有關痲瘋病的條例

13 耶和華對摩西和亞倫說:

「如果有人皮膚上長腫包、皮疹或白斑,出現痲瘋病[a]症狀,要將他帶到祭司亞倫或亞倫做祭司的子孫那裡。 祭司要檢查患處,如果患處凹陷,患處的毛髮變白,就是痲瘋病,要宣佈他是不潔淨的。 如果那人的患處有白斑,沒有凹陷,患處的毛髮也沒有變白,祭司要把他隔離七天。 第七天,祭司要再次檢查患處,如果患處沒有惡化,沒有擴散,祭司要把他再隔離七天。 第七天,祭司要再次檢查,如果患處顏色變淡,也沒有擴散,祭司要宣佈他是潔淨的。他患的不過是皮疹,他要洗淨衣物,便會潔淨。 如果祭司已查看並宣佈他是潔淨的,但皮疹又擴散,他必須再去見祭司。 祭司檢查時,如果發現皮疹已擴散,就要宣佈他是不潔淨的,患了痲瘋病。

「如果有人患痲瘋病,必須將他帶到祭司面前。 10 祭司檢查時,如果發現他皮膚上有白色腫包,毛髮變白,患處出現瘡口, 11 他就是患了慢性痲瘋病,祭司要宣佈他是不潔淨的。他無須被隔離,因他已經不潔淨。 12 如果他的痲瘋病已擴散,頭上腳上到處可見, 13 祭司就要檢查。如果發現痲瘋病已擴散到他全身,全身的皮膚變白,祭司就要宣佈他是潔淨的。 14 但如果他身上出現潰爛之處,他便不潔淨。 15 祭司看到他身上的潰爛之處,就要宣佈他是不潔淨的,因為那潰爛之處表明他患了痲瘋病。 16 如果潰爛之處痊癒並變白,他就要去見祭司。 17 祭司檢查時,若發現潰爛之處確已變白,就要宣佈他是潔淨的,他便潔淨了。

18 「如果有人身上長瘡,又痊癒了, 19 但原患處出現白色腫包或白裡帶紅的斑,他就要去讓祭司檢查。 20 祭司檢查時,若發現患處凹陷,患處的毛髮變白,就要宣佈他是不潔淨的。這是瘡變成了痲瘋病。 21 但祭司檢查時,若發現患處沒有白毛,沒有凹陷,肉色變淡,就要把他隔離七天。 22 隔離期間,若患處擴散,祭司要宣佈他是不潔淨的,是患了痲瘋病。 23 如果患處的斑原樣未變,沒有擴散,便是瘡疤,祭司要宣佈他是潔淨的。

24 「如果有人被火燒傷,患處變白或白中帶紅, 25 祭司要檢查他的患處。如果患處的毛髮變白,傷口凹陷,他的燒傷已變成痲瘋病,祭司要宣佈他是不潔淨的,因為他患了痲瘋病。 26 祭司檢查時,若發現患處沒有白毛,傷口沒有凹陷,顏色變淡,就要把他隔離七天。 27 第七天,祭司要再次檢查,若發現患處擴散,就要宣佈他是不潔淨的,因為他患了痲瘋病。 28 如果患處沒有擴散,顏色變淡,就是燒傷引起的腫包,祭司要宣佈他是潔淨的,因為那不過是燒傷的疤痕。

29 「如果有男女頭上或下巴長瘡, 30 祭司要檢查患處,若發現患處凹陷,上面有黃色細毛,就要宣佈那人是不潔淨的,因為那是疥癬,是痲瘋病。 31 祭司檢查時,若發現患處沒有凹陷,沒有黑毛,就要將那人隔離七天。 32 第七天,祭司要檢查患處,若發現疥癬沒有擴散,上面沒有黃毛,患處沒有凹陷, 33 那人要剃去頭髮和鬍鬚,但不可剃患處的毛髮。祭司要將他再隔離七天。 34 第七天,祭司要再次檢查,若發現疥癬沒有擴散,患處沒有凹陷,就要宣佈那人是潔淨的。那人要洗淨衣服,便潔淨了。 35 那人潔淨以後,疥癬若再次擴散, 36 祭司就要再次檢查。如果疥癬確已擴散,祭司不必再找黃毛,那人是不潔淨的。 37 如果祭司看到疥癬原樣未變,患處長出黑毛,那人就已經痊癒,是潔淨的。祭司要宣佈那人是潔淨的。

38 「如果有男女身上長白斑, 39 祭司要檢查患處,若發現斑呈灰白色,就是皮疹,那人是潔淨的。

40 「如果有人脫髮,成了禿頭,他是潔淨的。 41 如果有人前額脫髮,他只是前額光禿,仍是潔淨的。 42 如果在光禿的頭上或前額上長出白裡帶紅的瘡,那就是痲瘋病。 43 祭司要檢查患處,若發現瘡周圍腫脹,看起來像痲瘋病, 44 就是得了痲瘋病,那人是不潔淨的。祭司要宣佈那人是不潔淨的。

45 「患痲瘋病的人必須撕裂衣服,披頭散髮,遮住臉的下半部,高喊『不潔淨!不潔淨!』 46 只要病不痊癒,他就不潔淨,要獨自住在營外。

黴變衣物的條例

47 「如果衣物出現黴斑,不論是羊毛衣、細麻衣、 48 羊毛織品、細麻織品,還是皮革或皮革製品, 49 只要發現黴斑是綠色或紅色的,那就是黴變,要拿給祭司檢查。 50 祭司檢查後,要把那衣物隔離七天。 51 第七天,祭司要再次檢查,若發現衣物、編織品或皮革上的黴斑蔓延,那衣物就是不潔淨的。 52 不論那是衣服、羊毛或細麻織品,還是皮革製品,祭司都必須把它燒掉,因為那是黴變。必須燒掉黴變的衣物。 53 如果祭司發現衣服、編織品或皮革上的黴斑沒有蔓延, 54 就要吩咐人洗淨衣物,再隔離七天。 55 之後,祭司要再次檢查洗過的衣物,若發現黴斑原樣未變,即使沒有蔓延,那衣物也是不潔淨的。無論衣物裡面還是外面黴變,都必須把它燒掉。 56 如果祭司發現洗過後黴斑退色,就要把黴變的部分從衣服、皮革、編織品上撕下來。 57 以後衣物、編織品或皮革上若再次出現黴斑,便是舊患復發,要把它燒掉。 58 如果洗過衣服、編織品或皮革後,黴斑消失了,要再洗一次就潔淨了。

59 「羊毛衣、細麻衣、編織品或皮革製品出現黴變時,以上條例可用來鑒定這些衣物是否潔淨。」

Footnotes

  1. 13·2 痲瘋病」此處為傳統譯法,希伯來文的意思指包括痲瘋病在內的各種嚴重皮膚病。

Humans suffer from many different kinds of skin disorders. Although one of the most dreaded diseases known to antiquity was leprosy, it is most likely that few Israelites in Moses’ day suffered from the disease we know as leprosy. The Hebrew word that appears in this chapter covers many disfiguring and debilitating skin diseases that certainly can be infectious. The priests are given the challenge of making critical observations as to what is indeed infectious and what is not. The term applied not only to a variety of skin diseases, but it was also used to describe articles of clothing or buildings marred from leprouslike outbreaks.

By the time of the New Testament, leprosy is present in Israel. It is caused by a bacterium that can begin as a blemish on the skin; but when it runs its course, the skin is left discolored. There are unsightly lumps and scaling, and eventually the nerves are paralyzed so that there is no feeling of pain. Without the pain sensation people eventually wear down their fingers and toes into mere nubs. It is a terrible, contagious disease that socially marginalized people from their families’ loving touch and intimate relationships.

13 The Eternal One spoke to Moses and Aaron.

Eternal One: Any time a person has an area of swelling or a rash or a white patch of skin, it may be the sign of a serious skin disease; so he must be taken to one of the priests—Aaron or one of Aaron’s sons. The priest must examine the spot on the skin. If the hair on it has turned white, and the affected area appears to go deep beneath the skin, then it is a serious skin disease. After the examination, he will then pronounce the diseased person unclean. But if the patch on the skin is white and does not appear to go deep beneath the skin, and the hair on it has not turned white, then the priest will quarantine the person for seven days. When the seventh day arrives, the priest will examine the affected area again; and if the priest thinks it has not grown worse and has not spread to other parts of the skin, then the priest will continue the quarantine for another seven days. At the end of the second seven days, the priest will examine the person again; and if the affected area has faded and has not spread to any other part of the body, then the priest will pronounce that he is clean and suffers only some minor skin problem. The person is to wash his garments and must be considered clean again.

Only if the individual is declared clean by the priest can he or she come back fully into the life of the community.

But if the rash spreads to other parts of the skin after the priest examines the person and pronounces him clean, then he must go back to the priest to be examined again. The priest will check the person again; and if the rash has grown worse and spread, then the priest must pronounce the person unclean. He does, in fact, have a serious skin disease.

When a person contracts any serious skin disease, he must be taken to the priest. 10 The priest will check the skin; and if the priest finds an area of white swelling on the skin where the hair has turned white, and if there is a raw, open sore, 11 then the person has a chronic skin disease and the priest must pronounce him unclean. The priest does not have to quarantine the person because it is evident that he is already unclean. 12 If the disease gets worse, spreads across his body, and involves all of his skin from head to toe—as far as the priest can tell— 13 then the priest will check; and if the disease has covered the person’s entire body, then the priest will pronounce the infected man clean because the disease has turned his entire body white. 14 But if a raw, open sore shows up, then he must be declared unclean. 15 The priest will examine the raw skin and pronounce the man unclean because the raw skin is unclean. It is definitely a serious skin disease. 16 If the raw skin changes again and becomes white, then the infected person must go see the priest 17 to be examined. If the affected area has turned white, then the priest will pronounce the diseased person clean; for he is in fact clean.

18 If a boil shows up on someone’s skin, and the boil goes away 19 and is replaced by a swollen white or a reddish-white spot, then he must point this out to the priest. 20 The priest will check; and if the affected area appears to go deep beneath the skin and the hairs on it have turned white, then the priest will pronounce the person unclean. It is a case of serious skin disease that started out as a boil. 21 But if the priest examines the person and finds there are no white hairs on it and the condition does not appear to go deep beneath the skin, and is, in fact, improving, then the priest will quarantine the infected person for seven days. 22 If the condition spreads to new places on the skin, the priest will pronounce him unclean; it is a serious infection. 23 However, if the affected area does not get worse or spread to new parts of the skin, it is simply a scar from the boil, and the priest will pronounce him clean.

24 If a person suffers a burn in a fire, and the raw skin from the burn turns shiny white, reddish-white, or white, 25 the priest will examine the affected area. If the hair on it is white and the sore appears to go deep beneath the skin, then the person has a serious skin disease that started out from the burn; the priest will declare him unclean. 26 If the priest examines the affected area and finds no white hair on it, and the condition does not go deep beneath the skin but instead seems to be improving, then the priest will quarantine him for seven days. 27 When the seventh day arrives, the priest will examine him once again. If the condition appears to be spreading, the priest will declare him unclean; the person has a serious skin disease. 28 If the affected area does not get worse and spread to new parts of the skin, but seems to be improving, then it is simply swollen from the burn. The priest will pronounce him clean because it is simply a scar from the burn.

29 If a man or a woman has a spot on the head or chin, 30 the priest must examine it, and if it appears to go deep beneath the skin and has thin, yellowish hairs in it, then the priest must pronounce the infected person to be unclean; it is a scaly skin disease on the head or chin. 31 If the priest examines the scaly area and it does not appear to go deep beneath the surface of the skin and there are no dark hairs in it, then the priest will quarantine the infected person for seven days. 32 When the seventh day arrives, the priest will examine the area again. If the scaly area has not gotten worse and there are no yellowish hairs in it, and the scale does not appear to go deep beneath the surface of the skin, 33 then the infected person should shave the head or beard except where hair is growing in the affected area. The priest will then quarantine the infected person for another seven days. 34 When the seventh days arrives, the priest will examine the scale again; and if it has not gotten worse and does not appear to go deep beneath the skin, the priest will pronounce the person clean. He will wash his clothes and be considered clean again. 35 But if the scale gets worse and shows up on new parts of the skin anytime after the priest declares him clean, 36 the priest must examine the person again. If the condition has spread to new parts of the skin, the priest is not required to look for yellowish hair because it is evident the person is unclean. 37 However, if he inspects the person and the scaly skin has not gotten worse and dark hairs are growing on it, then the condition is healed and the person is once again clean. The priest will declare the person clean.

38 If a man or a woman discovers bright shiny spots on the skin, including bright white ones, 39 the priest must check them out. And if he determines that the bright spots on the skin are pale, this is only a minor skin rash; the person is clean.

40 If a man loses his hair and goes bald, he is clean. 41 If he loses it on his forehead but not on the sides, he is only partially bald on the forehead; he is still clean. 42 However, if a reddish-white spot shows up on his bald head or forehead, then a serious skin infection is developing. 43 The priest must examine him; and if the affected area is reddish-white on his bald head or forehead and looks similar to a reddish-white outbreak on the body, 44 then that means the man has a serious skin disease and is unclean. The priest has to pronounce him unclean because of the skin disease on his head.

45 Anyone with a serious skin disease must wear torn clothing, not comb his hair, and cover his face beneath the nose. He must call out, “Unclean! Unclean!” 46 As long as the disease persists, he will be unclean. He must live alone, outside the camp, away from the rest of the community.

47-48 Now if it ever looks as if an article of clothing has some outbreak like leprosy—whether it is made of wool, linen, or leather— 49 and if the affected area in any leather or woven material has turned a greenish or reddish color, it is a sign of a serious problem and should be taken to the priest. 50 The priest must examine the article and quarantine it for seven days. 51 When the seventh day arrives, the priest must check it again; and if the affected area has spread to other parts of the article—whether in the wool, linen, or leather, regardless of what the leather was used for—the article has a serious outbreak which makes it unclean. 52 So the priest has to burn the garment—whether it is made of wool, linen or leather—because it has some serious outbreak like leprosy and must be destroyed by fire.

53 But if the priest examines the article, and the affected area has not spread in either the woven or knitted material, or the leather, 54 the priest must direct the article be washed, and then quarantined for another seven days. 55 After it has been washed, the priest must check it again; and if the affected area looks the same, then the article is still unclean even though the outbreak has not spread. Therefore, you must burn it in the fire; it doesn’t matter whether the affected area is on the front or the back.

56 But if the priest examines it, and the affected area has faded after it has been washed, the priest must rip the affected material out of the garment, leather, or woven or knitted material. 57 If another spot shows up in the article again—either in the woven or knitted material, or the leather—then the outbreak is spreading, and the article must be burned in the fire. 58 But if the spot is gone once the article has been washed—whether it is woven or knitted or leather—you must wash it; then it will be considered clean.

59 So this is God’s instruction for how to deal with linen, woolen, or leather garments that have suspicious-looking spots on them. With these instructions, priests are able to determine whether they are clean or unclean.