Day 37 – Leviticus 13; Psalm 34:17–28; Proverbs 7:7–12; Matthew 23:23–39

Leviticus 13 

Laws Concerning Leprosy

1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “When a man has a scar on the surface of his skin, or a shiny spot, and it appears to be a leprous infection, he is to be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. 3 The priest shall examine the infection on the surface of his skin; and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears deeper than the surface of his skin, it is a leprous infection. Thus the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him unclean. 4 But if the shiny spot on the surface of his skin is white, but appears to be no more than skin deep, and its hair has not turned white, but is dark, the priest shall quarantine him for seven days. 5 Then the priest shall examine him on the seventh day; and indeed, if the infection appears as it was, and has not spread on the skin, the priest shall quarantine him another seven days. 6 Then the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day; and indeed, if the infection is dark, and has not spread on the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a spot, and he shall wash his clothes and be clean. 7 But if the spot happens to spread at all on the skin, after he was seen by the priest for his cleansing, then he must be seen by the priest again. 8 So if the priest sees the spot has indeed spread on the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is leprosy.

9 “When the leprous infection is on a man, he shall be brought to the priest. 10 The priest shall examine him; and indeed, if the scar on the skin is white, and has turned the hair white, and some of the flesh in the scar is healthy and alive, 11 it is an old leprosy on the surface of his skin. The priest shall pronounce him unclean and shall quarantine him, for he is unclean. 12 But if leprosy breaks out all over the skin, and it covers from head to foot all the skin of the one with the infection, according to the full examination of the priest, 13 then the priest shall consider; and indeed, if the leprosy covers the entire surface of his skin, he shall pronounce clean him who has the infection; because it all turned white. He is clean. 14 But in whatever day an open wound appears on him, he shall be unclean. 15 Thus the priest shall examine the open wound and pronounce him unclean; for an open wound is unclean; it is leprosy. 16 But if the surface of the skin is restored and turns white again, he shall come to the priest. 17 The priest shall examine him; and indeed, if the infection has turned white, the priest shall pronounce clean him who has the infection. He is clean.

  18 “If one’s body develops an ulcer in the skin, and it is healed, 19 and in the place of the ulcer there comes a white scar or a shiny or inflamed spot, it shall be shown to the priest. 20 When the priest sees it, and indeed, it appears deeper than the skin, and its hair has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is leprosy which broke out in the ulcer. 21 But if the priest examines it, and indeed, there is no white hair in it, and it is not deeper than the skin’s surface, but is dark, the priest shall quarantine him seven days. 22 But if it should spread over the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous infection which broke out in the ulcer. 23 But if the shiny spot stays in one place and has not spread, it is the scar of the ulcer; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

24 “Or if one’s body receives a burn on its skin by fire, and the open wound of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish-white or white, 25 the priest shall examine it; and indeed, if the hair of the bright spot has turned white, and it appears deeper than the skin, it is leprosy broken out in the burn. Therefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous infection. 26 But if the priest examines it, and indeed, there are no white hairs in the bright spot, and it is not deeper than the skin, but is dark, then the priest shall quarantine him seven days. 27 Then the priest shall examine him on the seventh day. If it has at all spread over the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous infection broken out in the ulcer. 28 But if the bright spot stays in one place and has not spread on the skin, but is dark, it is a scar from the burn. The priest shall pronounce him clean.

29 “If a man or woman appears to have a leprous infection on the head or the beard, 30 the priest shall examine the infection; and indeed, if it appears deeper than the skin, and there is thin yellow hair in it, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a lesion, a leprosy of the head or beard. 31 But if the priest examines the infection of the lesion, and indeed, it does not appear deeper than the skin, and there is no thin yellow hair in it, the priest shall quarantine seven days the one who has the infection of the lesion. 32 Then on the seventh day the priest shall examine the infection; and indeed, if the lesion has not spread, and there is no yellow hair in it, and the indentation does not appear deeper than the skin, 33 he shall shave himself, but he shall not shave the lesion. Then the priest shall quarantine another seven days the one who has the lesion. 34 On the seventh day the priest shall examine the lesion; and indeed, if the lesion has not spread over the skin and the indentation does not appear deeper than the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean. He shall wash his clothes and be clean. 35 But if the lesion happens to spread at all on the skin after his cleansing, 36 the priest shall examine him; and indeed, if the lesion has spread over the skin, the priest need not seek for yellow hair. He is unclean. 37 But if the lesion appears to be at a standstill, and there is black hair grown up in it, the lesion has healed. He is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

38 “If a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the body, specifically shining white spots, 39 the priest shall look; and indeed, if the bright spots on the skin of the body are shining white spots, it is eczema. He is clean.

40 “As for the man whose hair has fallen from his head, he is bald, but he is clean. 41 He whose hair has fallen from his forehead, he is bald on the forehead, but he is clean. 42 Now if there is on the bald head or bald forehead a reddish-white infection, it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or his bald forehead. 43 Then the priest shall examine him; and indeed, if the infection of the reddish-white skin on his bald head or on his bald forehead is like the form of leprosy on the skin of the body, 44 he is a leprous man. The priest shall surely pronounce him unclean; his infection is on his head.

45 “Now the clothes of the leper on whom the infection is shall be torn and his head uncovered; and he shall cover his mouth, and he shall be called unclean. 46 He shall be unclean. All the days he has the infection he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell apart; his way of life shall be outside the camp.

  Laws Concerning Leprous Garments

47 “Also, if a garment has a leprous infection in it, whether it is a woolen garment or a linen garment, 48 whether it is in the warp or woof of linen or wool, whether in leather or in anything made of leather, 49 and if the infection is greenish or reddish in the garment or in the leather, whether in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, then it is a leprous infection and shall be shown to the priest. 50 The priest shall examine the infection and quarantine him who has the infection seven days. 51 Then he shall examine the infection on the seventh day. If the infection has spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, in the leather, or in anything made of leather, the infection is an active leprosy. It is unclean. 52 Therefore he shall burn the garment with the infection, whether the warp or woof in wool or linen, or in anything of leather, for it is an active leprosy; the garment shall be burned in the fire. 53 But if the priest examines it, and indeed the infection has not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, 54 then the priest shall order that the object with the infection be washed; and he shall quarantine it another seven days. 55 Then the priest shall examine the infection after it is washed; and indeed, if the infection has not changed its color, though the infection has not spread, it is unclean. It shall be burned in the fire, for it is firmly established in the garment, either in the warp or the woof. 56 If the priest examines it, and indeed, the infection is dark after washing it, he shall tear it out of the garment, whether out of the warp or the woof, or the leather. 57 But if it appears again in the garment, either in the warp or the woof, or in anything made of leather, it is a spreading leprosy; and that garment with the infection shall be burned with fire. 58 But if you wash the garment, either warp or woof, or anything made of leather, and the infection disappeared from it, then it shall be washed a second time, and shall be clean. 59 This is the law of the leprous infection in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp or woof, or in anything made of leather, to pronounce it clean or to pronounce it unclean.”

Psalm 34:17–28 

17 O Lord, when will You look on this?

Restore my soul from their malice,

My only-begotten from the lions.

18 I will give thanks to You, O Lord, in the great church;

I will praise You among a mighty people.

19 Let them not rejoice over me, those who are unjustly my enemies,

Those who hate me without a cause, and wink with their eyes.

20 For they spoke peace to me,

But in their wrath they schemed deceit,

21 And opened wide their mouth at me,

Saying, “Well done! Well done! Our eyes saw it!”

22 You saw this, O Lord; do not keep silence;

O Lord, do not be far from me.

23 Arise, O Lord, attend to my judgment,

  My God and my Lord, to my cause.

24 Judge me according to Your righteousness, O Lord my God,

And let them not rejoice against me;

25 Let them not say in their hearts,

“Well done! Well done, our soul!”

Let them not say, “We swallowed him up!”

26 May those who rejoice at my troubles be altogether dishonored and shamed;

Let those who boast against me be clothed with shame and humiliation.

27 Let those who desire my righteousness greatly rejoice, and be glad,

And let them say continually, “The Lord be magnified,”

Those who desire His servant’s peace.

28 And my tongue shall meditate on Your righteousness,

And on Your praise all the day long.

Proverbs 7:7–12 

7 For she looks from a window of her house into the streets

Upon whom she might see among the undiscerning children,

8 A young man lacking discernment

Passing by near the corner on the pathways of her house;

9 And she speaks in the darkness at evening,

When there is silence on a dark night;

10 And the woman meets him, having the appearance of a prostitute;

She makes the heart of young men throb.

11 She is excited and debauched,

And her feet do not rest at home.

12 For at times she is outside roaming about,

And another time she is in the streets near every corner laying a trap.

Matthew 23:23–39

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

24 “Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.

26 “Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.

28 “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,

30 “and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’

31 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

32 “Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt.

33 “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?

34 “Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,

35 “that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

36 “Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Jesus Laments over Jerusalem

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

  38 “See! Your house is left to you desolate;39 “for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”

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