They went out and preached that people should repent. Mark 6:12
Leviticus 12-13
Leviticus 12
Purification after Childbirth
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the Israelites, saying, ‘If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days, just like she is during the days of her monthly period. 3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
4 She shall continue in the blood of purification for 33 days. She shall not touch any holy thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are fulfilled. 5 But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean for two weeks, just like she is during her period, and she shall continue in the blood of purification for 66 days.
6 When the days of her purification are completed for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the door of the Tent of Meeting, a one year old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. 7 He shall offer it before the Lord and make atonement for her. Then she shall be cleansed from the flow of her blood.
This is the law for a woman who has given birth to either a male or a female child.
8 If she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons: the one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. The priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.’ ”
Leviticus 13
Laws about Leprosy
1 The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “If anyone has a swelling, an eruption, or bright spot on his skin, and it looks like the disease of leprosy; then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests.
3 The priest shall examine the skin disease. If the hair in the disease has turned white, and the appearance of the disease is more than skin deep, it is the disease of leprosy; so the priest shall examine him and pronounce him unclean.
4 If the bright spot on the skin is white and appears to be more than skin deep, and the hair has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate the infected person for seven days. 5 The priest shall examine him on the seventh day. If, in his estimation, the disease has stopped and the skin disease has not spread, then the priest shall isolate him for seven more days. 6 The priest shall examine him again on the seventh day. If the disease has faded and has not spread to other skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. It is a scab. He shall wash his clothes and be clean.
7 But if the scab spreads to other skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall show himself to the priest again. 8 The priest shall examine him, and if the scab has spread to other skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is leprosy.
9 When the disease of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought to the priest, 10 and the priest shall examine him. If there is a white swelling in the skin, and it has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling, 11 it is a chronic case of leprosy in the skin, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. He shall not isolate him, for he is already unclean.
12 If the leprosy breaks out all over the skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin of the infected person from his head to his feet, as far as it appears to the priest, 13 then the priest shall examine him. If the leprosy has covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean of the disease. If it has all turned white, he is clean. 14 But whenever raw flesh appears in him, he shall be unclean. 15 The priest shall examine the raw flesh and pronounce him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean. It is leprosy. 16 Or if the raw flesh turns again and is changed to white, then he shall come to the priest. 17 The priest shall examine him. If the disease has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him clean of the disease. He is clean.
18 When the body has a boil on its skin, and it has healed, 19 and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a bright reddish-white spot, then it shall be shown to the priest. 20 And if, when the priest examines it, he determines that it is more than skin deep, and the hair within the skin infection has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a disease of leprosy, broken out of the boil.
21 But if the priest examines it, and there are no white hairs in it, and it is not more than skin deep, but it is somewhat darkened, then the priest shall isolate him for seven days. 22 If it spreads to other skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a disease. 23 But if the bright spot stays in its place and has not spread, it is the scar from the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
24 Or when 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 priest shall examine it, and if the hair in the bright spot has turned white, and its appearance is more than skin deep, it is leprosy that has broken out in the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is the disease of leprosy.
26 But if the priest examines it, and there is no white hair in the bright spot, and it is not more than skin deep, but has faded, then the priest shall isolate him for seven days. 27 The priest shall examine him on the seventh day. If it has spread to other skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is the disease of leprosy. 28 If the bright spot is confined to one area and has not spread to other skin, but is faded, it is the swelling from the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is the scar from the burn.
29 When a man or woman has a disease on the head or chin, 30 then the priest shall examine the disease, and if its appearance is more than skin deep, and the hair in it is yellow and thin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is an infection of the scab. It is leprosy of the head or of the chin. 31 If the priest examines the scab, and its appearance is not more than skin deep, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall isolate the person with the scab infection for seven days. 32 On the seventh day the priest shall examine the disease, and if the itch has not spread, and there is no yellow hair in it, and the appearance of the itch is not deeper than the skin, 33 then he shall be shaved, but he shall not shave the scab. Then the priest shall isolate the one who has the scab for seven more days.
34 On the seventh day, the priest shall examine the scab, and if the scab has not spread to other skin, and its appearance is not more than skin deep, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. He shall wash his clothes and be clean. 35 But if the scab spreads to other skin after his cleansing, 36 then the priest shall examine him, and if the scab has spread to other skin, the priest need not look for the yellow hair. He is unclean. 37 But if in his estimation, the scab is stopped, and black hair has grown in it, then the scab is healed. He is clean. The priest shall pronounce him clean.
38 When a man or a woman has dark, shiny white spots on the skin, 39 then the priest shall examine them. If the spots on the skin are a dull white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out in the skin. He is clean.
40 If a man’s hair has fallen from his head, he is bald. He is clean. 41 If his hair has fallen off from the front part of his head, he has a bald forehead. He is clean. 42 But if a reddish-white disease is on the bald head or the bald forehead, it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or his bald forehead. 43 Then the priest shall examine him. If the swelling of the disease is reddish-white in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, like the appearance of leprosy on the skin, 44 he is a leprous man. He is unclean. The priest shall surely pronounce him unclean. His disease is on his head.
45 The leper in whom the disease is shall wear torn clothes, and the hair of his head shall hang loose. He shall cover his upper lip, and shall cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 All the days in which the disease is in him he shall be unclean. He is unclean and shall dwell alone. His dwelling shall be outside of the camp.”
Mildewed Clothing
47 “The garment also that the disease of leprosy is in, whether it is a woolen garment or a linen garment, 48 whether it is in warp or woof, of linen or of wool, whether in leather or in anything made of leather; 49 if the disease is greenish or reddish in the garment or in the leather or in the warp or in the woof or in anything made of leather, it is the disease of leprosy and shall be shown to the priest. 50 The priest shall examine the disease and isolate the disease for seven days. 51 He shall examine the disease on the seventh day. If the disease has spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof or in the skin, whatever use the skin is used for, the disease is a destructive mildew. It is unclean. 52 He shall burn the garment, whether the warp or the woof, in wool or in linen, or anything of leather, in which the disease is, for it is a destructive mildew. It shall be burned in the fire.
53 If the priest examines it, and the disease has not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof or in anything of skin, 54 then the priest shall command that they wash the item that the disease is in, and he shall isolate it seven more days. 55 Then the priest shall examine it after the disease is washed, and if the disease has not changed its color, and the disease has not spread, it is unclean. You shall burn it in the fire. It is a mildewed spot, whether the bareness is inside or outside.
56 If the priest looks, and the disease has faded after it is washed, then he shall tear it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof; 57 and if it reappears in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything of skin, it is spreading. You shall burn with fire that in which the disease is. 58 The garment, either the warp, or the woof, or whatever thing of skin it is, which you shall wash, if the disease has departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and it will be clean.
59 This is the law of the disease of mildew in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp, or the woof, or in anything of skin, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.”
Mark 6:1-29
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
1 Then Jesus went out from there. He came into his own country, and his disciples followed him. 2 When the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing him were amazed, saying, “Where did this man get these things?” and, “What is this wisdom that has been given to him, that such miracles are done by his hands? 3 Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Are these not his sisters here with us?” And they were offended by him.
4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own house.” 5 He could do no miracles there, except to lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He marveled at their unbelief. And he went around teaching in the villages.
The Ministry of the Twelve
7 He called the Twelve to himself and began to send them out two by two, and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He commanded them to take nothing for their journey, except only a staff: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse, 9 but to wear sandals, and not to wear two coats.
10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from that town. 11 Whoever will not receive you nor listen to you, as you depart, shake off the dust that is under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”
12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They cast out many demons and anointed many with oil who were sick and healed them.
The Beheading of John
14 King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a prophet, or like one of the prophets.” 16 But Herod, when he heard this, said, “This is John, whom I beheaded. He has risen from the dead.”
17 For Herod himself had sent out and arrested John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for he had married her. 18 For John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 Herodias set herself against him and desired to kill him, but she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man and kept him safe. When he heard him, he was intrigued, and he enjoyed listening to him.
21 Then an opportunity came, when Herod held a banquet on his birthday for his nobles, the high officers, and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” 23 He swore to her, “Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”
24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?”
She said, “The head of John the Baptist.”
25 She came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, “I want you to give me, right now, the head of John the Baptist, on a platter.”
26 The king was extremely sorrowful, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he did not wish to refuse her.
27 Immediately the king sent for an executioner and commanded that the head of John the Baptist be brought to him, and the executioner went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the young lady, and the young lady gave it to her mother.
29 When his disciples heard this, they came and took up his corpse and laid it in a tomb.
Psalm 39
I Will Watch My Ways
For the Chief Musician. For Jeduthun. A Psalm by David.
1 I said, “I will guard my ways, so that I do not sin with my tongue.
I will keep a muzzle on my mouth while the wicked are before me.”
2 I was silent–unable to speak.
I held my peace, even from good.
And my sorrow was stirred.
3 My heart burned within me.
While I meditated, the fire burned.
I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, show me my end,
what is the measure of my days.
That I may know how frail I am.
5 You have made my days a hand-breadth.
My lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely every man, in his best state, is altogether vapor.”
Selah.
6 “Surely every man walks like a shadow.
Surely they busy themselves in vain.
He heaps up riches and does not know who shall gather them.
7 Now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in you.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions.
Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.
9 I was unable to speak.
I did not open my mouth,
because you have done this.
10 Stop striking me down.
I am consumed by the blow of your hand.
11 When you rebuke and correct man for iniquity,
you consume his wealth like a moth.
Surely every man is but a breath.”
Selah.
12 “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry.
Hold not your peace at my tears.
For I am a stranger with you,
a sojourner, as all my fathers were.
13 Oh spare me, that I may recover strength,
before I go and am no more.”
Proverbs 10:10
10 One winking with the eye causes sorrow,
but a chattering fool will fall.