(1) GOD spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Speak to the Israelite people thus: When a woman at childbirth bears a male, she shall be impure seven days; she shall be impure as at the time of her condition of menstrual separation.— (3) On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.— (4) She shall remain in a state of blood purification for thirty-three days: she shall not touch any consecrated thing, nor enter the sanctuary until her period of purification is completed.

(5) If she bears a female, she shall be impure two weeks as during her menstruation, and she shall remain in a state of blood purification for sixty-six days. (6) On the completion of her period of purification, for either son or daughter, she shall bring to the priest, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a purgation offering. (7) He shall offer it before GOD and make expiation on her behalf; she shall then be pure from her flow of blood. Such are the rituals concerning a woman who bears a child, male or female. (8) If, however, her means do not suffice for a sheep, she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a purgation offering. The priest shall make expiation on her behalf, and she shall be pure.

(1) GOD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: (2) When a person has on their skin a swelling, a rash, or a discoloration, and it develops into a scaly affection on their skin, it shall be reported to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons, the priests. (3) The priest shall examine the affection on the skin: if hair in the affected patch has turned white and the affection appears to be deeper than the skin, it is a leprous affection; when the priest sees it, he shall pronounce the person impure. (4) But if it is a white discoloration on the skin that does not appear to be deeper than the skin and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall isolate the affected person for seven days. (5) On the seventh day the priest shall conduct an examination, and if the affection has remained unchanged in color and the disease has not spread on the skin, the priest shall isolate them for another seven days.

(6) On the seventh day the priest shall again conduct an examination: if the affection has faded and has not spread on the skin, the priest shall pronounce the person pure. It is a rash; that person, after washing their clothes, shall be pure. (7) But if the rash should spread on the skin after they have been seen by the priest and pronounced pure, that person shall again report to the priest. (8) And if the priest sees that the rash has spread on the skin, the priest shall pronounce them impure; it is leprosy. (9) When a person has a scaly affection, it shall be reported to the priest. (10) If the priest finds on the skin a white swelling that has turned some hair white, with a patch of undiscolored flesh in the swelling, (11) it is chronic leprosy on the skin, and the priest shall pronounce the person impure; being impure, they need not be isolated. (12) If the eruption spreads out over the skin so that it covers all the skin of the affected person from head to foot, wherever the priest can see— (13) if the priest sees that the eruption has covered the whole body—he shall pronounce as pure the affected person, who is pure from having turned all white. (14) But as soon as undiscolored flesh appears in it, that person shall be impure; (15) when the priest sees the undiscolored flesh, he shall pronounce them impure. The undiscolored flesh is impure; it is leprosy. (16) But if the undiscolored flesh again turns white, that person shall come to the priest, (17) and the priest shall conduct an examination: if the affection has turned white, the priest shall pronounce as pure the affected person, who is then pure.

(18) When an inflammation appears on one’s skin and it heals, (19) and a white swelling or a white discoloration streaked with red develops where the inflammation was, that person shall report to the priest. (20) If the priest finds that it appears lower than the rest of the skin and that the hair in it has turned white, the priest shall pronounce them impure; it is a leprous affection that has broken out in the inflammation. (21) But if the priest finds that there is no white hair in it and it is not lower than the rest of the skin, and it is faded, the priest shall isolate them for seven days. (22) If it should spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce them impure; it is an affection. (23) But if the discoloration remains stationary, not having spread, it is the scar of the inflammation; the priest shall pronounce them pure.

(24) When one’s skin sustains a burn by fire, and the patch from the burn is a discoloration, either white streaked with red, or white, (25) the priest shall examine it. If some hair has turned white in the discoloration, which itself appears to go deeper than the skin, it is leprosy that has broken out in the burn. The priest shall pronounce the person impure; it is a leprous affection. (26) But if the priest finds that there is no white hair in the discoloration, and that it is not lower than the rest of the skin, and it is faded, the priest shall isolate them for seven days. (27) On the seventh day the priest shall conduct an examination: if it has spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce them impure; it is a leprous affection. (28) But if the discoloration has remained stationary, not having spread on the skin, and it is faded, it is the swelling from the burn. The priest shall pronounce them pure, for it is the scar of the burn.

(29) If a man or a woman has an affection on the head or in the beard, (30) the priest shall examine the affection. If it appears to go deeper than the skin and there is thin yellow hair in it, the priest shall pronounce them impure; it is a scall, a scaly eruption in the hair or beard. (31) But if the priest finds that the scall affection does not appear to go deeper than the skin, yet there is no black hair in it, the priest shall isolate the person with the scall affection for seven days. (32) On the seventh day the priest shall examine the affection. If the scall has not spread and no yellow hair has appeared in it, and the scall does not appear to go deeper than the skin, (33) the person with the scall shall shave—but without shaving the scall; the priest shall isolate them for another seven days. (34) On the seventh day the priest shall examine the scall. If the scall has not spread on the skin, and does not appear to go deeper than the skin, the priest shall pronounce the person pure; after washing their clothes, they shall be pure. (35) If, however, the scall should spread on the skin after the person has been pronounced pure, (36) the priest shall conduct an examination. If the scall has spread on the skin, the priest need not look for yellow hair: the person is impure. (37) But if the scall has remained unchanged in color, and black hair has grown in it, the scall is healed; the person is pure. The priest shall pronounce them pure. (38) If a man or a woman has their skin streaked with white discolorations, (39) and the priest sees that the discolorations on the skin are of a dull white, it is a tetter broken out on the skin; they are pure.

(9) On the sabbath day: two yearling lambs without blemish, together with two-tenths of a measure of choice flour with oil mixed in as a grain offering, and with the proper libation— (10) a burnt offering for every sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its libation. (11) On your new moons you shall present a burnt offering to GOD: two bulls of the herd, one ram, and seven yearling lambs, without blemish. (12) As grain offering for each bull: three-tenths of a measure of choice flour with oil mixed in. As grain offering for each ram: two-tenths of a measure of choice flour with oil mixed in. (13) As grain offering for each lamb: a tenth of a measure of fine flour with oil mixed in. Such shall be the burnt offering of pleasing odor, an offering by fire to GOD. (14) Their libations shall be: half a hin of wine for a bull, a third of a hin for a ram, and a quarter of a hin for a lamb. That shall be the monthly burnt offering for each new moon of the year. (15) And there shall be one goat as a purgation offering to GOD, to be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering and its libation.

(1)Thus said GOD:
The heaven is My throneAnd the earth is My footstool:Where could you build a house for Me,What place could serve as My abode?(2)All this was made by My hand,And thus it all came into being—declares GOD.
Yet to such a one I look:To the poor and brokenhearted,Who is concerned about My word.(3)As for those who slaughter oxen and slay humans,
Who sacrifice sheep and immolate dogs,
Who present as oblation the blood of swine,Who offer incense and worship false gods—
Just as they have chosen their waysAnd take pleasure in their abominations,(4)So will I choose to mock them,To bring on them the very thing they dread.For I called and none responded,I spoke and none paid heed.They did what I deem evilAnd chose what I do not want.(5)Hear the word of GOD,
You who are concerned about God’s word!Your own kindred who hate you,Who spurn you because of Me, are saying,
“Let GOD manifest the divine Presence,
So that we may look upon your joy.”But theirs shall be the shame.(6)Hark, tumult from the city,Thunder from the temple!It is GOD’s thunder
As retribution is dealt to the foe.(7)Before she labored, she was delivered;Before her pangs came, she bore a son.(8)Who ever heard the like?Who ever witnessed such events?Can a land pass through travailIn a single day?Or is a nation bornAll at once?Yet Zion travailedAnd at once bore her children!(9)Shall I who bring on labor not bring about birth?—says GOD.
Shall I who cause birth shut the womb?—said your God.(10)Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,All you who love her!Join in her jubilation,All you who mourned over her—(11)That you may suck from her breastConsolation to the full,That you may draw from her bosomGlory to your delight.(12)For thus said GOD:
I will extend to herProsperity like a stream,The wealth of nationsLike a wadi in flood;And you shall drink of it.You shall be carried on shouldersAnd dandled upon knees(13)Like one whom a mother comforts.So I will comfort you:You shall find comfort in Jerusalem.(14)You shall see and your heart shall rejoice,Your limbs shall flourish like grass.GOD’s power shall be revealed
On behalf of those who render service;But [God] shall rage against all foes.(15)See, GOD is coming with fire—
With chariots like a whirlwind—To vent anger in fury,And rebuke in flaming fire.(16)For with fire will contend,
With the sword, against all flesh;And many shall be GOD’s slain.(17) Those who sanctify and purify themselves to enter the groves, imitating one in the center, eating the flesh of the swine, the reptile, and the mouse, shall one and all come to an end—declares GOD. (18) For I [know] their deeds and purposes.
[The time] has come to gather all the nations and tongues; they shall come and behold My glory. (19) I will set a sign among them, and send from them survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud—that draw the bow—to Tubal, Javan, and the distant coasts, that have never heard My fame nor beheld My glory. They shall declare My glory among these nations. (20) And out of all the nations, said GOD, they shall bring all your kindred on horses, in chariots and drays, on mules and dromedaries, to Jerusalem My holy mountain as an offering to GOD—just as the Israelites bring an offering in a pure vessel to the House of GOD. (21) And from them likewise I will take some to be levitical priests, said GOD. (22)For as the new heaven and the new earthThat I will makeShall endure by My will—declares GOD—
So shall your seed and your name endure.(23)And new moon after new moon,And sabbath after sabbath,All flesh shall come to worship Me—said GOD. (24)They shall go out and gazeOn the corpses of those who rebelled against Me:Their worms shall not die,Nor their fire be quenched;They shall be a horrorTo all flesh.And new moon after new moon,And sabbath after sabbath,All flesh shall come to worship Me—said GOD.

(3) There were four men, lepers, outside the gate. They said to one another, “Why should we sit here waiting for death? (4) If we decide to go into the town, what with the famine in the town, we shall die there; and if we just sit here, still we die. Come, let us desert to the Aramean camp. If they let us live, we shall live; and if they put us to death, we shall but die.” (5) They set out at twilight for the Aramean camp; but when they came to the edge of the Aramean camp, there was no one there. (6) For [God] had caused the Aramean camp to hear a sound of chariots, a sound of horses—the din of a huge army. They said to one another, “The king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Mizraim to attack us!” (7) And they fled headlong in the twilight, abandoning their tents and horses and donkeys—the [entire] camp just as it was—as they fled for their lives. (8) When those lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into one of the tents and ate and drank; then they carried off silver and gold and clothing from there and buried it. They came back and went into another tent, and they carried off what was there and buried it. (9) Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This is a day of good news, and we are keeping silent! If we wait until the light of morning, we shall incur guilt. Come, let us go and inform the king’s palace.” (10) They went and called out to the gatekeepers of the city and told them, “We have been to the Aramean camp. There is not a soul there, nor any human sound; but the horses are tethered and the donkeys are tethered and the tents are undisturbed.” (11) The gatekeepers called out, and the news was passed on into the king’s palace. (12) The king rose in the night and said to his courtiers, “I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we are starving, so they have gone out of camp and hidden in the fields, thinking: When they come out of the town, we will take them alive and get into the town.” (13) But one of the courtiers spoke up, “Let a few of the remaining horses that are still here be taken—they are like those that are left here of the whole multitude of Israel, out of the whole multitude of Israel that have perished—and let us send and find out.” (14) They took two teams of horses and the king sent them after the Aramean army, saying, “Go and find out.” (15) They followed them as far as the Jordan, and found the entire road full of clothing and gear that the Arameans had thrown away in their haste; and the messengers returned and told the king. (16) The people then went out and plundered the Aramean camp. So a seah of choice flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel—as GOD had spoken. (17) Now the king had put the aide on whose arm he leaned in charge of the gate; and he was trampled to death in the gate by the people—just as the agent of God had spoken, as he had spoken when the king came down to him. (18) For when the agent of God said to the king, “This time tomorrow two seahs of barley shall sell at the gate of Samaria for a shekel, and a seah of choice flour for a shekel,” (19) the aide answered the agent of God and said, “Even if GOD made windows in the sky, could this come to pass?” And he retorted, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” (20) That is exactly what happened to him: The people trampled him to death in the gate.

(20) Gehazi, the attendant of Elisha the agent of God, thought: “My master has let that Aramean Naaman off without accepting what he brought! As GOD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” (21) So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he alighted from his chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?” (22) “All is well,” he replied. “My master has sent me to say: Two youths, disciples of the prophets, have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.” (23) Naaman said, “Please take two talents.” He urged him, and he wrapped the two talents of silver in two bags and gave them, along with two changes of clothes, to two of his servants, who carried them ahead of him. (24) When [Gehazi] arrived at the citadel, he took [the things] from them and deposited them in the house. Then he dismissed the men and they went their way. (25) He entered and stood before his master; and Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” He replied, “Your servant has not gone anywhere.” (26) Then [Elisha] said to him, “Did not my spirit go along when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this a time to take money in order to buy clothing and olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves? (27) Surely, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” And as [Gehazi] left his presence, he was snow-white with leprosy.