Leviticus 19:16-37 and Luke 20:1-8 (NLT)

Leviticus 19:16-37
Various Laws

16  Do not spread lies about anyone, and when someone is on trial for his life, speak out if your testimony can help him. I am the Lord.
17  “Do not bear a grudge against others, but settle your differences with them, so that you will not commit a sin because of them. 
18  Do not take revenge on others or continue to hate them, but love your neighbors as you love yourself. I am the Lord.
19  “Obey my commands. Do not crossbreed domestic animals. Do not plant two kinds of seed in the same field. Do not wear clothes made of two kinds of material.
20  “If a slave woman is the recognized concubine of a man and she has not been paid for and freed, then if another man has sexual relations with her, they will be punished, but not put to death, since she is a slave. 
21  The man shall bring a ram to the entrance of the Tent of my presence as his repayment offering, 
22  and with it the priest shall perform the ritual of purification to remove the man's sin, and God will forgive him.
23  “When you come into the land of Canaan and plant any kind of fruit tree, consider the fruit ritually unclean for the first three years. During that time you must not eat it. 
24  In the fourth year all the fruit shall be dedicated as an offering to show your gratitude to me, the Lord. 
25  But in the fifth year you may eat the fruit. If you do all this, your trees will bear more fruit. I am the Lord your God.
26  “Do not eat any meat with blood still in it. Do not practice any kind of magic. 
27  Do not cut the hair on the sides of your head or trim your beard 
28  or tattoo yourselves or cut gashes in your body to mourn for the dead. I am the Lord.
29  “Do not disgrace your daughters by making them temple prostitutes; if you do, you will turn to other gods and the land will be full of immorality. 
30  Keep the Sabbath, and honor the place where I am worshiped. I am the Lord.
31  “Do not go for advice to people who consult the spirits of the dead. If you do, you will be ritually unclean. I am the Lord your God.
32  “Show respect for old people and honor them. Reverently obey me; I am the Lord.
33  “Do not mistreat foreigners who are living in your land. 
34  Treat them as you would an Israelite, and love them as you love yourselves. Remember that you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
35  “Do not cheat anyone by using false measures of length, weight, or quantity. 
36  Use honest scales, honest weights, and honest measures. I am the Lord your God, and I brought you out of Egypt. 
37  Obey all my laws and commands. I am the Lord.”

Luke 20:1-8
The Authority of Jesus Questioned

1  One day when Jesus was in the Temple teaching the people and preaching the Good News, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law, together with the elders, came 

2  and said to him, “Tell us, what right do you have to do these things? Who gave you such right?”

3  Jesus answered them, “Now let me ask you a question. Tell me, 

4  did John's right to baptize come from God or from human beings?”

5  They started to argue among themselves, “What shall we say? If we say, ‘From God,’ he will say, ‘Why, then, did you not believe John?’ 

6  But if we say, ‘From human beings,’ this whole crowd here will stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 

7  So they answered, “We don't know where it came from.”

8  And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you, then, by what right I do these things.”

Leviticus 19:1-15 and Luke 19:45-48 (GNT)

Leviticus 19:1-15
Various Laws

1    The Lord told Moses 

2    to say to the community of Israel, “Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy. 

3    Each of you must respect your mother and your father, and must keep the Sabbath, as I have commanded. I am the Lord your God.

4    “Do not abandon me and worship idols; do not make gods of metal and worship them. I am the Lord your God.

5    “When you kill an animal for a fellowship offering, keep the regulations that I have given you, and I will accept the offering. 

6    The meat must be eaten on the day the animal is killed or on the next day. Any meat left on the third day must be burned, 

7    because it is ritually unclean, and if anyone eats it, I will not accept the offering. 

8    Any who eat it will be guilty of treating as ordinary what is dedicated to me, and they will no longer be considered my people.

9    “When you harvest your fields, do not cut the grain at the edges of the fields, and do not go back to cut the heads of grain that were left. 

10  Do not go back through your vineyard to gather the grapes that were missed or to pick up the grapes that have fallen; leave them for poor people and foreigners. I am the Lord your God.

11  “Do not steal or cheat or lie. 

12  Do not make a promise in my name if you do not intend to keep it; that brings disgrace on my name. I am the Lord your God.

13  “Do not rob or take advantage of anyone. Do not hold back the wages of someone you have hired, not even for one night. 

14  Do not curse the deaf or put something in front of the blind so as to make them stumble over it. Obey me; I am the Lord your God.

15  “Be honest and just when you make decisions in legal cases; do not show favoritism to the poor or fear the rich. 

Luke 19:45-48
Jesus At The Temple

45  Then Jesus went into the Temple and began to drive out the merchants, 
46  saying to them, “It is written in the Scriptures that God said, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer.’ But you have turned it into a hideout for thieves!”
47  Every day Jesus taught in the Temple. The chief priests, the teachers of the Law, and the leaders of the people wanted to kill him, 
48  but they could not find a way to do it, because all the people kept listening to him, not wanting to miss a single word.

Leviticus 18:1-30 and Luke 19:28-44 (GNT)

Leviticus 18:1-30
Unlawful Sexual Relations

1    The Lord told Moses 

2    to say to the people of Israel, “I am the Lord your God. 

3    Do not follow the practices of the people of Egypt, where you once lived, or of the people in the land of Canaan, where I am now taking you. 

4    Obey my laws and do what I command. I am the Lord your God. 

5    Follow the practices and the laws that I give you; you will save your life by doing so. I am the Lord.”

6    The Lord gave the following regulations. Do not have sexual intercourse with any of your relatives. 

7    Do not disgrace your father by having intercourse with your mother. You must not disgrace your own mother. 

8    Do not disgrace your father by having intercourse with any of his other wives. 

9    Do not have intercourse with your sister or your stepsister, whether or not she was brought up in the same house with you. 

10  Do not have intercourse with your granddaughter; that would be a disgrace to you. 

11  Do not have intercourse with a half sister; she, too, is your sister. 

12-13  Do not have intercourse with an aunt, whether she is your father's sister or your mother's sister. 

14  Do not have intercourse with your uncle's wife; she, too, is your aunt. 

15  Do not have intercourse with your daughter-in-law 

16  or with your brother's wife. 

17  Do not have intercourse with the daughter or granddaughter of a woman with whom you have had intercourse; they may be related to you, and that would be incest. 

18  Do not take your wife's sister as one of your wives, as long as your wife is living.

19  Do not have intercourse with a woman during her monthly period, because she is ritually unclean. 

20  Do not have intercourse with another man's wife; that would make you ritually unclean. 

21  Do not hand over any of your children to be used in the worship of the god Molech, because that would bring disgrace on the name of God, the Lord. 

22  No man is to have sexual relations with another man; God hates that. 

23  No man or woman is to have sexual relations with an animal; that perversion makes you ritually unclean.

24  Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these acts, for that is how the pagans made themselves unclean, those pagans who lived in the land before you and whom the Lord is driving out so that you can go in. 

25  Their actions made the land unclean, and so the Lord is punishing the land and making it reject the people who lived there. 

26-27  They did all these disgusting things and made the land unclean, but you must not do them. All of you, whether Israelites or foreigners living with you, must keep the Lord's laws and commands, 

28  and then the land will not reject you, as it rejected the pagans who lived there before you. 

29  You know that whoever does any of these disgusting things will no longer be considered one of God's people.

30  And the Lord said, “Obey the commands I give and do not follow the practices of the people who lived in the land before you, and do not make yourselves unclean by doing any of these things. I am the Lord your God.”

Luke 19:28-44
The Triumphal Entry

28  After Jesus said this, he went on in front of them toward Jerusalem. 
29  As he came near Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead 
30  with these instructions: “Go to the village there ahead of you; as you go in, you will find a colt tied up that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 
31  If someone asks you why you are untying it, tell him that the Master needs it.”
32  They went on their way and found everything just as Jesus had told them. 
33  As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying it?”
34  “The Master needs it,” they answered, 
35  and they took the colt to Jesus. Then they threw their cloaks over the animal and helped Jesus get on. 
36  As he rode on, people spread their cloaks on the road.
37  When he came near Jerusalem, at the place where the road went down the Mount of Olives, the large crowd of his disciples began to thank God and praise him in loud voices for all the great things that they had seen: 
38  “God bless the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory to God!”
39  Then some of the Pharisees in the crowd spoke to Jesus. “Teacher,” they said, “command your disciples to be quiet!”
40  Jesus answered, “I tell you that if they keep quiet, the stones themselves will start shouting.”
41  He came closer to the city, and when he saw it, he wept over it, 
42  saying, “If you only knew today what is needed for peace! But now you cannot see it! 
43  The time will come when your enemies will surround you with barricades, blockade you, and close in on you from every side. 
44  They will completely destroy you and the people within your walls; not a single stone will they leave in its place, because you did not recognize the time when God came to save you!”

Leviticus 17:1-16 and Luke 19:11-27 (NLT)

Leviticus 17:1-16
Eating Blood Forbidden

1    Then the Lord said to Moses, 

2    “Give the following instructions to Aaron and his sons and all the people of Israel. This is what the Lord has commanded.

3    “If any native Israelite sacrifices a bull or a lamb or a goat anywhere inside or outside the camp 

4    instead of bringing it to the entrance of the Tabernacle to present it as an offering to the Lord, that person will be as guilty as a murderer. Such a person has shed blood and will be cut off from the community.

5    The purpose of this rule is to stop the Israelites from sacrificing animals in the open fields. It will ensure that they bring their sacrifices to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle, so he can present them to the Lord as peace offerings. 

6    Then the priest will be able to splatter the blood against the Lord’s altar at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and he will burn the fat as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 

7    The people must no longer be unfaithful to the Lord by offering sacrifices to the goat idols. This is a permanent law for them, to be observed from generation to generation.

8    “Give them this command as well. If any native Israelite or foreigner living among you offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice 

9    but does not bring it to the entrance of the Tabernacle to offer it to the Lord, that person will be cut off from the community.

10  “And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you eats or drinks blood in any form, I will turn against that person and cut him off from the community of your people, 

11  for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible. 

12  That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink blood—neither you nor the foreigners living among you.’

13  “And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you goes hunting and kills an animal or bird that is approved for eating, he must drain its blood and cover it with earth. 

14  The life of every creature is in its blood. That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink blood, for the life of any creature is in its blood.’ So whoever consumes blood will be cut off from the community.

15  “And if any native-born Israelites or foreigners eat the meat of an animal that died naturally or was torn up by wild animals, they must wash their clothes and bathe themselves in water. They will remain ceremonially unclean until evening, but then they will be clean. 

16  But if they do not wash their clothes and bathe themselves, they will be punished for their sin.”

Luke 19:11-27
The Parable of The Ten Minas

11  The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away. 

12  He said, “A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. 

13  Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’ 

14  But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’

15  “After he was crowned king, he returned and called in the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what their profits were. 

16  The first servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!’

17  “‘Well done!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.’

18  “The next servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made five times the original amount.’

19  “‘Well done!’ the king said. ‘You will be governor over five cities.’

20  “But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, ‘Master, I hid your money and kept it safe. 

21  I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’

22  “‘You wicked servant!’ the king roared. ‘Your own words condemn you. If you knew that I’m a hard man who takes what isn’t mine and harvests crops I didn’t plant, 

23  why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

24  “Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’

25  “‘But, master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten pounds!’

26  “‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 

27  And as for these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to be their king—bring them in and execute them right here in front of me.’”

Leviticus 16:15-34 and Luke 19:1-10 (NLT)

Leviticus 16:15-34
The Day Of Atonement

15  “Then Aaron must slaughter the first goat as a sin offering for the people and carry its blood behind the inner curtain. There he will sprinkle the goat’s blood over the atonement cover and in front of it, just as he did with the bull’s blood.
16  Through this process, he will purify the Most Holy Place, and he will do the same for the entire Tabernacle, because of the defiling sin and rebellion of the Israelites.
17  No one else is allowed inside the Tabernacle when Aaron enters it for the purification ceremony in the Most Holy Place. No one may enter until he comes out again after purifying himself, his family, and all the congregation of Israel, making them right with the Lord.
18  “Then Aaron will come out to purify the altar that stands before the Lord. He will do this by taking some of the blood from the bull and the goat and putting it on each of the horns of the altar.
19  Then he must sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times over the altar. In this way, he will cleanse it from Israel’s defilement and make it holy.
20  “When Aaron has finished purifying the Most Holy Place and the Tabernacle and the altar, he must present the live goat.
21  He will lay both of his hands on the goat’s head and confess over it all the wickedness, rebellion, and sins of the people of Israel. In this way, he will transfer the people’s sins to the head of the goat. Then a man specially chosen for the task will drive the goat into the wilderness.
22  As the goat goes into the wilderness, it will carry all the people’s sins upon itself into a desolate land.
23  “When Aaron goes back into the Tabernacle, he must take off the linen garments he was wearing when he entered the Most Holy Place, and he must leave the garments there.
24  Then he must bathe himself with water in a sacred place, put on his regular garments, and go out to sacrifice a burnt offering for himself and a burnt offering for the people. Through this process, he will purify himself and the people, making them right with the Lord.
25  He must then burn all the fat of the sin offering on the altar.
26  “The man chosen to drive the scapegoat into the wilderness of Azazel must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water. Then he may return to the camp.
27  “The bull and the goat presented as sin offerings, whose blood Aaron takes into the Most Holy Place for the purification ceremony, will be carried outside the camp. The animals’ hides, internal organs, and dung are all to be burned.
28  The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water before returning to the camp.
29  “On the tenth day of the appointed month in early autumn, you must deny yourselves.  Neither native-born Israelites nor foreigners living among you may do any kind of work. This is a permanent law for you.
30  On that day offerings of purification will be made for you, and you will be purified in the Lord’s presence from all your sins.
31  It will be a Sabbath day of complete rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. This is a permanent law for you.
32  In future generations, the purification ceremony will be performed by the priest who has been anointed and ordained to serve as high priest in place of his ancestor Aaron. He will put on the holy linen garments
33  and purify the Most Holy Place, the Tabernacle, the altar, the priests, and the entire congregation.
34  This is a permanent law for you, to purify the people of Israel from their sins, making them right with the Lord once each year.”  Moses followed all these instructions exactly as the Lord had commanded him.

Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus The Tax Collector

1    Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 

2    There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 

3    He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 

4    So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.

5    When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

6    Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 

7    But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

8    Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

9    Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 

10  For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

Leviticus 16:1-14 and Luke 18:35-43 (NLT)

Leviticus 16:1-14
The Day Of Atonement

1    The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons, who died after they entered the Lord’s presence and burned the wrong kind of fire before him. 

2    The Lord said to Moses, “Warn your brother, Aaron, not to enter the Most Holy Place behind the inner curtain whenever he chooses; if he does, he will die. For the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—is there, and I myself am present in the cloud above the atonement cover.

3    “When Aaron enters the sanctuary area, he must follow these instructions fully. He must bring a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 

4    He must put on his linen tunic and the linen undergarments worn next to his body. He must tie the linen sash around his waist and put the linen turban on his head. These are sacred garments, so he must bathe himself in water before he puts them on. 

5    Aaron must take from the community of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

6    “Aaron will present his own bull as a sin offering to purify himself and his family, making them right with the Lord. 

7    Then he must take the two male goats and present them to the Lord at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 

8    He is to cast sacred lots to determine which goat will be reserved as an offering to the Lord and which will carry the sins of the people to the wilderness of Azazel. 

9    Aaron will then present as a sin offering the goat chosen by lot for the Lord. 

10  The other goat, the scapegoat chosen by lot to be sent away, will be kept alive, standing before the Lord. When it is sent away to Azazel in the wilderness, the people will be purified and made right with the Lord.

11  “Aaron will present his own bull as a sin offering to purify himself and his family, making them right with the Lord. After he has slaughtered the bull as a sin offering, 

12  he will fill an incense burner with burning coals from the altar that stands before the Lord. Then he will take two handfuls of fragrant powdered incense and will carry the burner and the incense behind the inner curtain. 

13  There in the Lord’s presence he will put the incense on the burning coals so that a cloud of incense will rise over the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that rests on the Ark of the Covenant. If he follows these instructions, he will not die. 

14  Then he must take some of the blood of the bull, dip his finger in it, and sprinkle it on the east side of the atonement cover. He must sprinkle blood seven times with his finger in front of the atonement cover.

Luke 18:35-43
The Blind Beggar Receives His Sight

35  As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. 

36  When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. 

37  They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. 

38  So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

39  “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him.  But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

40  When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, 

41  “What do you want me to do for you?”  “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”

42  And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” 

43  Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.

Leviticus 15:20-33 and Luke 18:18-34 (NLT)

Leviticus 15:20-33
Discharges Causing Uncleanness

20  Anything on which the woman lies or sits during the time of her period will be unclean.
21  If any of you touch her bed, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.
22  If you touch any object she has sat on, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.
23  This includes her bed or any other object she has sat on; you will be unclean until evening if you touch it.
24  If a man has sexual intercourse with her and her blood touches him, her menstrual impurity will be transmitted to him. He will remain unclean for seven days, and any bed on which he lies will be unclean.
25  “If a woman has a flow of blood for many days that is unrelated to her menstrual period, or if the blood continues beyond the normal period, she is ceremonially unclean. As during her menstrual period, the woman will be unclean as long as the discharge continues.
26  Any bed she lies on and any object she sits on during that time will be unclean, just as during her normal menstrual period.
27  If any of you touch these things, you will be ceremonially unclean. You must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.
28  “When the woman’s bleeding stops, she must count off seven days. Then she will be ceremonially clean.
29  On the eighth day she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons and present them to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
30  The priest will offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. Through this process, the priest will purify her before the Lord for the ceremonial impurity caused by her bleeding.
31  “This is how you will guard the people of Israel from ceremonial uncleanness. Otherwise they would die, for their impurity would defile my Tabernacle that stands among them.
32  These are the instructions for dealing with anyone who has a bodily discharge—a man who is unclean because of an emission of semen
33  or a woman during her menstrual period. It applies to any man or woman who has a bodily discharge, and to a man who has sexual intercourse with a woman who is ceremonially unclean.”

Luke 18:18-30
The Rich Ruler

18  Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

19  “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. 

20  But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’”

21  The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

22  When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

23  But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.

24  When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! 

25  In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

26  Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?”

27  He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”

28  Peter said, “We’ve left our homes to follow you.”

29  “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, 

30  will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.”

Leviticus 15:1-19 and Luke 18:15-17 (NLT)

Leviticus 15:1-19
Discharges Causing Uncleanness

1    The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 

2     “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel.

“Any man who has a bodily discharge is ceremonially unclean.
3    This defilement is caused by his discharge, whether the discharge continues or stops. In either case the man is unclean.
4    Any bed on which the man with the discharge lies and anything on which he sits will be ceremonially unclean.
5    So if you touch the man’s bed, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.
6    If you sit where the man with the discharge has sat, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.
7    If you touch the man with the discharge, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.
8    If the man spits on you, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.
9    Any saddle blanket on which the man rides will be ceremonially unclean.
10  If you touch anything that was under the man, you will be unclean until evening. You must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.
11  If the man touches you without first rinsing his hands, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.
12  Any clay pot the man touches must be broken, and any wooden utensil he touches must be rinsed with water.
13  “When the man with the discharge is healed, he must count off seven days for the period of purification. Then he must wash his clothes and bathe himself in fresh water, and he will be ceremonially clean.
14  On the eighth day he must get two turtledoves or two young pigeons and come before the Lord at the entrance of the Tabernacle and give his offerings to the priest.
15  The priest will offer one bird for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. Through this process, the priest will purify the man before the Lord for his discharge.
16  “Whenever a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his entire body in water, and he will remain ceremonially unclean until the next evening.
17  Any clothing or leather with semen on it must be washed in water, and it will remain unclean until evening. 18  After a man and a woman have sexual intercourse, they must each bathe in water, and they will remain unclean until the next evening.
19  “Whenever a woman has her menstrual period, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days. Anyone who touches her during that time will be unclean until evening.

Luke 18:15-17
The Little Children And Jesus

15  One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him.

16  Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 

17  I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

Leviticus 14:33-57 and Luke 18:9-14 (NLT)

Leviticus 14:33-57
Cleaning From Mildew

33  Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 

34  “When you arrive in Canaan, the land I am giving you as your own possession, I may contaminate some of the houses in your land with mildew. 

35  The owner of such a house must then go to the priest and say, ‘It appears that my house has some kind of mildew.’ 

36  Before the priest goes in to inspect the house, he must have the house emptied so nothing inside will be pronounced ceremonially unclean. 

37  Then the priest will go in and examine the mildew on the walls. If he finds greenish or reddish streaks and the contamination appears to go deeper than the wall’s surface, 

38  the priest will step outside the door and put the house in quarantine for seven days. 

39  On the seventh day the priest must return for another inspection. If he finds that the mildew on the walls of the house has spread, 

40  the priest must order that the stones from those areas be removed. The contaminated material will then be taken outside the town to an area designated as ceremonially unclean. 

41  Next the inside walls of the entire house must be scraped thoroughly and the scrapings dumped in the unclean place outside the town. 

42  Other stones will be brought in to replace the ones that were removed, and the walls will be replastered.

43  “But if the mildew reappears after all the stones have been replaced and the house has been scraped and replastered,
44  the priest must return and inspect the house again. If he finds that the mildew has spread, the walls are clearly contaminated with a serious mildew, and the house is defiled.
45  It must be torn down, and all its stones, timbers, and plaster must be carried out of town to the place designated as ceremonially unclean.
46  Those who enter the house during the period of quarantine will be ceremonially unclean until evening,
47  and all who sleep or eat in the house must wash their clothing.
48  “But if the priest returns for his inspection and finds that the mildew has not reappeared in the house after the fresh plastering, he will pronounce it clean because the mildew is clearly gone.
49  To purify the house the priest must take two birds, a stick of cedar, some scarlet yarn, and a hyssop branch.
50  He will slaughter one of the birds over a clay pot filled with fresh water.
51  He will take the cedar stick, the hyssop branch, the scarlet yarn, and the live bird, and dip them into the blood of the slaughtered bird and into the fresh water. Then he will sprinkle the house seven times.
52  When the priest has purified the house in exactly this way,
53  he will release the live bird in the open fields outside the town. Through this process, the priest will purify the house, and it will be ceremonially clean.
54  “These are the instructions for dealing with serious skin diseases, including scabby sores;
55  and mildew, whether on clothing or in a house;
56  and a swelling on the skin, a rash, or discolored skin.
57  This procedure will determine whether a person or object is ceremonially clean or unclean.
“These are the instructions regarding skin diseases and mildew.”

Luke 18:9-14
The Parable Of The Pharisee And The Tax Collector

9    Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 

10  “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector.

11  The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 

12  I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’

13  “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 

14  I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Leviticus 14:19-32 and Luke 18:1-8 (NLT)

Leviticus 14:19-32
Cleaning From Infectious Skin Diseases

19  “Then the priest must present the sin offering to purify the person who was cured of the skin disease. After that, the priest will slaughter the burnt offering
20  and offer it on the altar along with the grain offering. Through this process, the priest will purify the person who was healed, and the person will be ceremonially clean.
21  “But anyone who is too poor and cannot afford these offerings may bring one male lamb for a guilt offering, to be lifted up as a special offering for purification. The person must also bring two quarts of choice flour moistened with olive oil for the grain offering and a cup of olive oil.
22  The offering must also include two turtledoves or two young pigeons, whichever the person can afford. One of the pair must be used for the sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.
23  On the eighth day of the purification ceremony, the person being purified must bring the offerings to the priest in the Lord’s presence at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
24  The priest will take the lamb for the guilt offering, along with the olive oil, and lift them up as a special offering to the Lord.
25  Then the priest will slaughter the lamb for the guilt offering. He will take some of its blood and apply it to the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified.
26  “The priest will also pour some of the olive oil into the palm of his own left hand.
27  He will dip his right finger into the oil in his palm and sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lord.
28  The priest will then apply some of the oil in his palm over the blood from the guilt offering that is on the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified.
29  The priest will apply the oil remaining in his hand to the head of the person being purified. Through this process, the priest will purify the person before the Lord.
30  “Then the priest will offer the two turtledoves or the two young pigeons, whichever the person can afford.
31  One of them is for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, to be presented along with the grain offering. Through this process, the priest will purify the person before the Lord.
32  These are the instructions for purification for those who have recovered from a serious skin disease but who cannot afford to bring the offerings normally required for the ceremony of purification.”

Luke 18:1-8
The Parable Of The Persistent Widow

1    One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 

2    “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 

3    A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ 

4    The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 

5    but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

6    Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 

7    Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 

8    I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

Leviticus 14:1-18 and Luke 17:20-37 (NLT)

Leviticus 14:1-18
Cleaning From Infectious Skin Diseases

1    And the Lord said to Moses, 

2    “The following instructions are for those seeking ceremonial purification from a skin disease. Those who have been healed must be brought to the priest, 

3    who will examine them at a place outside the camp. If the priest finds that someone has been healed of a serious skin disease, 

4    he will perform a purification ceremony, using two live birds that are ceremonially clean, a stick of cedar, some scarlet yarn, and a hyssop branch. 

5    The priest will order that one bird be slaughtered over a clay pot filled with fresh water. 

6    He will take the live bird, the cedar stick, the scarlet yarn, and the hyssop branch, and dip them into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water. 

7    The priest will then sprinkle the blood of the dead bird seven times on the person being purified of the skin disease. When the priest has purified the person, he will release the live bird in the open field to fly away.

8    “The persons being purified must then wash their clothes, shave off all their hair, and bathe themselves in water. Then they will be ceremonially clean and may return to the camp. However, they must remain outside their tents for seven days. 

9    On the seventh day they must again shave all the hair from their heads, including the hair of the beard and eyebrows. They must also wash their clothes and bathe themselves in water. Then they will be ceremonially clean.

10  “On the eighth day each person being purified must bring two male lambs and a one-year-old female lamb, all with no defects, along with a grain offering of six quarts of choice flour moistened with olive oil, and a cup of olive oil. 

11  Then the officiating priest will present that person for purification, along with the offerings, before the Lord at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 

12  The priest will take one of the male lambs and the olive oil and present them as a guilt offering, lifting them up as a special offering before the Lord. 

13  He will then slaughter the male lamb in the sacred area where sin offerings and burnt offerings are slaughtered. As with the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest. It is a most holy offering. 

14  The priest will then take some of the blood of the guilt offering and apply it to the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified.

15  “Then the priest will pour some of the olive oil into the palm of his own left hand. 

16  He will dip his right finger into the oil in his palm and sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the Lord. 

17  The priest will then apply some of the oil in his palm over the blood from the guilt offering that is on the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified.

18  The priest will apply the oil remaining in his hand to the head of the person being purified. Through this process, the priest will purify the person before the Lord.

Luke 17:20-37
The Coming Of The Kingdom Of God

20  One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?”  Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. 

21  You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.”

22  Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns, but you won’t see it. 

23  People will tell you, ‘Look, there is the Son of Man,’ or ‘Here he is,’ but don’t go out and follow them. 

24  For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of Man comes. 

25  But first the Son of Man must suffer terribly and be rejected by this generation.

26  “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 

27  In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.

28  “And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building— 

29  until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 

30  Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 

31  On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. 

32  Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! 

33  If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. 

34  That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. 

35-36Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.”

37  “Where will this happen, Lord?” the disciples asked.

Jesus replied, “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.”

Leviticus 13:47-59 and Luke 17:11-19 (NLT)

Leviticus 13:47-59
Regulations About Mildew

47  “Now suppose mildew contaminates some woolen or linen clothing, 

48  woolen or linen fabric, the hide of an animal, or anything made of leather. 

49  If the contaminated area in the clothing, the animal hide, the fabric, or the leather article has turned greenish or reddish, it is contaminated with mildew and must be shown to the priest. 

50  After examining the affected spot, the priest will put the article in quarantine for seven days. 

51  On the seventh day the priest must inspect it again. If the contaminated area has spread, the clothing or fabric or leather is clearly contaminated by a serious mildew and is ceremonially unclean. 

52  The priest must burn the item—the clothing, the woolen or linen fabric, or piece of leather—for it has been contaminated by a serious mildew. It must be completely destroyed by fire.

53  “But if the priest examines it and finds that the contaminated area has not spread in the clothing, the fabric, or the leather, 

54  the priest will order the object to be washed and then quarantined for seven more days. 

55  Then the priest must examine the object again. If he finds that the contaminated area has not changed color after being washed, even if it did not spread, the object is defiled. It must be completely burned up, whether the contaminated spot is on the inside or outside. 

56  But if the priest examines it and finds that the contaminated area has faded after being washed, he must cut the spot from the clothing, the fabric, or the leather. 

57  If the spot later reappears on the clothing, the fabric, or the leather article, the mildew is clearly spreading, and the contaminated object must be burned up. 

58  But if the spot disappears from the clothing, the fabric, or the leather article after it has been washed, it must be washed again; then it will be ceremonially clean.

59  “These are the instructions for dealing with mildew that contaminates woolen or linen clothing or fabric or anything made of leather. This is how the priest will determine whether these items are ceremonially clean or unclean.”

Luke 17:11-19
Ten Healed of Leprosy

11  As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 

12  As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, 

13  crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

14  He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

15  One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 

16  He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

17  Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 

18  Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 

19  And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”