Through the Bible – Day 39

₁The LORD told Moses and Aaron ₂to say to the community of Israel:

You may eat ₃any animal that has divided hoofs and chews the cud. _4-8But you must not eat animals such as camels, rock badgers, and rabbits that chew the cud but don't have divided hoofs. And you must not eat pigs—they have divided hoofs, but don't chew the cud. All these animals are unclean, and you are forbidden even to touch their dead bodies.

_9-12You may eat anything that lives in water and has fins and scales. But it would be disgusting for you to eat anything else that lives in water, and you must not even touch their dead bodies.

_13-19Eagles, vultures, buzzards, crows, ostriches, hawks, seagulls, owls, pelicans, storks, herons, hoopoes, and bats are also disgusting, and you are forbidden to eat any of them.

_20-23The only winged insects you may eat are locusts, grasshoppers, and crickets. All other winged insects that crawl are too disgusting for you to eat.

_24-28Don't even touch the dead bodies of animals that have divided hoofs but don't chew the cud. And don't touch the dead bodies of animals that have paws. If you do, you must wash your clothes, but you are still unclean until evening.

_29-30Moles, rats, mice, and all kinds of lizards are unclean. ₃₁Anyone who touches their dead bodies or anything touched by their dead bodies becomes unclean until evening. ₃₂If something made of wood, cloth, or leather touches one of their dead bodies, it must be washed, but it is still unclean until evening. ₃₃If any of these animals is found dead in a clay pot, the pot must be broken to pieces, and everything in it becomes unclean. ₃₄If you pour water from this pot on any food, that food becomes unclean, and anything drinkable in the pot becomes unclean.

₃₅If the dead body of one of these animals touches anything else, including ovens and stoves, that thing becomes unclean and must be destroyed. ₃₆A spring or a cistern where one of these dead animals is found is still clean, but anyone who touches the animal becomes unclean. ₃₇If the dead body of one of these animals is found lying on seeds that have been set aside for planting, the seeds remain clean. ₃₈But seeds that are soaking in water become unclean, if the dead animal is found in the water.

₃₉If an animal that may be eaten happens to die, and you touch it, you become unclean until evening. ₄₀If you eat any of its meat or carry its body away, you must wash your clothes, but you are still unclean until evening.

_41-42Don't eat any of those disgusting little creatures that crawl or walk close to the ground. ₄₃If you eat any of them, you will become just as disgusting and unclean as they are. ₄₄I am the LORD your God, and you must dedicate yourselves to me and be holy, just as I am holy. Don't become disgusting by eating any of these unclean creatures. ₄₅I brought you out of Egypt so that I could be your God. Now you must become holy, because I am holy!

_46-47I have given these laws so that you will know what animals, birds, and fish are clean and may be eaten, and which ones are unclean and may not be eaten.

₁The LORD told Moses ₂to say to the community of Israel:

If a woman gives birth to a son, she is unclean for seven days, just as she is during her monthly period. ₃Her son must be circumcised on the eighth day, ₄but her loss of blood keeps her from being completely clean for another thirty-three days. During this time she must not touch anything holy or go to the place of worship. ₅Any woman who gives birth to a daughter is unclean for two weeks, just as she is during her period. And she won't be completely clean for another sixty-six days.

₆When the mother has completed her time of cleansing, she must come to the front of the sacred tent and bring to the priest a year-old lamb as a sacrifice to please me and a dove or a pigeon as a sacrifice for sin. ₇After the priest offers the sacrifices to me, the mother will become completely clean from her loss of blood, whether her child is a boy or a girl. ₈If she cannot afford a lamb, she can offer two doves or two pigeons, one as a sacrifice to please me and the other as a sacrifice for sin.

₁The LORD told Moses and Aaron to say to the people:

₂If sores or boils or a skin rash should break out and start spreading on your body, you must be brought to Aaron or to one of the other priests. ₃If the priest discovers that the hair in the infected area has turned white and that the infection seems more than skin deep, he will say, “This is leprosy—you are unclean.”

₄But if the infected area is white and only skin deep, and if the hair in it hasn't turned white, the priest will order you to stay away from everyone else for seven days. ₅If the disease hasn't spread by that time, he will order you to stay away from everyone else for another seven days. ₆Then if the disease hasn't got any worse or spread, the priest will say, “You are clean. It was only a sore. After you wash your clothes, you may go home.”

₇However, if the disease comes back, you must return to the priest. ₈If it is discovered that the disease has started spreading, he will say, “This is leprosy—you are unclean.”

₉Any of you with a skin disease must be brought to a priest. ₁₀If he discovers that the sore spot is white with pus and that the hair around it has also turned white, ₁₁he will say, “This is leprosy. You are unclean and must stay away from everyone else.” _12-13But if the disease has run its course and only the scars remain, he will say, “You are clean.” _14-15If the sores come back and turn white with pus, he will say, “This is leprosy—you are unclean.”

_16-17However, if the sores heal and only white spots remain, the priest will say, “You are now clean.”

_18-19If you have a sore that either swells or turns reddish-white after it has healed, then you must show it to a priest. ₂₀If he discovers that the hair in the infected area has turned white and that the infection seems more than skin deep, he will say, “This is leprosy—you are unclean.” ₂₁But if the white area is only on the surface of the skin and hasn't got any worse, and if the hair in it hasn't turned white, he will make you stay away from everyone else for seven days.

₂₂If the sore begins spreading during this time, the priest will say, “You are unclean because you have a disease.” ₂₃But if it doesn't spread, and only a scar remains, he will say, “You are now clean.”

₂₄If you have a burn that gets infected and turns red or reddish-white, ₂₅a priest must examine it. Then if he discovers that the hair in the infected area has turned white and that the infection seems more than skin deep, he will say, “The burn has turned into leprosy, and you are unclean.” ₂₆But if the priest finds that the hair in the infected area hasn't turned white and that the sore is only skin deep and it is healing, he will make you stay away from everyone else for seven days. ₂₇On the seventh day the priest will examine you again, and if the infection is spreading, he will say, “This is leprosy—you are unclean.” ₂₈However, if the infection hasn't spread and has begun to heal, and if only a scar remains, he will say, “Only a scar remains from the burn, and you are clean.”

₂₉If you have a sore on your head or chin, ₃₀it must be examined by a priest. If the infection seems more than skin deep, and the hair in it has thinned out and lost its colour, he will say, “This is leprosy—you are unclean.” ₃₁On the other hand, if he discovers that the itchy spot is only skin deep, but that the hair still isn't healthy, he will order you to stay away from everyone else for seven days. ₃₂By that time, if the itch hasn't spread, if the hairs seem healthy, and if the itch is only skin deep, ₃₃you must shave off the hairs around the infection, but not those on it. Then the priest will tell you to stay away from everyone else for another seven days. ₃₄By that time, if the itch hasn't spread and seems no more than skin deep, he will say, “You are clean; now you must wash your clothes.”

_35-36Later, if the itch starts spreading, even though the hair is still healthy, the priest will say, “You are unclean.” ₃₇But if he thinks you are completely well, he will say, “You are clean.”

₃₈If white spots break out on your skin, ₃₉but the priest discovers that it is only a rash, he will say, “You are clean.”

_40-41If you become bald on any part of your head, you are still clean. _42-43But if a priest discovers that a reddish-white sore has broken out on the bald spot and looks like leprosy, he will say, ₄₄“This is leprosy—you are unclean.”

₄₅If you ever have leprosy, you must tear your clothes, leave your hair uncombed, cover the lower part of your face, and go around shouting, “I'm unclean! I'm unclean!” ₄₆As long as you have the disease, you are unclean and must live alone outside the camp.

_47-50If a greenish or reddish spot appears anywhere on any of your clothing or on anything made of leather, you must let the priest examine the clothing or the leather. He will put it aside for seven days, ₅₁and if the mildew has spread in that time, he will say, “This is unclean ₅₂because the mildew has spread.” Then he will burn the clothing or the piece of leather.

₅₃If the priest discovers that the mildew hasn't spread, ₅₄he will tell you to wash the clothing or leather and put it aside for another seven days, ₅₅after which he will examine it again. If the spot hasn't spread, but is still greenish or reddish, the clothing or leather is unclean and must be burnt. ₅₆But if the spot has faded after being washed, he will tear away the spot. ₅₇Later, if the spot reappears elsewhere on the clothing or the leather, you must burn it. ₅₈Even if the spot completely disappears after being washed, it must be washed again before it is clean.

₅₉These are the rules for deciding if clothing is clean or unclean after a spot appears on it.

₁After Jesus left the temple, his disciples came over and said, “Look at all these buildings!”

₂Jesus replied, “Do you see these buildings? They will certainly be torn down! Not one stone will be left in place.”

₃Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him in private and asked, “When will this happen? What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world?”

₄Jesus answered: