Deuteronomy 12-15 Worship God's Way, So Things Go Well With You

Deuteronomy 12-15 Worship God's Way, So Things Go Well With You

Psalm 29:1-2 Worthy Worship

Ps 29:1 Ascribe to Yahweh, you sons of the mighty, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name. Worship Yahweh in holy array-adornment/beauty of holiness.

Observations: 29:1 As David witnesses the majesty of a thunderstorm (see rest of the psalm), he calls upon the sons of the mighty to praise God. Ascribe is sometimes translated “give,” but has the connotation of credit or attribute. Glory (power/importance) and might are His.

29:2 "Holy array" is sometimes translated beauty of holiness. Most contexts of worship emphasize the holiness of the worshiper in approaching God (see Leviticus below).

Application: We can't properly worship God dressed in our sins.

Prayer: Glorious God, You are majestic in power and might, nothing can compare to You in heaven or earth. May I give You the glory that comes from a holy life, which You make possible. Amen.

Proverbs 8:1-7 What's the Way to Go? Listen!

8:1 “Doesn't wisdom cry out? Doesn't understanding raise her voice? 2 On the top of high places by the way, where the paths meet, she stands. 3 Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entry doors, she cries aloud: 4 "To you men, I call! I send my voice to the sons of mankind. 5 You simple/naive, understand prudence. You fools, be of an understanding heart. 6 Hear, for I will speak excellent things. The opening of my lips is for right things. 7 For my mouth speaks truth. Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.”

Observation: “Simple” or naïve comes from the root that means spacious or open, as in open-minded (=empty headed). These are folks who haven't developed Biblical prejudices about what's right and wrong. A “prejudice” is a pre-judging of what you will and won't do, based upon God's revelation of what's wise and foolish. Simple.

Application: God has spoken, not stuttered. Are you listening?

Prayer: Spirit of Truth, thanks that you make Truth accessible. Guide me in the good paths.  Amen.

Deuteronomy 12-15 The next fourteen chapters contain specific stipulations that flow, more or less, from the Ten Commandments. They aren't as directly applicable to the modern audience as were the previous chapters (make sure you didn't miss them), but the principles are still the path to blessing today.

Chapter 12 Worship God's Way, So Things Go Well With You

Asherah

12:1 These are the statutes and the ordinances which you shall observe to do in the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess it, all the days that you live on the earth. 2 You shall surely destroy all the places in which the nations that you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every green tree: 3 and you shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and burn their Asherim with fire; and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods; and you shall destroy their name out of that place.

Asherah Poles

4 You must not worship Yahweh your God their way. 5 But you are to seek the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, and there you must go 7...rejoice in all...in which Yahweh your God has blessed you. 8 You shall not do...whatever is right in your own eyes; 12 You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God...13 Take heed that you don`t offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; 14 but in the place which Yahweh shall choose...15 you may kill and eat flesh within all your gates, after all the desire of your soul, according to the blessing of Yahweh 16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out on the earth as water. 17 You may not eat within your gates the tithe...18 but you shall eat them before Yahweh your God in the place which Yahweh your God shall choose...19 Take heed that you don`t forsake the Levite...21 If the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to put His name there, be too far from you, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock, which Yahweh has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates, after all the desire of your soul. 25 You shall not eat blood; that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, when you shall do that which is right in the eyes of Yahweh. 26 Only your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take, and go to the place which Yahweh shall choose: 28 Observe and hear all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you, and with your children after you forever, when you do that which is good and right in the eyes of Yahweh your God. 30 take heed that you not be ensnared to follow...and do not inquire after their gods, saying, How do these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 You shall not do so to Yahweh your God: for every abomination to Yahweh, which He hates, have they done to their gods; for even their sons and their daughters do they burn in the fire to their gods. 32 Whatever thing I command you, that shall you observe to do: you shall not add to, nor diminish it.

Observations: Having no other gods before Yahweh (first commandment) extends to worshiping Him exclusively in the manner He specified, in the place He chooses (mentioned six times in this chapter).

12:2-3 Pure worship involves destroying all traces of other gods, and not even learning about them, so as not to be ensnared by them (Dt 12:30-31).

12:8 They must not do what's right in their eyes, but only what's right in Yahweh's eyes (12:25).

12:7,15 On the positive side, they could rejoice in what Yahweh had given them, as long as they did it as Yahweh specified, exclude the blood, and include the Levites. From years of eating corn flakes (manna), and only sacrificial meat (apparently), they could now eat meat whenever they wished (repeated three times).

12:21,28 God does care about our desires, and specifies that these commands are given so things will go well with us (2x).

Application: Learn what pleases God, and do it His way if you want to enjoy life.

Prayer: God, thanks for blessing me, and being concerned about my desires, may I be more concerned about pleasing You than myself. Amen.

Chapter 13 False Prophets Encourage False Worship

13:1 If there arise in the midst of you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder happens...saying, Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them; 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams: for Yahweh your God proves/tests you, to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after Yahweh your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cleave to Him. 5 That prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to draw you aside out of the way which Yahweh your God commanded you to walk in. So shall you put away the evil from the midst of you. 6 If your brother, son, daughter, wife or your friend, who is as your own soul, entice you secretly, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods," 7 of the gods of the peoples who are round about you, 8 you shall not consent, nor listen, neither pity him, spare, or conceal him: 9 but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. 11 All Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall not do any more such wickedness as this is in the midst of you.

12 If you hear concerning one of your cities: 13 Certain base fellows/children of Belial, are gone out from the midst of you, and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, 14 then shall you inquire, search, ask diligently; and, if it be truth, and certain, that such abomination is done in the midst of you, 15 you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein and the cattle of it, with the edge of the sword. 16 You shall gather all the spoil into the midst of the street, and shall burn the city, and all the spoil of it every whit, to Yahweh your God: and it shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again. 17 There shall cleave nothing of the devoted thing to your hand; that Yahweh may turn from the fierceness of His anger, and show you mercy, and have compassion on you, and multiply you, as He has sworn to your fathers; 18 when you shall listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of Yahweh your God.

Observations: Instructions in this chapter dealing with not bowing down to or serving false gods are somewhat related to the second commandment (Dt 5:8-9), although images are only inferred in burning the spoil of the city, which would have been silver and gold.

13:2-5 False prophets can do signs and wonders to deceive God's people. Any prophecy that isn't in accord with God's word is satanic, and the prophet should be killed (13:5) to remove evil from the midst. Those who seek wonders rather than the word, wander out of the way of God to follow Satan.

Mt 12:39 "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet.”

13:4 A good description of what it means to walk with God. Use as a checklist for starters.

13:8 Discriminatory allegiance requires not just avoiding evil, but eliminating it, regardless of human relationships. No pity.

13:12-18 God is serious about His people avoiding sources of contamination, to the extent that the entire city, including its stuff must be totally destroyed if the people have turned aside from following Yahweh. 13:13 “base fellows” is equally translated “children of Belial (KJV),” which better fits the context.

Application: Walking with God goes beyond reading His word, it involves obeying it, including identifying and eliminating whatever or whoever would deceive or dissuade us from loyalty to Him.

Prayer: God, protect and deliver me from evil influences by my allegiance and obedience to You. Amen.

Chapter 14 Food For A Holy People

14:1 You are the children of Yahweh your God: you shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. 2 For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God, and Yahweh has chosen you to be a people for His own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth. 3 You shall not eat any abominable thing. 4 These are the animals which you may eat...6 Every animal that parts the hoof, and has the hoof cloven in two, [and] chews the cud 7 these you shall not eat ...8... doesn`t part the hoof but doesn`t chew the cud, he is unclean to you: of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. 9 These you may eat of all that are in the waters: fins and scales you may eat; 19 All winged creeping things are unclean to you: they shall not be eaten. 20 Of all clean birds you may eat. 21 You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself: you may give or sell it to a foreigner: for you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother`s milk. 22 You shall surely tithe all the increase..23...and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock; that you may learn to fear Yahweh your God always. 24 If...the place is too far from you, which Yahweh your God shall choose, to set His name there, when Yahweh your God shall bless you; 25 then shall you turn it into money, and bind up the money in your hand, and shall go to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose: 26 and you shall bestow the money for whatever your soul desires, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever your soul asks of you; and you shall eat there before Yahweh your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. 27 The Levite who is within your gates, you shall not forsake him; for he has no portion nor inheritance with you. 28 At the end of every three years you shall bring forth all the tithe of your increase in the same year, and shall lay it up within your gates: 29 and the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Yahweh your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

Observations: This chapter develops the third commandment to not bear the name of Yahweh lightly, or to no effect. God's people should be holy, or separate/distinct from those around them, because of their obedience. In this case the dietary laws separated them from the pagans.

14:22-29 It looks like one tithed (10%) of their increase in a feast at Jerusalem for two years, and then the third year they celebrated God's goodness in their hometown. If Jerusalem was too far to take your animals and stuff, you could sell them in your hometown, and then buy an equivalent amount in Jerusalem.

Application: Being God's holy people should be noticeable in all areas of our life, from eating to giving (haircuts might count as well).

Prayer: God, I recognize that all Your commands are for my benefit, especially in protecting me from self-will. Amen.

Chapter 15 Sabbath Year and Poor Israelites

15:1 At the end of every seven years you shall make a release. 2 This is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother; because Yahweh`s release has been proclaimed. 3 Of a foreigner you may exact it: but whatever of your is with your brother your hand shall release. 4 However there shall be no poor with you; (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it;) 5 if only you diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to observe to do all this commandment which I command you this day. 6 For Yahweh your God will bless you, as he promised you: and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you. 7 If there be with you a poor man, one of your brothers, within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother; 8 but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need [in that] which he wants. 9 Beware that there not be a base thought in your heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and your eye be evil against your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you. 10 You shall surely give him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him; because that for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work, and in all that you put your hand to. 11 For the poor will never cease out of the land...12 If your brother, a Hebrew man, or woman, be sold to you, and serve you six years; then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. 13 When you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty: 14 you shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, and out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress; as Yahweh your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. 15 You shall remember that you were a bondservant in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God redeemed you: therefore I command you this thing today. 16 It shall be, if he tell you, I will not go out from you; because he loves you and your house, because he is well with you; 17 then you shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your maid-servant you shall do likewise. 18 It shall not seem hard to you, when you let him go free from you; for to the double of the hire of a hireling has he served you six years: and Yahweh your God will bless you in all that you do. 19 All the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock you shall sanctify to Yahweh your God: you shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. 20 You shall eat it before Yahweh your God year by year in the place which Yahweh shall choose, you and your household. 21 If it have any blemish, [as if it be] lame or blind, any ill blemish whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to Yahweh your God. 22 You shall eat it within your gates: the unclean and the clean [shall eat it] alike, as the gazelle, and as the hart. 23 Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it out on the ground as water.

Observations: This chapter, and most of the next, flow indirectly from the fourth commandment, regarding the Sabbath.

15:4 The poor in the Promised Land, and the Sabbath year are Israel specific, although the principles of generosity and stewardship are applicable today; God still loves a cheerful giver.

15:10 God is not just concerned about our doing the right thing, but obeying with the right attitude. That's what merits His blessing.

Application: Do you view material blessings as a stewardship you manage for God, or as your “stuff” for self-gratification?

Prayer: Giver of all good gifts, guide me in using Your resources for Your purposes. Amen.

Digging Deeper:

God in a nutshell: God wants us to worship Him exclusively, in response to His revelation (words and works), which He requires us to know, value and do. He is concerned about us both internally and externally, wanting even sanctified/holy motives in our actions. He wants us to enjoy His blessings, and use them in a way that benefits ourselves, others, and ultimately Him.

Us in a nutshell: We need aggressive discriminatory allegiance to God to please Him and maintain the purity/holiness He requires. Being loyal to Him will result in not being loyal to those who don't worship Him. (He is the better choice.)

Where to Go for More:

Truthbase.net

Giving God What He Wants (Parts 1&2)

Deuteronomy complete text

Chapter 12

12:1 These are the statutes and the ordinances which you shall observe to do in the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess it, all the days that you live on the earth. 2 You shall surely destroy all the places in which the nations that you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every green tree: 3 and you shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and burn their Asherim with fire; and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods; and you shall destroy their name out of that place. 4 You shall not do so to Yahweh your God. 5 But to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put His name there, even to His habitation shall you seek, and there you shall come; 6 and there you shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the heave-offering of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill-offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock: 7 and there you shall eat before Yahweh your God, and you shall rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households, in which Yahweh your God has blessed you. 8 You shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatever is right in his own eyes; 9 for you haven`t yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which Yahweh your God gives you. 10 But when you go over the Jordan, and dwell in the land which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety; 11 then it shall happen that to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause His name to dwell there, there shall you bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave-offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which you vow to Yahweh. 12 You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God, you, and your sons, and your daughters, and your men-servants, and your maidservants, and the Levite who is within your gates, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you. 13 Take heed to yourself that you don`t offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; 14 but in the place which Yahweh shall choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you. 15 Notwithstanding, you may kill and eat flesh within all your gates, after all the desire of your soul, according to the blessing of Yahweh your God which He has given you: the unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle, and as of the hart. 16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out on the earth as water. 17 You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain, or of your new wine, or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, nor any of your vows which you vow, nor your freewill-offerings, nor the heave-offering of your hand; 18 but you shall eat them before Yahweh your God in the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maid-servant, and the Levite who is within your gates: and you shall rejoice before Yahweh your God in all that you put your hand to. 19 Take heed to yourself that you don`t forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land. 20 When Yahweh your God shall enlarge your border, as He has promised you, and you shall say, I will eat flesh, because your soul desires to eat flesh; you may eat flesh, after all the desire of your soul. 21 If the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to put His name there, be too far from you, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock, which Yahweh has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates, after all the desire of your soul. 22 Even as the gazelle and as the hart is eaten, so you shall eat of it: the unclean and the clean may eat of it alike. 23 Only be sure that you don`t eat the blood: for the blood is the life; and you shall not eat the life with the flesh. 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the earth as water. 25 You shall not eat it; that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, when you shall do that which is right in the eyes of Yahweh. 26 Only your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take, and go to the place which Yahweh shall choose: 27 and you shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of Yahweh your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of Yahweh your God; and you shall eat the flesh. 28 Observe and hear all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you, and with your children after you forever, when you do that which is good and right in the eyes of Yahweh your God. 29 When Yahweh your God shall cut off the nations from before you, where you go in to dispossess them, and you dispossess them, and dwell in their land; 30 take heed to yourself that you not be ensnared to follow them, after that they are destroyed from before you; and that you not inquire after their gods, saying, How do these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 You shall not do so to Yahweh your God: for every abomination to Yahweh, which He hates, have they done to their gods; for even their sons and their daughters do they burn in the fire to their gods. 32 Whatever thing I command you, that shall you observe to do: you shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Chapter 13

13:1 If there arise in the midst of you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke to you, saying, Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them; 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams: for Yahweh your God proves you, to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after Yahweh your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cleave to Him. 5 That prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to draw you aside out of the way which Yahweh your God commanded you to walk in. So shall you put away the evil from the midst of you. 6 If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend, who is as your own soul, entice you secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which you have not known, you, nor your fathers; 7 of the gods of the peoples who are round about you, near to you, or far off from you, from the one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth; 8 you shall not consent to him, nor listen to him; neither shall your eye pity him, neither shall you spare, neither shall you conceal him: 9 but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. 10 You shall stone him to death with stones, because he has sought to draw you away from Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 11 All Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall not do any more such wickedness as this is in the midst of you. 12 If you shall hear tell concerning one of your cities, which Yahweh your God gives you to dwell there, saying, 13 Certain base fellows are gone out from the midst of you, and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which you have not known; 14 then shall you inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is done in the midst of you, 15 you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein and the cattle of it, with the edge of the sword. 16 You shall gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street of it, and shall burn with fire the city, and all the spoil of it every whit, to Yahweh your God: and it shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again. 17 There shall cleave nothing of the devoted thing to your hand; that Yahweh may turn from the fierceness of His anger, and show you mercy, and have compassion on you, and multiply you, as He has sworn to your fathers; 18 when you shall listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of Yahweh your God.

Chapter 14

14:1 You are the children of Yahweh your God: you shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. 2 For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God, and Yahweh has chosen you to be a people for His own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth. 3 You shall not eat any abominable thing. 4 These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, 5 the hart, and the gazelle, and the roebuck, and the wild goat, and the gazelle, and the antelope, and the chamois. 6 Every animal that parts the hoof, and has the hoof cloven in two, [and] chews the cud, among the animals, that may you eat. 7 Nevertheless these you shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of those who have the hoof cloven: the camel, and the hare, and the rabbit; because they chew the cud but don`t part the hoof, they are unclean to you. 8 The pig, because he doesn`t part the hoof but doesn`t chew the cud, he is unclean to you: of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. 9 These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales may you eat; 10 and whatever doesn`t have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean to you. 11 Of all clean birds you may eat. 12 But these are they of which you shall not eat: the eagle, and the gier-eagle, and the ospray, 13 and the red kite, and the falcon, and the kite after its kind, 14 and every raven after its kind, 15 and the ostrich, and the night-hawk, and the sea-mew, and the hawk after its kind, 16 the little owl, and the great owl, and the horned owl, 17 and the pelican, and the vulture, and the cormorant, 18 and the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat. 19 All winged creeping things are unclean to you: they shall not be eaten. 20 Of all clean birds you may eat. 21 You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself: you may give it to the sojourner who is within your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner: for you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother`s milk. 22 You shall surely tithe all the increase of your seed, that which comes forth from the field year by year. 23 You shall eat before Yahweh your God, in the place which he shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, the tithe of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock; that you may learn to fear Yahweh your God always. 24 If the way be too long for you, so that you are not able to carry it, because the place is too far from you, which Yahweh your God shall choose, to set His name there, when Yahweh your God shall bless you; 25 then shall you turn it into money, and bind up the money in your hand, and shall go to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose: 26 and you shall bestow the money for whatever your soul desires, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever your soul asks of you; and you shall eat there before Yahweh your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. 27 The Levite who is within your gates, you shall not forsake him; for he has no portion nor inheritance with you. 28 At the end of every three years you shall bring forth all the tithe of your increase in the same year, and shall lay it up within your gates: 29 and the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Yahweh your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

Chapter 15

15:1 At the end of every seven years you shall make a release. 2 This is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother; because Yahweh`s release has been proclaimed. 3 Of a foreigner you may exact it: but whatever of your is with your brother your hand shall release. 4 However there shall be no poor with you; (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it;) 5 if only you diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to observe to do all this commandment which I command you this day. 6 For Yahweh your God will bless you, as He promised you: and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you. 7 If there be with you a poor man, one of your brothers, within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother; 8 but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need [in that] which he wants. 9 Beware that there not be a base thought in your heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and your eye be evil against your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you. 10 You shall surely give him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him; because that for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work, and in all that you put your hand to. 11 For the poor will never cease out of the land: therefore I command you, saying, You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land. 12 If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be sold to you, and serve you six years; then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. 13 When you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty: 14 you shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, and out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress; as Yahweh your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. 15 You shall remember that you were a bondservant in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God redeemed you: therefore I command you this thing today. 16 It shall be, if he tell you, I will not go out from you; because he loves you and your house, because he is well with you; 17 then you shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your maid-servant you shall do likewise. 18 It shall not seem hard to you, when you let him go free from you; for to the double of the hire of a hireling has he served you six years: and Yahweh your God will bless you in all that you do. 19 All the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock you shall sanctify to Yahweh your God: you shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. 20 You shall eat it before Yahweh your God year by year in the place which Yahweh shall choose, you and your household. 21 If it have any blemish, [as if it be] lame or blind, any ill blemish whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to Yahweh your God. 22 You shall eat it within your gates: the unclean and the clean [shall eat it] alike, as the gazelle, and as the hart. 23 Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it out on the ground as water.

Leviticus 11-15 Clean Or Unclean Food, And Leprosy

Psalm 17:8-15 Kept As The Apple of His Eye

17:8 “(1 Hear my righteous plea....3 You have proved my heart... 5 My steps have held fast to Your paths. My feet have not slipped. 7 Show Your marvelous hesed/loyal covenantal love, You who save those who take refuge by Your right hand from their enemies.)

8 Keep me as the apple/pupil of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings, 9 from the wicked who oppress me, my deadly enemies, who surround me. 10 They close up their callous hearts. With their mouth they speak proudly. 11 They have now surrounded us in our steps. They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth. 12 He is like a lion that is greedy of his prey, as it were a young lion lurking in secret places. 13 Arise, Yahweh, confront him. Cast him down. Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword; 14 from men by your hand, Yahweh, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life. You fill/satisfy the belly of your cherished/treasured ones. Your sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children. 15 As for me, I shall see your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with your presence."

Observations: 17:1-7 See Leviticus 8-10 post for vv 1-7, in which David lays claim to God's loyal love (hesed) and help, on the basis of being loyal to Him.

11:8-15 David asks God to protect him from his fierce enemies, intent on his destruction. His enemies are those whose focus is prosperity in this life, rather than upon God. The Hebrew text of verse 14 Is very difficult (some say corrupt), so translators are varied in their approaches. The WEB (above) and the marginal reading of the ESV, are closer to the flow of the argument. The wicked have their portion (and payback) in this life. But the righteous will be satisfied and blessed (children and prosperity) by God. The psalmist is confident that God will help him (because of his innocence and integrity), and will be satisfied with God's presence. This will occur after God delivers him from the experience he likens to death/sleep from which he will awake (as in a resurrection??? Daniel 12:2).

Application: God will deliver and satisfy the righteous who take refuge in Him from those who want to destroy them; therefore be righteous and trust, help is on the way.

Prayer: God, You are my refuge and portion in this world; please protect me as the apple of Your eye, from those who seek to harm me. Thanks that You're all I need. Amen.

Proverbs 5:13-14 Listen or Groan

5:11 “(You will groan when your flesh and your body are consumed, 12 and say, "How I have hated instruction/correction, and my heart despised reproof) 13 neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me! 14 I have come to the brink of utter ruin, in the midst of the gathered assembly."

Observations: 5:13 The proud sinner hates correction and reproof, because they want to think of themselves as perfect. If they were perfect, they'd be seeking and obeying truth, and listening to advice and counsel. But they don't listen, and as a result, will come to ruin in front of all from whom they sought to hide their sin.

Application: “Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.” ESV Proverbs 19:20

Prayer: God, I don't want to be a groaning ruined fool, so help me humbly listen and learn. Thanks. Amen.

Leviticus 11-15 Clean Or Unclean Food, And Leprosy

Leviticus 11 Diet of Distinction

11:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, 2 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, These are the living things which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. 3 Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud...9 These may you eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales...13 These you shall have in abomination among the birds...20 All winged creeping things that go on all fours are an abomination to you. 23 But all winged creeping things, which have four feet, are an abomination to you. 24 By these you shall become unclean: whoever touches the carcass of them shall be unclean until the even; 27 Whatever goes on its paws, among all animals that go on all fours, they are unclean to you...31 These are they which are unclean to you among all that creep: whoever does touch them, when they are dead, shall be unclean until the even. 41 Every creeping thing that creeps on the earth is an abomination; it shall not be eaten. 42 Whatever goes on the belly...you shall not eat; for they are an abomination. 43 You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps, neither shall you make yourselves unclean with them, that you should be defiled thereby. 44 For I am Yahweh your God: sanctify yourselves therefore, and be you holy; for I am holy: neither shall you defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that moves on the earth. 45 For I am Yahweh 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.

Observations: 11:44 Believers are to be holy (separate or distinct) because the God they follow and serve is holy.

11:47 Regardless of whatever health benefits may accrue, the main purpose of the distinctive diet was to make the Israelites distinct from those around them.

Application: How do you daily demonstrate your distinctiveness as a follower of the Holy God?

Prayer: Holy God, who redeems His people and requires them to be holy, help me see how to demonstrate Your kind of holiness in my daily life. Amen.

Leviticus 12 Purification after Childbirth

12:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, If a woman conceive, and bear a male-child, then she shall be unclean seven days 3 In the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 She shall continue in the blood of purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no holy thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. 6 When the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtle-dove, for a sin-offering, to the door of the tent of meeting, to the priest: 7 and he shall offer it before Yahweh, and make atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the fountain of her blood. This is the law for her who bears, whether a male or a female. 8...one for a burnt offering, and the other for a sin-offering: and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.

Observations: 12:2 Childbirth resulted in ritual uncleanness, perhaps because of contact with blood and non-living tissue. The child was not said to be unclean.

12:4 If you had a daughter you had to wait twice as long.

Leviticus 13 Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Leprosy and Then Some

Mycobacterium leprae, is one of the
oldest bacteria to inhabit the Earth. 

13:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it become in the skin of his flesh the plague of leprosy, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons the priests: 3 and the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and if the hair in the plague be turned white, and the appearance of the plague be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is the plague of leprosy; and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean. 4 If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and the appearance of it isn`t deeper than the skin, and the hair of it isn`t turned white, then the priest shall shut up him who has the plague seven days: 5 and the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if in his eyes the plague be at a stay, and the plague isn`t spread in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up seven days more: 6 and the priest shall look on him again the seventh day; and, behold, if the plague be dim, and the plague hasn`t spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean...59 This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woolen or linen, either in the warp, or the woof, or anything of skin, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.

Observations: You can skip a lot of verses if you understand 15:31

15:31 Thus shall you separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, that they not die in their uncleanness, when they defile my tent that is in the midst of them.

Just like Leviticus 11 separated Israel from what God considered the uncleanness of their neighbors, with reference to their diet, so chapters 13-15 are designed to separate Israel from their physical uncleanness. Spiritual uncleanness is discussed in future chapters.

Some things worth noting on the physical level:

• God is concerned about containment, and preventing contamination.
• Uncleanness/unholiness results in separation.
• Cleansing results in fellowship.
• Physical cleansing alone was inadequate for fellowship, both burnt and sin offerings were required to reinstate the unclean into the holy community.

Application: The applications to spiritual uncleanness and contamination aren't specified, but it's probably a good idea to avoid contact with anything that causes us to be out of fellowship with God.

Prayer: Holy God thank You for having a standard for being clean in Your sight that benefits me in ways I haven't even considered. Thanks too, that you provide a path to get back into fellowship with You and Your people. Amen.

Leviticus 14 And Even More About Leprosy

14:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: he shall be brought to the priest: 3 and the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look; and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper, 4 then shall the priest command to take for him who is to be cleansed two living clean birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: 5 The priest shall command to kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water. 6 As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water: 7 He shall sprinkle on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let go the living bird into the open field. 8 He who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and bathe himself in water; and he shall be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, but shall dwell outside his tent seven days. 9 It shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and he shall be clean. 10 On the eighth day he shall take two he-lambs without blemish, and one ewe-lamb a year old without blemish, and three tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil. 11 The priest who cleanses him shall set the man who is to be cleansed, and those things, before Yahweh, at the door of the tent of meeting. 12 The priest shall take one of the he-lambs, and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave-offering before Yahweh: 13 and he shall kill the he-lamb in the place where they kill the sin-offering and the burnt offering, in the place of the sanctuary: for as the sin-offering is the priest`s, so is the trespass-offering: it is most holy: 14 and the priest shall take of the blood of the trespass-offering, and the priest shall put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot. 15 The priest shall take of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand; 16 and the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before Yahweh: 17 and of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot, on the blood of the trespass-offering: 18 and the rest of the oil that is in the priest`s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make atonement for him before Yahweh.

33 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 34 When you are come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a Leviticus possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession...

Leviticus 15 Other Uncleanness

15:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, When any man has an issue/discharge out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean. 13 When he who has an issue is cleansed of his issue, then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes; and he shall bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean. 14 On the eighth day he shall take to him two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, and come before Yahweh to the door of the tent of meeting, and give them to the priest: 15 and the priest shall offer them, the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him before Yahweh for his issue... 30 The priest shall offer the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her before Yahweh for the issue of her uncleanness. 31 Thus shall you separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, that they not die in their uncleanness, when they defile my tent that is in the midst of them.

Digging Deeper:

God in a nutshell: God is holy, and He requires holiness of His people; uncleanness is not allowed among His worshipers. Uncleanness causes separation until it is contained and nullified. God specifies the path back into fellowship with a Holy God.

Us in a nutshell: We need to be separate from the uncleanness around us and within us in order to experience the blessings of a relationship with God. If we become defiled, we miss out on fellowship, and must wait until our uncleanness is contained and nullified. Only then can we come back into God's presence, according to the means He has specified.

Where to Go for More:

Truthbase.net

Leviticus 11-15 (complete text)

Leviticus 11

11:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, 2 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, These are the living things which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. 3 Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, [and] chews the cud, among the animals, that may you eat. 4 Nevertheless these shall you not eat of them that chew the cud, or of those who part the hoof: the camel, because he chews the cud but doesn`t have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you. 5 The rabbit, because he chews the cud but doesn`t have a parted the hoof, he is unclean to you. 6 The hare, because she chews the cud but doesn`t part the hoof, she is unclean to you. 7 The pig, because he doesn`t part the hoof, and is cloven-footed, but doesn`t chew the cud, he is unclean to you. 8 Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you. 9 These may you eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, that may you eat. 10 All that don`t have fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are an abomination to you, 11 and they shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat of their flesh, and their carcasses you shall have in abomination. 12 Whatever has no fins nor scales in the waters, that is an abomination to you. 13 These you shall have in abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the gier-eagle, and the ospray, 14 and the kite, and the falcon after its kind, 15 every raven after its kind, 16 and the ostrich, and the night-hawk, and the seamew, and the hawk after its kind, 17 and the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, 18 and the horned owl, and the pelican, and the vulture, 19 and the stork, the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat. 20 All winged creeping things that go on all fours are an abomination to you. 21 Yet these may you eat of all winged creeping things that go on all fours, which have legs above their feet, with which to leap on the earth. 22 Even these of them you may eat: the locust after its kind, and the bald locust after its kind, and the cricket after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind. 23 But all winged creeping things, which have four feet, are an abomination to you. 24 By these you shall become unclean: whoever touches the carcass of them shall be unclean until the even; 25 Whoever bears [anything] of the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even. 26 Every animal which parts the hoof, and is not cloven-footed, nor chews 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 even. 28 He who bears the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean to you. 29 These are they which are unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the weasel, and the mouse, and the great lizard after its kind, 30 and the gecko, and the landcrocodile, and the lizard, and the sand-lizard, and the chameleon. 31 These are they which are unclean to you among all that creep: whoever does touch them, when they are dead, shall be unclean until the even. 32 On whatever any of them, when they are dead, does fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or clothing, or skin, or sack, whatever vessel it be, with which any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; then shall it be clean. 33 Every earthen vessel, into which any of them falls, whatever is in it shall be unclean, and it you shall break. 34 All food [therein] which may be eaten, that on which water comes, shall be unclean; and all drink that may be drunk in every [such] vessel shall be unclean. 35 Every thing whereupon [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 pit in which is a gathering of water shall be clean: but that which touches their carcass shall be unclean. 37 If [anything] of their carcass fall on any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean. 38 But if water be put on the seed, and [anything] of their carcass fall thereon, it is unclean to you. 39 If any animal, of which you may eat, die; he who touches the carcass of it shall be unclean until the even. 40 He who eats of the carcass of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that bears the carcass of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even. 41 Every creeping thing that creeps on the earth is an abomination; it shall not be eaten. 42 Whatever goes on the belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, even all creeping things that creep on the earth, them you shall not eat; for they are an abomination. 43 You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps, neither shall you make yourselves unclean with them, that you should be defiled thereby. 44 For I am Yahweh your God: sanctify yourselves therefore, and be you holy; for I am holy: neither shall you defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that moves on the earth. 45 For I am Yahweh 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.

Leviticus 12

12:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, If a woman conceive seed, and bear a man-child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of the impurity of her sickness shall she be unclean. 3 In the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 She shall continue in the blood of [her] purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no holy thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. 5 But if she bear a maid-child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her impurity; and she shall continue in the blood of [her] purifying sixty-six days. 6 When the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtle-dove, for a sin-offering, to the door of the tent of meeting, to the priest: 7 and he shall offer it before Yahweh, and make atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the fountain of her blood. This is the law for her who bears, whether a male or a female. 8 If her means isn`t sufficient for a lamb, then she shall take two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons; the one for a burnt offering, and the other for a sin-offering: and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.

Leviticus 13

13:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it become in the skin of his flesh the plague of leprosy, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons the priests: 3 and the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and if the hair in the plague be turned white, and the appearance of the plague be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is the plague of leprosy; and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean. 4 If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and the appearance of it isn`t deeper than the skin, and the hair of it isn`t turned white, then the priest shall shut up [him who has] the plague seven days: 5 and the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if in his eyes the plague be at a stay, and the plague isn`t spread in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up seven days more: 6 and the priest shall look on him again the seventh day; and, behold, if the plague be dim, and the plague hasn`t spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean. 7 But if the scab spread abroad in the skin, after that he has showed himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall show himself to the priest again: 8 and the priest shall look; and, behold, if the scab be spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is leprosy. 9 When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought to the priest; 10 and the priest shall look; and, behold, if there be a white rising in the skin, and it have turned the hair white, and there be quick raw flesh in the rising, 11 it is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean: he shall not shut him up, for he is unclean. 12 If the leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of [him who has] the plague from his head even to his feet, as far as appears to the priest; 13 then the priest shall look; and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce [him] clean [who has] the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean. 14 But whenever raw flesh appears in him, he shall be unclean. 15 The priest shall look on the raw flesh, and pronounce him unclean: the raw flesh is unclean: it is leprosy. 16 Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed to white, then he shall come to the priest; 17 and the priest shall look on him; and, behold, if the plague be turned into white, then the priest shall pronounce [him] clean [who has] the plague: he is clean. 18 When the flesh has in the skin of it a boil, and it is healed, 19 and in the place of the boil there is a white rising, or a bright spot, reddish-white, then is shall be showed to the priest; 20 and the priest shall look; and, behold, if the appearance of it be lower than the skin, and the hair of it be turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy, it has broken out in the boil. 21 But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hairs therein, and it isn`t lower than the skin, but is dim; then the priest shall shut him up seven days: 22 If it spread abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague. 23 But if the bright spot stay in its place, and hasn`t spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean. 24 Or when the flesh has in the skin of it a burning by fire, and the quick [flesh] of the burning become a bright spot, reddish-white, or white; 25 then the priest shall look on it; and, behold, if the hair in the bright spot be turned white, and the appearance of it be deeper than the skin; it is leprosy, it has broken out in the burning: and the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy. 26 But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hair in the bright spot, and it be no lower than the skin, but be dim; then the priest shall shut him up seven days: 27 and the priest shall look on him the seventh day: if it spread abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy. 28 If the bright spot stays in its place, and hasn`t spread in the skin, but be dim; it is the rising of the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him clean: for it is the scar of the burning. 29 When a man or woman has a plague on the head or on the beard, 30 then the priest shall look on the plague; and, behold, if the appearance of it be deeper than the skin, and there be in it yellow thin hair, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a scall, it is leprosy of the head or of the beard. 31 If the priest look on the plague of the scall, and, behold, the appearance of it isn`t deeper than the skin, and there be no black hair in it, then the priest shall shut up [him who has] the plague of the scall seven days: 32 In the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague; and, behold, if the scall isn`t spread, and there be in it no yellow hair, and the appearance of the scall isn`t deeper than the skin, 33 then he shall be shaved, but he shall not shave the scall; and the priest shall shut up [him who has] the scall seven days more: 34 and in the seventh day the priest shall look on the scall; and, behold, if the scall hasn`t spread in the skin, and the appearance of it isn`t deeper than the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him clean: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean. 35 But if the scall spread abroad in the skin after his cleansing, 36 then the priest shall look on him; and, behold, if the scall be spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for the yellow hair; he is unclean. 37 But if in his eyes the scall be at a stay, and black hair be grown up therein; the scall is healed, he is clean: and the priest shall pronounce him clean. 38 When a man or a woman has in the skin of the flesh bright spots, even white bright spots; 39 then the priest shall look; and, behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be of a dull white, it is a harmless rash, it has broken out in the skin; he is clean. 40 If a man`s hair be fallen off his head, he is bald; [yet] is he clean. 41 If his hair be fallen off from the front part of his head, he is forehead bald; [yet] is he clean. 42 But if there be in the bald head, or the bald forehead, a reddishwhite plague; it is leprosy breaking out in his bald head, or his bald forehead. 43 Then the priest shall look on him; and, behold, if the rising of the plague be reddish-white in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the appearance of leprosy in the skin of the flesh; 44 he is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall surely pronounce him unclean; his plague is in his head. 45 The leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall go loose, and he shall cover his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. 46 All the days in which the plague is in him he shall be unclean; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; outside of the camp shall his dwelling be. 47 The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woolen garment, or a linen garment; 48 whether it be in warp, or woof; of linen, or of woolen; whether in a skin, or in anything made of skin; 49 if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything of skin; it is the plague of leprosy, and shall be showed to the priest. 50 The priest shall look on the plague, and shut up [that which has] the plague seven days: 51 and he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in the skin, whatever service skin is used for; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean. 52 He shall burn the garment, whether the warp or the woof, in woolen or in linen, or anything of skin, in which the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire. 53 If the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague hasn`t 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 thing in which the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more: 55 and the priest shall look, after that the plague is washed; and, behold, if the plague hasn`t changed its color, and the plague hasn`t spread, it is unclean; you shall burn it in the fire: it is a fret, whether the bareness be inside or outside. 56 If the priest look, and, behold, the plague be dim after the washing of it, 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 appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything of skin, it is breaking out: you shall burn that in which the plague is with fire. 58 The garment, either the warp, or the woof, or whatever thing of skin it be, which you shall wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean. 59 This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woolen or linen, either in the warp, or the woof, or anything of skin, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.

Leviticus 14

14:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: he shall be brought to the priest: 3 and the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look; and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper, 4 then shall the priest command to take for him who is to be cleansed two living clean birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: 5 The priest shall command to kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water. 6 As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water: 7 He shall sprinkle on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let go the living bird into the open field. 8 He who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and bathe himself in water; and he shall be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, but shall dwell outside his tent seven days. 9 It shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and he shall be clean. 10 On the eighth day he shall take two he-lambs without blemish, and one ewe-lamb a year old without blemish, and three tenth parts [of an ephah] of fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil. 11 The priest who cleanses him shall set the man who is to be cleansed, and those things, before Yahweh, at the door of the tent of meeting. 12 The priest shall take one of the he-lambs, and offer him for a trespassoffering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave-offering before Yahweh: 13 and he shall kill the he-lamb in the place where they kill the sin-offering and the burnt offering, in the place of the sanctuary: for as the sin-offering is the priest`s, so is the trespass-offering: it is most holy: 14 and the priest shall take of the blood of the trespass-offering, and the priest shall put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot. 15 The priest shall take of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand; 16 and the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before Yahweh: 17 and of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot, on the blood of the trespass-offering: 18 and the rest of the oil that is in the priest`s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make atonement for him before Yahweh. 19 The priest shall offer the sin-offering, and make atonement for him who is to be cleansed because of his uncleanness: and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering; 20 and the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meal -offering on the altar: and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean. 21 If he be poor, and can`t get so much, then he shall take one he-lamb for a trespass-offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and one tenth part [of an ephah] of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering, and a log of oil; 22 and two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin-offering, and the other a burnt offering. 23 On the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, to the door of the tent of meeting, before Yahweh: 24 and the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass-offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before Yahweh. 25 He shall kill the lamb of the trespass-offering; and the priest shall take of the blood of the trespass-offering, and put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot. 26 The priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand; 27 and the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before Yahweh: 28 and the priest shall put of the oil that is in his hand on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the trespass-offering: 29 and the rest of the oil that is in the priest`s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before Yahweh. 30 He shall offer one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, such as he is able to get, 31 even such as he is able to get, the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt offering, with the meal-offering: and the priest shall make atonement for him who is to be cleansed before Yahweh. 32 This is the law of him in whom is the plague of leprosy, who is not able to get [that which pertains] to his cleansing. 33 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 34 When you are come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a Leviticus possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession; 35 then he who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, There seems to me to be as it were a plague in the house. 36 The priest shall command that they empty the house, before the priest goes in to see the plague, that all that is in the house not be made unclean: and afterward the priest shall go in to see the house: 37 and he shall look on the plague; and, behold, if the plague be in the walls of the house with hollow streaks, greenish or reddish, and the appearance of it be lower than the wall; 38 then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days. 39 The priest shall come again the seventh day, and shall look; and, behold, if the plague be spread in the walls of the house; 40 then the priest shall command that they take out the stones in which the plague is, and cast them into an unclean place outside of the city: 41 and he shall cause the house to be scraped within round about, and they shall pour out the mortar, that they scrape off, outside of the city into an unclean place: 42 and they shall take other stones, and put them in the place of those stones; and he shall take other mortar, and shall plaster the house. 43 If the plague come again, and break out in the house, after that he has taken out the stones, and after he has scraped the house, and after it is plastered; 44 then the priest shall come in and look; and, behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it is a fretting leprosy in the house: it is unclean. 45 He shall break down the house, the stones of it, and the timber of it, and all the mortar of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place. 46 Moreover he who goes into the house all the while that it is shut up shall be unclean until the even. 47 He who lies in the house shall wash his clothes; and he who eats in the house shall wash his clothes. 48 If the priest shall come in, and look, and, behold, the plague hasn`t spread in the house, after the house was plastered; then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed. 49 He shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: 50 and he shall kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water: 51 and he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times: 52 and he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet: 53 but he shall let got the living bird out of the city into the open field: so shall he make atonement for the house; and it shall be clean. 54 This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy, and for a scall, 55 and for the leprosy of a garment, and for a house, 56 and for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot; 57 to teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.

Leviticus 15

15:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, When any man has an issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean. 3 This shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it is his uncleanness. 4 Every bed whereon he who has the issue lies shall be unclean; and everything whereon he sits shall be unclean. 5 Whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 6 He who sits on anything whereon he who has the issue sat shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 7 He who touches the flesh of him who has the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 8 If he who has the issue spit on him who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 9 Whatever saddle he who has the issue rides on shall be unclean. 10 Whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until the even: and he who bears those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 11 Whoever he who has the issue touches, without having rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 12 The earthen vessel, which he who has the issue touches, shall be broken; and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water. 13 When he who has an issue is cleansed of his issue, then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes; and he shall bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean. 14 On the eighth day he shall take to him two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, and come before Yahweh to the door of the tent of meeting, and give them to the priest: 15 and the priest shall offer them, the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him before Yahweh for his issue. 16 If any man`s seed of copulation go out from him, then he shall bathe all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the even. 17 Every garment, and every skin, whereon is the seed of copulation, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the even. 18 The woman also with whom a man shall lie with seed of copulation, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the even. 19 If a woman have an issue, [and] her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days: and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the even. 20 Everything that she lies on in her impurity shall be unclean: everything also that she sits on shall be unclean. 21 Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 22 Whoever touches anything that she sits on shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 23 If it be on the bed, or on anything whereon she sits, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until the even. 24 If any man lie with her, and her impurity be on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed whereon he lies shall be unclean. 25 If a woman have an issue of her blood many days not in the time of her impurity, or if she have an issue beyond the time of her impurity; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness she shall be as in the days of her impurity: she is unclean. 26 Every bed whereon she lies all the days of her issue shall be to her as the bed of her impurity: and everything whereon she sits shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her impurity. 27 Whoever touches those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 28 But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. 29 On the eighth day she shall take to her two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the tent of meeting. 30 The priest shall offer the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her before Yahweh for the issue of her uncleanness. 31 Thus shall you separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, that they not die in their uncleanness, when they defile my tent that is in the midst of them. 32 This is the law of him who has an issue, and of him whose seed of copulation goes from him, so that he is unclean thereby; 33 and of her who is sick with her impurity, and of him who has an issue, of the man, and of the woman, and of him who lies with her who is unclean.