This Is The Law Of The Plague

(Excerpts from the Hebrew Old Testament, books of Leviticus and Psalms, chapters 15 and 22, 58, and 59, with text by Diamanda Galas.)

When any man hath an issue out of his flesh
Because of his issue, he is unclean
Every bed whereon he lieth is unclean
And everything whereon he sitteth, unclean
And whosoever toucheth his bed shall be unclean
And he that sitteth whereon he sat shall be unclean
And he that toucheth the flesh of the unclean
Becomes unclean
And he that be spat on by him, unclean
Becomes unclean

Strong bulls of Baasha do beset me round
They gape upon me with their mouths
As a ravening and a roaring lion
But thou, O Lord, shall bring them down
Thou shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction
Greedy and deceitful men shall be exposed as vermin
And their days as iniquity

And whosoever toucheth any thing under him
Shall be unclean
And he that beareth any of those things
Shall be unclean
And what saddle soever he rideth upon is unclean
And the vessel of earth that he toucheth, unclean

Deliver me from mine enemies
Deliver me from the workers of iniquity
And save me from
Save me from bloody men
For lo, they lie in wait for my soul
The wicked are gathered against me
Not for my transgressions, not for my sin, O Lord
They run and prepare themselves without my help
Without my fault
Awake to help me and behold:
Swords are in their lips, for who, say they, doth hear
But thou, O Lord, shall laugh at them
The God of my mercy shall let me see my desire
Upon mine enemies

And at evening, let them make a noise like a dog
And go around about the city
Let them walk up and down for meat
And grudge if they be not satisfied
Break out the great teeth of the young lions
Break out the great teeth of the young lions
And when they laugh at the trial of the innocent
Let them be cut as in pieces

And if any man's seed of copulation go out from him
He is unclean
Every garment, every skin whereon is the seed, unclean
And the woman with whom this man shall lie
Will be unclean
And whosoever toucheth her will be unclean
This is the law of the plague:
To teach when it is clean and unclean

The Devil is an impotent man
He says it nice and plays himself off as the friend
He tries to make you uncertain
So your hands shake
And then he tells you you're insane
When you call him by his rightful name:
Impotent homophobe and coward
So you will miss when you aim at this evil man
Who cannot get it up
Except
In the TV public operating room
Of another man's misfortune

And the priest shall look upon the plague
For a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot
And the priest shall shut up he that hath the plague
He shall carry them forth to a place unclean
He shall separate them in their uncleanness
This is the law of the plague:
To teach when it is clean and when it is unclean