Diagnosis of skin disease

13 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ² When a person has a swelling, a scab, or a shiny spot on their skin, and it becomes an infection of skin disease^[a] on their skin, they will be brought to the priests, either to Aaron or one of his sons. ³ The priest will examine the infection on the skin. If hair in the infected area has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin, then it is an infection of skin disease. Once the priest sees this, he will declare the person unclean. ⁴ But if the shiny spot on the skin is white and does not appear to be deeper than the skin and the hair has not turned white, the priest will quarantine the infected person for seven days. ⁵ On the seventh day the priest will again examine the infection. If he sees that it has remained the same—the infection has not spread on the skin—the priest will quarantine the person for seven more days. ⁶ On the seventh day the priest will examine it again. If the infection has faded and has not spread over the skin, the priest will declare the person clean; it is just a rash. The person must wash their clothes, then they will be clean again. ⁷ But if the rash continues to spread over the skin after they appeared before the priest for purification, they must again show themselves to the priest. ⁸ If the priest sees that the rash has spread over the skin, the priest will declare the person unclean; it is a case of skin disease.

⁹ Whenever someone has an infection of skin disease, they will be brought to the priest. ¹⁰ If the priest sees that there is a white swelling on the skin, it has turned the hair white, and there is a patch of raw flesh in the swelling, ¹¹ then it is a case of chronic skin disease on their skin. The priest will declare the person unclean. The priest will not quarantine such persons, because they are already unclean. ¹² But if the skin disease continues to break out so that the disease covers all of the infected person’s skin from head to toe, as far as the priest can tell— ¹³ then the priest will make an examination. If the skin disease has covered the person’s whole body, the priest will declare the infected person clean. The person has turned entirely white; he is clean. ¹⁴ But as soon as raw flesh appears in the swelling, they will be unclean. ¹⁵ When the priest sees the raw flesh, he will declare the person unclean. Raw flesh is unclean; it is a case of skin disease. ¹⁶ But if the raw flesh turns white again, the person will go back to the priest. ¹⁷ The priest will examine it. If the infection has turned white, the priest will declare the infected person clean; at that point, the person is clean.

¹⁸ Whenever someone has a boil on their skin, it heals, ¹⁹ and in place of the boil there is a white swelling or reddish-white shiny spot, it must be shown to the priest. ²⁰ If the priest sees that it appears to be lower than the skin, and its hair has turned white, the priest will declare the person unclean. It is an infection of skin disease that has broken out in the boil. ²¹ But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair in it, it is not lower than the skin, and it is faded, the priest will quarantine the person seven days. ²² If it continues to spread over the skin, the priest will declare the person unclean; it is an infection. ²³ But if the shiny spot remains where it was and does not spread, it is just a scar from the boil. The priest will declare the person clean.

²⁴ Whenever there is a burn on someone’s skin, and the raw patch of the burn becomes a reddish-white or white shiny spot, ²⁵ the priest will examine it. If the hair has turned white in the shiny spot, and it appears to be deeper than the skin, it is a case of skin disease that has broken out in the burn. The priest will declare the person unclean; it is an infection of skin disease. ²⁶ But if the priest examines it, and there is no white hair in the shiny spot, it is not lower than the skin, and it is faded, the priest will quarantine the person seven days. ²⁷ On the seventh day the priest will again examine it. If it has continued to spread over the skin, the priest will declare the person unclean; it is an infection of skin disease. ²⁸ But if the shiny spot remains where it was, has not spread over the skin, and is faded, it is just swelling from the burn. The priest will declare the person clean, because it is just the scar from the burn.

²⁹ Whenever a man or woman has an infection, whether on the head or in the beard, ³⁰ the priest will examine it. If it appears to be deeper than the skin, and there is thin yellow hair in it, the priest will declare the person unclean; it is a case of scabies—a skin disease of the head or beard. ³¹ When the priest examines the scabies infection, if it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, but there is no black hair in it, the priest will quarantine the person with the scabies infection for seven days. ³² On the seventh day the priest will examine the infection again. If the scabies has not spread, there is no yellow hair in it, and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, ³³ the person must shave the area, without shaving the scabies. The priest will then quarantine that person another seven days. ³⁴ On the seventh day the priest will again examine the scabies. If it has not spread over the skin and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, the priest will declare the person clean. They must wash their clothes; then they will be clean again. ³⁵ But if the scabies continues to spread over the skin after the person’s purification, ³⁶ the priest must examine it again. If the scabies has spread over the skin at all, the priest does not need to look for the yellow hair; the person is unclean. ³⁷ But if the priest sees that the scabies has remained the same, and black hair has grown in it, the scabies has healed. The person is clean, and the priest will declare them to be so.

³⁸ Whenever a man or woman has many white shiny spots on their skin, ³⁹ if the priest sees that there are faded white shiny spots on the skin of the body, it is just a rash that has broken out on the skin; the person is clean.

⁴⁰ If someone loses their hair, they are bald, but they are clean. ⁴¹ If the hair is lost at the sides of the forehead, the person has a receding hairline, but they are clean. ⁴² But whenever there is a reddish-white infection in the bald spot or in the receding hairline, it is a case of skin disease breaking out there. ⁴³ The priest must examine it. If the swelling of the infection is reddish white in the bald spot or receding hairline and resembles skin disease on the body, ⁴⁴ the person is afflicted with skin disease; they are unclean. The priest must declare them unclean on account of the head infection.

⁴⁵ Anyone with an infection of skin disease must wear torn clothes, dishevel their hair, cover their upper lip, and shout out, “Unclean! Unclean!” ⁴⁶ They will be unclean as long as they are infected. They are unclean. They must live alone outside the camp.

Articles with skin disease

⁴⁷ Whenever there is an infection of skin disease on clothing—on wool or linen clothing, ⁴⁸ in the weaving of the linen or wool, or on a skin or skin item— ⁴⁹ and the infection is greenish or reddish on the clothing, the weaving, or the skin or skin item, it is an infection of skin disease. It must be shown to the priest. ⁵⁰ The priest will examine the infection and quarantine the infected item seven days. ⁵¹ On the seventh day he will examine the infection again. If the infection has spread in the clothing, the weaving, or the skin, whatever it is used for, the infection is a case of infectious skin disease; the item is unclean. ⁵² The priest will burn the clothing, the weaving of the wool or linen, or whatever skin item in which the infection was found, because it is an infectious skin disease; it must be burned with fire.

⁵³ But if the priest sees that the infection has not spread in the clothing, the weaving, or on any skin item, ⁵⁴ the priest will order that the infected piece be washed, and he will quarantine it for another seven days. ⁵⁵ After it has been washed, if the priest sees that the infection has not changed its appearance, even though the infection has not spread, it is unclean. You must burn it with fire. It is a fungus,^[b] whether it is on the inside or outside.

⁵⁶ But if, after it is washed, the priest sees that the infection has faded, he will tear the infected part out of the cloth, the weaving, or the skin. ⁵⁷ If it appears again in the cloth, the weaving, or any item of skin, it is starting to break out. You must burn the infected item with fire. ⁵⁸ But if the infection disappears from the cloth, the weaving, or any item of skin that you washed, it must be washed again. Then it will be clean.

⁵⁹ This concludes the Instruction about the infection of skin disease in a woolen or linen cloth, weaving, or any skin item, in order to declare whether it is clean or unclean.

Persons with skin disease

14 The Lord said to Moses, ² This will be the Instruction for anyone with skin disease^[c] at the time of purification: When it has been reported to the priest, ³ he will go outside the camp. If the priest sees that the person afflicted with skin disease has been healed of the infection, ⁴ the priest will order that two birds—wild^[d] and clean—and cedarwood, crimson yarn, and hyssop be brought for the person who needs purification. ⁵ The priest will order that one bird be slaughtered over fresh water in a pottery jar. ⁶ He will then take the other wild bird, along with the cedarwood, crimson yarn, and hyssop, and will dip all of this into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water. ⁷ He will sprinkle the person who needs purification from skin disease seven times and declare that they are clean. Then the priest will release the wild bird into the countryside. ⁸ The person who needs purification will then wash their clothes, shave off all of their hair, and bathe in water; at that point, they will be clean. After that, they can return to the camp, but they must live outside their tent for seven days. ⁹ On the seventh day, the person must shave off all their hair again: head, beard, and eyebrows—everything. They must wash their clothes and bathe in water; then they will be clean again.

¹⁰ On the eighth day, that person must take two flawless male sheep, one flawless one-year-old ewe, a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah^[e] of choice flour mixed with oil, and one log^[f] of oil. ¹¹ The priest performing the purification will place these and the person needing purification before the Lord at the meeting tent’s entrance.

¹² The priest will take one of the male sheep and present it as a compensation offering, along with the log of oil, and will lift them as an uplifted offering before the Lord. ¹³ The priest will slaughter the sheep at the same place where the purification offering and the entirely burned offering are slaughtered: in the holy area. The compensation offering, like the purification offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy. ¹⁴ The priest will take some of the blood from the compensation offering and will put it on the right earlobe, the right thumb, and the right big toe of the person needing purification. ¹⁵ Then the priest will take some of the log of oil and pour it into his left palm. ¹⁶ The priest will then dip his right finger into the oil and sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the Lord. ¹⁷ Then the priest will put some of the oil that is left in his hand on the right earlobe, the right thumb, and the right big toe of the person needing purification—this oil will be placed on top of the blood of the compensation offering. ¹⁸ The priest will put whatever is left of the oil in his hand on the head of the person needing purification. In this way, the priest will make reconciliation for the person before the Lord.

¹⁹ The priest will then perform the purification offering and make reconciliation for the person needing purification from their uncleanness. After that, the entirely burned offering will be slaughtered. ²⁰ The priest will offer up the entirely burned offering and the grain offering on the altar. In this way, the priest will make reconciliation for the person, and they will be clean again.

²¹ Now if the person is poor and cannot afford these things, they can bring one male sheep as a compensation offering, to be lifted up in order to make reconciliation for them; a grain offering of one-tenth of an ephah of choice flour mixed with oil; a log of oil; ²² and two turtledoves or two pigeons, whatever they can afford—one as a purification offering and the other as an entirely burned offering. ²³ On the eighth day, they must bring these items for their purification to the priest at the meeting tent’s entrance before the Lord.

²⁴ The priest will take the male sheep for the compensation offering and the log of oil, and will lift them as an uplifted offering before the Lord. ²⁵ The priest will slaughter the sheep for the compensation offering and will take some of its blood and put it on the right earlobe, the right thumb, and the right big toe of the person needing purification. ²⁶ The priest will pour some of the oil into his left palm. ²⁷ Next, the priest will sprinkle some of the oil seven times before the Lord using his right finger. ²⁸ The priest will then put some of the oil that is in his hand on the right earlobe, the right thumb, and the right big toe of the person needing purification—on top of the same places as the blood of the compensation offering. ²⁹ The priest will put whatever is left of the oil in his hand on the head of the person needing purification, to make reconciliation for them before the Lord.

³⁰ The person will then offer one of the turtledoves or pigeons, whatever they can afford— ³¹ one as a purification offering and the other as an entirely burned offering along with the grain offering.^[g] In this way, the priest will make reconciliation before the Lord for the person needing purification.

³² This is the Instruction concerning those who have an infection of skin disease but who cannot afford the normal means of purification.

Houses with skin disease

³³ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: ³⁴ When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving to you as a possession, and I put an infection of skin disease on a house in the land you possess, ³⁵ the homeowner must come and tell the priest, “I think some sort of infection is in my house.” ³⁶ The priest will order that the house be emptied before he comes to examine it so that nothing else in the house will become unclean. After that, the priest will come to examine the house. ³⁷ If he examines the infection, and the infection in the walls of the house consists of greenish or reddish depressions, which appear to be deeper than the surface of the wall, ³⁸ the priest will exit the house, go to the front door, and quarantine the house for seven days. ³⁹ On the seventh day, the priest will return. If he finds that the infection has spread over the walls of the house, ⁴⁰ the priest will order the stones in which the infection is found to be pulled out and discarded outside the city in an unclean area. ⁴¹ The inside of the house will then be scraped on all sides, and the plaster that has been scraped off must be dumped outside the city in an unclean area. ⁴² Then different stones will be used in place of the first ones, and new coating will be used to replaster the house.

⁴³ If the infection breaks out again in the house after the stones have been pulled out and the house scraped and replastered, ⁴⁴ the priest will return. If he finds that the infection has spread throughout the house, it is a case of infectious skin disease in the house; the house is unclean. ⁴⁵ The house must be destroyed—its stones, wood, and all the plaster in the house. All of it must be taken outside the city to an unclean area. ⁴⁶ Anyone who enters the house during the entire period when it is quarantined will be unclean until evening. ⁴⁷ Anyone who lies down in the house must wash their clothes. Anyone who eats in the house must also wash their clothes.

⁴⁸ But if the priest arrives and finds that the infection has not spread after the house was replastered, the priest will declare the house clean because the infection has been healed. ⁴⁹ To cleanse the house, the priest will take two birds, cedarwood, crimson yarn, and hyssop. ⁵⁰ He will slaughter one bird over fresh water in a pottery jar. ⁵¹ He will then take the cedarwood, hyssop, and crimson yarn, along with the wild^[h] bird, and will dip all of this into the fresh water and into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered. He will then sprinkle the house seven times. ⁵² In this way, the priest will cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, the fresh water, the wild bird, the cedarwood, the hyssop, and the crimson yarn. ⁵³ Then he will release the wild bird outside the city into the countryside. In this way, he will make reconciliation for the house, and it will be clean.

Conclusion concerning skin disease

⁵⁴ This concludes the Instruction concerning every infection of skin disease: for scabies, ⁵⁵ for skin disease on clothing or in houses, ⁵⁶ and for swelling, scabs, or shiny spots, ⁵⁷ in order to determine when it is unclean or clean. This concludes the Instruction concerning skin disease.