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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

Skin Disease, Varieties and Symptoms

13 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

“When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling[a] or an eruption or a spot and it turns into a defiling disease on the skin of his body, he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests.(A) The priest shall examine the disease on the skin of his body, and if the hair in the diseased area has turned white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a defiling disease; after the priest has examined him he shall pronounce him unclean. But if the spot is white in the skin of his body and appears no deeper than the skin and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall confine the diseased person for seven days.(B) The priest shall examine him on the seventh day, and if he sees that the disease is checked and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall confine him seven days more. The priest shall examine him again on the seventh day, and if the disease has abated and the disease has not spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only an eruption, and he shall wash his clothes and be clean.(C) But if the eruption spreads in the skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall appear again before the priest.(D) The priest shall make an examination, and if the eruption has spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is defiling.

“When a person contracts a defiling skin disease, he shall be brought to the priest. 10 The priest shall make an examination, and if there is a white swelling[b] in the skin that has turned the hair white and there is a patch of raw flesh in the swelling,[c](E) 11 it is a chronic defiling disease in the skin of his body. The priest shall pronounce him unclean; he shall not confine him, for he is unclean. 12 But if the defiling disease breaks out in the skin so that it covers all the skin of the diseased person from head to foot, so far as the priest can see, 13 then the priest shall make an examination, and if the defiling disease has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean of the disease; since it has all turned white, he is clean. 14 But if raw flesh ever appears on him, he shall be unclean; 15 the priest shall examine the raw flesh and pronounce him unclean. Raw flesh is unclean; it is defiling.(F) 16 But if the raw flesh again turns white, he shall come to the priest;(G) 17 the priest shall examine him, and if the disease has turned white, the priest shall pronounce the diseased person clean. He is clean.

18 “When there is on the skin of one’s body a boil that has healed,(H) 19 and in the place of the boil there appears a white swelling[d] or a reddish-white spot, it shall be shown to the priest.(I) 20 The priest shall make an examination, and if it appears deeper than the skin and its hair has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; this is a defiling disease, broken out in the boil. 21 But if the priest examines it and the hair on it is not white nor is it deeper than the skin but has abated, the priest shall confine him seven days.(J) 22 If it spreads in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is diseased. 23 But if the spot remains in one place and does not spread, it is the scar of the boil; the priest shall pronounce him clean.

24 “Or when the body has a burn on the skin and the patch of the burn becomes a spot, reddish-white or white, 25 the priest shall examine it. If the hair in the spot has turned white and appears deeper than the skin, it is defiling; it has broken out in the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. This is a defiling disease.(K) 26 But if the priest examines it and the hair in the spot is not white and it is no deeper than the skin but has abated, the priest shall confine him seven days. 27 The priest shall examine him the seventh day; if it is spreading in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. This is a defiling disease.(L) 28 But if the spot remains in one place and does not spread in the skin but has abated, it is a swelling[e] from the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is the scar of the burn.

29 “When a man or a woman has a disease on the head or in the beard,(M) 30 the priest shall examine the disease. If it appears deeper than the skin and the hair in it is yellow and thin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is an itch, a defiling disease of the head or the beard. 31 If the priest examines the itching disease, and it appears no deeper than the skin and there is no black hair in it, the priest shall confine the person with the itching disease for seven days. 32 On the seventh day the priest shall examine the itch; if the itch has not spread and there is no yellow hair in it and the itch appears to be no deeper than the skin,(N) 33 he shall shave, but the itch he shall not shave. The priest shall confine the person with the itch for seven days more. 34 On the seventh day the priest shall examine the itch; if the itch has not spread in the skin and it appears to be no deeper than the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean. He shall wash his clothes and be clean.(O) 35 But if the itch spreads in the skin after he was pronounced clean, 36 the priest shall examine him. If the itch has spread in the skin, the priest need not seek for the yellow hair; he is unclean.(P) 37 But if in his eyes the itch is checked and black hair has grown in it, the itch is healed; he is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

38 “When a man or a woman has spots on the skin of the body, white spots, 39 the priest shall make an examination, and if the spots on the skin of the body are of a dull white, it is a rash that has broken out on the skin; he is clean.

40 “If anyone loses the hair from his head, he is bald, but he is clean.(Q) 41 If he loses the hair from his forehead and temples, he has baldness of the forehead, but he is clean. 42 But if there is on the bald head or the bald forehead a reddish-white diseased spot, it is a defiling disease breaking out on his bald head or his bald forehead. 43 The priest shall examine him; if the diseased swelling[f] is reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald forehead, which resembles a defiling disease in the skin of the body, 44 he is defiled; he is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him unclean; the disease is on his head.(R)

45 “The person who has the defiling disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head be disheveled, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ 46 He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.(S)

47 “Concerning clothing: when a defiling disease appears in it, in woolen or linen cloth, 48 in warp or woof of linen or wool or in a skin or in anything made of skin, 49 if the disease shows greenish or reddish in the garment, whether in warp or woof or in skin or in anything made of skin, it is a defiling disease and shall be shown to the priest. 50 The priest shall examine the disease and put the diseased article aside for seven days. 51 He shall examine the disease on the seventh day. If the disease has spread in the cloth, in warp or woof, or in the skin, whatever be the use of the skin, this is a spreading defiling disease; it is unclean.(T) 52 He shall burn the clothing, whether diseased in warp or woof, woolen or linen, or anything of skin, for it is a spreading defiling disease; it shall be burned in fire.(U)

53 “If the priest makes an examination and the disease has not spread in the clothing, in warp or woof, or in anything of skin, 54 the priest shall command that the diseased article be washed, and he shall put it aside seven days more.(V) 55 The priest shall examine the diseased article after it has been washed. If the diseased spot has not changed color, though the disease has not spread, it is unclean; you shall burn it in fire, whether the worn[g] spot is on the inside or on the outside.

56 “If the priest makes an examination, and the disease has abated after it is washed, he shall tear the spot out of the cloth, in warp or woof, or out of skin.(W) 57 If it appears again in the garment, in warp or woof, or in anything of skin, it is spreading; you shall burn with fire that in which the disease appears. 58 But the cloth, warp or woof, or anything of skin from which the disease disappears when you have washed it shall then be washed a second time, and it shall be clean.

59 “This is the rule for a defiling disease in a cloth of wool or linen, either in warp or woof, or in anything of skin, to decide whether it is clean or unclean.”

Footnotes

  1. 13.2 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. 13.10 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. 13.10 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  4. 13.19 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  5. 13.28 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  6. 13.43 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  7. 13.55 Meaning of Heb uncertain