Leviticus 12

International Standard Version

Post-Natal Purification

12 The Lord told Moses, ² “Tell the Israelis that a woman who conceives and bears a son is unclean for seven days. Just like the days of her menstruation,^[a] she is unclean. ³ On the eighth day, the flesh of the baby’s foreskin is to be circumcised. ⁴ For 33 days after this, she is to remain in purification due to her blood loss.^[b] She is not to touch any sacred thing or enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification have been completed.

⁵ “If she gives birth to a female, then she is to remain unclean for two weeks, just like her menstruation. She is to remain in purification for 66 days due to her blood loss.^{[c] 6} When the days of her purification have been completed, whether for her son or daughter, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting a one year old lamb for a whole burnt offering or a young dove for a sin offering. ⁷ He is to offer it in the Lord’s presence and make atonement for her so that she becomes clean from her blood loss. This is the law concerning the bearing of a male or female child. ⁸ If she cannot afford a goat, then two turtledoves or two young doves—one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering—will serve for him to make atonement for her, so that she becomes clean.”