1 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2“When someone has a swelling or rash or bright spot on his skin that may be an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is a priest.

3 The priest is to examine the infection on his skin, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin, it is a skin disease. After the priest examines him, he must pronounce him unclean.

4 If, however, the spot on his skin is white and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall isolate the infected person for seven days. 5On the seventh day the priest is to reexamine him, and if he sees that the infection is unchanged and has not spread on the skin, the priest must isolate him for another seven days. 6The priest will examine him again on the seventh day, and if the sore has faded and has not spread on the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is a rash. The person must wash his clothes and be clean.

7 But if the rash spreads further on his skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he must present himself again to the priest. 8The priest will reexamine him, and if the rash has spread on the skin, the priest must pronounce him unclean; it is a skin disease.

9 When anyone develops a skin disease, he must be brought to the priest. 10The priest will examine him, and if there is a white swelling on the skin that has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling, 11it is a chronic skin disease and the priest must pronounce him unclean. He need not isolate him, for he is unclean.

12 But if the skin disease breaks out all over his skin so that it covers all the skin of the infected person from head to foot, as far as the priest can see, 13the priest shall examine him, and if the disease has covered his entire body, he is to pronounce the infected person clean. Since it has all turned white, he is clean.

14 But whenever raw flesh appears on someone, he will be unclean. 15When the priest sees the raw flesh, he must pronounce him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean; it is a skin disease. 16But if the raw flesh changes and turns white, he must go to the priest. 17The priest will reexamine him, and if the infection has turned white, the priest is to pronounce the infected person clean; then he is clean.

18 When a boil appears on someone’s skin and it heals, 19and a white swelling or a reddish-white spot develops where the boil was, he must present himself to the priest. 20The priest shall examine it, and if it appears to be beneath the skin and the hair in it has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a diseased infection that has broken out in the boil.

21 But when the priest examines it, if there is no white hair in it, and it is not beneath the skin and has faded, the priest shall isolate him for seven days. 22If it spreads any further on the skin, the priest must pronounce him unclean; it is an infection. 23But if the spot remains unchanged and does not spread, it is only the scar from the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

24 When there is a burn on someone’s skin and the raw area of the burn becomes reddish-white or white, 25the priest must examine it. If the hair in the spot has turned white and the spot appears to be deeper than the skin, it is a disease that has broken out in the burn. The priest must pronounce him unclean; it is a diseased infection.

26 But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the spot, and it is not beneath the skin but has faded, the priest shall isolate him for seven days. 27On the seventh day the priest is to reexamine him, and if it has spread further on the skin, the priest must pronounce him unclean; it is a diseased infection. 28But if the spot is unchanged and has not spread on the skin but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn, and the priest is to pronounce him clean; for it is only the scar from the burn.

29 If a man or woman has an infection on the head or chin, 30the priest shall examine the infection, and if it appears to be deeper than the skin and the hair in it is yellow and thin, the priest must pronounce him unclean; it is a scaly outbreak, an infectious disease of the head or chin.

31 But if the priest examines the scaly infection and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, the priest shall isolate the infected person for seven days. 32On the seventh day the priest is to reexamine the infection, and if the scaly outbreak has not spread and there is no yellow hair in it, and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, 33then the person must shave himself except for the scaly area. Then the priest shall isolate him for another seven days. 34On the seventh day the priest shall examine the scaly outbreak, and if it has not spread on the skin and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, the priest is to pronounce him clean. He must wash his clothes, and he will be clean.

35 If, however, the scaly outbreak spreads further on the skin after his cleansing, 36the priest is to examine him, and if the scaly outbreak has spread on the skin, the priest need not look for yellow hair; the person is unclean.

37 If, however, in his sight the scaly outbreak is unchanged and black hair has grown in it, then it has healed. He is clean, and the priest is to pronounce him clean.

38 When a man or a woman has white spots on the skin, 39the priest shall examine them, and if the spots are dull white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin; the person is clean.

40 Now if a man loses his hair and is bald, he is still clean. 41Or if his hairline recedes and he is bald on his forehead, he is still clean. 42But if there is a reddish-white sore on the bald head or forehead, it is an infectious disease breaking out on it. 43The priest is to examine him, and if the swelling of the infection on his bald head or forehead is reddish-white like a skin disease, 44the man is diseased; he is unclean. The priest must pronounce him unclean because of the infection on his head.

45 A diseased person must wear torn clothes and let his hair hang loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ 46As long as he has the infection, he remains unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp.

47 If any fabric is contaminated with mildew— any wool or linen garment, 48any weave or knit of linen or wool, or any article of leather— 49and if the mark in the fabric, leather, weave, knit, or leather article is green or red, then it is contaminated with mildew and must be shown to the priest. 50And the priest is to examine the mildew and isolate the contaminated fabric for seven days.

51 On the seventh day the priest shall reexamine it, and if the mildew has spread in the fabric, weave, knit, or leather, then regardless of how it is used, it is a harmful mildew; the article is unclean. 52He is to burn the fabric, weave, or knit, whether the contaminated item is wool or linen or leather. Since the mildew is harmful, the article must be burned up.

53 But when the priest reexamines it, if the mildew has not spread in the fabric, weave, knit, or leather article, 54the priest is to order the contaminated article to be washed and isolated for another seven days. 55After it has been washed, the priest is to reexamine it, and if the mildewed article has not changed in appearance, it is unclean. Even though the mildew has not spread, you must burn it, whether the rot is on the front or back.

56 If the priest examines it and the mildew has faded after it has been washed, he must cut the contaminated section out of the fabric, leather, weave, or knit. 57But if it reappears in the fabric, weave, or knit, or on any leather article, it is spreading. You must burn the contaminated article.

58 If the mildew disappears from the fabric, weave, or knit, or any leather article after washing, then it is to be washed again, and it will be clean.

59 This is the law concerning a mildew contamination in wool or linen fabric, weave, or knit, or any leather article, for pronouncing it clean or unclean.”

1 Jesus went on from there and came to His hometown, accompanied by His disciples. 2When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished. “Where did this man get these ideas?” they asked. “What is this wisdom He has been given? And how can He perform such miracles? 3Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us as well?” And they took offense at Him.

4 Then Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household is a prophet without honor.” 5So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them. 6And He was amazed at their unbelief.

And He went around from village to village, teaching the people.

7 Then Jesus called the Twelve to Him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits. 8He instructed them to take nothing but a staff for the journey — no bread, no bag, no money in their belts — 9and to wear sandals, but not a second tunic.

10 And He told them, “When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that area. 11If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that place, as a testimony against them.”

12 So they set out and preached that the people should repent. 13They also drove out many demons and healed many of the sick, anointing them with oil.

14 Now King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15Others were saying, “He is Elijah,” and still others, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”

16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen from the dead!” 17For Herod himself had ordered that John be arrested and bound and imprisoned, on account of his brother Philip’s wife Herodias, whom Herod had married. 18For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!”

19 So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she had been unable, 20because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man. When he heard John’s words, he was greatly perplexed; yet he listened to him gladly.

21 On Herod’s birthday, her opportunity arose. Herod held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22When the daughter of Herodias came and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests, and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!”

24 Then she went out and asked her mother, “What should I request?”

And her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptist.”

25 At once the girl hurried back to the king with her request: “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.”

26 The king was consumed with sorrow, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27So without delay, the king commanded that John’s head be brought in. He sent an executioner, who went and beheaded him in the prison. 28The man brought John’s head on a platter and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother.

29 When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.