Purification After Childbirth

12 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period.^{(A) 3} On the eighth day^(B) the boy is to be circumcised.^{(C) 4} Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over. ⁵ If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding.

⁶ “‘When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over,^(D) she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb^(E) for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering.^{[a](F) 7} He shall offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood.

“‘These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. ⁸ But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons,^(G) one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering.^(H) In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.^(I)’”

Regulations About Defiling Skin Diseases

13 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ² “When anyone has a swelling^(J) or a rash or a shiny spot^(K) on their skin that may be a defiling skin disease,^[b](L) they must be brought to Aaron the priest^(M) or to one of his sons^[c] who is a priest. ³ The priest is to examine the sore on the skin, and if the hair in the sore has turned white and the sore appears to be more than skin deep, it is a defiling skin disease. When the priest examines that person, he shall pronounce them ceremonially unclean.^{(N) 4} If the shiny spot^(O) on the skin is white but does not appear to be more than skin deep and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest is to isolate the affected person for seven days.^{(P) 5} On the seventh day^(Q) the priest is to examine them,^(R) and if he sees that the sore is unchanged and has not spread in the skin, he is to isolate them for another seven days. ⁶ On the seventh day the priest is to examine them again, and if the sore has faded and has not spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce them clean;^(S) it is only a rash. They must wash their clothes,^(T) and they will be clean.^{(U) 7} But if the rash does spread in their skin after they have shown themselves to the priest to be pronounced clean, they must appear before the priest again.^{(V) 8} The priest is to examine that person, and if the rash has spread in the skin, he shall pronounce them unclean; it is a defiling skin disease.

³³ With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.^{(A) 34} He did not say anything to them without using a parable.^(B) But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

Jesus Calms the Storm^(C)

³⁵ That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” ³⁶ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.^(D) There were also other boats with him. ³⁷ A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸ Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”^(E)

⁴¹ They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”