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Statutes About Leprosy

13 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “When a man has on the skin of his [a]body a swelling or a scab or a bright spot, and it becomes [b]an infection of leprosy on the skin of his [c]body, (A)then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. Then the priest shall look at the mark on the skin of the [d]body, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of his [e]body, it is an infection of leprosy; when the priest has looked at him, he shall pronounce him unclean. But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his [f]body, and [g]it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair on it has not turned white, then the priest shall [h]isolate him who has the infection for seven days. Then the priest shall look at him on the seventh day, and if in his eyes the infection [i]has not changed and the infection has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall [j]isolate him for seven more days. And the priest shall look at him again on the seventh day, and if the infection has faded and the mark has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a scab. And he shall (B)wash his clothes and be clean.

“But if the scab spreads farther on the skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall appear again to the priest. And the priest shall look, and if the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is leprosy.

“When the infection of leprosy is on a man, then he shall be brought to the priest. 10 The priest shall then look, and if there is a (C)white swelling in the skin, and it has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh still alive in the swelling, 11 it is [k]a chronic leprosy on the skin of his [l]body, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean; he shall not [m]isolate him, for he is unclean. 12 But if the leprosy breaks out farther on the skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin of him who has the infection from his head even to his feet, [n]as far as the priest can see, 13 then the priest shall look, and behold, if the leprosy has covered all his [o]body, he shall pronounce clean him who has the infection; it has all turned white, and he is clean. 14 But whenever raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean. 15 And the priest shall look at the raw flesh, and he shall pronounce him unclean; the raw flesh is unclean; it is leprosy. 16 Or if the raw flesh turns again and is changed to white, then he shall (D)come to the priest, 17 and the priest shall look at him, and behold, if the infection has turned to white, then the priest shall pronounce clean him who has the infection; he is clean.

18 “When the [p]body has a boil on its skin and it is healed, 19 and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a reddish-white bright spot, then it shall be shown to the priest; 20 and the priest shall look, and behold, if [q]it appears to be lower than the skin, and the hair on it has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is the infection of leprosy; it has broken out in the boil. 21 But if the priest looks at it, and behold, there are no white hairs in it, and it is not lower than the skin and is faded, then the priest shall [r]isolate him for seven days; 22 and if it spreads farther on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is an infection. 23 But if the bright spot remains in its place and does not spread, it is only the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

24 “Or if the [s]body sustains in its skin a burn by fire, and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish-white, or white, 25 then the priest shall look at it. And if the hair in the bright spot has (E)turned white and it appears to be deeper than the skin, it is leprosy; it has broken out in the burn. Therefore, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is an infection of leprosy. 26 But if the priest looks at it, and behold, there is no white hair in the bright spot, and it is no [t]deeper than the skin but is faded, then the priest shall [u]isolate him for seven days; 27 and the priest shall look at him on the seventh day. If it spreads farther in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is an infection of leprosy. 28 But if the bright spot remains in its place and has not spread in the skin but is faded, it is the swelling from the burn; and the priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is only the scar of the burn.

29 “Now if a man or woman has an infection on the head or on the beard, 30 then the priest shall look at the infection, and if it appears to be deeper than the skin, and there is thin yellowish hair in it, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a scale; it is leprosy of the head or of the beard. 31 But if the priest looks at the infection of the scale, and behold, it appears to be no deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall [v]isolate the person with the scaly infection for seven days. 32 Now on the seventh day the priest shall look at the infection, and if the scale has not spread, and there is no yellowish hair in it, and the appearance of the scale is no deeper than the skin, 33 then he shall shave himself, but he shall not shave the scale; and the priest shall [w]isolate the person with the scale seven more days. 34 Then on the seventh day the priest shall look at the scale, and if the scale has not spread in the skin and it appears to be no deeper than the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; and he shall wash his clothes and be clean. 35 But if the scale spreads farther in the skin after his cleansing, 36 then the priest shall look at him, and if the scale has spread in the skin, the priest need not seek for the yellowish hair; he is unclean. 37 If in his sight the scale has remained, however, and black hair has grown in it, the scale has healed, he is clean; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

38 “When a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the [x]body, even white bright spots, 39 then the priest shall look, and if the bright spots on the skin of their [y]bodies are a faded white, it is [z]eczema that has broken out on the skin; he is clean.

40 “Now if a [aa]man loses the hair of his head, he is (F)bald; he is clean. 41 And if his head becomes bald at the [ab]front and sides, he is bald on the forehead; he is clean. 42 But if on the bald head or the bald forehead, there occurs a reddish-white infection, it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or on his bald forehead. 43 Then (G)the priest shall look at him; and if the swelling of the infection is reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald forehead, like the appearance of leprosy in the skin of the [ac]body, 44 he is a leprous man; he is unclean. The priest shall surely pronounce him unclean; his infection is on his head.

45 “As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn, and (H)the hair of his head shall be [ad]uncovered, and he shall (I)cover his mustache and call out, ‘(J)Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his place of habitation shall be (K)outside the camp.

47 “When a garment has a [ae]mark of leprosy in it, whether it is a wool garment or a linen garment, 48 whether in [af]warp or woof, of linen or of wool, whether in leather or in any article made of leather, 49 if the mark is greenish or reddish in the garment or in the leather or in the [ag]warp or in the woof or in any article of leather, it is a leprous mark and shall be shown to the priest. 50 Then (L)the priest shall look at the mark and shall [ah]isolate the article with the mark for seven days. 51 He shall then look at the mark on the seventh day; if the mark has spread in the garment, whether in the warp or in the woof or in the leather, whatever the purpose for which the leather is used, the mark is a [ai]leprous malignancy; it is unclean. 52 So he shall burn the garment, whether the warp or the woof, in wool or in linen, or any article of leather in which the mark occurs, for it is a [aj]leprous malignancy; it shall be burned in the fire.

53 “But if the priest shall look, and indeed the mark has not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof or in any article of leather, 54 then the priest shall command them to wash the thing in which the mark occurs, and he shall [ak]isolate it for seven more days. 55 After the article with the mark has been washed, the priest shall again look, and if the mark has not changed its appearance, even though the mark has not spread, it is unclean; you shall burn it in the fire, whether an eating away has produced bareness on the top or on the front of it.

56 “Then if the priest looks, and if the mark has faded after it has been washed, then he shall tear it out of the garment or out of the leather, whether from the warp or from the woof; 57 and if it appears again in the garment, whether in the warp or in the woof or in any article of leather, it is an outbreak; you shall burn the article with the mark in the fire. 58 Now the garment, whether the warp or the woof or any article of leather from which the mark has departed when you washed it, shall then be washed a second time and will be clean.”

59 This is the law for the mark of leprosy in a garment of wool or linen, whether in the warp or in the woof or in any article of leather, for pronouncing it clean or unclean.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 13:2 Lit flesh
  2. Leviticus 13:2 Lit a mark, a stroke; so in ch
  3. Leviticus 13:2 Lit flesh
  4. Leviticus 13:3 Lit flesh
  5. Leviticus 13:3 Lit flesh
  6. Leviticus 13:4 Lit flesh
  7. Leviticus 13:4 Lit the appearance of it is not deeper
  8. Leviticus 13:4 Lit shut up
  9. Leviticus 13:5 Lit has stood
  10. Leviticus 13:5 Lit shut up
  11. Leviticus 13:11 Lit an old
  12. Leviticus 13:11 Lit flesh
  13. Leviticus 13:11 Lit shut up
  14. Leviticus 13:12 Lit with regard to the whole sight of the priest’s eyes
  15. Leviticus 13:13 Lit flesh
  16. Leviticus 13:18 Lit flesh
  17. Leviticus 13:20 Lit the appearance of it is lower
  18. Leviticus 13:21 Lit shut up
  19. Leviticus 13:24 Lit flesh
  20. Leviticus 13:26 Lit lower
  21. Leviticus 13:26 Lit shut up
  22. Leviticus 13:31 Lit shut up
  23. Leviticus 13:33 Lit shut up
  24. Leviticus 13:38 Lit flesh
  25. Leviticus 13:39 Lit flesh
  26. Leviticus 13:39 Lit tetter
  27. Leviticus 13:40 Lit man’s head becomes bald
  28. Leviticus 13:41 Lit border of his face
  29. Leviticus 13:43 Lit flesh
  30. Leviticus 13:45 Or disheveled
  31. Leviticus 13:47 Lit infection, so in ch
  32. Leviticus 13:48 Or weaving or texture
  33. Leviticus 13:49 Or weaving or texture
  34. Leviticus 13:50 Lit shut up
  35. Leviticus 13:51 Lit malignant leprosy
  36. Leviticus 13:52 Lit malignant leprosy
  37. Leviticus 13:54 Lit shut up

The Law Concerning Leprosy

13 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: “When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling, (A)a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his body like a [a]leprous sore, (B)then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. The priest shall examine the sore on the skin of the body; and if the hair on the sore has turned white, and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous sore. Then the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him [b]unclean. But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body, and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the sore (C)seven days. And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day; and indeed if the sore appears to be as it was, and the sore has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall isolate him another seven days. Then the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day; and indeed if the sore has faded, and the sore has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a scab, and he (D)shall wash his clothes and be clean. But if the scab should at all spread over the skin, after he has been seen by the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen by the priest again. And if the priest sees that the scab has indeed spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him [c]unclean. It is leprosy.

“When the leprous sore is on a person, then he shall be brought to the priest. 10 (E)And the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the swelling on the skin is white, and it has turned the hair white, and there is a spot of raw flesh in the swelling, 11 it is an old leprosy on the skin of his body. The priest shall pronounce him [d]unclean, and shall not isolate him, for he is unclean.

12 “And if leprosy breaks out all over the skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin of the one who has the sore, from his head to his foot, wherever the priest looks, 13 then the priest shall consider; and indeed if the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean who has the sore. It has all turned (F)white. He is clean. 14 But when raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean. 15 And the priest shall examine the raw flesh and pronounce him to be unclean; for the raw flesh is unclean. It is leprosy. 16 Or if the raw flesh changes and turns white again, he shall come to the priest. 17 And the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the sore has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him clean who has the sore. He is clean.

18 “If the body develops a (G)boil in the skin, and it is healed, 19 and in the place of the boil there comes a white swelling or a bright spot, reddish-white, then it shall be shown to the priest; 20 and if, when the priest sees it, it indeed appears deeper than the skin, and its hair has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore which has broken out of the boil. 21 But if the priest examines it, and indeed there are no white hairs in it, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall isolate him seven days; 22 and if it should at all spread over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a [e]leprous sore. 23 But if the bright spot stays in one place, and has not spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

24 “Or if the body receives a (H)burn on its skin by fire, and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish-white or white, 25 then the priest shall examine it; and indeed if the hair of the bright spot has turned white, and it appears deeper than the skin, it is leprosy broken out in the burn. Therefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore. 26 But if the priest examines it, and indeed there are no white hairs in the bright spot, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall isolate him seven days. 27 And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day. If it has at all spread over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore. 28 But if the bright spot stays in one place, and has not spread on the skin, but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn. The priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is the scar from the burn.

29 “If a man or woman has a sore on the head or the beard, 30 then the priest shall examine the sore; and indeed if it appears deeper than the skin, and there is in it thin yellow hair, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a scaly leprosy of the head or beard. 31 But if the priest examines the scaly sore, and indeed it does not appear deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the scale seven days. 32 And on the seventh day the priest shall examine the sore; and indeed if the scale has not spread, and there is no yellow hair in it, and the scale does not appear deeper than the skin, 33 he shall shave himself, but the scale he shall not shave. And the priest shall isolate the one who has the scale another seven days. 34 On the seventh day the priest shall examine the scale; and indeed if the scale has not spread over the skin, and does not appear deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. He shall wash his clothes and be clean. 35 But if the scale should at all spread over the skin after his cleansing, 36 then the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the scale has spread over the skin, the priest need not seek for yellow hair. He is unclean. 37 But if the scale appears to be at a standstill, and there is black hair grown up in it, the scale has healed. He is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

38 “If a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the body, specifically white bright spots, 39 then the priest shall look; and indeed if the bright spots on the skin of the body are dull white, it is a white spot that grows on the skin. He is clean.

40 “As for the man whose hair has fallen from his head, he is bald, but he is clean. 41 He whose hair has fallen from his forehead, he is bald on the forehead, but he is clean. 42 And if there is on the bald head or bald (I)forehead a reddish-white sore, it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or his bald forehead. 43 Then the priest shall examine it; and indeed if the swelling of the sore is reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald forehead, as the appearance of leprosy on the skin of the body, 44 he is a leprous man. He is unclean. The priest shall surely pronounce him [f]unclean; his sore is on his (J)head.

45 “Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head (K)bare; and he shall (L)cover his mustache, and cry, (M)‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall [g]dwell alone; his dwelling shall be (N)outside the camp.

The Law Concerning Leprous Garments

47 “Also, if a garment has a [h]leprous plague in it, whether it is a woolen garment or a linen garment, 48 whether it is in the warp or woof of linen or wool, whether in leather or in anything made of leather, 49 and if the plague is greenish or reddish in the garment or in the leather, whether in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, it is a leprous [i]plague and shall be shown to the priest. 50 The priest shall examine the plague and isolate that which has the plague seven days. 51 And he shall examine the plague on the seventh day. If the plague has spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, in the leather or in anything made of leather, the plague is (O)an active leprosy. It is unclean. 52 He shall therefore burn that garment in which is the plague, whether warp or woof, in wool or in linen, or anything of leather, for it is an active leprosy; the garment shall be burned in the fire.

53 “But if the priest examines it, and indeed the plague has not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, 54 then the priest shall command that they wash the thing in which is the plague; and he shall isolate it another seven days. 55 Then the priest shall examine the plague after it has been washed; and indeed if the plague has not changed its color, though the plague has not spread, it is unclean, and you shall burn it in the fire; it continues eating away, whether the damage is outside or inside. 56 If the priest examines it, and indeed the plague has faded after washing it, then he shall tear it out of the garment, whether out of the warp or out of the woof, or out of the leather. 57 But if it appears again in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, it is a spreading plague; you shall burn with fire that in which is the plague. 58 And if you wash the garment, either warp or woof, or whatever is made of leather, if the plague has disappeared from it, then it shall be washed a second time, and shall be clean.

59 “This is the law of the leprous plague in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp or woof, or in anything made of leather, to pronounce it clean or to pronounce it unclean.”

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 13:2 Heb. saraath, disfiguring skin diseases, including leprosy, and so in vv. 2–46 and 14:2–32
  2. Leviticus 13:3 defiled
  3. Leviticus 13:8 defiled
  4. Leviticus 13:11 defiled
  5. Leviticus 13:22 infection
  6. Leviticus 13:44 altogether defiled
  7. Leviticus 13:46 live alone
  8. Leviticus 13:47 A mold, fungus, or similar infestation, and so in vv. 47–59
  9. Leviticus 13:49 mark