There was one leper who had been a man of high distinction. It was with the greatest grief that he and his family had become convinced that he was a victim to the fatal disease. Physicians of note had been consulted, and they had examined his case thoroughly, and anxiously searched their books to obtain further knowledge; but they were reluctantly compelled to acknowledge that their skill was baffled, the disease was incurable. It was then the duty of the priest to make an examination; this resulted in a decision that his was the worst form of leprosy. This verdict sentenced him to a living death separated from his friends and the society in which he had held so lofty a position. But now those who had courted his favor and accepted his hospitality fled from his presence with horror. He went out an exile from his home. {2SP 227.2}

Der var en spedalsk, som havde været en højtstående mand i samfundet. han og hans familie blev dybt bedrøvede, da de erfarede, at han var blevet et offer for denne frygtelige sygdom. De rådførte sig med dygtige læger, som undersøgte ham om hyggelig og ransagede sine bøger med flid for om muligt at få mere kundskab; men de blev mod deres ønske tvunget til at erklære, at de ikke formåede at hjælpe ham - sygdommen var uhelbredelig. Det var dernæst præsternes pligt at undersøge ham. Følgen heraf var, at de erklærede hans sygdom for spedalskhed af den værste slags. Derved blev han dømt til som en levende død at adskilles fra sine venner og fra samfundet, hvor han havde indtaget en så ærefuld stilling. De, som før havde søgt at hans gunst og glædet sig ved hans gæstfrihed, flyede nu fra hans nærværelse med forfærdelse. Han gik bort fra sit hjem som landsforvist.