On Defilement

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the sons of Israel that they (A)send away from the camp everyone with leprosy, everyone having a (B)discharge, and everyone who is (C)unclean because of contact with a dead person. You shall send away both male and female; you shall send them outside the camp so that they do not defile their camp where I dwell (D)in their midst.” And the sons of Israel did so and sent them outside the camp; just as the Lord had spoken to Moses, that is what the sons of Israel did.

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Purity in Israel’s Camp

The Lord gave these instructions to Moses: “Command the people of Israel to remove from the camp anyone who has a skin disease[a] or a discharge, or who has become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person. This command applies to men and women alike. Remove them so they will not defile the camp in which I live among them.” So the Israelites did as the Lord had commanded Moses and removed such people from the camp.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:2 Traditionally rendered leprosy. The Hebrew word used here describes various skin diseases.