Leviticus 21:18

not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;

I have set watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem. They will never be silent day nor night. You who call on Yahweh, take no rest,

He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,

The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle toward all, able to teach, patient,

Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar shall be holy.

‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with his fold touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any food, will it become holy?’ ” The priests answered, “No.”

“If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you,

Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; beware of the false circumcision.

from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned away to vain talking,

Demetrius has the testimony of all, and of the truth itself; yes, we also testify, and you know that our testimony is true.

For Yahweh has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, the prophets; and he has covered your heads, the seers.

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word from my mouth, and warn them from me.

The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?

So let a man think of us as Christ’s servants, and stewards of God’s mysteries.

Having regard for honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

This is a faithful saying: someone who seeks to be an overseer desires a good work.

and they may recover themselves out of the devil’s snare, having been taken captive by him to his will.

Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, but willingly;

but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries;

You shall sanctify them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy.

“You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.

Either a bull or a lamb that has any deformity or lacking in his parts, that you may offer for a free will offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.

Take away my disgrace that I dread, for your ordinances are good.

Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep. The idle soul shall suffer hunger.

They also reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink. They are swallowed up by wine. They stagger with strong drink. They err in vision. They stumble in judgment.

Yes, the dogs are greedy. They can never have enough. They are shepherds who can’t understand. They have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter.

I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen!’

They wander as blind men in the streets. They are polluted with blood, So that men can’t touch their garments.

Your shepherds slumber, king of Assyria. Your nobles lie down. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and there is no one to gather them.

“Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’

You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

When Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him,

Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.

For what do I have to do with also judging those who are outside? Don’t you judge those who are within?

Give no occasion for stumbling, whether to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the assembly of God;

Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

Not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account.

Be no longer a drinker of water only, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.

But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation, a snare, and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction.

if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior.

whose mouths must be stopped: men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain’s sake.

As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms.

My soul, don’t come into their council. My glory, don’t be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.

He who is quick to become angry will commit folly, and a crafty man is hated.

A wrathful man stirs up contention, but one who is slow to anger appeases strife.

One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.

Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.

He cried like a lion: “Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime, and every night I stay at my post.

Who is blind, but my servant? Or who is as deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is as blind as he who is at peace, and as blind as Yahweh’s servant?

Your watchmen lift up their voice. Together they sing; for they shall see eye to eye when Yahweh returns to Zion.

His watchmen are blind. They are all without knowledge. They are all mute dogs. They can’t bark— dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.

“Cry aloud! Don’t spare! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Declare to my people their disobedience, and to the house of Jacob their sins.

to wit, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace,’ ” says the Lord Yahweh.’ ”

But if the watchman sees the sword come, and doesn’t blow the trumpet, and the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes, and takes any person from among them; he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’

None of the priests shall drink wine when they enter into the inner court.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no priest to me. Because you have forgotten your God’s law, I will also forget your children.

Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?

He spoke a parable to them. “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit?

Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and don’t understand these things?

They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous man and one who fears God, and well spoken of by all the nation of the Jews, was directed by a holy angel to invite you to his house, and to listen to what you say.”

Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.”

Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’ to whom we gave no commandment;

For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,

not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away.

We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed,

This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage,

Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed among you as crucified?

that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;

Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ; To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and servants:

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.

that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.

so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober.

and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes, rather than God’s stewardship, which is in faith—

The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;

Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.

But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn away to fables.

I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you,

For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward, not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain;

For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

and that older women likewise be reverent in behavior, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good,

If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the final hour.

Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

But this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

Wake up, and keep the things that remain, which you were about to throw away, for I have found no works of yours perfected before my God.