7-Day Devotional: Torn Between Two Worlds – Embracing God’s Gifts Amid Unmet Longings

Getting Dating Right

Learning About Love With St. Valentine

Art in Scripture: The Earth Is the Lord's

Release the Offense

The Bible for Young Explorers: Mark

The Novelty Detox for Lent: Letting Go of Novelty and Being Present in the Everyday

Ready as You Are

Fuel the Fire Pt 2

Still Standing

New International Version

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 <div class="p">18Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. </div>
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The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

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

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="label">11</div><div class="s1">Love and Obey the Lord</div><div class="p"> 1Love the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always. 2Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm; 3the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country; 4what he did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots, how he overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea#11:4 Or the Sea of Reeds as they were pursuing you, and how the Lord brought lasting ruin on them. 5It was not your children who saw what he did for you in the wilderness until you arrived at this place, 6and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth right in the middle of all Israel and swallowed them up with their households, their tents and every living thing that belonged to them. 7But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done.</div><div class="p"> 8Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 9and so that you may live long in the land the Lord swore to your ancestors to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. 11But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. 12It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.</div><div class="p"> 13So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today&#8212;to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul&#8212; 14then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. 15I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.</div><div class="p"> 16Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. 17Then the Lord&#8217;s anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. 18Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.</div><div class="p"> 22If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow&#8212;to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast to him&#8212; 23then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. 24Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. 25No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.</div><div class="p"> 26See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse&#8212; 27the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; 28the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known. 29When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim the blessings, and on Mount Ebal the curses. 30As you know, these mountains are across the Jordan, westward, toward the setting sun, near the great trees of Moreh, in the territory of those Canaanites living in the Arabah in the vicinity of Gilgal. 31You are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you have taken it over and are living there, 32be sure that you obey all the decrees and laws I am setting before you today.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="label">12</div><div class="s1">The One Place of Worship</div><div class="p"> 1These are the decrees and laws you must be careful to follow in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you to possess&#8212;as long as you live in the land. 2Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains, on the hills and under every spreading tree, where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. 3Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places.</div><div class="p"> 4You must not worship the Lord your God in their way. 5But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; 6there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 7There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.</div><div class="p"> 8You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit, 9since you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance the Lord your God is giving you. 10But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. 11Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name&#8212;there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord. 12And there rejoice before the Lord your God&#8212;you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns who have no allotment or inheritance of their own. 13Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. 14Offer them only at the place the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you.</div><div class="p"> 15Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer, according to the blessing the Lord your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it. 16But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. 17You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and olive oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts. 18Instead, you are to eat them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place the Lord your God will choose&#8212;you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns&#8212;and you are to rejoice before the Lord your God in everything you put your hand to. 19Be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.</div><div class="p"> 20When the Lord your God has enlarged your territory as he promised you, and you crave meat and say, &#8220;I would like some meat,&#8221; then you may eat as much of it as you want. 21If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put his Name is too far away from you, you may slaughter animals from the herds and flocks the Lord has given you, as I have commanded you, and in your own towns you may eat as much of them as you want. 22Eat them as you would gazelle or deer. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat. 23But be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat. 24You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. 25Do not eat it, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 26But take your consecrated things and whatever you have vowed to give, and go to the place the Lord will choose. 27Present your burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord your God, both the meat and the blood. The blood of your sacrifices must be poured beside the altar of the Lord your God, but you may eat the meat. 28Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God.</div><div class="p"> 29The Lord your God will cut off before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land, 30and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, &#8220;How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.&#8221; 31You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.</div><div class="p"> 32See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.#12:32 In Hebrew texts this verse (12:32) is numbered 13:1.</div>
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 <div class="label">7</div><div class="s1">Warning Against the Adulterous Woman</div><div class="q1"> 1My son, keep my words</div><div class="q2">and store up my commands within you.</div><div class="q1"> 2Keep my commands and you will live;</div><div class="q2">guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.</div><div class="q1"> 3Bind them on your fingers;</div><div class="q2">write them on the tablet of your heart.</div><div class="q1"> 4Say to wisdom, &#8220;You are my sister,&#8221;</div><div class="q2">and to insight, &#8220;You are my relative.&#8221;</div><div class="q1"> 5They will keep you from the adulterous woman,</div><div class="q2">from the wayward woman with her seductive words.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 6At the window of my house</div><div class="q2">I looked down through the lattice.</div><div class="q1"> 7I saw among the simple,</div><div class="q2">I noticed among the young men,</div><div class="q2">a youth who had no sense.</div><div class="q1"> 8He was going down the street near her corner,</div><div class="q2">walking along in the direction of her house</div><div class="q1"> 9at twilight, as the day was fading,</div><div class="q2">as the dark of night set in.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 10Then out came a woman to meet him,</div><div class="q2">dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.</div><div class="q1"> 11(She is unruly and defiant,</div><div class="q2">her feet never stay at home;</div><div class="q1"> 12now in the street, now in the squares,</div><div class="q2">at every corner she lurks.)</div><div class="q1"> 13She took hold of him and kissed him</div><div class="q2">and with a brazen face she said:</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 14&#8220;Today I fulfilled my vows,</div><div class="q2">and I have food from my fellowship offering at home.</div><div class="q1"> 15So I came out to meet you;</div><div class="q2">I looked for you and have found you!</div><div class="q1"> 16I have covered my bed</div><div class="q2">with colored linens from Egypt.</div><div class="q1"> 17I have perfumed my bed</div><div class="q2">with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.</div><div class="q1"> 18Come, let&#8217;s drink deeply of love till morning;</div><div class="q2">let&#8217;s enjoy ourselves with love!</div><div class="q1"> 19My husband is not at home;</div><div class="q2">he has gone on a long journey.</div><div class="q1"> 20He took his purse filled with money</div><div class="q2">and will not be home till full moon.&#8221;</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 21With persuasive words she led him astray;</div><div class="q2">she seduced him with her smooth talk.</div><div class="q1"> 22All at once he followed her</div><div class="q2">like an ox going to the slaughter,</div><div class="q1">like a deer#7:22 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew fool stepping into a noose#7:22 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.</div><div class="q2"> 23till an arrow pierces his liver,</div><div class="q1">like a bird darting into a snare,</div><div class="q2">little knowing it will cost him his life.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 24Now then, my sons, listen to me;</div><div class="q2">pay attention to what I say.</div><div class="q1"> 25Do not let your heart turn to her ways</div><div class="q2">or stray into her paths.</div><div class="q1"> 26Many are the victims she has brought down;</div><div class="q2">her slain are a mighty throng.</div><div class="q1"> 27Her house is a highway to the grave,</div><div class="q2">leading down to the chambers of death.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="label">15</div><div class="s1">That Which Defiles</div><div class="p"> 1Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2&#8220;Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don&#8217;t wash their hands before they eat!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3Jesus replied, &#8220;And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God said, &#8216;Honor your father and mother&#8217;#15:4 Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16 and &#8216;Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.&#8217;#15:4 Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9 5But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is &#8216;devoted to God,&#8217; 6they are not to &#8216;honor their father or mother&#8217; with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:</div><div class="q1"> 8 &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;These people honor me with their lips,</div><div class="q2"> but their hearts are far from me.</div><div class="q1"> 9 They worship me in vain;</div><div class="q2"> their teachings are merely human rules.&#8217; # 15:9 
 Isaiah 29:13
 &#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10Jesus called the crowd to him and said, &#8220;Listen and understand. 11What goes into someone&#8217;s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12Then the disciples came to him and asked, &#8220;Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13He replied, &#8220;Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14Leave them; they are blind guides.#15:14 Some manuscripts blind guides of the blind If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15Peter said, &#8220;Explain the parable to us.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16 &#8220;Are you still so dull?&#8221; Jesus asked them. 17&#8220;Don&#8217;t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18But the things that come out of a person&#8217;s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts&#8212;murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Faith of a Canaanite Woman</div><div class="p"> 21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, &#8220;Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, &#8220;Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24He answered, &#8220;I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 25The woman came and knelt before him. &#8220;Lord, help me!&#8221; she said.</div><div class="p"> 26He replied, &#8220;It is not right to take the children&#8217;s bread and toss it to the dogs.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 27&#8220;Yes it is, Lord,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master&#8217;s table.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 28Then Jesus said to her, &#8220;Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.&#8221; And her daughter was healed at that moment.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand</div><div class="p"> 29Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.</div><div class="p"> 32Jesus called his disciples to him and said, &#8220;I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 33His disciples answered, &#8220;Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 34 &#8220;How many loaves do you have?&#8221; Jesus asked.</div><div class="p">&#8220;Seven,&#8221; they replied, &#8220;and a few small fish.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 35He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 38The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.</div>
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