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Leviticus 11-13
New American Standard Bible

Laws about Animals for Food

11 The Lord spoke again to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘(A)These are the creatures which you may eat from all the animals that are on the earth. 3 Whatever has a divided hoof, showing split hoofs, and chews the cud, among the animals, that you may eat. 4 Nevertheless, (B)you are not to eat of these, among those which chew the cud, or among those which have a divided hoof: the camel, for though it chews cud, it does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean to you. 5 Likewise, the rock hyrax, for though it chews cud, it does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean to you. 6 The [a]rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean to you. 7 And the pig, for though it has a divided hoof, and so it shows a split hoof, it does not chew cud; it is unclean to you. 8 You shall not eat any of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.

9 ‘(C)These you may eat, of whatever is in the water: everything that has fins and scales, in the water, in the seas, or in the rivers, you may eat. 10 (D)But whatever is in the seas and in the rivers that does not have fins and scales among all the teeming life of the water, and among all the living creatures that are in the water, they are detestable things to you, 11 and they shall be detestable to you; you may not eat any of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. 12 Whatever in the water does not have fins and scales is detestable to you.

Avoid the Unclean

13 ‘Moreover, these (E)you shall detest among the birds; they are detestable, not to be eaten: the [b]eagle, the vulture, and the [c]buzzard, 14 the red kite, the falcon in its kind, 15 every raven in its kind, 16 the ostrich, the owl, the seagull, and the hawk in its kind, 17 the little owl, the cormorant, and the [d]great owl, 18 the white owl, the [e]pelican, and the carrion vulture, 19 the stork, the heron in its kinds, the hoopoe, and the bat.

20 ‘All the [f]winged insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you. 21 Yet these you may eat among all the [g]winged insects that walk on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to jump on the earth. 22 These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds, the devastating locust in its kinds, the cricket in its kinds, and the grasshopper in its kinds. 23 But all other [h]winged insects which are four-footed are detestable to you.

24 ‘By these, moreover, you will be made unclean; whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, 25 and (F)whoever picks up any of their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. 26 As for all the animals which have a divided hoof but do not show a split hoof, or do not chew the cud, they are unclean to you; whoever touches them becomes unclean. 27 Also whatever walks on its paws, among all the creatures that walk on all fours, are unclean to you; whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, 28 and the one who picks up their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening; they are unclean to you.

29 ‘Now these are to you the unclean among the swarming things which swarm on the earth: the mole, the mouse, and the [i]great lizard in its kinds, 30 the gecko, the [j]crocodile, the lizard, the [k]sand reptile, and the chameleon. 31 These are to you the unclean among all the swarming things; whoever touches them when they are dead becomes unclean until evening. 32 Also anything on which one of them may fall when they are dead becomes unclean, including any wooden article, or clothing, or a hide, or a sack—any article [l]of which use is made—(G)it shall be put in the water and be unclean until evening, then it becomes clean. 33 As for any (H)earthenware vessel into which one of them may fall, whatever is in it becomes unclean and you shall break [m]the vessel. 34 Any of the [n]food which may be eaten, on which water comes, shall become unclean, and any [o]liquid which may be drunk in every vessel shall become unclean. 35 Moreover, everything on which part of their carcass may fall becomes unclean; an oven or a [p]stove shall be smashed; they are unclean and shall continue as unclean to you. 36 Nevertheless, a spring or a cistern [q]collecting water shall be clean, though the one who touches their carcass shall be unclean. 37 Now if a part of their carcass falls on any seed for sowing which is to be sown, it is clean. 38 But if water is put on the seed and a part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.

39 ‘Also if one of the animals dies which you have for food, the one who touches its carcass becomes unclean until evening. 40 (I)He, too, who eats some of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening, and the one who picks up its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

41 ‘(J)Now every swarming thing that swarms on the earth is detestable, not to be eaten. 42 Whatever crawls on its belly, and whatever walks on all fours, whatever has many feet, in regard to every swarming thing that swarms on the earth, you shall not eat them, because they are detestable. 43 (K)Do not make [r]yourselves detestable through any of the swarming things that swarm; and you shall not make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean. 44 For (L)I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and (M)be holy, because I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. 45 (N)For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt, to be your God; so (O)you shall be holy, because I am holy.’”

46 This is the law regarding the animal and the bird, and every living thing that moves in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth, 47 (P)to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the edible creature and the creature which is not to be eaten.

Laws of Motherhood

12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying:

‘When a woman gives birth and delivers a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days; (Q)as she is in the days of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. 3 Then on (R)the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 And she shall stay at home in her condition of [s]blood purification for thirty-three days; she shall not touch any consecrated thing, nor enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are completed. 5 But if she gives birth to a female child, then she shall be unclean for two weeks, as in her menstruation; and she shall stay at home in her condition of [t]blood purification for sixty-six days.

6 ‘(S)When the days of her purification are completed, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the doorway of the tent of meeting a one-year-old lamb as a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove (T)as a [u]sin offering. 7 Then he shall offer it before the Lord and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the [v]flow of her blood. This is the law for her who gives birth to a child, whether a male or a female. 8 But if [w]she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take (U)two turtledoves or two young doves, (V)the one as a burnt offering and the other as a [x]sin offering; and the (W)priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’”

The Test for Leprosy

13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “When someone has on the skin of his [y]body a swelling, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes an infection of [z]leprosy on the skin of his [aa]body, (X)then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. 3 The priest shall look at the infected area on the skin of the [ab]body, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of his [ac]body, it is an infection of leprosy; when the priest has looked at him, he shall pronounce him unclean. 4 But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his [ad]body, and [ae]it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair on it has not turned white, then the priest shall [af]isolate the person who has the infection for seven days. 5 Then the priest shall look at him on the seventh day, and if in his eyes the infection has [ag]not changed and the infection has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall [ah]isolate him for seven more days. 6 The priest shall then look at him again on the seventh day, and if the infected area has faded and the infection has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a rash. And he shall (Y)wash his clothes and be clean.

7 “But if the rash spreads farther on the skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall appear again to the priest. 8 And the priest shall look, and if the rash has spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is leprosy.

9 “When the infection of leprosy is on someone, then he shall be brought to the priest. 10 The priest shall then look, and if there is a (Z)white swelling on the skin, and it has turned the hair white, and there is new raw flesh in the swelling, 11 it is [ai]a chronic leprosy on the skin of his [aj]body, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean; he shall not [ak]isolate him, for he is unclean. 12 If the leprosy breaks out farther on the skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin of the person who has the infection from his head even to his feet, [al]as far as the priest can see, 13 then the priest shall look, and behold, if the leprosy has covered his entire [am]body, he shall pronounce the one who has the infection clean; it has all turned white and he is clean. 14 But whenever raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean. 15 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 back and is changed to white, then he shall (AA)come to the priest, 17 and the priest shall look at him, and behold, if the infected area has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce the one who has the infection clean; he is clean.

18 “Now when the [an]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 [ao]it appears to be deeper 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 deeper than the skin and is faded, then the priest shall [ap]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 [aq]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 (AB)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 indeed, there is no white hair in the bright spot and it is no deeper than the skin, but is dim, then the priest shall [ar]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 dim, 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 indeed, it appears to be no deeper than the skin and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall [as]isolate the person with the scaly infection for seven days. 32 And on the seventh day the priest shall look at the infection, and if the scale has not spread and no yellowish hair has [at]grown 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 [au]isolate the person with the scale for 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 on the skin, the priest need not look 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, and 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 [av]body, white bright spots, 39 then the priest shall look, and if the bright spots on the skin of their [aw]bodies are a faint white, it is [ax]eczema that has broken out on the skin; he is clean.

40 “Now if a man [ay]loses the hair of his head, he is only (AC)bald; he is clean. 41 And if his head becomes bald at the [az]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 (AD)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 [ba]body, 44 he is a leprous man, he is unclean. The priest must pronounce him unclean; his infection is on his head.

45 “As for the person who has the leprous infection, his clothes shall be torn and (AE)the hair of his head shall be [bb]uncovered, and he shall (AF)cover his [bc]mustache and call out, ‘(AG)Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean. He shall live alone; he shall live (AH)outside the camp.

47 “When a garment has [bd]a mark of leprosy in it, whether it is a wool garment or a linen garment, 48 whether in [be]warp or [bf]woof, of linen or of wool, whether in leather or in any article made of leather, 49 if the [bg]mark is greenish or reddish in the garment or in the leather, whether in the [bh]warp or in the woof, or in any article of leather, it is a leprous [bi]mark and it shall be shown to the priest. 50 Then (AI)the priest shall look at the mark and shall [bj]quarantine 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 [bk]warp or in the woof, or in the leather, whatever the purpose for which the leather is used, the mark is a [bl]leprous malignancy, it is unclean. 52 So he shall burn the garment, whether it is the [bm]warp or the woof, in wool or in linen, or any article of leather, in which the mark occurs; for it is a [bn]leprous malignancy. It shall be burned in the fire.

53 “But if the priest looks, and indeed the mark has not spread in the garment, either in the [bo]warp or in the woof, or in any article of leather, 54 then the priest shall order them to wash the thing in which the mark occurs, and he shall [bp]quarantine 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 if the mark has not spread, it is unclean; you shall burn it in the fire, whether an eating away has produced bareness on the back or on the front of it.

56 “But if the priest looks, and indeed 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 [bq]warp or from the woof; 57 yet 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; the article with the mark shall be burned in the fire. 58 But the garment, whether the warp or the woof, or any article of leather from which the mark has disappeared 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 11:6 Or hare
  2. Leviticus 11:13 Or vulture
  3. Leviticus 11:13 Or black vulture
  4. Leviticus 11:17 Specifically, great horned owl
  5. Leviticus 11:18 Or owl; or jackdaw
  6. Leviticus 11:20 Lit swarming things with wings
  7. Leviticus 11:21 See note v 20
  8. Leviticus 11:23 See note v 20
  9. Leviticus 11:29 Or thorn-tailed lizard
  10. Leviticus 11:30 Or lizard
  11. Leviticus 11:30 Species as yet undefined
  12. Leviticus 11:32 Lit with which work is done
  13. Leviticus 11:33 Lit it
  14. Leviticus 11:34 I.e., if touched by a carcass; cf. vv 29-32
  15. Leviticus 11:34 I.e., if touched by a carcass; cf. vv 29-32
  16. Leviticus 11:35 Lit hearth for supporting (two) pots
  17. Leviticus 11:36 Lit a collecting place of
  18. Leviticus 11:43 Lit your souls
  19. Leviticus 12:4 Lit blood of purifying; i.e., ritually clean blood from childbirth
  20. Leviticus 12:5 See note v 4
  21. Leviticus 12:6 Or purification offering
  22. Leviticus 12:7 Lit fountain
  23. Leviticus 12:8 Lit her hand does not find enough for
  24. Leviticus 12:8 Or purification offering
  25. Leviticus 13:2 Lit flesh
  26. Leviticus 13:2 I.e., or a serious, unspecified disease, and so throughout the ch
  27. Leviticus 13:2 Lit flesh
  28. Leviticus 13:3 Lit flesh
  29. Leviticus 13:3 Lit flesh
  30. Leviticus 13:4 Lit flesh
  31. Leviticus 13:4 Lit the appearance of it is not deeper
  32. Leviticus 13:4 Lit separate
  33. Leviticus 13:5 Lit stood
  34. Leviticus 13:5 Lit separate
  35. Leviticus 13:11 Lit aging
  36. Leviticus 13:11 Lit flesh
  37. Leviticus 13:11 Lit separate
  38. Leviticus 13:12 Lit to the entire sight of the priest’s eyes
  39. Leviticus 13:13 Lit flesh
  40. Leviticus 13:18 Lit flesh
  41. Leviticus 13:20 Lit the appearance of it is deeper
  42. Leviticus 13:21 Lit separate
  43. Leviticus 13:24 Lit flesh
  44. Leviticus 13:26 Lit separate
  45. Leviticus 13:31 Lit separate
  46. Leviticus 13:32 Lit been
  47. Leviticus 13:33 Lit separate
  48. Leviticus 13:38 Lit flesh
  49. Leviticus 13:39 Lit flesh
  50. Leviticus 13:39 Lit vitiligo
  51. Leviticus 13:40 Lit becomes bald on his head
  52. Leviticus 13:41 Lit border of his face
  53. Leviticus 13:43 Lit flesh
  54. Leviticus 13:45 Or disheveled
  55. Leviticus 13:45 I.e., mouth
  56. Leviticus 13:47 Lit an infection, and so throughout the ch
  57. Leviticus 13:48 I.e., lengthwise material in weaving
  58. Leviticus 13:48 I.e., material woven crosswise
  59. Leviticus 13:49 Lit infestation; possibly material already contaminated prior to weaving
  60. Leviticus 13:49 See notes v 48
  61. Leviticus 13:49 Lit infestation; possibly material already contaminated prior to weaving
  62. Leviticus 13:50 Lit separate
  63. Leviticus 13:51 See notes v 48
  64. Leviticus 13:51 Lit malignant leprosy
  65. Leviticus 13:52 See notes v 48
  66. Leviticus 13:52 Lit malignant leprosy
  67. Leviticus 13:53 See notes v 48
  68. Leviticus 13:54 Lit separate
  69. Leviticus 13:56 See notes v 48
Close NLT

Leviticus 11-13
New Living Translation

Ceremonially Clean and Unclean Animals

11 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel.

“Of all the land animals, these are the ones you may use for food. 3 You may eat any animal that has completely split hooves and chews the cud. 4 You may not, however, eat the following animals[a] that have split hooves or that chew the cud, but not both. The camel chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is ceremonially unclean for you. 5 The hyrax[b] chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is unclean. 6 The hare chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is unclean. 7 The pig has evenly split hooves but does not chew the cud, so it is unclean. 8 You may not eat the meat of these animals or even touch their carcasses. They are ceremonially unclean for you.

9 “Of all the marine animals, these are ones you may use for food. You may eat anything from the water if it has both fins and scales, whether taken from salt water or from streams. 10 But you must never eat animals from the sea or from rivers that do not have both fins and scales. They are detestable to you. This applies both to little creatures that live in shallow water and to all creatures that live in deep water. 11 They will always be detestable to you. You must never eat their meat or even touch their dead bodies. 12 Any marine animal that does not have both fins and scales is detestable to you.

13 “These are the birds that are detestable to you. You must never eat them: the griffon vulture, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, 14 the kite, falcons of all kinds, 15 ravens of all kinds, 16 the eagle owl, the short-eared owl, the seagull, hawks of all kinds, 17 the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, 18 the barn owl, the desert owl, the Egyptian vulture, 19 the stork, herons of all kinds, the hoopoe, and the bat.

20 “You must not eat winged insects that walk along the ground; they are detestable to you. 21 You may, however, eat winged insects that walk along the ground and have jointed legs so they can jump. 22 The insects you are permitted to eat include all kinds of locusts, bald locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers. 23 All other winged insects that walk along the ground are detestable to you.

24 “The following creatures will make you ceremonially unclean. If any of you touch their carcasses, you will be defiled until evening. 25 If you pick up their carcasses, you must wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening.

26 “Any animal that has split hooves that are not evenly divided or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you. If you touch the carcass of such an animal, you will be defiled. 27 Of the animals that walk on all fours, those that have paws are unclean. If you touch the carcass of such an animal, you will be defiled until evening. 28 If you pick up its carcass, you must wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening. These animals are unclean for you.

29 “Of the small animals that scurry along the ground, these are unclean for you: the mole rat, the rat, large lizards of all kinds, 30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, the common lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. 31 All these small animals are unclean for you. If any of you touch the dead body of such an animal, you will be defiled until evening. 32 If such an animal dies and falls on something, that object will be unclean. This is true whether the object is made of wood, cloth, leather, or burlap. Whatever its use, you must dip it in water, and it will remain defiled until evening. After that, it will be ceremonially clean and may be used again.

33 “If such an animal falls into a clay pot, everything in the pot will be defiled, and the pot must be smashed. 34 If the water from such a container spills on any food, the food will be defiled. And any beverage in such a container will be defiled. 35 Any object on which the carcass of such an animal falls will be defiled. If it is an oven or hearth, it must be destroyed, for it is defiled, and you must treat it accordingly.

36 “However, if the carcass of such an animal falls into a spring or a cistern, the water will still be clean. But anyone who touches the carcass will be defiled. 37 If the carcass falls on seed grain to be planted in the field, the seed will still be considered clean. 38 But if the seed is wet when the carcass falls on it, the seed will be defiled.

39 “If an animal you are permitted to eat dies and you touch its carcass, you will be defiled until evening. 40 If you eat any of its meat or carry away its carcass, you must wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening.

41 “All small animals that scurry along the ground are detestable, and you must never eat them. 42 This includes all animals that slither along on their bellies, as well as those with four legs and those with many feet. All such animals that scurry along the ground are detestable, and you must never eat them. 43 Do not defile yourselves by touching them. You must not make yourselves ceremonially unclean because of them. 44 For I am the Lord your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. So do not defile yourselves with any of these small animals that scurry along the ground. 45 For I, the Lord, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy.

46 “These are the instructions regarding land animals, birds, marine creatures, and animals that scurry along the ground. 47 By these instructions you will know what is unclean and clean, and which animals may be eaten and which may not be eaten.”

Purification after Childbirth

12 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. If a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. 3 On the eighth day the boy’s foreskin must be circumcised. 4 After waiting thirty-three days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth. During this time of purification, she must not touch anything that is set apart as holy. And she must not enter the sanctuary until her time of purification is over. 5 If a woman gives birth to a daughter, she will be ceremonially unclean for two weeks, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. After waiting sixty-six days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth.

6 “When the time of purification is completed for either a son or a daughter, the woman must bring a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a purification offering. She must bring her offerings to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle.[c] 7 The priest will then present them to the Lord to purify her.[d] Then she will be ceremonially clean again after her bleeding at childbirth. These are the instructions for a woman after the birth of a son or a daughter.

8 “If a woman cannot afford to bring a lamb, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One will be for the burnt offering and the other for the purification offering. The priest will sacrifice them to purify her, and she will be ceremonially clean.”

Serious Skin Diseases

13 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “If anyone has a swelling or a rash or discolored skin that might develop into a serious skin disease,[e] that person must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons.[f] 3 The priest will examine the affected area of the skin. If the hair in the affected area has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, it is a serious skin disease, and the priest who examines it must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean.

4 “But if the affected area of the skin is only a white discoloration and does not appear to be more than skin-deep, and if the hair on the spot has not turned white, the priest will quarantine the person for seven days. 5 On the seventh day the priest will make another examination. If he finds the affected area has not changed and the problem has not spread on the skin, the priest will quarantine the person for seven more days. 6 On the seventh day the priest will make another examination. If he finds the affected area has faded and has not spread, the priest will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. It was only a rash. The person’s clothing must be washed, and the person will be ceremonially clean. 7 But if the rash continues to spread after the person has been examined by the priest and has been pronounced clean, the infected person must return to be examined again. 8 If the priest finds that the rash has spread, he must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean, for it is indeed a skin disease.

9 “Anyone who develops a serious skin disease must go to the priest for an examination. 10 If the priest finds a white swelling on the skin, and some hair on the spot has turned white, and there is an open sore in the affected area, 11 it is a chronic skin disease, and the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean. In such cases the person need not be quarantined, for it is obvious that the skin is defiled by the disease.

12 “Now suppose the disease has spread all over the person’s skin, covering the body from head to foot. 13 When the priest examines the infected person and finds that the disease covers the entire body, he will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. Since the skin has turned completely white, the person is clean. 14 But if any open sores appear, the infected person will be pronounced ceremonially unclean. 15 The priest must make this pronouncement as soon as he sees an open sore, since open sores indicate the presence of a skin disease. 16 However, if the open sores heal and turn white like the rest of the skin, the person must return to the priest 17 for another examination. If the affected areas have indeed turned white, the priest will then pronounce the person ceremonially clean by declaring, ‘You are clean!’

18 “If anyone has a boil on the skin that has started to heal, 19 but a white swelling or a reddish white spot develops in its place, that person must go to the priest to be examined. 20 If the priest examines it and finds it to be more than skin-deep, and if the hair in the affected area has turned white, the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean. The boil has become a serious skin disease. 21 But if the priest finds no white hair on the affected area and the problem appears to be no more than skin-deep and has faded, the priest must quarantine the person for seven days. 22 If during that time the affected area spreads on the skin, the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean, because it is a serious disease. 23 But if the area grows no larger and does not spread, it is merely the scar from the boil, and the priest will pronounce the person ceremonially clean.

24 “If anyone has suffered a burn on the skin and the burned area changes color, becoming either reddish white or shiny white, 25 the priest must examine it. If he finds that the hair in the affected area has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, a skin disease has broken out in the burn. The priest must then pronounce the person ceremonially unclean, for it is clearly a serious skin disease. 26 But if the priest finds no white hair on the affected area and the problem appears to be no more than skin-deep and has faded, the priest must quarantine the infected person for seven days. 27 On the seventh day the priest must examine the person again. If the affected area has spread on the skin, the priest must pronounce that person ceremonially unclean, for it is clearly a serious skin disease. 28 But if the affected area has not changed or spread on the skin and has faded, it is simply a swelling from the burn. The priest will then pronounce the person ceremonially clean, for it is only the scar from the burn.

29 “If anyone, either a man or woman, has a sore on the head or chin, 30 the priest must examine it. If he finds it is more than skin-deep and has fine yellow hair on it, the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean. It is a scabby sore of the head or chin. 31 If the priest examines the scabby sore and finds that it is only skin-deep but there is no black hair on it, he must quarantine the person for seven days. 32 On the seventh day the priest must examine the sore again. If he finds that the scabby sore has not spread, and there is no yellow hair on it, and it appears to be only skin-deep, 33 the person must shave off all hair except the hair on the affected area. Then the priest must quarantine the person for another seven days. 34 On the seventh day he will examine the sore again. If it has not spread and appears to be no more than skin-deep, the priest will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. The person’s clothing must be washed, and the person will be ceremonially clean. 35 But if the scabby sore begins to spread after the person is pronounced clean, 36 the priest must do another examination. If he finds that the sore has spread, the priest does not need to look for yellow hair. The infected person is ceremonially unclean. 37 But if the color of the scabby sore does not change and black hair has grown on it, it has healed. The priest will then pronounce the person ceremonially clean.

38 “If anyone, either a man or woman, has shiny white patches on the skin, 39 the priest must examine the affected area. If he finds that the shiny patches are only pale white, this is a harmless skin rash, and the person is ceremonially clean.

40 “If a man loses his hair and his head becomes bald, he is still ceremonially clean. 41 And if he loses hair on his forehead, he simply has a bald forehead; he is still clean. 42 However, if a reddish white sore appears on the bald area on top of his head or on his forehead, this is a skin disease. 43 The priest must examine him, and if he finds swelling around the reddish white sore anywhere on the man’s head and it looks like a skin disease, 44 the man is indeed infected with a skin disease and is unclean. The priest must pronounce him ceremonially unclean because of the sore on his head.

45 “Those who suffer from a serious skin disease must tear their clothing and leave their hair uncombed.[g] They must cover their mouth and call out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 As long as the serious disease lasts, they will be ceremonially unclean. They must live in isolation in their place outside the camp.

Treatment of Contaminated Clothing

47 “Now suppose mildew[h] contaminates some woolen or linen clothing, 48 woolen or linen fabric, the hide of an animal, or anything made of leather. 49 If the contaminated area in the clothing, the animal hide, the fabric, or the leather article has turned greenish or reddish, it is contaminated with mildew and must be shown to the priest. 50 After examining the affected spot, the priest will put the article in quarantine for seven days. 51 On the seventh day the priest must inspect it again. If the contaminated area has spread, the clothing or fabric or leather is clearly contaminated by a serious mildew and is ceremonially unclean. 52 The priest must burn the item—the clothing, the woolen or linen fabric, or piece of leather—for it has been contaminated by a serious mildew. It must be completely destroyed by fire.

53 “But if the priest examines it and finds that the contaminated area has not spread in the clothing, the fabric, or the leather, 54 the priest will order the object to be washed and then quarantined for seven more days. 55 Then the priest must examine the object again. If he finds that the contaminated area has not changed color after being washed, even if it did not spread, the object is defiled. It must be completely burned up, whether the contaminated spot[i] is on the inside or outside. 56 But if the priest examines it and finds that the contaminated area has faded after being washed, he must cut the spot from the clothing, the fabric, or the leather. 57 If the spot later reappears on the clothing, the fabric, or the leather article, the mildew is clearly spreading, and the contaminated object must be burned up. 58 But if the spot disappears from the clothing, the fabric, or the leather article after it has been washed, it must be washed again; then it will be ceremonially clean.

59 “These are the instructions for dealing with mildew that contaminates woolen or linen clothing or fabric or anything made of leather. This is how the priest will determine whether these items are ceremonially clean or unclean.”

Footnotes

  1. 11:4 The identification of some of the animals, birds, and insects in this chapter is uncertain.
  2. 11:5 Or coney, or rock badger.
  3. 12:6 Hebrew Tent of Meeting.
  4. 12:7 Or to make atonement for her; also in 12:8.
  5. 13:2a Traditionally rendered leprosy. The Hebrew word used throughout this passage is used to describe various skin diseases.
  6. 13:2b Or one of his descendants.
  7. 13:45 Or and uncover their heads.
  8. 13:47 Traditionally rendered leprosy. The Hebrew term used throughout this passage is the same term used for the various skin diseases described in 13:1-46.
  9. 13:55 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
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