Add parallel Print Page Options

Concerning Bodily Discharges

15 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them:

“When any man has a discharge from his member,[a] his discharge makes him unclean.(A) The uncleanness of his discharge is this: whether his member[b] flows with its discharge or is stopped from discharging, he is unclean during the entire period his member[c] flows or is stopped from discharging; this is his uncleanness.[d] Every bed on which the one with the discharge lies shall be unclean, and everything on which he sits shall be unclean. Anyone who touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening. All who sit on anything on which the one with the discharge has sat shall wash their clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening. All who touch the body of the one with the discharge shall wash their clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening.(B) If the one with the discharge spits on persons who are clean, then they shall wash their clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening. Any saddle on which the one with the discharge rides shall be unclean. 10 All who touch anything that was under him shall be unclean until the evening, and all who carry such a thing shall wash their clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening.(C) 11 All those whom the one with the discharge touches without his having rinsed his hands in water shall wash their clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening. 12 Any clay vessel that the one with the discharge touches shall be broken, and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.(D)

13 “When the one with a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, he shall count seven days for his cleansing; he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in fresh water, and he shall be clean.(E) 14 On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons and come before the Lord to the entrance of the tent of meeting and give them to the priest.(F) 15 The priest shall offer them, one for a purification offering and the other for a burnt offering, and the priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the Lord for his discharge.(G)

16 “If a man has an emission of semen, he shall bathe his whole body in water and be unclean until the evening.(H) 17 Everything made of cloth or of leather on which the semen falls shall be washed with water and be unclean until the evening. 18 If a man lies with a woman and has an emission of semen, both of them shall bathe in water and be unclean until the evening.(I)

19 “When a woman has a discharge of blood that is a menstrual discharge from her body, she shall be in her impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening.(J) 20 Everything upon which she lies during her impurity shall be unclean; everything also upon which she sits shall be unclean. 21 Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening.(K) 22 Whoever touches anything upon which she sits shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening; 23 whether it is the bed or anything upon which she sits, when he touches it he shall be unclean until the evening. 24 If any man lies with her and her impurity falls on him, he shall be unclean seven days, and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.(L)

25 “If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her menstrual impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness; as in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean.(M) 26 Every bed on which she lies during all the days of her discharge shall be treated as the bed of her impurity, and everything on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her impurity. 27 Whoever touches these things shall be unclean and shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening.(N) 28 If she is cleansed of her discharge, she shall count seven days, and after that she shall be clean. 29 On the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting.(O) 30 The priest shall offer one for a purification offering and the other for a burnt offering, and the priest shall make atonement on her behalf before the Lord for her unclean discharge.

31 “Thus you shall keep the Israelites separate from their uncleanness, so that they do not die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst.(P)

32 “This is the rule for those who have a discharge: for him who has an emission of semen, becoming unclean thereby;(Q) 33 for her who is in the infirmity of her menstrual period; for anyone, male or female, who has a discharge; and for the man who lies with a woman who is unclean.”(R)

Footnotes

  1. 15.2 Heb flesh
  2. 15.3 Heb flesh
  3. 15.3 Heb flesh
  4. 15.3 Q ms Gk Sam: MT lacks during . . . uncleanness

Purification From Bodily Discharges

15 The Lord told Moses and Aaron to speak to the Israelites and to tell them this:

Whenever a man has a discharge flowing from his flesh,[a] that discharge is unclean.

This is the law[b] about how a bodily discharge makes someone unclean: Whether his flesh secretes a discharge or it has a blocked discharge, ⎣he is unclean. As long as his flesh has a discharge or his body blocks a discharge,⎦[c] this makes him unclean.

Any bedding that the man with a discharge lies on is unclean, and every object on which he sits becomes unclean. Anyone who touches his bedding must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and remain unclean until sunset. Whoever sits on any object on which the man with a discharge sat must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and remain unclean until sunset. Whoever touches the body of the man with a discharge must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and remain unclean until sunset.

If the man with a discharge spits on someone who is clean, that person must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and remain unclean until sunset.

Any saddle on which the man with a discharge rides becomes unclean. 10 Everyone who touches anything that was under him will become unclean until sunset, and whoever carries these things must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and remain unclean until sunset. 11 If the man with a discharge touches anyone without washing his hands, that person must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and remain unclean until sunset. 12 Any clay pottery that the man with a discharge touches must be broken, and any vessel or utensil made of wood must be rinsed with water.

13 When the man with a discharge has been cleansed from his discharge, he shall count off seven days for his process of purification, wash his clothes, and bathe his body in water from a flowing source; then, he will be clean. 14 On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons and come before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and give them to the priest. 15 The priest shall present the offering for them—one bird as a sin offering and the other as a whole burnt offering. This is how the priest shall make atonement for the man in the presence of the Lord, from his discharge.

16 When a man has an emission of semen,[d] he must bathe his whole body in water and remain unclean until sunset. 17 Any garment or leather with an emission of semen on it must be washed in water and remain unclean until sunset.

18 Also if a man lies down with a woman and has an emission of semen, they must bathe in water and remain unclean until sunset.

19 When a woman has a discharge of blood from her flesh, her menstrual impurity[e] will last for seven days. Anyone who touches her will remain unclean until sunset. 20 Everything on which she lies during her monthly period is unclean, and everything on which she sits becomes unclean. 21 Anyone who touches her bed must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and remain unclean until sunset, 22 and anyone who touches anything on which she sat must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and remain unclean until sunset. 23 If the uncleanness is on the bed or on anything else on which she is sitting when he touches it, he will become unclean until sunset. 24 And if a man lies down with her, and her menstrual impurity comes in contact with him, he will be unclean for seven days. Any bed on which he lies will be unclean.

25 When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days besides during the time of her monthly period, or when she has a discharge that lasts longer than her monthly period, she will be unclean for as many days as her discharge continues, just as she is during her monthly period. 26 During her discharge any bed on which she lies is to be treated just like the bed during her monthly period, and every piece of furniture on which she sits will be unclean, as it would be during the impurity of her monthly period. 27 Anyone who touches them will become unclean. Any such people must wash their clothes, bathe in water, and remain unclean until sunset.

28 When she is cleansed from her discharge, she shall count off seven days, and after that she will be clean. 29 On the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons for herself and bring them to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 30 The priest shall offer one dove as a sin offering and the other as a whole burnt offering. This is how the priest is to make atonement for her in the presence of the Lord, from the impurity of her discharge.

31 In this way you shall separate the people of Israel from their impurity, so that they do not die in their impurity because they defiled my dwelling place that is in their midst.

32 This is the law for those who have a discharge: for a man who has an emission of semen by which he becomes unclean, 33 for a woman who is not well because of her menstrual period, for anyone, male or female, who has a discharge, and for the man who lies down with a woman who is unclean.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 15:2 Flesh may be a euphemism for genitals, as it sometimes is elsewhere in the Old Testament. See verses 16 and 19 which clearly refer to discharges from the genitals.
  2. Leviticus 15:3 The words the law do not appear in the Hebrew text but are in the Greek Old Testament and agree with a pattern common throughout this section of Leviticus.
  3. Leviticus 15:3 The main Hebrew text is missing these words in half-brackets:⎣he is unclean. As long as his flesh has a discharge or his body blocks a discharge⎦. Ancient Hebrew and Greek versions support this addition to the text. The repetition of the term discharge seems to be the cause of the accidental omission from the Hebrew text, as the scribe’s eye skipped from one occurrence of discharge to the next.
  4. Leviticus 15:16 Literally a laying down of seed
  5. Leviticus 15:19 The Hebrew word translated menstrual impurity is a different word than the word commonly used for impurity or uncleanness throughout this section.