8th March

¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying,² Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.³ And 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 lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.⁵ And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.⁶ And he that sitteth on any thing whereon he sat that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.⁷ And he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.⁸ And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.⁹ And what saddle soever he rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean.¹⁰ And whosoever toucheth any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the even: and he that beareth any of those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.¹¹ And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.¹² And the vessel of earth, that he toucheth which hath the issue, shall be broken: and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.¹³ And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.¹⁴ And on the eighth day he shall take to him two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and give them unto 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 an atonement for him before the LORD for his issue.¹⁶ And if any man's seed of copulation go out from him, then he shall wash all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the even.¹⁷ And 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 man shall lie with seed of copulation, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the even.¹⁹ And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.²⁰ And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean.²¹ And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.²² And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.²³ And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even.²⁴ And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean.²⁵ And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean.²⁶ Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation.²⁷ And whosoever toucheth 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 And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.³⁰ And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the LORD for the issue of her uncleanness.³¹ Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them.³² This is the law of him that hath an issue, and of him whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled therewith;³³ And of her that is sick of her flowers, and of him that hath an issue, of the man, and of the woman, and of him that lieth with her that is unclean.

¹ O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.² For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

¹ O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.² Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.³ Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.⁴ Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.⁵ I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.⁶ The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?⁷ The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.⁸ It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.⁹ It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.¹⁰ All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.¹¹ They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.¹² They compassed me about like bees: they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.¹³ Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me.¹⁴ The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.¹⁵ The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.¹⁶ The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.¹⁷ I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.¹⁸ The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.¹⁹ Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:²⁰ This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.²¹ I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.²² The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.²³ This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.²⁴ This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.²⁵ Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.²⁶ Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.²⁷ God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.²⁸ Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.²⁹ O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

¹ Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:² But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:⁴ (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)⁵ Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;⁶ And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.⁷ Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.⁸ For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:⁹ That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.¹⁰ For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.¹¹ Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.¹² For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.¹³ But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.¹⁴ For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:¹⁵ Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,¹⁶ To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.¹⁷ But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.¹⁸ For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

¹ Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.² For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.³ But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.⁴ For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.⁵ For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.⁶ But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.⁷ Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?⁸ I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.⁹ And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.¹⁰ As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.¹¹ Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.¹² But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.¹⁴ And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.¹⁶ I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.¹⁷ That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.¹⁸ Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.¹⁹ For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.²⁰ For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.²¹ I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.²² Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.²³ Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.²⁴ Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.²⁵ Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;²⁶ In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;²⁷ In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.²⁸ Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.²⁹ Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?³⁰ If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.³¹ The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.³² In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:³³ And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.