Regulations About Defiling Skin Diseases

13 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ² “When anyone has a swelling^(A) or a rash or a shiny spot^(B) on their skin that may be a defiling skin disease,^[a](C) they must be brought to Aaron the priest^(D) or to one of his sons^[b] 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.^{(E) 4} If the shiny spot^(F) 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.^{(G) 5} On the seventh day^(H) the priest is to examine them,^(I) 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;^(J) it is only a rash. They must wash their clothes,^(K) and they will be clean.^{(L) 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.^{(M) 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.

⁹ “When anyone has a defiling skin disease, they must be brought to the priest. ¹⁰ The priest is to examine them, and if there is a white swelling in the skin that has turned the hair white and if there is raw flesh in the swelling, ¹¹ it is a chronic skin disease^(N) and the priest shall pronounce them unclean. He is not to isolate them, because they are already unclean.

¹² “If the disease breaks out all over their skin and, so far as the priest can see, it covers all the skin of the affected person from head to foot, ¹³ the priest is to examine them, and if the disease has covered their whole body, he shall pronounce them clean. Since it has all turned white, they are clean. ¹⁴ But whenever raw flesh appears on them, they will be unclean. ¹⁵ When the priest sees the raw flesh, he shall pronounce them unclean. The raw flesh is unclean; they have a defiling disease.^{(O) 16} If the raw flesh changes and turns white, they must go to the priest.

Ahab Killed at Ramoth Gilead^(A)

²⁹ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. ³⁰ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise,^(B) but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

³¹ Now the king of Aram^(C) had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king^(D) of Israel.” ³² When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “Surely this is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but when Jehoshaphat cried out, ³³ the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel and stopped pursuing him.

³⁴ But someone drew his bow^(E) at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.” ³⁵ All day long the battle raged, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died. ³⁶ As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army: “Every man to his town. Every man to his land!”^(F)

³⁷ So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there. ³⁸ They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed),^[a] and the dogs^(G) licked up his blood, as the word of the Lord had declared.

³⁹ As for the other events of Ahab’s reign, including all he did, the palace he built and adorned with ivory,^(H) and the cities he fortified, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ⁴⁰ Ahab rested with his ancestors. And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king.

Jehoshaphat King of Judah^(I)

⁴¹ Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. ⁴² Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. ⁴³ In everything he followed the ways of his father Asa^(J) and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. The high places,^(K) however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.^{[b] 44} Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel.

⁴⁵ As for the other events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, the things he achieved and his military exploits, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ⁴⁶ He rid the land of the rest of the male shrine prostitutes^(L) who remained there even after the reign of his father Asa. ⁴⁷ There was then no king^(M) in Edom; a provincial governor ruled.

⁴⁸ Now Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships^[c](N) to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail—they were wrecked at Ezion Geber.^{(O) 49} At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my men sail with yours,” but Jehoshaphat refused.

⁵⁰ Then Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of David his father. And Jehoram his son succeeded him as king.

Ahaziah King of Israel

⁵¹ Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. ⁵² He did evil^(P) in the eyes of the Lord, because he followed the ways of his father and mother and of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. ⁵³ He served and worshiped Baal^(Q) and aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, just as his father^(R) had done.

¹² Then the Spirit lifted me up,^(A) and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound as the glory of the Lord rose from the place where it was standing.^{[a] 13} It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures^(B) brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound.^{(C) 14} The Spirit^(D) then lifted me up^(E) and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord^(F) on me. ¹⁵ I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Aviv near the Kebar River.^(G) And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days^(H)—deeply distressed.

Ezekiel’s Task as Watchman

¹⁶ At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me:^{(I) 17} “Son of man, I have made you a watchman^(J) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.^{(K) 18} When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,^(L)’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for^[b] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.^{(M) 19} But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn^(N) from their wickedness^(O) or from their evil ways, they will die^(P) for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.^(Q)

²⁰ “Again, when a righteous person turns^(R) from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block^(S) before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.^{(T) 21} But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.^(U)”

²² The hand of the Lord^(V) was on me there, and he said to me, “Get up and go^(W) out to the plain,^(X) and there I will speak to you.” ²³ So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River,^(Y) and I fell facedown.^(Z)

²⁴ Then the Spirit came into me and raised me^(AA) to my feet. He spoke to me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house.^{(AB) 25} And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people.^{(AC) 26} I will make your tongue stick to the roof^(AD) of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious people.^{(AE) 27} But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’^(AF) Whoever will listen let them listen, and whoever will refuse let them refuse; for they are a rebellious people.^(AG)

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy^(A)

¹² While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.^[a](B) When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

¹³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

¹⁴ Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone,^(C) but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded^(D) for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

¹⁵ Yet the news about him spread all the more,^(E) so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. ¹⁶ But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.^(F)

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man^(G)

¹⁷ One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law^(H) were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.^{(I) 18} Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. ¹⁹ When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

²⁰ When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”^(J)

²¹ The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”^(K)

²² Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ²⁴ But I want you to know that the Son of Man^(L) has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ²⁵ Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. ²⁶ Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God.^(M) They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Intelligibility in Worship

14 Follow the way of love^(A) and eagerly desire^(B) gifts of the Spirit,^(C) especially prophecy.^{(D) 2} For anyone who speaks in a tongue^[a](E) does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them;^(F) they utter mysteries^(G) by the Spirit. ³ But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening,^(H) encouraging^(I) and comfort. ⁴ Anyone who speaks in a tongue^(J) edifies^(K) themselves, but the one who prophesies^(L) edifies the church. ⁵ I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,^[b] but I would rather have you prophesy.^(M) The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,^[c] unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.^(N)

⁶ Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation^(O) or knowledge^(P) or prophecy or word of instruction?^{(Q) 7} Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? ⁸ Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?^{(R) 9} So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. ¹⁰ Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. ¹¹ If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me.^{(S) 12} So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit,^(T) try to excel in those that build up^(U) the church.