12 Iyar, 5785

You shall faithfully observe My laws: I the LORD make you holy.

If anyone insults his father or his mother, he shall be put to death; he has insulted his father and his mother—his bloodguilt is upon him.

If a man commits adultery with a married woman, committing adultery with another man’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death.

If a man lies with his father’s wife, it is the nakedness of his father that he has uncovered; the two shall be put to death—their bloodguilt is upon them.

If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall be put to death; they have committed incest—their bloodguilt is upon them.

If a man lies with a male as one lies with a woman, the two of them have done an abhorrent thing; they shall be put to death—their bloodguilt is upon them.

If a man marries a woman and her mother, it is depravity; both he and they shall be put to the fire, that there be no depravity among you.

If a man has carnal relations with a beast, he shall be put to death; and you shall kill the beast.

If a woman approaches any beast to mate with it, you shall kill the woman and the beast; they shall be put to death—their bloodguilt is upon them.

If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, so that he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace; they shall be excommunicated in the sight of their kinsfolk. He has uncovered the nakedness of his sister, he shall bear his guilt.

If a man lies with a woman in her infirmity and uncovers her nakedness, he has laid bare her flow and she has exposed her blood flow; both of them shall be cut off from among their people.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister or of your father’s sister, for that is laying bare one’s own flesh; they shall bear their guilt.

If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, it is his uncle’s nakedness that he has uncovered. They shall bear their guilt: they shall die childless.

If a man marries the wife of his brother, it is indecency. It is the nakedness of his brother that he has uncovered; they shall remain childless.

You shall faithfully observe all My laws and all My regulations, lest the land to which I bring you to settle in spew you out.

You shall not follow the practices of the nation that I am driving out before you. For it is because they did all these things that I abhorred them

and said to you: You shall possess their land, for I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey. I the LORD am your God who has set you apart from other peoples.

So you shall set apart the clean beast from the unclean, the unclean bird from the clean. You shall not draw abomination upon yourselves through beast or bird or anything with which the ground is alive, which I have set apart for you to treat as unclean.

You shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and I have set you apart from other peoples to be Mine.

A man or a woman who has a ghost or a familiar spirit shall be put to death; they shall be pelted with stones—their bloodguilt shall be upon them.

Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, published by JPS
Copyright: JPS, 1985

Psalms 66

For the leader. A song. A psalm. Raise a shout for God, all the earth; sing the glory of His name, make glorious His praise. Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds, Your enemies cower before Your great strength; all the earth bows to You, and sings hymns to You; all sing hymns to Your name.”Selah. Come and see the works of God, who is held in awe by men for His acts. He turned the sea into dry land; they crossed the river on foot; we therefore rejoice in Him. He rules forever in His might; His eyes scan the nations; let the rebellious not assert themselves.Selah. O peoples, bless our God, celebrate His praises; who has granted us life, and has not let our feet slip. You have tried us, O God, refining us, as one refines silver. You have caught us in a net, caught us in trammels. You have let men ride over us; we have endured fire and water, and You have brought us through to prosperity. I enter Your house with burnt offerings, I pay my vows to You, [vows] that my lips pronounced, that my mouth uttered in my distress. I offer up fatlings to You, with the odor of burning rams; I sacrifice bulls and he-goats.Selah. Come and hear, all God-fearing men, as I tell what He did for me. I called aloud to Him, glorification on my tongue. Had I an evil thought in my mind, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen; He paid heed to my prayer. Blessed is God who has not turned away my prayer, or His faithful care from me.

Psalms 67

For the leader; with instrumental music. A psalm. A song. May God be gracious to us and bless us; may He show us favor,selah that Your way be known on earth, Your deliverance among all nations. Peoples will praise You, O God; all peoples will praise You. Nations will exult and shout for joy, for You rule the peoples with equity, You guide the nations of the earth.Selah. The peoples will praise You, O God; all peoples will praise You. May the earth yield its produce; may God, our God, bless us. May God bless us, and be revered to the ends of the earth.

Psalms 68

For the leader. Of David. A psalm. A song. God will arise, His enemies shall be scattered, His foes shall flee before Him. Disperse them as smoke is dispersed; as wax melts at fire, so the wicked shall perish before God. But the righteous shall rejoice; they shall exult in the presence of God; they shall be exceedingly joyful. Sing to God, chant hymns to His name; extol Him who rides the clouds; the LORD is His name. Exult in His presence— the father of orphans, the champion of widows, God, in His holy habitation. God restores the lonely to their homes, sets free the imprisoned, safe and sound, while the rebellious must live in a parched land. O God, when You went at the head of Your army, when You marched through the desert, selah the earth trembled, the sky rained because of God, yon Sinai, because of God, the God of Israel. You released a bountiful rain, O God; when Your own land languished, You sustained it. Your tribe dwells there; O God, in Your goodness You provide for the needy. The Lord gives a command; the women who bring the news are a great host: “The kings and their armies are in headlong flight; housewives are sharing in the spoils; even for those of you who lie among the sheepfolds there are wings of a dove sheathed in silver, its pinions in fine gold.” When Shaddai scattered the kings, it seemed like a snowstorm in Zalmon. O majestic mountain, Mount Bashan; O jagged mountain, Mount Bashan; why so hostile, O jagged mountains, toward the mountain God desired as His dwelling? The LORD shall abide there forever. God’s chariots are myriads upon myriads, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them as in Sinai in holiness. You went up to the heights, having taken captives, having received tribute of men, even of those who rebel against the LORD God’s abiding there. Blessed is the Lord. Day by day He supports us, God, our deliverance. Selah. God is for us a God of deliverance; GOD the Lord provides an escape from death. God will smash the heads of His enemies, the hairy crown of him who walks about in his guilt. The Lord said, “I will retrieve from Bashan, I will retrieve from the depths of the sea; that your feet may wade through blood; that the tongue of your dogs may have its portion of your enemies.” Men see Your processions, O God, the processions of my God, my king, into the sanctuary. First come singers, then musicians, amidst maidens playing timbrels. In assemblies bless God, the LORD, O you who are from the fountain of Israel. There is little Benjamin who rules them, the princes of Judah who command them, the princes of Zebulun and Naphtali. Your God has ordained strength for you, the strength, O God, which You displayed for us from Your temple above Jerusalem. The kings bring You tribute. Blast the beast of the marsh, the herd of bulls among the peoples, the calves, till they come cringing with pieces of silver. Scatter the peoples who delight in wars! Tribute-bearers shall come from Egypt; Cush shall hasten its gifts to God. O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; chant hymns to the Lord, selah to Him who rides the ancient highest heavens, who thunders forth with His mighty voice. Ascribe might to God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose might is in the skies. You are awesome, O God, in Your holy places; it is the God of Israel who gives might and power to the people. Blessed is God.

Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, published by JPS
Copyright: JPS, 1985

It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”

And while he was at Bethany in the house of Shimon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Yeshua said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

Then Yehudah Ish-Kriyot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.

And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Yeshua said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Yeshua said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” And Yeshua said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.

And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and Yaakov and Yochanan, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Shimon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

And immediately, while he was still speaking, Yehudah came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Yeshua said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled.

And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.

And they led Yeshua to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Yeshua to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Yeshua, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed?” And Yeshua said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.

And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Yeshua.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Yeshua had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

(ESV)