Jesus Cleanses a Leper^(A)

⁴⁰ Then a leper^[a] came to Jesus^[b] and began pleading with him. He fell on his knees and told him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”

⁴¹ Moved with compassion, Jesus^[c] reached out his hand, touched him, and told him, “I do want to. Be made clean!” ⁴² Instantly the leprosy left him, and he was clean.

⁴³ Then Jesus^[d] sternly warned him and encouraged him to go at once. ⁴⁴ He told the man, “Be sure that you don’t tell anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest, and then offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded as proof to the authorities.”^{[e] 45} But when the man^[f] left, he began to proclaim it freely. He spread the news so widely that Jesus^[g] could no longer enter a town openly, but had to stay out in deserted places. Still, people^[h] kept coming to him from everywhere.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper^(A)

¹² One day, while Jesus^[a] was in one of the cities, a man covered with leprosy saw Jesus and fell on his face, begging him, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”

¹³ So Jesus^[b] reached out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do want to. Be clean!” Instantly the leprosy left him. ¹⁴ Then Jesus^[c] ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as proof to the authorities.”^{[d] 15} But the news about Jesus^[e] spread even more, and many crowds began gathering to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. ¹⁶ However, he continued his habit of retiring to deserted places and praying.