Tza’arat: Supernatural Skin Disease

13 Then Adonai spoke to Moses and to Aaron saying: ² “When a man has a swelling on the skin of his body or a scab or a bright spot, and it becomes the plague-mark of tza’arat in his flesh, then he should be brought to Aaron the kohen, or to one of his sons, the kohanim. ³ The kohen is to examine the plague of tza’arat on his skin, and if the hair in the plague has turned white, and the appearance of the plague is deeper than the body’s skin, it is the plague of tza’arat. Thus the kohen should examine him and pronounce him unclean. ⁴ If the bright spot is white in the skin of his body, but its appearance is not deeper than the skin and its hair has not turned white, then the kohen is to isolate the infected person for seven days. ⁵ The kohen should examine him on the seventh day, and behold, if he sees the plague has not spread in the skin, then the kohen is to isolate him for seven more days.

⁶ “The kohen is to examine him again on the seventh day, and behold, if the plague has faded and has not spread in the skin, then the kohen should pronounce him clean. It is a scab. He is to wash his clothes, and be clean. ⁷ But if the scab spreads on the skin, after he has shown himself to the kohen for his cleansing, he is to show himself to the kohen once again. ⁸ The kohen is to examine him, and if the scab has spread on the skin, then the kohen should pronounce him unclean. It is tza’arat.

⁹ “When one has a plague of tza’arat, he is to be brought to the kohen. ¹⁰ The kohen is to examine him, and behold, if there is a white swelling in the skin and it has turned the hair white and if there is raw flesh in the swelling, ¹¹ it is a chronic tza’arat in the skin of his flesh, and the kohen is to pronounce him unclean. He is to isolate him, for he is unclean.

¹² “Suppose the tza’arat breaks out above the flesh, and so far as it all appears in the eyes of the kohen, covers all the skin of the infected person from his head to his feet. ¹³ Then the kohen will see, and behold, if the tza’arat has covered all of his body, he is to pronounce him clean of the plague. Since it has all turned white, he is clean. ¹⁴ But whenever raw flesh appears upon him, he will be unclean. ¹⁵ The kohen is to examine the raw flesh, and pronounce him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean—it is tza’arat. ¹⁶ Or, if the raw flesh changes and turns white, then he must come to the kohen. ¹⁷ The kohen is to examine him, and behold, if the plague has turned white, then the kohen shall pronounce him clean of the plague. He is clean.^[a]

¹⁸ “When the body has a boil on its skin and it has healed, ¹⁹ but in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a bright reddish-white spot, then it should be shown to the kohen. ²⁰ The kohen is to examine it, and behold, if its appearance is lower than the skin and its hair has turned white, then the kohen is to pronounce him unclean. It is a plague of tza’arat that has broken out within the boil. ²¹ But if the kohen examines it and sees there are no white hairs within, and if it is not deeper than the skin but is faded, then the kohen is to isolate him seven days. ²² If it spreads in the skin, then the kohen is to pronounce him unclean. It is a plague. ²³ But if the bright spot stays in its place and has not spread, it is merely the scar from the boil—the kohen is to pronounce him clean.

²⁴ “Or suppose the body has a burn from fire on its skin, and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish-white, or white. ²⁵ Then the kohen is to examine it, and behold, if the hair in the bright spot has turned white and its appearance is deeper than the skin, it is tza’arat. It has broken out in the burning, and the kohen is to pronounce him unclean—it is the plague of tza’arat. ²⁶ But if the kohen examines it and sees there is no white hair in the bright spot, and it is not lower than the skin but is faded, then the kohen is to isolate him seven days. ²⁷ The kohen is to examine him on the seventh day. If it has spread in the skin, then the kohen is to pronounce him unclean. It is the plague of tza’arat. ²⁸ If the bright spot stays in its place, and has not spread in the skin but is faded, it is the swelling from the burn, and the kohen should pronounce him clean, for it is merely a scar from the burn.

²⁹ “When a man or woman has a plague on the head or on the chin, ³⁰ then the kohen is to examine the plague, and behold, if its appearance is deeper than the skin, and the hair in it is yellow and thin, then the kohen is to pronounce him unclean. It is a scab—tza’arat of the head or the chin. ³¹ If the kohen examines the plague of the scab, and behold its appearance is no deeper than the skin and there is no black hair within, then the kohen is to isolate the person infected with the scab for seven days. ³² On the seventh day the kohen is to examine the plague, and behold, if the scab has not spread and there is no yellow hair in it, and the appearance of the scab is no deeper than the skin, ³³ then he shall be shaved, but he is not to shave the scab. The kohen is then to isolate the one who has the scab for seven more days. ³⁴ On the seventh day, the kohen is to examine the scab, and behold, if the scab has not spread in the skin and its appearance is no deeper than the skin, then the kohen should pronounce him clean. He is to wash his clothes, and be clean. ³⁵ But if the scab spreads in the skin after his cleansing, ³⁶ then the kohen is to examine him, and behold, if the scab has spread in the skin, the kohen may not look for the yellow hair, he is unclean. ³⁷ But if he sees the scab is stopped and black hair has grown in it, the scab is healed, and he is clean. The kohen shall pronounce him clean.

³⁸ “Suppose a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the body—bright white spots. ³⁹ Then the kohen is to examine them, and behold, if the bright spots on the skin of their body are a dull white, it is a harmless rash broken out in the skin. He is clean.

Baldness is Clean

⁴⁰ “If a man’s hair has fallen from his head, he is bald. He is clean. ⁴¹ Or if the borders of his face become bald, his forehead is bald. He is clean. ⁴² But if on the baldhead or bald forehead, there is a reddish-white plague, it is tza’arat breaking out in his baldhead or bald forehead. ⁴³ Then the kohen is to examine him, and behold, if the rising of the plague is reddish-white on his bald head or bald forehead, like the appearance of tza’arat in the skin of the flesh, ⁴⁴ he is a man with tza’arat. He is unclean. The kohen shall definitely pronounce him unclean—his plague-mark is on his head.

Unclean! Unclean!

⁴⁵ “The one with tza’arat who has the plague-mark should wear torn clothes, the hair of his head is to hang loose, he is to cover his upper lip and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ ⁴⁶ All the days during which the plague is on him he will be unclean. He is unclean. He is to dwell alone. Outside of the camp will be his dwelling.

⁴⁷ “Also when a garment has a mark of tza’arat on it—whether it is a woolen or a linen garment, ⁴⁸ whether it is woven or textured, linen or wool, leather, or anything made from leather— ⁴⁹ or if the mark is greenish or reddish within the garment or in the leather, or in the weaving or the texture, or in anything made from leather, it is the plague of tza’arat, and should be shown to the kohen. ⁵⁰ The kohen is to examine the plague and isolate it for seven days. ⁵¹ Then he is to reexamine the plague on the seventh day. If the plague has spread in the garment, either in the weaving, the texture or the leather, whatever the use for the leather may be, the plague is a destructive mildew. It is unclean. ⁵² He is to burn the garment or the weaving, or the texture, wool or linen, or anything of leather, in which the plague resides, for it is a destructive mildew. It is to be burned in the fire.

⁵³ “If the kohen examines it, and behold, the plague has not spread in the garment, either in the weaving, the texture, or in anything made of leather, ⁵⁴ the kohen should command that they wash the thing which has the mark, and he is to isolate it seven more days.

⁵⁵ “Then the kohen is to reexamine it, after the mark has been washed, and behold, if the mark has not changed its color and has not spread, it is unclean. You are to burn it in the fire, whether the rot is inside or outside. ⁵⁶ If the kohen looks, and sees the mark has faded after it has been washed, then he is to tear it out of the garment, or the leather, or weaving, or texture. ⁵⁷ But if it appears again in the garment, either in the weaving, the texture, or in anything made of leather, it is spreading. You are to burn with fire whatever has the mark. ⁵⁸ The garment, or weaving, or texture, or whatever leather item it is that you have washed, if the mark has departed from it, is to be washed a second time, and will become clean.”

⁵⁹ This is the Torah for a mark of tza’arat in a garment of wool or linen, either in the weaving, the texture, or in anything of leather, to pronounce it clean or to pronounce it unclean.

Responding to Rejection

6 Now Yeshua went out from there, and He comes to His hometown, and His disciples follow Him. ² When Shabbat came, He began to teach in the synagogue. Many listeners were amazed, saying, “Where did this fellow get these things? What’s this wisdom given to Him? Such miracles are done by His hands! ³ Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Miriam, and the brother of Jacob and Joseph and Judah and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him.

⁴ Then Yeshua began saying to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own house.” ⁵ He was not able to do any miracle, except that He laid hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶ And He was astonished because of their unbelief.^[a] And He was going around among the villages teaching.

⁷ Yeshua summoned the Twelve, and He began to send them out two by two. And He gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸ He directed them to take nothing for the journey except a walking stick—no bread, no bag, no copper coin in their belt— ⁹ but to wear sandals and not to put on two shirts.^[b]

¹⁰ He was also telling them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. ¹¹ And whatever place will not receive you or listen to you, as you leave from there, shake the dust off the bottom of your feet as a witness against them.” ¹² So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent, ¹³ and they were driving out many demons and anointing with oil many who were sick and healing them.

¹⁴ King Herod heard, for Yeshua’s name had become known. Some were saying, “John the Immerser has risen from the dead! Because of this, these powers are at work in Him!” ¹⁵ But others were saying, “It’s Elijah!” Still others were saying, “It’s a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”^[c]

¹⁶ But when Herod heard, he said, “John, the one I beheaded, has been raised!” ¹⁷ For Herod himself sent and arrested John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because Herod had married her. ¹⁸ For John had been telling Herod, “It is not permitted for you to have your brother’s wife.” ^{[d] 19} Now Herodias had a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she wasn’t able. ²⁰ For Herod was in awe of John and kept him safe, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When he listened to John he was confused, but he still listened gladly.

²¹ An opportunity came—when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his high officials, military brass, and the leaders of the Galilee. ²² When the daughter of Herodias^[e] came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those reclining with him. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you!” ²³ He vowed to her, “Whatever you ask of me I’ll give you, up to half of my kingdom!”

²⁴ She left the room and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?”

Her mother said, “The head of John the Immerser!”

²⁵ Immediately she rushed to the king and requested, “I want you to give me, right now, the head of John the Immerser on a platter!”

²⁶ The king became very sorrowful; but because of his oaths and those reclining with him, he didn’t want to refuse her.

²⁷ Immediately the king sent an executioner and gave orders to bring John’s head. And the executioner went out and beheaded John in the prison, ²⁸ brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When John’s disciples heard, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Make Me Know the Number of My Days

Psalm 39