Leviticus 13
1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 2 “When someone has a swelling or a scab or a bright spot on the skin of his body that may become a diseased infection, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or one of his sons, the priests. 3 The priest must then examine the infection on the skin of the body, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of the body, then it is a diseased infection, so when the priest examines it he must pronounce the person unclean.
4 “If it is a white bright spot on the skin of his body, but it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair has not turned white, then the priest is to quarantine the person with the infection for seven days. 5 The priest must then examine it on the seventh day, and if, as far as he can see, the infection has stayed the same and has not spread on the skin, then the priest is to quarantine the person for another seven days. 6 The priest must then examine it again on the seventh day, and if the infection has faded and has not spread on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce the person clean. It is a scab, so he must wash his clothes and be clean. 7 If, however, the scab is spreading further on the skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his purification, then he must show himself to the priest a second time. 8 The priest must then examine it, and if the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce the person unclean. It is a disease.
9 “When someone has a diseased infection, he must be brought to the priest. 10 The priest will then examine it, and if a white swelling is on the skin, it has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling, 11 it is a chronic disease on the skin of his body, so the priest is to pronounce him unclean. The priest must not merely quarantine him, for he is unclean. 12 If, however, the disease breaks out on the skin so that the disease covers all the skin of the person with the infection from his head to his feet, as far as the priest can see, 13 the priest must then examine it, and if the disease covers his whole body, he is to pronounce the person with the infection clean. He has turned all white, so he is clean. 14 But whenever raw flesh appears in it he will be unclean, 15 so the priest is to examine the raw flesh and pronounce him unclean—it is diseased. 16 If, however, the raw flesh once again turns white, then he must come to the priest. 17 The priest will then examine it, and if the infection has turned white, the priest is to pronounce the person with the infection clean—he is clean.
18 “When someone’s body has a boil on its skin and it heals, 19 and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a reddish white bright spot, he must show himself to the priest. 20 The priest will then examine it, and if it appears to be deeper than the skin and its hair has turned white, then the priest is to pronounce the person unclean. It is a diseased infection that has broken out in the boil. 21 If, however, the priest examines it, and there is no white hair in it, it is not deeper than the skin, and it has faded, then the priest is to quarantine him for seven days. 22 If it is spreading farther on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him unclean. It is an infection. 23 But if the bright spot stays in its place and has not spread, it is the scar of the boil, so the priest is to pronounce him clean.
24 “When a body has a burn on its skin and the raw area of the burn becomes a reddish white or white bright spot, 25 the priest must examine it, and if the hair has turned white in the bright spot and it appears to be deeper than the skin, it is a disease that has broken out in the burn. The priest is to pronounce the person unclean. It is a diseased infection. 26 If, however, the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the bright spot, it is not deeper than the skin, and it has faded, then the priest is to quarantine him for seven days. 27 The priest must then examine it on the seventh day, and if it is spreading further on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him unclean. It is a diseased infection. 28 But if the bright spot stays in its place, has not spread on the skin, and it has faded, then it is the swelling of the burn, so the priest is to pronounce him clean, because it is the scar of the burn.
29 “When a man or a woman has an infection on the head or in the beard, 30 the priest is to examine the infection, and if it appears to be deeper than the skin and the hair in it is reddish yellow and thin, then the priest is to pronounce the person unclean. It is scall, a disease of the head or the beard. 31 But if the priest examines the scall infection and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest is to quarantine the person with the scall infection for seven days. 32 The priest must then examine the infection on the seventh day, and if the scall has not spread, there is no reddish yellow hair in it, and the scall does not appear to be deeper than the skin, 33 then the individual is to shave himself, but he must not shave the area affected by the scall, and the priest is to quarantine the person with the scall for another seven days. 34 The priest must then examine the scall on the seventh day, and if the scall has not spread on the skin and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him clean. So he is to wash his clothes and be clean. 35 If, however, the scall spreads further on the skin after his purification, 36 then the priest is to examine it, and if the scall has spread on the skin the priest is not to search further for reddish yellow hair. The person is unclean. 37 If, as far as the priest can see, the scall has stayed the same and black hair has sprouted in it, the scall has been healed; the person is clean. So the priest is to pronounce him clean.
38 “When a man or a woman has bright spots—white bright spots—on the skin of their body, 39 the priest is to examine them, and if the bright spots on the skin of their body are faded white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin. The person is clean.
40 “When a man’s head is bare so that he is balding in back, he is clean. 41 If his head is bare on the forehead so that he is balding in front, he is clean. 42 But if there is a reddish white infection in the back or front bald area, it is a disease breaking out in his back or front bald area. 43 The priest is to examine it, and if the swelling of the infection is reddish white in the back or the front bald area like the appearance of a disease on the skin of the body, 44 he is a diseased man. He is unclean. The priest must surely pronounce him unclean because of his infection on his head.
45 “As for the diseased person who has the infection, his clothes must be torn, the hair of his head must be unbound, he must cover his mustache, and he must call out ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 The whole time he has the infection he will be continually unclean. He must live in isolation, and his place of residence must be outside the camp.
47 “When a garment has a diseased infection in it, whether a wool or linen garment, 48 or in the warp or woof of the linen or the wool, or in leather or anything made of leather, 49 if the infection in the garment or leather or warp or woof or any article of leather is yellowish green or reddish, it is a diseased infection and it must be shown to the priest. 50 The priest is to examine and then quarantine the article with the infection for seven days. 51 He must then examine the infection on the seventh day. If the infection has spread in the garment, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in the leather—whatever the article into which the leather was made—the infection is a malignant disease. It is unclean. 52 He must burn the garment or the warp or the woof, whether wool or linen, or any article of leather which has the infection in it. Because it is a malignant disease it must be burned up in the fire. 53 But if the priest examines it and the infection has not spread in the garment or in the warp or in the woof or in any article of leather, 54 the priest is to command that they wash whatever has the infection and quarantine it for another seven days. 55 The priest must then examine it after the infection has been washed out, and if the infection has not changed its appearance even though the infection has not spread, it is unclean. You must burn it up in the fire. It is a fungus, whether on the back side or front side of the article. 56 But if the priest has examined it and the infection has faded after it has been washed, he is to tear it out of the garment or the leather or the warp or the woof. 57 Then if it still appears again in the garment or the warp or the woof, or in any article of leather, it is an outbreak. Whatever has the infection in it you must burn up in the fire. 58 But the garment or the warp or the woof or any article of leather which you wash and infection disappears from it is to be washed a second time and it will be clean.”
59 This is the law of the diseased infection in the garment of wool or linen, or the warp or woof, or any article of leather, for pronouncing it clean or unclean.
Psalms 15-16
1 Lord, who may be a guest in your home?
Who may live on your holy hill?
2 Whoever lives a blameless life,
does what is right,
and speaks honestly.
3 He does not slander,
or do harm to others,
or insult his neighbor.
4 He despises a reprobate,
but honors the Lord’s loyal followers.
He makes firm commitments and does not renege on his promise.
5 He does not charge interest when he lends his money.
He does not take bribes to testify against the innocent.
The one who lives like this will never be shaken.
1 Protect me, O God, for I have taken shelter in you.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are the Lord,
my only source of well-being.”
3 As for God’s chosen people who are in the land,
and the leading officials I admired so much—
4 their troubles multiply;
they desire other gods.
I will not pour out drink offerings of blood to their gods,
nor will I make vows in the name of their gods.
5 Lord, you give me stability and prosperity;
you make my future secure.
6 It is as if I have been given fertile fields
or received a beautiful tract of land.
7 I will praise the Lord who guides me;
yes, during the night I reflect and learn.
8 I constantly trust in the Lord;
because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 So my heart rejoices
and I am happy;
my life is safe.
10 You will not abandon me to Sheol;
you will not allow your faithful follower to see the Pit.
11 You lead me in the path of life.
I experience absolute joy in your presence;
you always give me sheer delight.
Proverbs 27
1 Do not boast about tomorrow;
for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
someone else, and not your own lips.
3 A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,
but vexation by a fool is more burdensome than the two of them.
4 Wrath is cruel and anger is overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy?
5 Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.
7 The one whose appetite is satisfied loathes honey,
but to the hungry mouth every bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a bird that wanders from its nest,
so is a person who wanders from his home.
9 Ointment and incense make the heart rejoice,
likewise the sweetness of one’s friend from sincere counsel.
10 Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend,
and do not enter your brother’s house in the day of your disaster;
a neighbor nearby is better than a brother far away.
11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,
so that I may answer anyone who taunts me.
12 A shrewd person saw danger—he hid himself;
the naive passed right on by—they had to pay for it.
13 Take a man’s garment when he has given security for a stranger,
and hold him in pledge on behalf of a stranger.
14 If someone blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning,
it will be counted as a curse to him.
15 A continual dripping on a rainy day—
a contentious wife makes herself like that.
16 Whoever contains her has contained the wind
or can grasp oil with his right hand.
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so a person sharpens his friend.
18 The one who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and whoever takes care of his master will be honored.
19 As in water the face is reflected as a face,
so a person’s heart reflects the person.
20 As Death and Destruction are never satisfied,
so the eyes of a person are never satisfied.
21 As the crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold,
so a person must put his praise to the test.
22 If you should pound the fool in the mortar
among the grain with the pestle,
his foolishness would not depart from him.
23 Pay careful attention to the condition of your flocks,
set your mind on your herds,
24 for riches do not last forever,
nor does a crown last from generation to generation.
25 When the hay is removed and new grass appears,
and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
26 the lambs will be for your clothing,
and the goats will be for the price of a field.
27 And there will be enough goat’s milk for your food,
for the food of your household,
and for the sustenance of your servant girls.
2 Thessalonians 1
1 From Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
3 We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith flourishes more and more and the love of each one of you all for one another is ever greater. 4 As a result we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions you are enduring.
5 This is evidence of God’s righteous judgment, to make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which in fact you are suffering. 6 For it is right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to you who are being afflicted to give rest together with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. 8 With flaming fire he will mete out punishment on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will undergo the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength, 10 when he comes to be glorified among his saints and admired on that day among all who have believed—and you did in fact believe our testimony. 11 And in this regard we pray for you always, that our God will make you worthy of his calling and fulfill by his power your every desire for goodness and every work of faith, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
