Purification After Childbirth

12 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period.^{(A) 3} On the eighth day^(B) the boy is to be circumcised.^{(C) 4} Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over. ⁵ If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding.

⁶ “‘When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over,^(D) she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb^(E) for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering.^{[a](F) 7} He shall offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood.

“‘These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. ⁸ But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons,^(G) one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering.^(H) In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.^(I)’”

Regulations About Defiling Skin Diseases

13 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ² “When anyone has a swelling^(A) or a rash or a shiny spot^(B) on their skin that may be a defiling skin disease,^[a](C) they must be brought to Aaron the priest^(D) or to one of his sons^[b] who is a priest. ³ The priest is to examine the sore on the skin, and if the hair in the sore has turned white and the sore appears to be more than skin deep, it is a defiling skin disease. When the priest examines that person, he shall pronounce them ceremonially unclean.^{(E) 4} If the shiny spot^(F) on the skin is white but does not appear to be more than skin deep and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest is to isolate the affected person for seven days.^{(G) 5} On the seventh day^(H) the priest is to examine them,^(I) and if he sees that the sore is unchanged and has not spread in the skin, he is to isolate them for another seven days. ⁶ On the seventh day the priest is to examine them again, and if the sore has faded and has not spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce them clean;^(J) it is only a rash. They must wash their clothes,^(K) and they will be clean.^{(L) 7} But if the rash does spread in their skin after they have shown themselves to the priest to be pronounced clean, they must appear before the priest again.^{(M) 8} The priest is to examine that person, and if the rash has spread in the skin, he shall pronounce them unclean; it is a defiling skin disease.

⁹ “When anyone has a defiling skin disease, they must be brought to the priest. ¹⁰ The priest is to examine them, and if there is a white swelling in the skin that has turned the hair white and if there is raw flesh in the swelling, ¹¹ it is a chronic skin disease^(N) and the priest shall pronounce them unclean. He is not to isolate them, because they are already unclean.

¹² “If the disease breaks out all over their skin and, so far as the priest can see, it covers all the skin of the affected person from head to foot, ¹³ the priest is to examine them, and if the disease has covered their whole body, he shall pronounce them clean. Since it has all turned white, they are clean. ¹⁴ But whenever raw flesh appears on them, they will be unclean. ¹⁵ When the priest sees the raw flesh, he shall pronounce them unclean. The raw flesh is unclean; they have a defiling disease.^{(O) 16} If the raw flesh changes and turns white, they must go to the priest. ¹⁷ The priest is to examine them, and if the sores have turned white, the priest shall pronounce the affected person clean;^(P) then they will be clean.

¹⁸ “When someone has a boil^(Q) on their skin and it heals, ¹⁹ and in the place where the boil was, a white swelling or reddish-white^(R) spot^(S) appears, they must present themselves to the priest. ²⁰ The priest is to examine it, and if it appears to be more than skin deep and the hair in it has turned white, the priest shall pronounce that person unclean. It is a defiling skin disease^(T) that has broken out where the boil was. ²¹ But if, when the priest examines it, there is no white hair in it and it is not more than skin deep and has faded, then the priest is to isolate them for seven days. ²² If it is spreading in the skin, the priest shall pronounce them unclean; it is a defiling disease. ²³ But if the spot is unchanged and has not spread, it is only a scar from the boil, and the priest shall pronounce them clean.^(U)

²⁴ “When someone has a burn on their skin and a reddish-white or white spot appears in the raw flesh of the burn, ²⁵ the priest is to examine the spot, and if the hair in it has turned white, and it appears to be more than skin deep, it is a defiling disease that has broken out in the burn. The priest shall pronounce them unclean; it is a defiling skin disease.^{(V) 26} But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the spot and if it is not more than skin deep and has faded, then the priest is to isolate them for seven days.^{(W) 27} On the seventh day the priest is to examine that person,^(X) and if it is spreading in the skin, the priest shall pronounce them unclean; it is a defiling skin disease. ²⁸ If, however, the spot is unchanged and has not spread in the skin but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn, and the priest shall pronounce them clean; it is only a scar from the burn.^(Y)

²⁹ “If a man or woman has a sore on their head^(Z) or chin, ³⁰ the priest is to examine the sore, and if it appears to be more than skin deep and the hair in it is yellow and thin, the priest shall pronounce them unclean; it is a defiling skin disease on the head or chin. ³¹ But if, when the priest examines the sore, it does not seem to be more than skin deep and there is no black hair in it, then the priest is to isolate the affected person for seven days.^{(AA) 32} On the seventh day the priest is to examine the sore,^(AB) and if it has not spread and there is no yellow hair in it and it does not appear to be more than skin deep, ³³ then the man or woman must shave themselves, except for the affected area, and the priest is to keep them isolated another seven days. ³⁴ On the seventh day the priest is to examine the sore,^(AC) and if it has not spread in the skin and appears to be no more than skin deep, the priest shall pronounce them clean. They must wash their clothes, and they will be clean.^{(AD) 35} But if the sore does spread in the skin after they are pronounced clean, ³⁶ the priest is to examine them, and if he finds that the sore has spread in the skin, he does not need to look for yellow hair; they are unclean.^{(AE) 37} If, however, the sore is unchanged so far as the priest can see, and if black hair has grown in it, the affected person is healed. They are clean, and the priest shall pronounce them clean.

³⁸ “When a man or woman has white spots on the skin, ³⁹ the priest is to examine them, and if the spots are dull white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin; they are clean.

⁴⁰ “A man who has lost his hair and is bald^(AF) is clean. ⁴¹ If he has lost his hair from the front of his scalp and has a bald forehead, he is clean. ⁴² But if he has a reddish-white sore on his bald head or forehead, it is a defiling disease breaking out on his head or forehead. ⁴³ The priest is to examine him, and if the swollen sore on his head or forehead is reddish-white like a defiling skin disease, ⁴⁴ the man is diseased and is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him unclean because of the sore on his head.

⁴⁵ “Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes,^(AG) let their hair be unkempt,^[c] cover the lower part of their face^(AH) and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’^{(AI) 46} As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.^(AJ)

Regulations About Defiling Molds

⁴⁷ “As for any fabric that is spoiled with a defiling mold—any woolen or linen clothing, ⁴⁸ any woven or knitted material of linen or wool, any leather or anything made of leather— ⁴⁹ if the affected area in the fabric, the leather, the woven or knitted material, or any leather article, is greenish or reddish, it is a defiling mold and must be shown to the priest.^{(AK) 50} The priest is to examine the affected area^(AL) and isolate the article for seven days. ⁵¹ On the seventh day he is to examine it,^(AM) and if the mold has spread in the fabric, the woven or knitted material, or the leather, whatever its use, it is a persistent defiling mold; the article is unclean.^{(AN) 52} He must burn the fabric, the woven or knitted material of wool or linen, or any leather article that has been spoiled; because the defiling mold is persistent, the article must be burned.^(AO)

⁵³ “But if, when the priest examines it, the mold has not spread in the fabric, the woven or knitted material, or the leather article, ⁵⁴ he shall order that the spoiled article be washed. Then he is to isolate it for another seven days. ⁵⁵ After the article has been washed, the priest is to examine it again, and if the mold has not changed its appearance, even though it has not spread, it is unclean. Burn it, no matter which side of the fabric has been spoiled. ⁵⁶ If, when the priest examines it, the mold has faded after the article has been washed, he is to tear the spoiled part out of the fabric, the leather, or the woven or knitted material. ⁵⁷ But if it reappears in the fabric, in the woven or knitted material, or in the leather article, it is a spreading mold; whatever has the mold must be burned. ⁵⁸ Any fabric, woven or knitted material, or any leather article that has been washed and is rid of the mold, must be washed again. Then it will be clean.”

⁵⁹ These are the regulations concerning defiling molds in woolen or linen clothing, woven or knitted material, or any leather article, for pronouncing them clean or unclean.

Discharges Causing Uncleanness

15 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When any man has an unusual bodily discharge,^(A) such a discharge is unclean. ³ Whether it continues flowing from his body or is blocked, it will make him unclean. This is how his discharge will bring about uncleanness:

⁴ “‘Any bed the man with a discharge lies on will be unclean, and anything he sits on will be unclean. ⁵ Anyone who touches his bed must wash their clothes^(B) and bathe with water,^(C) and they will be unclean till evening.^{(D) 6} Whoever sits on anything that the man with a discharge sat on must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

⁷ “‘Whoever touches the man^(E) who has a discharge^(F) must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

⁸ “‘If the man with the discharge spits^(G) on anyone who is clean, they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

⁹ “‘Everything the man sits on when riding will be unclean, ¹⁰ and whoever touches any of the things that were under him will be unclean till evening; whoever picks up those things^(H) must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

¹¹ “‘Anyone the man with a discharge touches without rinsing his hands with water must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

¹² “‘A clay pot^(I) that the man touches must be broken, and any wooden article^(J) is to be rinsed with water.

¹³ “‘When a man is cleansed from his discharge, he is to count off seven days^(K) for his ceremonial cleansing; he must wash his clothes and bathe himself with fresh water, and he will be clean.^{(L) 14} On the eighth day he must take two doves or two young pigeons^(M) and come before the Lord to the entrance to the tent of meeting and give them to the priest. ¹⁵ The priest is to sacrifice them, the one for a sin offering^[a](N) and the other for a burnt offering.^(O) In this way he will make atonement before the Lord for the man because of his discharge.^(P)

¹⁶ “‘When a man has an emission of semen,^(Q) he must bathe his whole body with water, and he will be unclean till evening.^{(R) 17} Any clothing or leather that has semen on it must be washed with water, and it will be unclean till evening. ¹⁸ When a man has sexual relations with a woman and there is an emission of semen,^(S) both of them must bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

¹⁹ “‘When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period^(T) will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening.

²⁰ “‘Anything she lies on during her period will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean. ²¹ Anyone who touches her bed will be unclean; they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.^{(U) 22} Anyone who touches anything she sits on will be unclean; they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening. ²³ Whether it is the bed or anything she was sitting on, when anyone touches it, they will be unclean till evening.

²⁴ “‘If a man has sexual relations with her and her monthly flow^(V) touches him, he will be unclean for seven days; any bed he lies on will be unclean.

²⁵ “‘When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period^(W) or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period. ²⁶ Any bed she lies on while her discharge continues will be unclean, as is her bed during her monthly period, and anything she sits on will be unclean, as during her period. ²⁷ Anyone who touches them will be unclean; they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

²⁸ “‘When she is cleansed from her discharge, she must count off seven days, and after that she will be ceremonially clean. ²⁹ On the eighth day she must take two doves or two young pigeons^(X) and bring them to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ³⁰ The priest is to sacrifice one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. In this way he will make atonement for her before the Lord for the uncleanness of her discharge.^(Y)

³¹ “‘You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place,^[b](Z) which is among them.’”

³² These are the regulations for a man with a discharge, for anyone made unclean by an emission of semen,^{(AA) 33} for a woman in her monthly period, for a man or a woman with a discharge, and for a man who has sexual relations with a woman who is ceremonially unclean.^(AB)