But Jesus, when he heard the message spoken, immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid, only believe.”
Leviticus 11
Clean and Unclean Animals
1 The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, 2 “Speak to the Israelites, saying, ‘These are the living things which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. 3 Whatever divides the hoof, thus making a cleft, and chews the cud among the animals, that you may eat.
4 Nevertheless these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those who part the hoof:
The camel, because it chews the cud but does not have a parted hoof, is unclean to you.
5 The rock badger, because it chews the cud but does not have a parted hoof, is unclean to you.
6 The hare, because it chews the cud but does not have a divided hoof, is unclean to you.
7 The pig, because it has a divided hoof but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.
8 You shall not eat their meat. You shall not touch their carcasses. They are unclean to you.
9 These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas and in the rivers, that you may eat.
10 Among all that move in the waters and all the living creatures that are in the waters, all that do not have fins and scales in the seas and rivers, they are an abomination to you, 11 and you shall detest them. You shall not eat of their meat, and you shall detest their carcasses.
12 Whatever has no fins nor scales in the waters is an abomination to you.
13 You shall detest these among the birds; they shall not be eaten because they are an abomination:
The eagle, the vulture, the black vulture,
14 the red kite, any kind of black kite,
15 any kind of raven,
16 the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk,
17 the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,
18 the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey,
19 the stork, any kind of heron,
the hoopoe, and the bat.
20 All flying insects that walk on all fours are an abomination to you.
21 Yet you may eat these:
Of all winged creeping things that go on all fours, which have long, jointed legs for hopping on the earth.
22 Of these you may eat:
Any kind of locust,
any kind of katydid,
any kind of cricket, and
any kind of grasshopper.
23 But all winged creeping things which have four feet are an abomination to you.
24 By these you will become unclean. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening. 25 Whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.
26 Every animal which has a split hoof that is not completely divided or does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean.
27 Whatever goes on its paws, among all animals that go on all fours, they are unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening. 28 He who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. They are unclean to you.
29 These are the creatures which are unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth:
The weasel,
the rat,
any kind of great lizard: 30 the gecko, and the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink, and the chameleon.
31 These are the creatures which are unclean to you among all that creep. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening. 32 Anything they fall on when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is any vessel of wood, or clothing, or skin, or sack, whatever vessel it is, with which any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening. Then it will be clean. 33 Every earthen vessel into which any of them falls and all that is in it shall be unclean. You shall break it.
34 All edible food which is soaked in unclean water shall be unclean. All drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.
35 Everything upon which any part of their carcass falls shall be unclean; whether oven, or range for pots, it shall be broken in pieces. They are unclean, and shall be unclean to you.
36 Nevertheless a spring or a cistern in which water is gathered shall be clean, but that which touches their carcass shall be unclean. 37 If part of their carcass falls on any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean. 38 But if water is put on the seed and part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.
39 If any animal of which you may eat dies, he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening. 40 He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.
41 Every creeping thing that crawls on the ground is an abomination. It shall not be eaten. 42 Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, all creeping things that creep on the earth, these you shall not eat, for they are an abomination.
43 You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps. You shall not make yourselves unclean with them, that you should be defiled by them. 44 For I am the Lord your God, so sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth. 45 For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
46 This is the law of the animal and of the bird and of every living creature that moves in the waters and of every creature that creeps on the earth, 47 to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living thing that may be eaten and the living thing that may not be eaten.’ ”
Mark 5:21-43
The Healing Touch of Jesus
21 When Jesus had crossed back over in the boat to the other side, a great multitude was gathered to him, and he was by the sea. 22 One of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 and implored him, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made healthy, and live.” 24 He went with him, and a great crowd followed him, and they pressed upon him on all sides.
25 A certain woman, who had a discharge of blood for twelve years 26 and had suffered many things by many physicians and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse, 27 having heard the things concerning Jesus, came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothes. 28 For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29 Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
30 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd, and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you, and you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
32 He looked around to see the woman who had done this. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.
34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be cured of your disease.”
35 While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler’s house saying, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?”
36 But Jesus, when he heard the message spoken, immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid. Only believe.” 37 He allowed no one to follow him, except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 He came to the synagogue ruler’s house, and he saw an uproar, weeping, and great wailing. 39 When he had entered in, he said to them, “Why are you making such a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but is asleep.”
40 They ridiculed him. But he, having put them all out, took the father of the child, her mother, and those who were with him and went in where the child was lying. 41 Taking the child by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha cumi!” which means, being interpreted, “Girl, I tell you, get up!” 42 Immediately the girl rose up and walked, for she was twelve years old. They were overcome with amazement at this. 43 He strictly ordered them that no one should know this and commanded that something should be given to her to eat.
Psalm 38
O Lord, Do Not Rebuke Me in Your Wrath
A Psalm by David, for a memorial.
1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your wrath,
nor chasten me in your hot displeasure.
2 For your arrows have pierced me.
Your hand presses hard on me.
3 There is no health in my flesh because of your indignation,
nor is there any health in my bones because of my sin.
4 For I am drowning in my sin.
It is a burden, too heavy for me to bear.
5 My wounds are loathsome and corrupt
because of my foolishness.
6 I am in pain and bowed down greatly.
I go mourning all day long.
7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease.
There is no health in my flesh.
8 I am faint and severely bruised.
I groan from the anguish of my heart.
9 Lord, all my desire is before you.
My groaning is not hidden from you.
10 My heart throbs.
My strength fails me.
As for the light of my eyes, it has also left me.
11 My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague.
My relatives stand far away.
12 They also who seek after my life lay snares.
Those who seek my life speak mischievous things
and meditate deceits all day long.
13 But I, as a deaf man, do not hear.
I am as a mute man who does not open his mouth.
14 Yes, I am as a man who does not hear,
in whose mouth are no reproofs.
15 For I hope in you, O Lord.
You will answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat over me,
or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips.”
17 For I am ready to fall.
My pain is continually before me.
18 For I will declare my iniquity.
I will be sorry for my sin.
19 But my enemies are vigorous and many.
Those who hate me without reason are numerous.
20 They who repay evil for good are also adversaries to me,
because I follow what is good.
21 Do not forsake me, O Lord.
My Lord, do not be far from me.
22 Hurry to help me,
My Lord, my salvation.
Proverbs 10:8-9
8 The wise in heart accept commands,
but a chattering fool will fall.
9 He who walks blamelessly walks surely,
but he who perverts his ways will be found out.