251 If there is an argument between men and they go to law with one another, let the judges give their decision for the upright, and against the wrongdoer. 2 And if the wrongdoer is to undergo punishment by whipping, the judge will give orders for him to go down on his face and be whipped before him, the number of the blows being in relation to his crime. 3 He may be given forty blows, not more; for if more are given, your brother may be shamed before you. 4 Do not keep the ox from taking the grain when he is crushing it.
5 If brothers are living together and one of them, at his death, has no son, the wife of the dead man is not to be married outside the family to another man: let her husband's brother go in to her and make her his wife, doing as it is right for a brother-in-law to do. 6 Then the first male child she has will take the rights of the brother who is dead, so that his name may not come to an end in Israel. 7 But if the man says he will not take his brother's wife, then let the wife go to the responsible men of the town, and say, My husband's brother will not keep his brother's name living in Israel; he will not do what it is right for a husband's brother to do. 8 Then the responsible men of the town will send for the man, and have talk with him: and if he still says, I will not take her; 9 Then his brother's wife is to come to him, before the responsible men of the town, and take his shoe off his foot, and put shame on him, and say, So let it be done to the man who will not take care of his brother's name. 10 And his family will be named in Israel, The house of him whose shoe has been taken off. 11 If two men are fighting, and the wife of one of them, coming to the help of her husband, takes the other by the private parts; 12 Her hand is to be cut off; have no pity on her.
13 Do not have in your bag different weights, a great and a small; 14 Or in your house different measures, a great and a small. 15 But have a true weight and a true measure: so that your life may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. 16 For all who do such things, and all whose ways are not upright, are disgusting to the Lord your God.
17 Keep in mind what Amalek did to you on your way from Egypt; 18 How, meeting you on the way, he made an attack on you when you were tired and without strength, cutting off all the feeble ones at the end of your line; and the fear of God was not in him. 19 So when the Lord your God has given you rest from all who are against you on every side, in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage, see to it that the memory of Amalek is cut off from the earth; keep this in mind.
261 Now when you have come into the land which the Lord is giving you for your heritage, and you have made it yours and are living in it; 2 You are to take a part of the first-fruits of the earth, which you get from the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket, and go to the place marked out by the Lord your God, as the resting-place of his name. 3 And you are to come to him who is priest at that time, and say to him, I give witness today before the Lord your God, that I have come into the land which the Lord made an oath to our fathers to give us. 4 Then the priest will take the basket from your hand and put it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. 5 And these are the words which you will say before the Lord your God: My father was a wandering Aramaean, and he went down with a small number of people into Egypt; there he became a great and strong nation: 6 And the Egyptians were cruel to us, crushing us under a hard yoke: 7 And our cry went up to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord's ear was open to the voice of our cry, and his eyes took note of our grief and the crushing weight of our work: 8 And the Lord took us out of Egypt with a strong hand and a stretched-out arm, with works of power and signs and wonders: 9 And he has been our guide to this place, and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 So now, I have come here with the first of the fruits of the earth which you, O Lord, have given me. Then you will put it down before the Lord your God and give him worship: 11 And you will have joy in every good thing which the Lord your God has given to you and to your family; and the Levite, and the man from a strange land who is with you, will take part in your joy.
12 When you have taken out a tenth from the tenth of all your produce in the third year, which is the year when this has to be done, give it to the Levite, and the man from a strange land, and the child without a father, and the widow, so that they may have food in your towns and be full; 13 And say before the Lord your God, I have taken all the holy things out of my house and have given them to the Levite, and the man from a strange land, and him who has no father, and the widow, as you have given me orders: I have kept in mind all your orders, in nothing have I gone against them: 14 No part of these things has been used for food in a time of weeping, or put away when I was unclean, or given for the dead: I have given ear to the voice of the Lord my God, and have done all you have given me orders to do. 15 So, looking down from your holy place in heaven, send your blessing on your people Israel and on the land which you have given us, as you said in your oath to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.
16 Today the Lord your God gives you orders to keep all these laws and decisions: so then keep and do them with all your heart and all your soul. 17 Today you have given witness that the Lord is your God, and that you will go in his ways and keep his laws and his orders and his decisions and give ear to his voice: 18 And the Lord has made it clear this day that you are a special people to him, as he gave you his word; and that you are to keep all his orders; 19 And that he will make you high over all the nations he has made, in praise, in name, and in honour, and that you are to be a holy people to the Lord your God as he has said.
271 Then Moses and the responsible men of Israel gave the people these orders: Keep all the orders which I have given you this day; 2 And on the day when you go over Jordan into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, put up great stones, coating them with building-paste, 3 And writing on them all the words of this law, after you have gone over; so that you may take the heritage which the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has said. 4 And when you have gone over Jordan, you are to put up these stones, as I have said to you today, in Mount Ebal, and have them coated with building-paste. 5 There you are to make an altar to the Lord your God, of stones on which no iron instrument has been used. 6 You are to make the altar of the Lord your God of uncut stones; offering on it burned offerings to the Lord your God: 7 And you are to make your peace-offerings, feasting there with joy before the Lord your God. 8 And put on the stones all the words of this law, writing them very clearly. 9 Then Moses and the priests, the Levites, said to all Israel, Be quiet and give ear, O Israel; today you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10 For this cause you are to give ear to the voice of the Lord your God, and do his orders and his laws which I give you this day.
11 That same day Moses said to the people, 12 These are to take their places on Mount Gerizim for blessing the people when you have gone over Jordan: Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Joseph and Benjamin; 13 And these are to be on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14 Then the Levites are to say in a loud voice to all the men of Israel, 15 Cursed is the man who makes any image of wood or stone or metal, disgusting to the Lord, the work of man's hands, and puts it up in secret. And let all the people say, So be it. 16 Cursed is he who does not give honour to his father or mother. And let all the people say, So be it. 17 Cursed is he who takes his neighbour's landmark from its place. And let all the people say, So be it. 18 Cursed is he by whom the blind are turned out of the way. And let all the people say, So be it. 19 Cursed is he who gives a wrong decision in the cause of a man from a strange land, or of one without a father, or of a widow. And let all the people say, So be it. 20 Cursed is he who has sex relations with his father's wife, for he has put shame on his father. And let all the people say, So be it. 21 Cursed is he who has sex relations with any sort of beast. And let all the people say, So be it. 22 Cursed is he who has sex relations with his sister, the daughter of his father or of his mother. And let all the people say, So be it. 23 Cursed is he who has sex relations with his mother-in-law. And let all the people say, So be it. 24 Cursed is he who takes his neighbour's life secretly. And let all the people say, So be it. 25 Cursed is he who for a reward puts to death one who has done no wrong. And let all the people say, So be it. 26 Cursed is he who does not take this law to heart to do it. And let all the people say, So be it.
27 And Jesus said to them, You will all be turned away from me: for it is in the Writings, I will put the keeper of the sheep to death, and the sheep will be put to flight. 28 But after I have come back from the dead, I will go before you into Galilee. 29 But Peter said to him, Though the others may be turned away from you, I will not. 30 And Jesus said to him, Truly, I say to you that you, today, even this night, before the cock's second cry, will say three times that you have no knowledge of me. 31 But he said with passion, If I have to be put to death with you, I will not be false to you. And they all said the same.
32 And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he said to his disciples, Be seated here while I say a prayer. 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and grief and great trouble came on him. 34 And he said to them, My soul is very sad, even to death: be here a little time, and keep watch. 35 And he went forward a little, and falling down on the earth, made request that, if possible, the hour might go from him. 36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible to you; take away this cup from me: but even so let not my pleasure, but yours be done. 37 And he came, and saw them sleeping, and said to Peter, Simon, are you sleeping? were you not able to keep watch one hour? 38 Keep watch with prayer, so that you may not be put to the test; the spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is feeble. 39 And again he went away, and said a prayer, using the same words. 40 And again he came and saw them sleeping, because their eyes were very tired; and they had nothing to say in answer. 41 And he came the third time, and said to them, Go on sleeping now and take your rest: it is enough; the hour has come; see, the Son of man is given up into the hands of evil men. 42 Get up, let us be going; see, he who gives me up is near.
43 And straight away, while he was still talking, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great band with swords and sticks, from the chief priests and the scribes and those in authority. 44 Now he who had been false to him had given them a sign, saying, The one to whom I give a kiss, that is he; take him, and get him away safely. 45 And when he had come, he went straight to him and said, Master; and gave him a kiss. 46 And they put their hands on him, and took him. 47 But a certain one of those who were near took out his sword, and gave the servant of the high priest a blow, cutting off his ear. 48 And Jesus said to them, Have you come out as against a thief, with swords and sticks to take me? 49 I was with you every day in the Temple teaching, and you did not take me; but this is done so that the Writings may come true. 50 And they all went away from him in fear.
51 And a certain young man went after him, with only a linen cloth about his body; and they put their hands on him; 52 But he got away unclothed, without the linen cloth.
53 And they took Jesus away to the high priest; and there came together with him all the chief priests and those in authority and the scribes.
(Read Mark 14:22-31)
The Lord's supper is food for the soul, therefore a very little of that which is for the body, as much as will serve for a sign, is enough. It was instituted by the example and the practice of our Master, to remain in force till his second coming. It was instituted with blessing and giving of thanks, to be a memorial of Christ's death. Frequent mention is made of his precious blood, as the price of our redemption. How comfortable is this to poor repenting sinners, that the blood of Christ is shed for many! If for many, why not for me? It was a sign of the conveyance of the benefits purchased for us by his death. Apply the doctrine of Christ crucified to yourselves; let it be meat and drink to your souls, strengthening and refreshing your spiritual life. It was to be an earnest and foretaste of the happiness of heaven, and thereby to put us out of taste for the pleasures and delights of sense. Every one that has tasted spiritual delights, straightway desires eternal ones. Though the great Shepherd passed through his sufferings without one false step, yet his followers often have been scattered by the small measure of sufferings allotted to them. How very apt we are to think well of ourselves, and to trust our own hearts! It was ill done of Peter thus to answer his Master, and not with fear and trembling. Lord, give me grace to keep me from denying thee.
(Read Mark 14:32-42)
Christ's sufferings began with the sorest of all, those in his soul. He began to be sorely amazed; words not used in St. Matthew, but very full of meaning. The terrors of God set themselves in array against him, and he allowed him to contemplate them. Never was sorrow like unto his at this time. Now he was made a curse for us; the curses of the law were laid upon him as our Surety. He now tasted death, in all the bitterness of it. This was that fear of which the apostle speaks, the natural fear of pain and death, at which human nature startles. Can we ever entertain favourable, or even slight thoughts of sin, when we see the painful sufferings which sin, though but reckoned to him, brought on the Lord Jesus? Shall that sit light upon our souls, which sat so heavy upon his? Was Christ in such agony for our sins, and shall we never be in agony about them? How should we look upon Him whom we have pierced, and mourn! It becomes us to be exceedingly sorrowful for sin, because He was so, and never to mock at it. Christ, as Man, pleaded, that, if it were possible, his sufferings might pass from him. As Mediator, he submitted to the will of God, saying, Nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt; I bid it welcome. See how the sinful weakness of Christ's disciples returns, and overpowers them. What heavy clogs these bodies of ours are to our souls! But when we see trouble at the door, we should get ready for it. Alas, even believers often look at the Redeemer's sufferings in a drowsy manner, and instead of being ready to die with Christ, they are not even prepared to watch with him one hour.
(Read Mark 14:43-52)
Because Christ appeared not as a temporal prince, but preached repentance, reformation, and a holy life, and directed men's thoughts, and affections, and aims to another world, therefore the Jewish rulers sought to destroy him. Peter wounded one of the band. It is easier to fight for Christ than to die for him. But there is a great difference between faulty disciples and hypocrites. The latter rashly and without thought call Christ Master, and express great affection for him, yet betray him to his enemies. Thus they hasten their own destruction.
(Read Mark 14:53-65)
We have here Christ's condemnation before the great council of the Jews. Peter followed; but the high priest's fire-side was no proper place, nor his servants proper company, for Peter: it was an entrance into temptation. Great diligence was used to procure false witnesses against Jesus, yet their testimony was not equal to the charge of a capital crime, by the utmost stretch of their law. He was asked, Art thou the Son of the Blessed? that is, the Son of God. For the proof of his being the Son of God, he refers to his second coming. In these outrages we have proofs of man's enmity to God, and of God's free and unspeakable love to man.
