Leviticus 14, Psalm 17, Proverbs 28, 2 Thessalonians 2

Leviticus 14,

1 The LORD said to Moses,
 
2 "These are the regulations for the diseased person at the time of his ceremonial cleansing, when he is brought to the priest:
 
3 The priest is to go outside the camp and examine him. If the person has been healed of his infectious skin disease,
 
4 the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed.
 
5 Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot.
 
6 He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.
 
7 Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields.
 
8 "The person to be cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. After this he may come into the camp, but he must stay outside his tent for seven days.
 
9 On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair; he must shave his head, his beard, his eyebrows and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will be clean.
 
10 "On the eighth day he must bring two male lambs and one ewe lamb a year old, each without defect, along with three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and one log of oil.
 
11 The priest who pronounces him clean shall present both the one to be cleansed and his offerings before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
 
12 "Then the priest is to take one of the male lambs and offer it as a guilt offering, along with the log of oil; he shall wave them before the LORD as a wave offering.
 
13 He is to slaughter the lamb in the holy place where the sin offering and the burnt offering are slaughtered. Like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy.
 
14 The priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.
 
15 The priest shall then take some of the log of oil, pour it in the palm of his own left hand,
 
16 dip his right forefinger into the oil in his palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of it before the LORD seven times.
 
17 The priest is to put some of the oil remaining in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering.
 
18 The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed and make atonement for him before the LORD.
 
19 "Then the priest is to sacrifice the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. After that, the priest shall slaughter the burnt offering
 
20 and offer it on the altar, together with the grain offering, and make atonement for him, and he will be clean.
 
21 "If, however, he is poor and cannot afford these, he must take one male lamb as a guilt offering to be waved to make atonement for him, together with a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, a log of oil,
 
22 and two doves or two young pigeons, which he can afford, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.
 
23 "On the eighth day he must bring them for his cleansing to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, before the LORD.
 
24 The priest is to take the lamb for the guilt offering, together with the log of oil, and wave them before the LORD as a wave offering.
 
25 He shall slaughter the lamb for the guilt offering and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.
 
26 The priest is to pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand,
 
27 and with his right forefinger sprinkle some of the oil from his palm seven times before the LORD.
 
28 Some of the oil in his palm he is to put on the same places he put the blood of the guilt offering-on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.
 
29 The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD.
 
30 Then he shall sacrifice the doves or the young pigeons, which the person can afford,
 
31 one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. In this way the priest will make atonement before the LORD on behalf of the one to be cleansed."
 
32 These are the regulations for anyone who has an infectious skin disease and who cannot afford the regular offerings for his cleansing.
 
33 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
 
34 "When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a spreading mildew in a house in that land,
 
35 the owner of the house must go and tell the priest, 'I have seen something that looks like mildew in my house.'
 
36 The priest is to order the house to be emptied before he goes in to examine the mildew, so that nothing in the house will be pronounced unclean. After this the priest is to go in and inspect the house.
 
37 He is to examine the mildew on the walls, and if it has greenish or reddish depressions that appear to be deeper than the surface of the wall,
 
38 the priest shall go out the doorway of the house and close it up for seven days.
 
39 On the seventh day the priest shall return to inspect the house. If the mildew has spread on the walls,
 
40 he is to order that the contaminated stones be torn out and thrown into an unclean place outside the town.
 
41 He must have all the inside walls of the house scraped and the material that is scraped off dumped into an unclean place outside the town.
 
42 Then they are to take other stones to replace these and take new clay and plaster the house.
 
43 "If the mildew reappears in the house after the stones have been torn out and the house scraped and plastered,
 
44 the priest is to go and examine it and, if the mildew has spread in the house, it is a destructive mildew; the house is unclean.
 
45 It must be torn down-its stones, timbers and all the plaster-and taken out of the town to an unclean place.
 
46 "Anyone who goes into the house while it is closed up will be unclean till evening.
 
47 Anyone who sleeps or eats in the house must wash his clothes.
 
48 "But if the priest comes to examine it and the mildew has not spread after the house has been plastered, he shall pronounce the house clean, because the mildew is gone.
 
49 To purify the house he is to take two birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop.
 
50 He shall kill one of the birds over fresh water in a clay pot.
 
51 Then he is to take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet yarn and the live bird, dip them into the blood of the dead bird and the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times.
 
52 He shall purify the house with the bird's blood, the fresh water, the live bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop and the scarlet yarn.
 
53 Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields outside the town. In this way he will make atonement for the house, and it will be clean."
 
54 These are the regulations for any infectious skin disease, for an itch,
 
55 for mildew in clothing or in a house,
 
56 and for a swelling, a rash or a bright spot,
 
57 to determine when something is clean or unclean. These are the regulations for infectious skin diseases and mildew.
 

Psalm 17,

1 Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer-it does not rise from deceitful lips.
 
2 May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.
 
3 Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.
 
4 As for the deeds of men-by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
 
5 My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped.
 
6 I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.
 
7 Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.
 
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings
 
9 from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.
 
10 They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance.
 
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
 
12 They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover.
 
13 Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down; rescue me from the wicked by your sword.
 
14 O LORD, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. You still the hunger of those you cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.
 
15 And I-in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

Proverbs 28,

1 The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
 
2 When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.
 
3 A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.
 
4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.
 
5 Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.
 
6 Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse.
 
7 He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
 
8 He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.
 
9 If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.
 
10 He who leads the upright along an evil path will fall into his own trap, but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.
 
11 A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.
 
12 When the righteous triumph, there is great elation; but when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding.
 
13 He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
 
14 Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
 
15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people.
 
16 A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment, but he who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long life.
 
17 A man tormented by the guilt of murder will be a fugitive till death; let no one support him.
 
18 He whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but he whose ways are perverse will suddenly fall.
 
19 He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
 
20 A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.
 
21 To show partiality is not good-yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.
 
22 A stingy man is eager to get rich and is unaware that poverty awaits him.
 
23 He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue.
 
24 He who robs his father or mother and says, "It's not wrong"-he is partner to him who destroys.
 
25 A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.
 
26 He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.
 
27 He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.
 
28 When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding; but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.

2 Thessalonians 2

1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers,
 
2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come.
 
3 Don"t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
 
4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
 
5 Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?
 
6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.
 
7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.
 
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
 
9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,
 
10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
 
11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie
 
12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
 
13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
 
14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
 
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,
 
17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.