« | Leviticus 24 | » |
1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 "Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning continually.
3 Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD continually; it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations.
4 He shall keep the lamps in order upon the lampstand of pure gold before the LORD continually.
5 "And you shall take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes of it; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake.
6 And you shall set them in two rows, six in a row, upon the table of pure gold.
7 And you shall put pure frankincense with each row, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion to be offered by fire to the LORD.
8 Every sabbath day Aaron shall set it in order before the LORD continually on behalf of the people of Israel as a covenant for ever.
9 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the offerings by fire to the LORD, a perpetual due."
10 Now an Israelite woman's son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel; and the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel quarreled in the camp,
11 and the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. And they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.
12 And they put him in custody, till the will of the LORD should be declared to them.
13 And the LORD said to Moses,
14 "Bring out of the camp him who cursed; and let all who heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.
15 And say to the people of Israel, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin.
16 He who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him; the sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.
17 He who kills a man shall be put to death.
18 He who kills a beast shall make it good, life for life.
19 When a man causes a disfigurement in his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him,
20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has disfigured a man, he shall be disfigured.
21 He who kills a beast shall make it good; and he who kills a man shall be put to death.
22 You shall have one law for the sojourner and for the native; for I am the LORD your God."
23 So Moses spoke to the people of Israel; and they brought him who had cursed out of the camp, and stoned him with stones. Thus the people of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.
The Revised Standard Version (RSV)
The Revised Standard Version (RSV) is a widely respected English translation of the Bible that was first published in 1952 by the National Council of Churches. It was developed as a revision of the American Standard Version (ASV) of 1901, with the primary aim of providing a more accurate and readable text while retaining the literary qualities of its predecessor. The RSV sought to modernize the language of the ASV without sacrificing its faithfulness to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts, making it a significant milestone in the history of English Bible translations.
One of the key features of the RSV is its commitment to formal equivalence, or a word-for-word translation approach. This method ensures that the translation closely mirrors the structure and wording of the original texts, allowing readers to engage more directly with the biblical languages. The translators of the RSV were guided by the latest biblical scholarship of their time, and they endeavored to produce a text that was both accurate and elegant. This combination of precision and literary quality has made the RSV a popular choice for both academic study and liturgical use.
The RSV also stands out for its ecumenical appeal. It was one of the first translations to be accepted across a wide range of Christian denominations, including Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox traditions. This broad acceptance was partly due to the inclusive approach of the translation committee, which included scholars from various religious backgrounds. The RSV’s ecumenical nature helped it gain widespread usage in churches, seminaries, and universities, fostering a greater sense of unity among different Christian communities.
Despite its many strengths, the RSV has faced some criticism over the years. Some conservative scholars and readers have expressed concerns about certain translation choices, arguing that they reflect modernist theological perspectives. Additionally, the RSV’s use of archaic language in certain passages has been a point of contention for those seeking a more contemporary rendering of the Bible. Nonetheless, the Revised Standard Version remains a highly respected and influential translation, valued for its accuracy, literary excellence, and broad ecumenical acceptance. It continues to serve as a foundation for later revisions and translations, such as the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) and the English Standard Version (ESV).