AME Zion Universal Reading May 2nd 2021

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Recognizing, Receiving, and Remembering

First Portion

Leviticus Chapter 21

1And the Lord said to Moses: Speak to the kohanim, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: Let none [of you] defile himself for a dead person among his people2except for his relative who is close to him, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother,3and for his virgin sister who is close to him, who was not [yet] with a man for her, he shall defile himself.4[But] a husband shall not defile himself for [a wife who causes] his desecration, [while she is] among his people.5They shall not make bald patches on their heads, nor shall they shave the edge of their beard, nor shall they make cuts in their flesh.6They shall be holy to their God, and they shall not desecrate their God's Name, for they offer up the fire offerings of the Lord, the food offering of their God, so they shall be holy.7They shall not marry a woman who is a prostitute or who is desecrated, and they shall not marry a woman who is divorced from her husband for he [the kohen] is holy to his God.8You shall sanctify him, for he offers up the food offering of your God; he shall be holy to you, for I, the Lord Who sanctifies you, am holy.9If a kohen's daughter becomes desecrated through adultery she desecrates her father; she shall be burned in fire.10And the kohen who is elevated above his brothers, upon whose head the anointment oil has been poured or who has been inaugurated to wear the garments he shall not leave his hair unshorn or rend his garments.11And he shall not come upon any dead bodies; he shall not defile himself for his father or his mother.12He shall not leave the Sanctuary, and he will not desecrate the holy things of his God, for the crown of his God's anointing oil is upon him. I am the Lord.13He shall marry a woman in her virgin state.14A widow, a divorcee, a woman who is desecrated or a prostitute he shall not marry [any] of these. Only a virgin of his people may he take as a wife.15And he shall not desecrate his offspring among his people, for I am the Lord, Who sanctifies him.

Sunday

1 Kings 22:15–23 (NLT):

15 When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we hold back?”

Micaiah replied sarcastically, “Yes, go up and be victorious, for the Lord will give the king victory!”

16 But the king replied sharply, “How many times must I demand that you speak only the truth to me when you speak for the Lord?”

17 Then Micaiah told him, “In a vision I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘Their master has been killed. Send them home in peace.’ ”

18 “Didn’t I tell you?” the king of Israel exclaimed to Jehoshaphat. “He never prophesies anything but trouble for me.”

19 Then Micaiah continued, “Listen to what the Lord says! I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left. 20 And the Lord said, ‘Who can entice Ahab to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so he can be killed?’

“There were many suggestions, 21 and finally a spirit approached the Lord and said, ‘I can do it!’

22 “ ‘How will you do this?’ the Lord asked.

“And the spirit replied, ‘I will go out and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to speak lies.’

“ ‘You will succeed,’ said the Lord. ‘Go ahead and do it.’

23 “So you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all your prophets. For the Lord has pronounced your doom.”

1 Kings 22:26–28 (NLT):

26 “Arrest him!” the king of Israel ordered. “Take him back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to my son Joash. 27 Give them this order from the king: ‘Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return safely from the battle!’ ”

28 But Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, it will mean that the Lord has not spoken through me!” Then he added to those standing around, “Everyone mark my words!”

Second Portion

Leviticus Chapter 21

16And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,17Speak to Aaron, saying: Any man among your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect, shall not come near to offer up his God's food.18For any man who has a defect should not approach: A blind man or a lame one, or one with a sunken nose or with mismatching limbs;19or a man who has a broken leg or a broken arm;20or one with long eyebrows, or a cataract, or a commingling in his eye; dry lesions or weeping sores, or one with crushed testicles21Any man among Aaron the kohen's offspring who has a defect shall not draw near to offer up the Lord's fire offerings. There is a defect in him; he shall not draw near to offer up his God's food.22His God's food from the most holy and from the holy ones, he may eat.23But he shall not come to the dividing curtain, nor shall he draw near to the altar, for he has a defect, and he shall not desecrate My holy things, for I am the Lord Who sanctifies them.24Moses told [this to] Aaron and his sons, and to all of the children of Israel.

Leviticus Chapter 22

1The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:2Speak to Aaron and to his sons, that they shall separate themselves from the holy [sacrifices] of the children of Israel, which they sanctify to Me, so as not to desecrate My Holy Name. I am the Lord.3Say to them: Throughout your generations, any man among any of your offspring who, while his defilement is still upon him, comes near to the holy sacrifices that the children of Israel consecrate to the Lord that soul shall be cut off from before me. I am the Lord.4Any man whatsoever among Aaron's offspring if he has tzara'ath or has had a discharge, he shall not eat of the holy sacrifices, until he cleanses himself. And one who touches anyone who has become unclean [by contact with a dead] person, or a man from whom semen issued,5or a man who touches any creeping creature through which he becomes unclean or a person through whom he becomes unclean, whatever his uncleanness6the person who touches it shall remain unclean until evening, and he shall not eat from the holy things unless he has immersed his flesh in water.7When the sun sets, he becomes clean, and afterwards, he may eat of the holy things, for it is his food.8He shall not eat a carcass or anything that was torn, thereby becoming unclean through it. I am the Lord.9They shall keep My charge and not bear a sin by [eating] it [while unclean] and thereby die through it since they will have desecrated it. I am the Lord Who sanctifies them.10No non kohen may eat holy things; a kohen's resident and his hireling may not eat holy things.11And if a kohen acquires a person, an acquisition through his money, he may eat of it, and those born in his house they may eat of his food.12And if a kohen's daughter is married to a non kohen, she may [no longer] eat of the separated holy things.13But if the kohen's daughter becomes widowed or divorced, and she has no offspring she may return to her father's household as in her youth [and] eat of her father's food, but no non kohen may eat of it.14And if a man unintentionally eats what is holy, he shall add a fifth of it to it and give the kohen the holy thing.15And they shall not desecrate the holy things of the children of Israel, those that they have set aside for the Lord,16thereby bringing upon themselves to bear iniquity and guilt, when they eat their holy things, for I am the Lord Who sanctifies them.

Monday

2 Kings 3:9–17 (NLT):

9 The king of Edom and his troops joined them, and all three armies traveled along a roundabout route through the wilderness for seven days. But there was no water for the men or their animals.

10 “What should we do?” the king of Israel cried out. “The Lord has brought the three of us here to let the king of Moab defeat us.”

11 But King Jehoshaphat of Judah asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord with us? If there is, we can ask the Lord what to do through him.”

One of King Joram’s officers replied, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to be Elijah’s personal assistant.”

12 Jehoshaphat said, “Yes, the Lord speaks through him.” So the king of Israel, King Jehoshaphat of Judah, and the king of Edom went to consult with Elisha.

13 “Why are you coming to me?” Elisha asked the king of Israel. “Go to the pagan prophets of your father and mother!”

But King Joram of Israel said, “No! For it was the Lord who called us three kings here—only to be defeated by the king of Moab!”

14 Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I wouldn’t even bother with you except for my respect for King Jehoshaphat of Judah. 15 Now bring me someone who can play the harp.”

While the harp was being played, the power of the Lord came upon Elisha, 16 and he said, “This is what the Lord says: This dry valley will be filled with pools of water! 17 You will see neither wind nor rain, says the Lord, but this valley will be filled with water. You will have plenty for yourselves and your cattle and other animals.

Third Portion

Leviticus Chapter 22

17And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,18Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the children of Israel and say to them: Any man whatsoever from the house of Israel or from the strangers among Israel who offers up his sacrifice for any of their vows or for any of their donations that they may offer up to the Lord as a burnt offering19to be favorable for you, [it shall be] an unblemished, male, from cattle, from sheep, or from goats.20Any [animal] that has a blemish, you shall not offer up, for it will not be favorable for you.21And if a man offers up a peace offering to the Lord for declaring a vow or as a donation from cattle or from the flock to be accepted, it shall be unblemished. It shall not have any defect in it.22[An animal that has] blindness, or [a] broken [bone], or [a] split [eyelid or lip], or [one that has] warts, or dry lesions or weeping sores you shall not offer up [any of] these to the Lord, nor shall you place [any] of these as a fire offering upon the altar to the Lord.23As for an ox or sheep that has mismatching limbs or uncloven hooves you may make it into a donation, but as a vow, it will not be accepted.24[Any animal whose testicles were] squashed, crushed, pulled out, or severed, you shall not offer up to the Lord, and in your land, you shall not do [it].25And from the hand of a gentile you shall not offer up as food for your God any of these [blemished animals], for their injury is upon them, there is a defect on them; they will not be accepted for you.26And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:27When an ox or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall remain under its mother for seven days, and from the eighth day onwards, it shall be accepted as a sacrifice for a fire offering to the Lord.28An ox or sheep you shall not slaughter it and its offspring in one day.29And when you slaughter a thanksgiving offering to the Lord, you shall slaughter it so that it should be acceptable for you.30It shall be eaten on that day; do not leave it over until morning. I am the Lord.31You shall keep My commandments and perform them. I am the Lord.32You shall not desecrate My Holy Name. I shall be sanctified amidst the children of Israel. I am the Lord Who sanctifies you,33Who took you out of the land of Egypt, to be a God to you. I am the Lord.

Tuesday

1 Kings 22:1–6 (NLT): Jehoshaphat and Ahab

For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. 2 Then during the third year, King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit King Ahab of Israel. 3 During the visit, the king of Israel said to his officials, “Do you realize that the town of Ramoth-gilead belongs to us? And yet we’ve done nothing to recapture it from the king of Aram!”

4 Then he turned to Jehoshaphat and asked, “Will you join me in battle to recover Ramoth-gilead?”

Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “Why, of course! You and I are as one. My troops are your troops, and my horses are your horses.” 5 Then Jehoshaphat added, “But first let’s find out what the Lord says.”

6 So the king of Israel summoned the prophets, about 400 of them, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?”

They all replied, “Yes, go right ahead! The Lord will give the king victory.”

Fourth Portion

Leviticus Chapter 23

1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,2Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: The Lord's appointed [holy days] that you shall designate as holy occasions. These are My appointed [holy days]:3[For] six days, work may be performed, but on the seventh day, it is a complete rest day, a holy occasion; you shall not perform any work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places.4These are the Lord's appointed [holy days], holy occasions, which you shall designate in their appointed time:5In the first month, on the fourteenth of the month, in the afternoon, [you shall sacrifice] the Passover offering to the Lord.6And on the fifteenth day of that month is the Festival of Unleavened Cakes to the Lord; you shall eat unleavened cakes for a seven day period.7On the first day, there shall be a holy occasion for you; you shall not perform any work of labor.8And you shall bring a fire offering to the Lord for a seven day period. On the seventh day, there shall be a holy occasion; you shall not perform any work of labor.9And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,10Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When you come to the Land which I am giving you, and you reap its harvest, you shall bring to the kohen an omer of the beginning of your reaping.11And he shall wave the omer before the Lord so that it will be acceptable for you; the kohen shall wave it on the day after the rest day.12And on the day of your waving the omer, you shall offer up an unblemished lamb in its [first] year as a burnt offering to the Lord;13Its meal offering [shall be] two tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil, a fire offering to the Lord as a spirit of satisfaction. And its libation [shall be] a quarter of a hin of wine.14You shall not eat bread or [flour made from] parched grain or fresh grain, until this very day, until you bring your God's sacrifice. [This is] an eternal statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.15And you shall count for yourselves, from the morrow of the rest day from the day you bring the omer as a wave offering seven weeks; they shall be complete.16You shall count until the day after the seventh week, [namely,] the fiftieth day, [on which] you shall bring a new meal offering to the Lord.17From your dwelling places, you shall bring bread, set aside, two [loaves] [made from] two tenths [of an ephah]; they shall be of fine flour, [and] they shall be baked leavened, the first offering to the Lord.18And associated with the bread, you shall bring seven unblemished lambs in their [first] year, one young bull, and two rams these shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, [along with] their meal offering and libations a fire offering [with] a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord.19And you shall offer up one he goat as a sin offering, and two lambs in their [first] year as a peace offering._20And the kohen shall wave them in conjunction with the first offering bread as a waving before the Lord, along with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord, [and] belong to the kohen.21And you shall designate on this very day a holy occasion it shall be for you; you shall not perform any work of labor. [This is] an eternal statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.22When you reap the harvest of your Land, you shall not completely remove the corner of your field during your harvesting, and you shall not gather up the gleanings of your harvest. [Rather,] you shall leave these for the poor person and for the stranger. I am the Lord, your God.

Wednesday

1 Kings 22:7–14 (NLT):

7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not also a prophet of the Lord here? We should ask him the same question.”

8 The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat, “There is one more man who could consult the Lord for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

Jehoshaphat replied, “That’s not the way a king should talk! Let’s hear what he has to say.”

9 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Quick! Bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”

Micaiah Prophesies against Ahab

10 King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria. All of Ahab’s prophets were prophesying there in front of them. 11 One of them, Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, made some iron horns and proclaimed, “This is what the Lord says: With these horns you will gore the Arameans to death!”

12 All the other prophets agreed. “Yes,” they said, “go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious, for the Lord will give the king victory!”

13 Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.”

14 But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.”

Fifth Portion

Leviticus Chapter 23

23And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,24Speak to the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first of the month, it shall be a Sabbath for you, a remembrance of [Israel through] the shofar blast a holy occasion.25You shall not perform any work of labor, and you shall offer up a fire offering to the Lord.26And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:27But on the tenth of this seventh month, it is a day of atonement, it shall be a holy occasion for you; you shall afflict yourselves, and you shall offer up a fire offering to the Lord.28You shall not perform any work on that very day, for it is a day of atonement, for you to gain atonement before the Lord, your God.29For any person who will not be afflicted on that very day, shall be cut off from its people.30And any person who performs any work on that very day I will destroy that person from amidst its people.31You shall not perform any work. [This is] an eternal statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.32It is a complete day of rest for you, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth of the month in the evening, from evening to evening, you shall observe your rest day.

Thursday

2 Chronicles 18:18–22 (NLT):

18 Then Micaiah continued, “Listen to what the Lord says! I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left. 19 And the Lord said, ‘Who can entice King Ahab of Israel to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so he can be killed?’

“There were many suggestions, 20 and finally a spirit approached the Lord and said, ‘I can do it!’

“ ‘How will you do this?’ the Lord asked.

21 “And the spirit replied, ‘I will go out and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to speak lies.’

“ ‘You will succeed,’ said the Lord. ‘Go ahead and do it.’

22 “So you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of your prophets. For the Lord has pronounced your doom.”

Sixth Portion

Leviticus Chapter 23

33And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,34Speak to the children of Israel, saying: On the fifteenth day of this seventh month, is the Festival of Succoth, a seven day period to the Lord.35On the first day, it is a holy occasion; you shall not perform any work of labor.36[For] a seven day period, you shall bring a fire offering to the Lord. On the eighth day, it shall be a holy occasion for you, and you shall bring a fire offering to the Lord. It is a [day of] detention. You shall not perform any work of labor.37These are God's appointed [holy days] that you shall designate them as holy occasions, [on which] to offer up a fire offering to the Lord burnt offering and meal offering, sacrifice and libations, the requirement of each day on its day;38apart from the Lord's Sabbaths, and apart from your gifts, and apart from all your vows, and apart from all your donations that you give to the Lord.39But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you gather in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the festival of the Lord for a seven day period; the first day shall be a rest day, and the eighth day shall be a rest day.40And you shall take for yourselves on the first day, the fruit of the hadar tree, date palm fronds, a branch of a braided tree, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for a seven day period.41And you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord for seven days in the year. [It is] an eternal statute throughout your generations [that] you celebrate it in the seventh month.42For a seven day period you shall live in booths. Every resident among the Israelites shall live in booths,43in order that your [ensuing] generations should know that I had the children of Israel live in booths when I took them out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord, your God.44And Moses told the children of Israel [these laws] of the Lord's appointed [holy days].

Friday

1 Kings 22:29–40 (NLT): The Death of Ahab

29 So King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies against Ramoth-gilead. 30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “As we go into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.

31 Meanwhile, the king of Aram had issued these orders to his thirty-two chariot commanders: “Attack only the king of Israel. Don’t bother with anyone else!” 32 So when the Aramean chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. “There is the king of Israel!” they shouted. But when Jehoshaphat called out, 33 the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, and they stopped chasing him.

34 An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. “Turn the horses and get me out of here!” Ahab groaned to the driver of his chariot. “I’m badly wounded!”

35 The battle raged all that day, and the king remained propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran down to the floor of his chariot, and as evening arrived he died. 36 Just as the sun was setting, the cry ran through his troops: “We’re done for! Run for your lives!”

37 So the king died, and his body was taken to Samaria and buried there. 38 Then his chariot was washed beside the pool of Samaria, and dogs came and licked his blood at the place where the prostitutes bathed, just as the Lord had promised.

39 The rest of the events in Ahab’s reign and everything he did, including the story of the ivory palace and the towns he built, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 40 So Ahab died, and his son Ahaziah became the next king.

Seventh Portion

Leviticus Chapter 24

1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,2Command the children of Israel, and they shall take to you pure olive oil, crushed for lighting, to kindle the lamps continually.3Outside the dividing curtain of the testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron shall set it up before the Lord from evening to morning continually. [This shall be] an eternal statute for your generations.4Upon the pure menorah, he shall set up the lamps, before the Lord, continually.5And you shall take fine flour and bake it [into] twelve loaves. Each loaf shall be [made from] two tenths [of an ephah of flour].6And you place them in two stacks, six in each stack, upon the pure table, before the Lord.7And you shall place pure frankincense alongside each stack, and it shall be a reminder for the bread, a fire offering to the Lord.8Each and every Sabbath day, he shall set it up before the Lord [to be there] continuously, from the children of Israel an eternal covenant.9And it shall belong to Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, for it is holy of holies for him, among the fire offerings of the Lord, an eternal statute.10Now, the son of an Israelite woman and he was the son of an Egyptian man went out among the children of Israel, and they quarreled in the camp this son of the Israelite woman, and an Israelite man.11And the son of the Israelite woman pronounced the [Divine] Name and cursed. So they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.12They placed him in the guardhouse, [until his sentence would] be specified to them by the word of the Lord.13Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:14Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and all who heard [his blasphemy] shall lean their hands on his head. And the entire community shall stone him.15And to the children of Israel, you shall speak, saying: Any man who blasphemes his God shall bear his sin.16And one who blasphemously pronounces the Name of the Lord, shall be put to death; the entire community shall stone him; convert and resident alike if he pronounces the [Divine] Name, he shall be put to death.17And if a man strikes down any human being he shall be put to death.18And one who slays an animal shall pay for it [the value of] a life for the life [he took].19And a man who inflicts an injury upon his fellow man just as he did, so shall be done to him [namely,]20fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Just as he inflicted an injury upon a person, so shall it be inflicted upon him.21And one who injures an animal shall pay for it. And one who strikes a person shall be put to death.22One law shall be exacted for you, convert and resident alike, for I am the Lord, your God.23And Moses told [all this] to the children of Israel. So they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him, and the children of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Saturday

1 Kings 22:41–46 (NLT): Jehoshaphat Rules in Judah

41 Jehoshaphat son of Asa began to rule over Judah in the fourth year of King Ahab’s reign in Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.

43 Jehoshaphat was a good king, following the example of his father, Asa. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. During his reign, however, he failed to remove all the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there. 44 Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.

45 The rest of the events in Jehoshaphat’s reign, the extent of his power, and the wars he waged are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. 46 He banished from the land the rest of the male and female shrine prostitutes, who still continued their practices from the days of his father, Asa.

Maftir Portion

Leviticus Chapter 24

21And one who injures an animal shall pay for it. And one who strikes a person shall be put to death.22One law shall be exacted for you, convert and resident alike, for I am the Lord, your God.23And Moses told [all this] to the children of Israel. So they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him, and the children of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Haftarah

Ezekiel Chapter 44

15But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of My sanctuary when the Children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me, and they shall stand before Me to offer Me fat and blood, says the Lord God.16They shall enter My Sanctuary, and they shall approach My Table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge.17And it shall be, when they enter the gates of the Inner Court, they shall be clothed with linen garments and no wool shall be upon them when they minister the gates of the Inner Court and within.18Linen hats shall be upon their heads, and linen breaches shall be upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves in a place that sweats.19But when they go out into the Outer Court, into the Outer Court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they minister and place them in chambers belonging to the Sanctuary and clothe themselves with other garments, and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments.20And [the hair of] their heads they are not to shave but also not to let it grow wild; they must be careful to trim the hair of their heads.21And wine may no priest drink when they come into the Inner Court.22And neither a widow nor a divorced woman may they take for wives, but they shall take virgins from the descendants of the House of Israel; also the widow who is only a widow, some of the priests may marry.23And My people shall they teach the difference between holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the impure and the pure.24And in dispute they shall stand in judgment, according to My ordinances shall they decide it; and My teachings and My statutes shall they keep in all My appointed times, and My Sabbaths they shall sanctify.25To no human corpse shall they come to defile themselves, except to father and to mother and to son and to daughter, to brother and to a sister who has had no husband, shall they defile themselves.26And after his purification they shall count seven days for him.27And on the day that he enters the Sanctuary, into the Inner Court, to minister in the Sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, says the Lord God.28It shall be to them for an inheritance, I am their inheritance; You shall give them no possession in Israel, I am their possession.29The meal-offering and the sin-offering and the guilt- offering are they to eat, and everything that is vowed to be banned in Israel shall belong to them.30And the first of all the first-fruits, and every heave-offering; everything from every sort of your heave- offerings shall belong to the priests; also the first out of your kneading-troughs shall you give to the priest, to bring enduring blessing into your home.31Anything that has died of itself or is fatally wounded, whether it be bird or beast, the priests may not eat.

Restoration as Part of God’s Creation Process

Sunday School Zoom Link AME Zion Universal Reading

Genesis 1:1–31 (NLT):

The Account of Creation

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”

And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.

6 Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” 7 And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. 8 God called the space “sky.”

And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day.

9 Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. 10 God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. 12 The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

13 And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day.

14 Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. 15 Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. 16 God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, 18 to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

19 And evening passed and morning came, marking the fourth day.

20 Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”

23 And evening passed and morning came, marking the fifth day.

24 Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. 25 God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

27 So God created human beings in his own image.

In the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them.

28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

29 Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. 30 And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.

31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

Revelation 11:1–19 (NLT):

The Two Witnesses

1 Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, “Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers.

2 But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months.

3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.”

4 These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth.

5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die.

6 They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.

7 When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them.

8 And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called “Sodom” and “Egypt,” the city where their Lord was crucified.

9 And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them.

10 All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them.

11 But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all who were staring at them.

12 Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets, “Come up here!” And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched.

13 At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second terror is past, but look, the third terror is coming quickly.

The Seventh Trumpet Brings the Third Terror

15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven:

“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,

and he will reign forever and ever.”

16 The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped him. 17 And they said,

“We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty,

the one who is and who always was,

for now you have assumed your great power

and have begun to reign.

18 The nations were filled with wrath,

but now the time of your wrath has come.

It is time to judge the dead

and reward your servants the prophets,

as well as your holy people,

and all who fear your name,

from the least to the greatest.

It is time to destroy

19 Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of his covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared, and there was an earthquake and a terrible hailstorm.

Genesis 2:1–4 (NLT):

So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. 2 On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.

4 This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth.

AME Universal Reading April 25th 2021

Sunday School Zoom Link

Restoration as Part of God’s Creation Process

First Portion

Leviticus Chapter 16

1And the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron's two sons, when they drew near before the Lord, and they died.2And the Lord said to Moses: Speak to your brother Aaron, that he should not come at all times into the Holy within the dividing curtain, in front of the cover that is upon the ark, so that he should not die, for I appear over the ark cover in a cloud.3With this shall Aaron enter the Holy: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.4He shall wear a holy linen shirt and linen pants shall be upon his flesh, and he shall gird himself with a linen sash and wear a linen cap these are holy garments, [and therefore,] he shall immerse himself in water and don them.5And from the community of the children of Israel, he shall take two he goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering.6And Aaron shall bring his sin offering bull, and initiate atonement for himself and for his household.7And he shall take the two he goats, and place them before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.8And Aaron shall place lots upon the two he goats: one lot "For the Lord," and the other lot, "For Azazel."9And Aaron shall bring the he goat upon which the lot, "For the Lord," came up, and designate it as a sin offering.10And the he goat upon which the lot "For Azazel" came up, shall be placed while still alive, before the Lord, to [initiate] atonement upon it, and to send it away to Azazel, into the desert.11And Aaron shall bring his sin offering bull, and shall [initiate] atonement for himself and for his household, and he shall [then] slaughter his sin offering bull.12And he shall take a pan full of burning coals from upon the altar, from before the Lord, and both hands' full of fine incense, and bring [it] within the dividing curtain.13And he shall place the incense upon the fire, before the Lord, so that the cloud of the incense shall envelope the ark cover that is over the [tablets of] Testimony, so that he shall not die.14And he shall take some of the bull's blood and sprinkle [it] with his index finger on top of the ark cover on the eastern side; and before the ark cover, he shall sprinkle seven times from the blood, with his index finger.15He shall then slaughter the he goat of the people's sin offering and bring its blood within the dividing curtain, and he shall do with its blood as he had done with the bull's blood, and he shall sprinkle it upon the ark cover and before the ark cover.16And he shall effect atonement upon the Holy from the defilements of the children of Israel and from their rebellions and all their unintentional sins. He shall do likewise to the Tent of Meeting, which dwells with them amidst their defilements.17And no man shall be in the Tent of Meeting when he comes to effect atonement in the Holy, until he comes out. And he shall effect atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.18And he shall then go out to the altar that is before the Lord and effect atonement upon it: He shall take some of the bull's blood and some of the he goat's blood, and place it on the horns of the altar, around.19He shall then sprinkle some of the blood upon it with his index finger seven times, and he shall cleanse it and sanctify it of the defilements of the children of Israel.20And he shall finish effecting atonement for the Holy, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, and then he shall bring the live he goat.21And Aaron shall lean both of his hands [forcefully] upon the live he goat's head and confess upon it all the willful transgressions of the children of Israel, all their rebellions, and all their unintentional sins, and he shall place them on the he goat's head, and send it off to the desert with a timely man.22The he goat shall thus carry upon itself all their sins to a precipitous land, and he shall send off the he goat into the desert.23And Aaron shall enter the Tent of Meeting and remove the linen garments that he had worn when he came into the Holy, and there, he shall store them away.24And he shall immerse his flesh in a holy place and don his garments. He shall then go out and sacrifice his burnt offering and the people's burnt offering, and he shall effect atonement for himself and for the people.

Sunday

Lamentations 5:1–22 (NLT): Prayer for Restoration

1 Lord, remember what has happened to us.

See how we have been disgraced!

2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,

our homes to foreigners.

3 We are orphaned and fatherless.

Our mothers are widowed.

4 We have to pay for water to drink,

and even firewood is expensive.

5 Those who pursue us are at our heels;

we are exhausted but are given no rest.

6 We submitted to Egypt and Assyria

to get enough food to survive.

7 Our ancestors sinned, but they have died—

and we are suffering the punishment they deserved!

8 Slaves have now become our masters;

there is no one left to rescue us.

9 We hunt for food at the risk of our lives,

for violence rules the countryside.

10 The famine has blackened our skin

as though baked in an oven.

11 Our enemies rape the women in Jerusalem

and the young girls in all the towns of Judah.

12 Our princes are being hanged by their thumbs,

and our elders are treated with contempt.

13 Young men are led away to work at millstones,

and boys stagger under heavy loads of wood.

14 The elders no longer sit in the city gates;

the young men no longer dance and sing.

15 Joy has left our hearts;

our dancing has turned to mourning.

16 The garlands have fallen from our heads.

Weep for us because we have sinned.

17 Our hearts are sick and weary,

and our eyes grow dim with tears.

18 For Jerusalem is empty and desolate,

a place haunted by jackals.

19 But Lord, you remain the same forever!

Your throne continues from generation to generation.

20 Why do you continue to forget us?

Why have you abandoned us for so long?

21 Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again!

Give us back the joys we once had!

22 Or have you utterly rejected us?

Are you angry with us still?

Second Portion

Leviticus Chapter 16

25And he shall cause the fat of the sin offering to go up in smoke upon the altar.26And the person who sent off the he goat to Azazel, shall immerse his garments and immerse his flesh in water. And after this, he may come into the camp.27And the sin offering bull and he goat of the sin offering, [both of] whose blood was brought to effect atonement in the Holy, he shall take outside the camp, and they shall burn in fire their hides, their flesh, and their waste.28And the person who burns them shall immerse his garments and immerse his flesh in water. And after this, he may come into the camp.29And [all this] shall be as an eternal statute for you; in the seventh month, on the tenth of the month, you shall afflict yourselves, and you shall not do any work neither the native nor the stranger who dwells among you.30For on this day He shall effect atonement for you to cleanse you. Before the Lord, you shall be cleansed from all your sins.31It is a Sabbath of rest for you, and you shall afflict yourselves. It is an eternal statute.32And the Kohen who is anointed or who is invested to serve in his father's stead, shall effect [this] atonement, and he shall don the linen garments, the holy garments;33And he shall effect atonement upon the Holy of Holies, and he shall effect atonement upon the Tent of Meeting and upon the altar, and he shall effect atonement upon the kohanim and upon all the people of the congregation.34[All] this shall be as an eternal statute for you, to effect atonement upon the children of Israel, for all their sins, once each year. And he did as the Lord had commanded Moses.Leviticus Chapter 17 1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:2Speak to Aaron and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them: This is the thing the Lord has commanded, saying:3Any man of the House of Israel, who slaughters an ox, a lamb, or a goat inside the camp, or who slaughters outside the camp,4but does not bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to offer up as a sacrifice to the Lord before the Mishkan of the Lord, this [act] shall be counted for that man as blood he has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people;5in order that the children of Israel should bring their offerings which they slaughter on the open field, and bring them to the Lord, to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, to the kohen, and slaughter them as peace offerings to the Lord.6And the kohen shall dash the blood upon the altar of the Lord at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and he shall cause the fat to go up in smoke, as a pleasing fragrance to the Lord.7And they shall no longer slaughter their sacrifices to the satyrs after which they stray. This shall be an eternal statute for them, for [all] their generations.

Monday

Psalm 111:1–10 (NLT):

1 Praise the Lord!

I will thank the Lord with all my heart

as I meet with his godly people.

2 How amazing are the deeds of the Lord!

All who delight in him should ponder them.

3 Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.

His righteousness never fails.

4 He causes us to remember his wonderful works.

How gracious and merciful is our Lord!

5 He gives food to those who fear him;

he always remembers his covenant.

6 He has shown his great power to his people

by giving them the lands of other nations.

7 All he does is just and good,

and all his commandments are trustworthy.

8 They are forever true,

to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.

9 He has paid a full ransom for his people.

He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever.

What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!

10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.

All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.

Praise him forever!

Third Portion

Leviticus Chapter 17

8And you should say to them: Any man of the House of Israel or of the strangers who will sojourn among them, who offers up a burnt offering or [any other] sacrifice,9but does not bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to make it [a sacrifice] to the Lord, that man shall be cut off from his people.10And any man of the House of Israel or of the strangers that sojourn among them, who eats any blood, I will set My attention upon the soul who eats the blood, and I will cut him off from among his people.11For the soul of the flesh is in the blood, and I have therefore given it to you [to be placed] upon the altar, to atone for your souls. For it is the blood that atones for the soul.12Therefore, I said to the children of Israel: None of you shall eat blood, and the stranger who sojourns among you shall not eat blood.13And any man of the children of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who traps a quarry of a wild animal or bird that may be eaten, and sheds its blood, he shall cover it [the blood] with dust.14For [regarding] the soul of all flesh its blood is in its soul, and I said to the children of Israel: You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the soul of any flesh is its blood all who eat it shall be cut off.15And any person, whether a native or a stranger, who eats carrion or what was torn, shall immerse his garments and immerse himself in the waters, and shall remain unclean until evening, and then he shall become clean.16But if he does not immerse [his garments] or immerse his flesh, he shall bear his sin.Leviticus Chapter 18 1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:2Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: I am the Lord, your God.3Like the practice of the land of Egypt, in which you dwelled, you shall not do, and like the practice of the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you, you shall not do, and you shall not follow their statutes.4You shall fulfill My ordinances and observe My statutes, to follow them. I am the Lord, your God.5You shall observe My statutes and My ordinances, which a man shall do and live by them. I am the Lord.6No man shall come near to any of his close relatives, to uncover [their] nakedness. I am the Lord.7You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness.8You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness.9The nakedness of your sister, whether your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether born to one who may remain in the home or born to one who must be sent outside you shall not uncover their nakedness.10The nakedness of your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter you shall not uncover their nakedness, for they are your own nakedness.11The nakedness of the daughter of your father's wife, born to your father she is your sister: you shall not uncover her nakedness.12You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister; she is the close relative of your father.13You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is the close relative of your mother.14You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother you shall not come near his wife; she is your aunt.15You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter in law; she is your son's wife you shall not uncover her nakedness.16You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife: it is your brother's nakedness.17You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter; you shall not take [in marriage] her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness they are close relatives, it is evil counsel.18And you shall not take a woman with her sister [in marriage] as rivals, to uncover the nakedness of one upon the other, in her lifetime.19And to a woman during the uncleanness of her separation, you shall not come near to uncover her nakedness.20You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, to become defiled by her.21And you shall not give any of your offspring to pass through for Molech. And you shall not profane the Name of your God. I am the Lord.

Tuesday

Zechariah 8:18–23 (NLT):

18 Here is another message that came to me from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 19 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The traditional fasts and times of mourning you have kept in early summer, midsummer, autumn, and winter are now ended. They will become festivals of joy and celebration for the people of Judah. So love truth and peace.

20 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem. 21 The people of one city will say to the people of another, ‘Come with us to Jerusalem to ask the Lord to bless us. Let’s worship the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I’m determined to go.’ 22 Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask for his blessing.

23 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: In those days ten men from different nations and languages of the world will clutch at the sleeve of one Jew. And they will say, ‘Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’ ”

Fourth Portion

Leviticus Chapter 18

22You shall not lie down with a male, as with a woman: this is an abomination.23And with no animal shall you cohabit, to become defiled by it. And a woman shall not stand in front of an animal to cohabit with it; this is depravity.24You shall not defile yourselves by any of these things, for the nations, whom I am sending away from before you, have defiled themselves with all these things.25And the land became defiled, and I visited its sin upon it, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.26But as for you, you shall observe My statutes and My ordinances, and you shall not do like any of these abominations neither the native, nor the stranger who sojourns among you.27For the people of the land who preceded you, did all of these abominations, and the land became defiled.28And let the land not vomit you out for having defiled it, as it vomited out the nation that preceded you.29For anyone who commits any of these abominations, the persons doing so shall be cut off from the midst of their people.30And you shall observe My charge, not to commit any of the abominable practices that were done before you, and you shall not become defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.Leviticus Chapter 19 1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,2Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, You shall be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy.3Every man shall fear his mother and his father, and you shall observe My Sabbaths. I am the Lord, your God.4You shall not turn to the worthless idols, nor shall you make molten deities for yourselves. I am the Lord, your God.5When you slaughter a peace offering to the Lord, you shall slaughter it for your acceptance.6It may be eaten on the day you slaughter it and on the morrow, but anything left over until the third day, shall be burned in fire.7And if it would be eaten on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted.8And whoever eats it shall bear his sin, because he has profaned what is holy to the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from his people.9When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not fully reap the corner of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.10And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you collect the [fallen] individual grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger. I am the Lord, your God.11You shall not steal. You shall not deny falsely. You shall not lie, one man to his fellow.12You shall not swear falsely by My Name, thereby profaning the Name of your God. I am the Lord.13You shall not oppress your fellow. You shall not rob. The hired worker's wage shall not remain with you overnight until morning.14You shall not curse a deaf person. You shall not place a stumbling block before a blind person, and you shall fear your God. I am the Lord.

Wednesday

Psalm 102:12–22 (NLT):

12 But you, O Lord, will sit on your throne forever.

Your fame will endure to every generation.

13 You will arise and have mercy on Jerusalem—

and now is the time to pity her,

now is the time you promised to help.

14 For your people love every stone in her walls

and cherish even the dust in her streets.

15 Then the nations will tremble before the Lord.

The kings of the earth will tremble before his glory.

16 For the Lord will rebuild Jerusalem.

He will appear in his glory.

17 He will listen to the prayers of the destitute.

He will not reject their pleas.

18 Let this be recorded for future generations,

so that a people not yet born will praise the Lord.

19 Tell them the Lord looked down

from his heavenly sanctuary.

He looked down to earth from heaven

20 to hear the groans of the prisoners,

to release those condemned to die.

21 And so the Lord’s fame will be celebrated in Zion,

his praises in Jerusalem,

22 when multitudes gather together

and kingdoms come to worship the Lord.

Fifth Portion

Leviticus Chapter 19

15You shall commit no injustice in judgment; you shall not favor a poor person or respect a great man; you shall judge your fellow with righteousness.16You shall not go around as a gossipmonger amidst your people. You shall not stand by [the shedding of] your fellow's blood. I am the Lord.17You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your fellow, but you shall not bear a sin on his account.18You shall neither take revenge from nor bear a grudge against the members of your people; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.19You shall observe My statutes: You shall not crossbreed your livestock with different species. You shall not sow your field with a mixture of seeds, and a garment which has a mixture of shaatnez shall not come upon you.20If a man lies carnally with a woman, and she is a handmaid designated for a man, and she had not been [fully] redeemed nor had her document of emancipation been granted her, there shall be an investigation; they shall not be put to death, because she had not been [completely] freed.21He shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord, to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, a guilt offering ram.22And the kohen shall effect atonement for him with the guilt offering ram, before the Lord, for the sin that he had committed; and he shall be forgiven for the sin that he had committed.23When you come to the Land and you plant any food tree, you shall surely block its fruit [from use]; it shall be blocked from you [from use] for three years, not to be eaten.24And in the fourth year, all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the Lord.25And in the fifth year, you may eat its fruit; [do this, in order] to increase its produce for you. I am the Lord, your God.26You shall not eat over the blood. You shall not act on the basis of omens or lucky hours.27You shall not round off the corner of your head, and you shall not destroy the edge of your beard.28You shall not make cuts in your flesh for a person [who died]. You shall not etch a tattoo on yourselves. I am the Lord.29You shall not defile your daughter by making her a harlot, lest the Land fall into harlotry and the land be filled with immorality.30You shall observe My Sabbaths and revere My Sanctuary. I am the Lord.31You shall not turn to [the sorcery of] Ov or Yid'oni; you shall not seek [these and thereby] defile yourselves through them. I am the Lord, your God.32You shall rise before a venerable person and you shall respect the elderly, and you shall fear your God. I am the Lord.

Thursday

Psalm 79:title–13 (NLT): A psalm of Asaph.

1 O God, pagan nations have conquered your land,

your special possession.

They have defiled your holy Temple

and made Jerusalem a heap of ruins.

2 They have left the bodies of your servants

as food for the birds of heaven.

The flesh of your godly ones

has become food for the wild animals.

3 Blood has flowed like water all around Jerusalem;

no one is left to bury the dead.

4 We are mocked by our neighbors,

an object of scorn and derision to those around us.

5 O Lord, how long will you be angry with us? Forever?

How long will your jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you—

on kingdoms that do not call upon your name.

7 For they have devoured your people Israel,

making the land a desolate wilderness.

8 Do not hold us guilty for the sins of our ancestors!

Let your compassion quickly meet our needs,

for we are on the brink of despair.

9 Help us, O God of our salvation!

Help us for the glory of your name.

Save us and forgive our sins

for the honor of your name.

10 Why should pagan nations be allowed to scoff,

asking, “Where is their God?”

Show us your vengeance against the nations,

for they have spilled the blood of your servants.

11 Listen to the moaning of the prisoners.

Demonstrate your great power by saving those condemned to die.

12 O Lord, pay back our neighbors seven times

for the scorn they have hurled at you.

13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,

will thank you forever and ever,

praising your greatness from generation to generation.

Sixth Portion

Leviticus Chapter 19

33When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not taunt him.34The stranger who sojourns with you shall be as a native from among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord, your God.35You shall not commit a perversion of justice with measures, weights, or liquid measures.36You shall have true scales, true weights, a true ephah, and a true hin. I am the Lord, your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt.37You shall observe all My statutes and all My ordinances, and fulfill them. I am the Lord.Leviticus Chapter 20 1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,2And to the children of Israel, you shall say: Any man of the children of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among Israel, who gives any of his offspring to Molech, shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall pelt him with stones.3And I will set My attention upon that man, and I will cut him off from amidst his people, because he gave of his offspring to Molech in order to defile My holy ones and to profane My holy Name.4But if the people of the land ignore that man when he gives of his offspring to Molech, not putting him to death5I will set My attention upon that man, and upon his family, and I will cut him off, and all who stray after him to stray after Molech, from amidst their people.6And the person who turns to Ov or Yid'oni, to stray after them I will set My attention upon that person, and I will cut him off from amidst his people.7You shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am the Lord, your God.

Friday

Jeremiah 9:17–22 (NLT): Weeping in Jerusalem

17 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:

“Consider all this, and call for the mourners.

Send for the women who mourn at funerals.

18 Quick! Begin your weeping!

Let the tears flow from your eyes.

19 Hear the people of Jerusalem crying in despair,

‘We are ruined! We are completely humiliated!

We must leave our land,

because our homes have been torn down.’ ”

20 Listen, you women, to the words of the Lord;

open your ears to what he has to say.

Teach your daughters to wail;

teach one another how to lament.

21 For death has crept in through our windows

and has entered our mansions.

It has killed off the flower of our youth:

Children no longer play in the streets,

and young men no longer gather in the squares.

22 This is what the Lord says:

“Bodies will be scattered across the fields like clumps of manure,

like bundles of grain after the harvest.

No one will be left to bury them.”

Seventh Portion

Leviticus Chapter 20

8And you shall observe My statutes and fulfill them. I am the Lord, Who sanctifies you.9For any man who curses his father or his mother shall be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon himself.10And a man who commits adultery with [another] man's wife, committing adultery with the wife of his fellow the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.11And a man who lies with his father's wife has uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon themselves.12And a man who lies with his daughter in law both of them shall surely be put to death; they have committed a depravity; their blood is upon themselves.13And a man who lies with a male as one would with a woman both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon themselves.14And a man who takes a woman and her mother it is evil counsel. They shall burn him and them in fire, and there shall be no evil counsel in your midst.15And a man who lies with an animal, shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal.16And a woman who comes close to any animal so that it will mate with her you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon themselves.17And a man who takes his sister, whether his father's daughter or his mother's daughter, and he sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness it is a disgraceful act, and they shall be cut off before the eyes of the members of their people; he uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his sin.18And a man who lies with a woman who has a flow, and he uncovers her nakedness he has bared her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from the midst of their people.19And you shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister or your father's sister, for he would be baring his close relative; they shall bear their sin.20And a man who lies with his aunt he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness; they shall bear their transgression; they shall die childless.21And a man who takes his brother's wife it is a repulsive act; he has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.22And you shall observe all My statutes and all My ordinances, and fulfill them, then the Land, to which I am bringing you to dwell therein, will not vomit you out.23You shall not follow the practices of the nation that I am sending away from before you, for they committed all these [sins], and I was disgusted with them.24So I said to you, You shall possess their land, and I shall give it to you to possess it a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God, Who has distinguished you from the peoples.25And you shall distinguish between clean animals and unclean ones, and between unclean birds and clean ones; thus you shall not make yourselves disgusting through [unclean] animals and birds and any [creature] which crawls on the earth, that I have distinguished for you to render unclean.26And you shall be holy to Me, for I, the Lord, am holy, and I have distinguished you from the peoples, to be Mine.27And a man or a woman who has [the sorcery of] Ov or Yid'oni, shall surely be put to death; they shall pelt them with stones; their blood is upon themselves.

Saturday

Lamentations 3:22–33 (NLT):

22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!

His mercies never cease.

23 Great is his faithfulness;

his mercies begin afresh each morning.

24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;

therefore, I will hope in him!”

25 The Lord is good to those who depend on him,

to those who search for him.

26 So it is good to wait quietly

for salvation from the Lord.

27 And it is good for people to submit at an early age

to the yoke of his discipline:

28 Let them sit alone in silence

beneath the Lord’s demands.

29 Let them lie face down in the dust,

for there may be hope at last.

30 Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them

and accept the insults of their enemies.

31 For no one is abandoned

by the Lord forever.

32 Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion

because of the greatness of his unfailing love.

33 For he does not enjoy hurting people

or causing them sorrow.

Maftir Portion

Leviticus Chapter 20

25And you shall distinguish between clean animals and unclean ones, and between unclean birds and clean ones; thus you shall not make yourselves disgusting through [unclean] animals and birds and any [creature] which crawls on the earth, that I have distinguished for you to render unclean.26And you shall be holy to Me, for I, the Lord, am holy, and I have distinguished you from the peoples, to be Mine.27And a man or a woman who has [the sorcery of] Ov or Yid'oni, shall surely be put to death; they shall pelt them with stones; their blood is upon themselves.

Haftarah

Amos Chapter 9

7Are you not like the children of the Cushites to Me, O children of Israel? says the Lord. Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor and Aram from Kir?8Behold the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from upon the face of the earth; but I will not destroy the house of Jacob, says the Lord.9For, behold I command, and I will scatter the house of Israel among all the nations; as it is shaken in a sieve, and not a coarse particle falls to the earth.10By the sword shall all the sinful of My people perish, those who say, "The evil shall not soon come upon us. "11On that day, I will raise up the fallen Tabernacle of David, and I will close up their breaches, and I will raise up its ruins, and build it up as in the days of yore.12In order that they inherit the remnant of Edom and all the nations because My Name is called upon them, says the Lord Who does this.13Behold days are coming, says the Lord, that the plowman shall meet the reaper and the treader of the grapes the one who carries the seed, and the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.14And I will return the captivity of My people Israel, and they shall rebuild desolate cities and inhabit [them], and they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their produce.15And I will plant them on their land, and they shall no longer be uprooted from upon their land, that I have given them, said the Lord your God.