The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday February 22, 2022 (NIV)

Skin Diseases

13 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: ² “When a person has a swelling,^[a] scab,^[b] or spot on the skin of his body, and it may be a serious disease on the skin^(A) of his body, he is to be brought to the priest Aaron or to one of his sons, the priests. ³ The priest will examine the sore^(B) on the skin of his body. If the hair in the sore has turned white and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is in fact a serious skin disease. After the priest examines him, he must pronounce him unclean. ⁴ But if the spot on the skin of his body is white and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest will quarantine the stricken person for seven days.^{(C) 5} The priest will then reexamine him on the seventh day. If he sees that the sore remains unchanged and has not spread on the skin, the priest will quarantine him for another seven days. ⁶ The priest will examine him again on the seventh day. If the sore has faded and has not spread on the skin, the priest is to pronounce him clean;^(D) it is a scab. The person is to wash his clothes and will become clean. ⁷ But if the scab spreads further on his skin after he has presented himself to the priest for his cleansing,^(E) he is to present himself again to the priest. ⁸ The priest will examine him, and if the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest must pronounce him unclean; he has a serious skin disease.

⁹ “When a case of serious skin disease may have developed on a person, he is to be brought to the priest. ¹⁰ The priest will examine him. If there is a white swelling on the skin that has turned the hair white, and there is a patch of raw flesh in the swelling, ¹¹ it is a chronic serious disease on the skin of his body, and the priest must pronounce him unclean.^(F) He need not quarantine him, for he is unclean. ¹² But if the skin disease breaks out all over the skin so that it covers all the skin of the stricken person from his head to his feet so far as the priest can see, ¹³ the priest will look, and if the skin disease has covered his entire body, he is to pronounce the stricken person clean.^(G) Since he has turned totally white, he is clean. ¹⁴ But whenever raw flesh appears on him, he will be unclean. ¹⁵ When the priest examines the raw flesh, he must pronounce him unclean. Raw flesh is unclean; this is a serious skin disease. ¹⁶ But if the raw flesh changes^[c] and^[d] turns white, he is to go to the priest. ¹⁷ The priest will examine him, and if the sore has turned white, the priest must pronounce the stricken person clean; he is clean.

¹⁸ “When a boil appears on the skin^(H) of someone’s body^(I) and it heals, ¹⁹ and a white swelling or a reddish-white spot develops where the boil was, the person is to present himself to the priest. ²⁰ The priest will make an examination, and if the spot seems to be beneath the skin and the hair in it has turned white, the priest must pronounce him unclean; it is a case of serious skin disease that has broken out in the boil. ²¹ But when the priest examines it, if there is no white hair in it, and it is not beneath the skin but is faded, the priest will quarantine him seven days. ²² If it spreads further on the skin, the priest must pronounce him unclean; it is in fact a disease. ²³ But if the spot remains where it is and does not spread, it is only the scar from the boil. The priest is to pronounce him clean.

²⁴ “When there is a burn on the skin of one’s body produced by fire, and the patch made raw by the burn becomes reddish-white or white, ²⁵ the priest is to examine it. If the hair in the spot has turned white and the spot appears to be deeper than the skin, it is a serious skin disease that has broken out in the burn. The priest must pronounce him unclean; it is a serious skin disease. ²⁶ But when the priest examines it, if there is no white hair in the spot and it is not beneath the skin but is faded, the priest will quarantine him seven days. ²⁷ The priest will reexamine him on the seventh day. If it has spread further on the skin, the priest must pronounce him unclean; it is in fact a case of serious skin disease. ²⁸ But if the spot has remained where it was and has not spread on the skin but is faded, it is the swelling from the burn. The priest is to pronounce him clean, for it is only the scar from the burn.

²⁹ “When a man or woman has a condition on the head or chin, ³⁰ the priest is to examine the condition. If it appears to be deeper than the skin,^(J) and the hair in it is yellow and sparse, the priest must pronounce the person unclean. It is a scaly outbreak, a serious skin disease of the head or chin. ³¹ When the priest examines the scaly condition, if it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, the priest will quarantine the person with the scaly condition for seven days. ³² The priest will reexamine the condition on the seventh day. If the scaly outbreak has not spread and there is no yellow hair in it and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, ³³ the person is to shave himself^(K) but not shave the scaly area. Then the priest will quarantine the person who has the scaly outbreak for another seven days. ³⁴ The priest will examine the scaly outbreak on the seventh day, and if it has not spread on the skin and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, the priest is to pronounce the person clean. He is to wash his clothes, and he will be clean. ³⁵ But if the scaly outbreak spreads further on the skin after his cleansing, ³⁶ the priest is to examine the person. If the scaly outbreak has spread on the skin, the priest does not need to look for yellow hair; the person is unclean. ³⁷ But if as far as he can see, the scaly outbreak remains unchanged and black hair has grown in it, then it has healed; he is clean. The priest is to pronounce the person clean.

³⁸ “When a man or a woman has white spots on the skin of the body, ³⁹ the priest is to make an examination. If the spots on the skin of the body are dull white, it is only a rash^[e] that has broken out on the skin; the person is clean.

⁴⁰ “If a man loses the hair of his head, he is bald,^(L) but he is clean. ⁴¹ Or if he loses the hair at his hairline, he is bald on his forehead, but he is clean. ⁴² But if there is a reddish-white condition on the bald head or forehead, it is a serious skin disease breaking out on his head or forehead.^{(M) 43} The priest is to examine him, and if the swelling of the condition on his bald head or forehead is reddish-white, like the appearance of a serious skin disease on his body, ⁴⁴ the man is afflicted with a serious skin disease;^(N) he is unclean. The priest must pronounce him unclean; the infection is on his head.

⁴⁵ “The person who has a case of serious skin disease is to have his clothes torn^(O) and his hair hanging loose, and he must cover his mouth^(P) and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ ⁴⁶ He will remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp.^(Q)

Contaminated Fabrics

⁴⁷ “If a fabric is contaminated with mildew—in wool or linen fabric, ⁴⁸ in the warp or weft of linen or wool, or in leather or anything made of leather— ⁴⁹ and if the contamination is green or red in the fabric, the leather, the warp, the weft, or any leather article, it is a mildew contamination and is to be shown to the priest. ⁵⁰ The priest is to examine the contamination and quarantine the contaminated fabric for seven days. ⁵¹ The priest is to reexamine the contamination on the seventh day. If it has spread in the fabric, the warp, the weft, or the leather, regardless of how it is used, the contamination is harmful mildew; it is unclean.^{(R) 52} He is to burn the fabric, the warp or weft in wool or linen, or any leather article, which is contaminated. Since it is harmful mildew it must be burned.

⁵³ “When the priest examines it, if the contamination has not spread in the fabric, the warp or weft, or any leather article, ⁵⁴ the priest is to order whatever is contaminated to be washed and quarantined for another seven days. ⁵⁵ After it has been washed, the priest is to reexamine the contamination. If the appearance of the contaminated article has not changed, it is unclean. Even though the contamination has not spread, you must burn the fabric. It is a fungus^[f] on the front or back of the fabric.

⁵⁶ “If the priest examines it, and the contamination has faded after it has been washed, he is to cut the contaminated section out of the fabric, the leather, or the warp or weft. ⁵⁷ But if it reappears in the fabric, the warp or weft, or any leather article, it has broken out again. You must burn whatever is contaminated. ⁵⁸ But if the contamination disappears from the fabric, the warp or weft, or any leather article, which have been washed, it is to be washed again, and it will be clean.

⁵⁹ “This is the law concerning a mildew contamination in wool or linen fabric, warp or weft, or any leather article, in order to pronounce it clean or unclean.”^(S)

Rejection at Nazareth

6 He^(A) left there and came to his hometown,^(B) and his disciples^(C) followed him. ² When the Sabbath^(D) came, he began to teach^(E) in the synagogue,^(F) and many who heard him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom^(G) that has been given to him, and how are these miracles^(H) performed by his hands? ³ Isn’t this the carpenter,^(I) the son of Mary,^(J) and the brother of James,^(K) Joses, Judas,^(L) and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they were offended^(M) by him.

⁴ Jesus said to them, “A prophet^(N) is not without honor^(O) except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.” ⁵ He was not able to do a miracle^(P) there, except that he laid his hands on^(Q) a few sick^(R) people and healed^(S) them. ⁶ And he was amazed^(T) at their unbelief.^(U) He was going around the villages teaching.^(V)

Commissioning the Twelve

⁷ He^(W) summoned^(X) the Twelve^(Y) and began to send^(Z) them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean^(AA) spirits.^{(AB) 8} He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag,^(AC) no money in their belts, ⁹ but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt.^{(AD) 10} He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. ¹¹ If any place does not welcome^(AE) you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet^(AF) as a testimony^(AG) against them.”^{[a] 12} So they went out and preached^(AH) that people should repent.^{(AI) 13} They drove out many demons,^(AJ) anointed^(AK) many sick^(AL) people with oil^(AM) and healed them.^(AN)

John the Baptist Beheaded

¹⁴ King^(AO) Herod^(AP) heard about it, because Jesus’s name^(AQ) had become well known. Some^[b] said, “John the Baptist^(AR) has been raised from the dead,^(AS) and that’s why miraculous powers^(AT) are at work^(AU) in him.” ¹⁵ But others said, “He’s Elijah.”^(AV) Still others said, “He’s a prophet, like one of the prophets from long ago.”^(AW)

¹⁶ When Herod^(AX) heard of it, he said, “John,^(AY) the one I beheaded, has been raised!” ^(AZ)

¹⁷ For^(BA) Herod himself had given orders to arrest John and to chain^(BB) him in prison on account of Herodias,^(BC) his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her.^{(BD) 18} John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful^(BE) for you to have your brother’s wife.”^{(BF) 19} So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill^(BG) him. But she could not, ²⁰ because Herod feared^(BH) John and protected him, knowing he was a righteous^(BI) and holy^(BJ) man. When Herod heard him he would be very perplexed,^[c](BK) and yet he liked to listen to him.^(BL)

²¹ An opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet^(BM) for his nobles,^(BN) military commanders,^(BO) and the leading men of Galilee.^{(BP) 22} When Herodias’s own daughter^[d] came in and danced,^(BQ) she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.” ²³ He promised her with an^(BR) oath:^(BS) “Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”^(BT)

²⁴ She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?”

“John the Baptist’s^(BU) head,” she said.

²⁵ At once she hurried to the king and said, “I want you to give me John the Baptist’s^(BV) head on a platter^(BW) immediately.” ²⁶ Although the king was deeply distressed,^(BX) because of his oaths^(BY) and the guests^[e] he did not want to refuse^(BZ) her. ²⁷ The king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring John’s head. So he went and beheaded him in prison, ²⁸ brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When John’s disciples^(CA) heard about it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.^(CB)

Psalm 39

The Fleeting Nature of Life

For the choir director, for Jeduthun. A psalm of David.