SH’MINI (EIGHTH)

Parashat Shemini

Kohanim Begin Their Ministry

9 Now it happened on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron, his sons, and the elders of Israel. ² Then he said to Aaron, “Take a calf from the herd for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them before Adonai. ³ You are to speak to Bnei-Yisrael, saying: Take a male goat for a sin offering, along with a calf and a lamb, both yearlings without blemish, for a burnt offering, ⁴ plus a bull and a ram for fellowship offerings, to sacrifice before Adonai, along with a grain offering mixed with oil. For today Adonai appears to you.”

⁵ So they brought what Moses commanded before the Tent of Meeting, and the entire congregation drew near and stood before Adonai. ⁶ Moses said, “This is what Adonai commanded that you shall do, so that the glory of Adonai may appear to you.” ⁷ Moses said to Aaron, “Draw near to the altar, and bring your sin offering, and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself and for the people.^[a] Then present the offering for the people, and make atonement for them, as Adonai commanded.”

⁸ So Aaron drew near to the altar, and slaughtered the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself. ⁹ The sons of Aaron presented the blood to him. Then he dipped his finger in the blood, dabbed it onto the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of the altar. ¹⁰ But the fat, the kidneys and the cover from the liver of the sin offering he burned up as smoke on the altar, as Adonai had commanded Moses. ¹¹ The flesh and the hide he burned in a fire outside the camp. ¹² Aaron slaughtered the burnt offering, then his sons presented the blood to him and he splashed it around on the altar. ¹³ They handed the burnt offering to him piece by piece, along with the head, and he burned them up as smoke on the altar. ¹⁴ He washed the innards and the legs and he offered them in smoke upon the burnt offering on the altar. ¹⁵ Then he presented the people’s gift, took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people, slaughtered it, and offered it for sin, just like the first one. ¹⁶ He presented the burnt offering and offered it according to the decree.

¹⁷ Then Aaron presented the grain offering, filling his hand with some of it and burning it up as smoke on the altar, alongside the burnt offering of the morning. ¹⁸ He also slaughtered the bull and the ram as the sacrifice of fellowship offerings for the people. Then his sons brought him the blood, which he splashed around on the altar, ¹⁹ as well as the fat from the bull and the ram, the fat tail, and the layer over the innards along with the kidneys and the covering of the liver. ²⁰ They put the fat upon the breasts, and he burned it on the altar. ²¹ But the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved for a wave offering before Adonai, as Moses had commanded. ²² Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them.^[b] Then he stepped down from presenting the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.

²³ Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came back out and blessed the people, the glory of Adonai appeared to all the people. ²⁴ Fire came out from the presence of Adonai, and devoured the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

Holy Fire Consumes Unauthorized Fire

10 Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his own censer, put fire in it, laid incense over it, and offered unauthorized fire before Adonai—which He had not commanded them. ² So fire came out from the presence of Adonai and consumed them. So they died before Adonai. ³ Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what Adonai spoke of, saying:

To those who are near Me

I will show myself holy.

Upon the faces of all the people

I will be glorified.”

Then Aaron kept silent.

⁴ Then Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come near, carry your relatives away from the front of the Sanctuary to outside of the camp.” ⁵ So they drew near and carried them, still in their tunics, outside of the camp, as Moses had said.

⁶ Then Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons: “Do not uncover your heads or tear your clothes, so you may not die and He will not be angry with the entire congregation. But let your kinsmen—the whole house of Israel—mourn over the burning that Adonai has kindled. ⁷ You must not go out from the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, or you will die, for the anointing oil of Adonai is on you.” So they acted according to the word of Moses.

⁸ Adonai spoke to Aaron saying: ⁹ “Do not drink wine or fermented drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you go into the Tent of Meeting, so that you do not die. This is to be a statute forever throughout your generations. ¹⁰ You are to make a distinction between the holy and the common and between the unclean and the clean. ¹¹ And you are to teach Bnei-Yisrael all the statutes which Adonai has spoken to them through Moses.”

¹² Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Itamar his surviving sons: “Take the grain offering left over from Adonai’s offerings by fire, and eat it without hametz beside the altar, for it is most holy. ¹³ You are to eat it in a holy place, because it is your portion and your sons’ portion of the offerings of Adonai made by fire. For so I have been commanded. ¹⁴ You are to eat the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented in a clean place—you, your sons and your daughters with you—for they are given as your portion, and your children’s portion, out of the sacrifices of the fellowship offerings of Bnei-Yisrael. ¹⁵ They are to bring the thigh that is presented and the breast that is waved with fat portions scorched by fire, to wave it as a wave offering before Adonai. So it will be yours and your sons’ with you, a share forever, as Adonai has commanded.”

¹⁶ Then Moses searched carefully for the goat of the sin offering and noticed it had been burned up. So he snapped at Eleazar and Itamar, the surviving sons of Aaron, saying: ¹⁷ “Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the place of the Sanctuary, since it is most holy, and He gave it to you in order to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before Adonai? ¹⁸ Look, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly should have eaten it in the Sanctuary, as I commanded.”

¹⁹ But Aaron said to Moses, “Behold, today they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before Adonai. When things like these have happened to me, would it have been good in the eyes of Adonai if I had eaten the sin offering today?” ²⁰ When Moses heard this, it was good in his eyes.

Kashrut for Holiness

11 Adonai spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, ² “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, saying: These are the living things which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. ³ Whatever has a split, divided hoof and chews cud among the animals—that you may eat.

⁴ “Nevertheless, you should not eat of those that only chew cud, or have a split hoof. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof, is unclean to you. ⁵ The coney, though it chews the cud yet does not have a divided hoof, so it is unclean to you. ⁶ The hare, though it chews the cud, does not split the hoof, so it is unclean to you. ⁷ The pig, though it has a split, divided hoof, does not chew cud, so it is unclean to you. ⁸ You are not to eat meat from them, nor are you to touch their carcasses. They are unclean to you.

⁹ “From all that are in the waters, you may eat whatever has fins and scales, within the waters, in the seas and in the rivers. Those you may eat. ¹⁰ But any that do not have fins and scales in the seas or the rivers, among those that swarm on the waters, or among any of the living creatures that are in the waters, they are loathsome to you. ¹¹ They are to be detestable to you. You shall not eat meat from them and you should detest their carcasses. ¹² Whatever has neither fins nor scales in the waters, that is a detestable thing to you.

¹³ “Among the birds you should detest the following—they are not to be eaten—they are loathsome: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, ¹⁴ the red kite, any kind of black kite, ¹⁵ any kind of raven, ¹⁶ the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, ¹⁷ the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, ¹⁸ the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, ¹⁹ the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.

²⁰ “All flying insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you. ²¹ Yet you may eat from all winged creeping things that go on all fours, which have legs above their feet, with which to hop on the earth. ²² You may eat from any kind of locust, any kind of katydid, any kind of cricket and any kind of grasshopper. ²³ But all winged creeping things that have four feet are loathsome to you.

²⁴ “Moreover, by these also you will become unclean: whoever touches their carcasses shall be unclean until the evening. ²⁵ Whoever carries any part of their carcass is to wash his clothes, and will be unclean until the evening. ²⁶ “Every animal with a separating hoof but not split, or does not chew cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them will become unclean. ²⁷ So whatever moves on its paws, among all animals that go on all fours, is unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until the evening. ²⁸ Whoever carries their carcasses, is to wash his clothes and will be unclean until the evening. They are unclean to you.

²⁹ “Among the creeping things that creep on the earth, the following are unclean to you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, ³⁰ the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon. ³¹ Among all that creep these are the ones that are unclean to you. Whoever touches them when they are dead, will be unclean until the evening. ³² Whatever falls on them when they are dead will become unclean, whether it is any vessel of wood, or clothing, or skin, or sackcloth. Whatever vessel it is, with which any work is done, it must be put into water, and it will be unclean until the evening, then it will be clean.

³³ “Now if any of them falls into a clay pot, everything that is in it will become unclean, and you are to break it. ³⁴ Any food that may be eaten but has water on it from such a pot will become unclean. Also any drink that may be drunk in any such pot will become unclean. ³⁵ Everything on which part of their carcass falls will become unclean. An oven or stove for pots is to be broken in pieces. They are unclean and will be unclean to you. ³⁶ Nevertheless, a spring or a cistern for collecting water will be clean, though anyone who touches their carcass will become unclean. ³⁷ If part of a carcass falls on any seed for sowing that has yet to be sown, it is clean. ³⁸ But if water is put on the seed, and part of a carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you. ³⁹ “If any animal that you may eat dies, the one who touches its carcass will become unclean until the evening. ⁴⁰ He who eats of its carcass is to wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. Also, the one who carries its carcass is to wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.

⁴¹ “Every creeping thing that crawls on the earth is detestable—it should not be eaten. ⁴² Whatever moves on its belly or crawls on all fours or has many feet among all the creeping things that crawl on the earth, these you are not to eat, for they are detestable. ⁴³ You are not to contaminate yourselves with any creeping thing that crawls nor make yourselves unclean with them or defiled by them.

⁴⁴ “For I am Adonai your God. Therefore, sanctify yourselves, and be holy, for I am holy. You are not to defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth. ⁴⁵ For I am Adonai who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God.^[c] Therefore, you shall be holy, for I am holy.

⁴⁶ “This is the Torah of the animal, the bird, every living creature that moves in the waters, and every creature that creeps on the earth, ⁴⁷ to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living thing that may be eaten and the living thing that may not be eaten.”

Melchizedek, a Kohen Forever

7 For this Melchizedek was king of Salem, kohen of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, ^{[a] 2} and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth of everything. First, by the translation of his name, he is “King of Righteousness”^[b]; and then also King of Salem, which is “King of Shalom.” ³ Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life but made like Ben-Elohim, he remains a kohen for all time.

⁴ Now see how great this man is! Even Abraham the patriarch gave him a tenth out of the plunder. ⁵ Indeed, those sons of Levi who receive the priesthood have, according to Torah, a command to collect a tithe from the people^[c]—that is, from their kin, although they have come out of the loins of Abraham. ⁶ But this one—who did not have their genealogy—has collected tithes from Abraham and has blessed him, the one holding the promises. ⁷ Now it is beyond dispute that the lesser is blessed by the greater. ⁸ In one case, dying men receive tithes; but in the other, one about whom it is testified that he lives on. ⁹ Through Abraham even Levi, the one receiving tithes, has paid the tithe, so to speak— ¹⁰ for he was still in his father’s loins when Melchizedek met him.

Yeshua, Our Kohen Gadol Forever

¹¹ Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for based on it the people had been given the Torah^[d]), what further need was there for a different kohen to arise—designated according to the order of Melchizedek, not according to the order of Aaron? ¹² For whenever the priesthood is altered, out of necessity an alteration^[e] of law also takes place. ¹³ For the one about whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. ¹⁴ For it is clear that our Lord has sprung forth^[f] from Judah—concerning this tribe, Moses said nothing about kohanim. ¹⁵ And it is even more evident, if another kohen arises like Melchizedek— ¹⁶ one made not by virtue of a Torah requirement of physical descent,^[g] but by virtue of the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it is testified,

¹⁸ For on the one hand, a former requirement is set aside because of its weakness and ineffectiveness— ¹⁹ for Torah made nothing perfect. But on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

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Sowing Good News from Town to Town

8 Soon afterward, Yeshua began traveling throughout towns and villages, preaching and proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God. The twelve were also with Him. ² And certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Miriam, the one called Magdalene, out of whom seven demons had gone; ³ Joanna, the wife of Kuza, Herod’s finance minister; Susanna; and many others—were supporting them out of their own resources.

⁴ And when a large crowd was gathering and those from various towns were traveling to Him, He spoke by means of a parable. ⁵ “The sower went out to spread his seed. As he sowed, some fell beside the road and was trampled; and the birds of the air ate it up. ⁶ And other seed fell on rock; when it came up, that seed withered away because it had no moisture. ⁷ Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. ⁸ And other seed fell into the good soil; and when it came up, it produced fruit a hundredfold.” While saying these things, He would call out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

⁹ Now His disciples were asking Him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ Then Yeshua said to them, “To you has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to the others it is given in parables,^[a] in order that

¹¹ “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. ¹² Those beside the road are the ones who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³ But those on the rocky places are the ones who, when they hear, accept the word with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a season, and in a time of testing fall away. ¹⁴ Now that which fell into the thorns are those who were hearing; but as they go along the way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and they do not bear mature fruit. ¹⁵ But the seed in the good soil are those with a praiseworthy and good heart, who have heard the word and hold it fast and bear fruit with patient endurance.

¹⁶ “Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it with some object or places it under a bed. But he puts it on a lampstand so that all those who enter may be able to see the light. ¹⁷ For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor secret that shall not be known and come into open view. ¹⁸ So pay attention how you listen. For whoever has, to him more will be given. And whoever does not have, even what he supposes he has will be taken away from him.”

¹⁹ Yeshua’s mother and brothers came to Him, but were not able to reach Him through the crowd. ²⁰ Now it was reported to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see You.”

²¹ But answering, He said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who are hearing the word of God and doing it.”

Crossing a Stormy Sea

²² Now on one of those days Yeshua and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let’s move to the other side of the lake.” So they set out. ²³ Then as they were sailing, He fell asleep. A violent windstorm came down on the lake, and they were swamped with water and in danger.

²⁴ They came to Yeshua and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re perishing!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging wave of water. Then they stopped, and it became calm.^[c]

²⁵ Then Yeshua said to them, “Where is your faith?” But they were afraid and marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him!”

Not Welcome in the Gerasenes

²⁶ They sailed over to the country of the Gerasenes, which is on the opposite side of the Galilee. ²⁷ A demon-plagued man from the town met Yeshua as He was coming out onto the land. The man hadn’t worn any clothing for a long time and was living not in a house but in the tombs.

²⁸ Seeing Yeshua, he cried out and fell down before Yeshua, and with a loud voice said, “What’s between You and me, Yeshua, Ben El Elyon? I’m begging You, do not torment me!” ²⁹ For Yeshua commanded the defiling spirit to come out of the man. For many times it had seized him so that, even though he was restrained and bound with chains and shackles, he would break the chains and be driven by the demons into the desert.

³⁰ Yeshua questioned him, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he said, for many demons had entered him. ³¹ They kept begging Him not to command them to depart into the abyss. ^{[d] 32} Now a large herd of pigs was feeding on the mountain. The demons urged Yeshua to let them enter these pigs, and He gave them permission. ³³ Then the demons came out of the man and entered into the pigs. The herd rushed down the cliff into the lake and was drowned. ³⁴ But when the herdsmen saw what happened, they ran away and reported it in the town and countryside.

³⁵ People went out to see what had happened. They came to Yeshua and found the man from whom the demons had gone—clothed and in his right mind, sitting at the feet of Yeshua. And they were frightened. ³⁶ Now those who had seen it reported how the demon-plagued man had been restored. ³⁷ And all the people from the region surrounding the Gerasenes asked Yeshua to go away from them because they were overcome by great fear. So He got into a boat and returned.

³⁸ The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with Yeshua. But Yeshua sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your home, and describe all that God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole town all that Yeshua had done for him.

Interrupted on the Way to a Miracle

⁴⁰ As Yeshua returned, the crowd welcomed Him, for they were all expecting Him. ⁴¹ And here came a man named Jairus, a leader in the synagogue. Falling at Yeshua’s feet, he begged Him to come to his house, ⁴² because his only daughter, about twelve years old, was dying. But as He made His way, the masses were crushing in upon Him.

⁴³ And there was a woman with a blood flow for twelve years,^[e] who could not be healed by anyone. ⁴⁴ She came up from behind and touched the tzitzit of Yeshua’s garment. Immediately, her blood flow stopped. ⁴⁵ Yeshua said, “Who touched Me?”

When everyone denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are surrounding You and pressing in!”

⁴⁶ But Yeshua said, “Someone touched Me, for I recognized power going out from Me.” ⁴⁷ Then seeing that she did not escape notice, the woman came trembling and fell prostrate before Him. In the presence of all the people, she confessed why she had touched Him and how she had been healed immediately. ⁴⁸ He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in shalom.”

⁴⁹ While He was still speaking, someone comes from the house of the synagogue leader, saying, “Your daughter has died. Don’t bother the Teacher anymore.”

⁵⁰ But hearing this, Yeshua replied to him, “Do not fear—just keep trusting, and she shall be restored.”

⁵¹ When Yeshua came into the house, He didn’t let anyone enter with Him except Peter, John, Jacob, and the child’s father and mother. ⁵² And everyone was weeping and lamenting her; but He said, “Don’t weep, for she didn’t die but is sleeping.” ⁵³ But they were ridiculing Him, knowing she had died.

⁵⁴ But Yeshua, took her by the hand and called out, saying, “Child, get up!” ⁵⁵ Her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. Yeshua ordered food to be given to her to eat. ⁵⁶ Her parents were utterly astonished, but He ordered them to say nothing of what had happened.

Sending Out the Twelve

9 Now when Yeshua called the twelve together, He gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. ² He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. ³ And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey—no walking stick, no travel bag, no bread, no money, nor even to have two shirts. ⁴ Whatever house you enter, stay there and depart from there. ⁵ And whoever does not receive you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a witness against them.” ⁶ So they went out and began traveling throughout the villages, proclaiming the Good News and healing everywhere.

⁷ Now Herod the tetrarch heard all that was happening. He was very confused, because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, ⁸ but others that Elijah had appeared, and others that some prophet from among the ancients had arisen. ⁹ But Herod said, “I beheaded John, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see Him.

A Hungry Crowd in a Desolate Place

¹⁰ When the emissaries returned, they described to Yeshua all they had done. Then He took them along and withdrew privately to a city named Bethsaida. ¹¹ But the crowds found out and followed Him. So Yeshua welcomed them and began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those in need of healing.

¹² Now the day began to wind down, and the twelve came and said to Yeshua, “Send the crowd away, so they might go into the nearby villages and countryside and find food and lodging; for we are in a desolate place here.”

¹³ But Yeshua said to them, “You give them something to eat!”

But they said, “We have no more than five loaves of bread and two fish, unless we go to buy food for all these people.” ¹⁴ For there were about five thousand men.

Then Yeshua said to His disciples, “Have the people recline in groups of about fifty each.” ¹⁵ They did so, and all reclined. ¹⁶ And He took the five loaves and the two fish; and looking up to heaven, He offered the bracha and broke them. And He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. ¹⁷ Then they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of the fragments.

Secrets Revealed to the Disciples Alone

¹⁸ Once when Yeshua was praying alone and His disciples were near, He put a question to them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

¹⁹ They replied, “John the Immerser, but others Elijah, and others that some prophet from among the ancients has arisen.”

²⁰ Then He said to them, “But who do you that say I am?”

Then Peter answered and said, “The Messiah of God.”

²¹ But Yeshua warned them, and He ordered them not to tell this to anyone, ²² saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and ruling kohanim and Torah scholars, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

²³ Then Yeshua was saying to everyone, “If anyone wants to follow Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross every day, and follow Me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

²⁵ “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself? ²⁶ For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels. ^{[f] 27} But I tell you truthfully, there are some standing here who will never taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

Glorified on a Mountain

²⁸ About eight days after these teachings, Yeshua took Peter, John, and Jacob with Him and went up the mountain to pray. ²⁹ While He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothing flashed like white lightning. ³⁰ And behold, two men were talking with Him, Moses and Elijah. ³¹ Appearing in glory, they were speaking of Yeshua’s departure, which was about to take place in Jerusalem.

³² Now Peter and those with him were overcome with sleep. But when they awakened, they saw Yeshua’s glory and the two men standing with Him. ³³ And as they were leaving Yeshua, Peter said to Him, “Master, it’s good for us to be here. Let’s make three sukkot: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he was saying.

³⁴ While he was yet saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, the One I have chosen. Listen to Him!” ^{[g] 36} And after the voice happened, Yeshua was found alone. They kept quiet and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

Coming Down from the Mountaintop

³⁷ On the next day as they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Yeshua. ³⁸ Suddenly a man from the crowd shouted out loudly, saying, “Teacher, I’m begging You to look at my son, for he’s my only child! ³⁹ You see, a spirit takes hold of him, and he immediately screams. It throws him into convulsions with frothing. It hardly ever leaves him—it’s crushing him! ⁴⁰ I begged Your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”

⁴¹ Then answering, Yeshua said, “O faithless and twisted generation,^[h] how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” ⁴² And while the boy was still approaching Yeshua, the demon knocked him down to the ground and threw him into convulsions. But Yeshua rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and restored him to his father. ⁴³ And all were amazed at the mighty power of God. But as everyone was marveling at all He was doing, He said to His disciples, ⁴⁴ “Put these words into your ears: the Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” ⁴⁵ But they did not understand this statement; it was yet concealed from them so they could not grasp it. And they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.

⁴⁶ Now a dispute began between the disciples as to who might be the greatest among them. ⁴⁷ But Yeshua, knowing the reasoning of their heart, took a child and set him by His side. ⁴⁸ He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in My name, welcomes Me. And whoever welcomes Me, welcomes the One who sent Me. The one who is the least among all of you is the one who is great.”

⁴⁹ John replied, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he doesn’t follow along with us.”

⁵⁰ Yeshua said to him, “Do not stop him, for he who is not against you is for you.”

Samaria Turns Yeshua Away

⁵¹ When the days were approaching for Him to be taken up, Yeshua was determined to go up to Jerusalem. ⁵² He sent messengers before Him, and they went and entered a Samaritan village to make His arrangements. ⁵³ But they did not receive Him, because He was focused on going up to Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When His disciples Jacob and John saw this, they said, “Master, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them^[i]?” ⁵⁵ But Yeshua turned and rebuked them.^[j]

⁵⁶ Then they moved on to another village. ⁵⁷ As they were traveling on the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.”

⁵⁸ But Yeshua said to him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” ⁵⁹ He said to another, “Follow Me.”

But that one said, “First let me go and bury my father.”

⁶⁰ But Yeshua said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

⁶¹ Then another also said, “I will follow You, Master, but first let me say goodbye to those in my home.”

⁶² But Yeshua said to him, “No one who has put his hand to the plow and looked back is fit for the kingdom of God.”