2">but fools detest turning from evil.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 20Walk with the wise and become wise,</div><div class="q2">for a companion of fools suffers harm.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 21Trouble pursues the sinner,</div><div class="q2">but the righteous are rewarded with good things.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 22A good person leaves an inheritance for their children&#8217;s children,</div><div class="q2">but a sinner&#8217;s wealth is stored up for the righteous.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 23An unplowed field produces food for the poor,</div><div class="q2">but injustice sweeps it away.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 24Whoever spares the rod hates their children,</div><div class="q2">but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 25The righteous eat to their hearts&#8217; content,</div><div class="q2">but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.</div><div class="b"></div>
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