Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A psalm of David. A song for setting apart the completed temple to God.

Making People “Clean” From Skin Diseases

14 The Lord spoke to Moses. He told him to say to the people, ² “Here are the rules for making anyone ‘clean’ who has had a skin disease. They apply when the person is brought to the priest. ³ The priest must go outside the camp. He must look the person over carefully. Suppose they have been healed of their skin disease. ⁴ Then the priest will order someone to bring him two live ‘clean’ birds. He will also order someone to bring him some cedar wood, bright red yarn and branches of a hyssop plant. All these things will be used to make the person ‘clean.’ ⁵ The priest will order someone to kill one of the birds. It must be killed over fresh water in a clay pot. ⁶ Then the priest must take the live bird. He must dip it into the blood of the bird killed over the fresh water. He must dip it into the blood together with the cedar wood, the bright red yarn and the hyssop plant. ⁷ The priest will sprinkle the blood on the person who had the skin disease. That will make them ‘clean.’ The priest must sprinkle them seven times. Then the priest must announce that they are ‘clean.’ After that, the priest must let the live bird go free in the open fields.

⁸ “The person must also wash their clothes to be made ‘clean.’ They must shave off all their hair. They must take a bath. Then they will be ‘clean.’ After that, they may come into the camp. But they must stay outside their tent for seven days. ⁹ On the seventh day they must shave off all their hair. They must shave their head. They must shave off their beard. They must also shave off their eyebrows and the rest of their hair. They must wash their clothes. They must take a bath. Then they will be ‘clean.’

¹⁰ “On the eighth day they must bring two male lambs and one female lamb as an offering. The female must be a year old. The lambs must not have any flaws. They must also bring 11 pounds of the finest flour as a grain offering. They must mix it with olive oil. They must also bring 11 ounces of oil. ¹¹ The priest who announces that the person is ‘clean’ must bring them and their offerings to me. He must do it at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

¹² “Then the priest must take one of the male lambs. He must offer it as a guilt offering. He must offer it along with 11 ounces of oil. He must lift all of it up and wave it in front of me as a wave offering. ¹³ He must kill the lamb in the holy area where sin offerings and burnt offerings are killed. The guilt offering belongs to the priest, just as the sin offering does. The guilt offering is very holy. ¹⁴ The priest must take some of the blood from the guilt offering and put it on the person’s right earlobe. He must put some on the thumb of their right hand. He must also put some on the big toe of their right foot. ¹⁵ Then the priest must take some of the oil and pour it into his own left hand. ¹⁶ He must dip his right forefinger into the oil in his hand. He must use his finger to sprinkle some of the oil in front of me seven times. ¹⁷ The priest must put some of the oil in his hand on the same places he put the blood of the guilt offering. He must put some on the person’s right earlobe. He must put some on the thumb of their right hand. He must put some on the big toe of their right foot. ¹⁸ He must put on their head the rest of the oil in his hand. It will pay for the person’s sin in my sight.

¹⁹ “Then the priest must sacrifice the sin offering. It will pay for the person’s sin. They will be made ‘clean’ after being ‘unclean.’ After that, the priest will kill the burnt offering. ²⁰ He will offer it on the altar. He will offer it together with the grain offering. It will pay for the person’s sin. Then they will be ‘clean.’

¹¹ God did amazing miracles through Paul. ¹² Even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to those who were sick. When this happened, their sicknesses were healed and evil spirits left them.

¹³ Some Jews went around driving out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus to set free those who were controlled by demons. They said, “In Jesus’ name I command you to come out. He is the Jesus that Paul is preaching about.” ¹⁴ Seven sons of Sceva were doing this. Sceva was a Jewish chief priest. ¹⁵ One day the evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus. And I know about Paul. But who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on Sceva’s sons. He overpowered them all. He gave them a terrible beating. They ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

¹⁷ The Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus heard about this. They were all overcome with fear. They held the name of the Lord Jesus in high honor. ¹⁸ Many who believed now came and openly admitted what they had done. ¹⁹ A number of those who had practiced evil magic brought their scrolls together. They set them on fire out in the open. They added up the value of the scrolls. The scrolls were worth more than someone could earn in two lifetimes. ²⁰ The word of the Lord spread everywhere. It became more and more powerful.