Leviticus 13-15
International Children’s Bible
Rules About Skin Diseases
13 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Someone might have a swelling on his skin. Or he might have a scab or a bright spot on his skin. If the sore looks like a harmful skin disease, the person must be brought to Aaron the priest. Or he must be brought to one of Aaron’s sons, the priests. 3 The priest must look at the sore on the person’s skin. The hair in the sore may have become white. And the sore may seem deeper than the person’s skin. If so, it is a harmful skin disease. When he has finished looking at the person, the priest must announce that the person is unclean.
4 “Sometimes there is a white spot on a person’s skin, but the spot does not seem deeper than the skin. If that is true, and if the hair from the spot has not turned white, the priest must separate that person from other people for seven days. 5 On the seventh day the priest must look at the person again. He may see that the sore has not changed. It might not have spread on the skin. Then the priest must keep the person separated for seven more days. 6 On the seventh day the priest must look at the person again. The sore may have faded. And it may not have spread on the skin. If that is true, the priest must announce that the person is clean. The sore is only a rash. The person must wash his clothes. Then he will become clean again.
7 “But the sore may have spread again after the priest has announced him clean. Then the person must come again to the priest. 8 The priest must look at him. If the rash has spread on the skin, the priest must announce that person is unclean. It is a harmful skin disease.
9 “If a person has a harmful skin disease, he must be brought to the priest. 10 The priest must look at him. There might be a white swelling in the skin. And the hair may have become white. And the skin may look raw in the swelling. 11 If these things are true, it is a harmful skin disease. It is one that he has had for a long time. The priest must announce that the person is unclean. He will not need to separate that person from other people. This is because everyone already knows that the person is unclean.
12 “Sometimes skin disease spreads all over a person’s body. The disease covers that person’s skin from his head to his feet, as far as the priest can see. Then the priest must look at the person’s whole body. 13 The priest might see that the disease covers the whole body. It might have turned all of the person’s skin white. Then the priest must announce that the person is clean.
14 “But when the person has an open sore, he is not clean. 15 When the priest sees the open sore, he must announce that the person is unclean. The open sore is not clean. It is a harmful skin disease. 16 If the open sore becomes white again, the person must come to the priest. 17 The priest must look at him. If the sores have become white, the priest must announce that the person with the sores is clean. Then he will be clean.
18 “Someone may have a boil on his skin, but it is healed. 19 In the place where the boil was, there might be a white swelling. Or there might be a bright red spot. This place on the skin must be shown to the priest. 20 And the priest must look at it. The spot might seem deeper than the skin. And the hair on it might have become white. If these things are true, the priest must announce that the person is unclean. The spot is a harmful skin disease. It has broken out from inside the boil. 21 But the priest must look at the spot. There might be no white hairs in it. The spot may not be deeper than the skin. And it may have faded. Then the priest must separate the person from other people for seven days. 22 If the spot spreads on the skin, the priest must announce that the person is unclean. It is a disease that will spread. 23 But the bright spot might not spread or change. Then it is only the scar from the old boil. Then the priest must announce that the person is clean.
24 “A person might get a burn on his skin. If the open sore becomes white or red, 25 the priest must look at it. The white spot might seem deeper than the skin. And the hair at that spot might have become white. If these things are true, it is a harmful skin disease. The disease has broken out in the burn. Then the priest must announce that the person is unclean. It is a harmful skin disease. 26 But the priest must look at the spot. There might be no white hair in the bright spot. And the spot may be no deeper than the skin. It may have faded. Then the priest must separate the person from other people for seven days. 27 On the seventh day the priest must look at him again. If the spot has spread on the skin, the priest must announce that the person is unclean. It is a harmful skin disease. 28 But the bright spot may not have spread on the skin. It may have faded. Then it is the swelling from the burn. And the priest must announce that the person is clean. The spot is only a scar from the burn.
29 “Someone might get a sore on his scalp or on his chin. 30 A priest must look at the sore. It may seem to be deeper than the skin. And the hair around it may be thin and yellow. If these things are true, the priest must announce that the person is unclean. It is an itch, a harmful skin disease of the head or chin. 31 But when the priest looks at it, the sore might not seem deeper than the skin. There might not be any black hair in it. If that is true, the priest must separate the person from other people for seven days. 32 On the seventh day the priest must look at the sore. It may not have spread. There may be no yellow hairs growing in it. And the sore may not seem deeper than the skin. 33 If these things are true, the person must shave himself. But he must not shave the sore place. The priest must separate that person from other people for seven more days. 34 On the seventh day the priest must look at the sore. The sore may not have spread on the skin. And it may not seem deeper than the skin. If that is true, the priest must announce that the person is clean. So the person must wash his clothes and become clean. 35 But the sore might spread on the skin after the person has become clean. 36 Then the priest must look at him again. If the sore has spread on the skin, the priest doesn’t need to look for the yellowish hair. The person is unclean. 37 But the priest might think the sore has stopped spreading. And black hair may be growing in it. Then the sore has healed. The person is clean. And the priest must announce that he is clean.
38 “When a person has white spots on his skin, 39 a priest must look at them. If the spots on his skin are dull white, the disease is only a harmless rash. That person is clean.
40 “A man might lose hair from his head and be bald. He is clean. 41 He might lose hair from the front of his head and have a bald forehead. He is clean. 42 But if there is a red-white sore on his scalp, it is a skin disease. 43 A priest must look at that person. The swelling of the sore might be red-white. It might look like a skin disease that spreads. 44 Then that person has a skin disease. He is unclean. And the priest must announce that the person is unclean because of the sore on his head.
45 “If a person has a skin disease that spreads, he must warn other people. He must shout, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ His clothes must be torn at the seams. He must let his hair stay uncombed. And he must cover his mouth. 46 That person will be unclean the whole time he has the disease. He is unclean. He must live alone outside the camp.
Rules About Mildew
47 “Some clothing might have mildew on it. The cloth might be linen or wool. 48 It might be woven or knitted. The mildew might be on a piece of leather or on something made from leather. 49 The mildew might be in the clothing, leather or woven or knitted material. If the mildew is green or red, it is a spreading mildew. Then it must be shown to the priest. 50 The priest must look at the mildew. And he must put that thing in a separate place for seven days. 51 On the seventh day he must look at the mildew. It doesn’t matter if the mildew is on leather or cloth. It doesn’t matter if the cloth is woven or knitted. It doesn’t matter what it was used for. If the mildew has spread, it is a mildew that destroys. 52 The priest must burn it. It does not matter if it is woven or knitted, wool or linen or a leather article. The mildew is spreading. The thing must be burned.
53 “If the priest sees that the mildew has not spread, the cloth or leather must be washed. It does not matter if it is leather or cloth, knitted or woven. It must be washed. 54 The priest must order the people to wash that piece of leather or cloth. Then he must separate the clothing for seven more days. 55 After that time the priest must look at it again. If the mildew still looks the same, that thing is unclean. It does not matter if the mildew has not spread. You must burn that cloth or piece of leather.
56 “But when the priest looks at that piece of leather or cloth, the mildew might have faded. Then the priest must tear the mildew out of the piece of leather or cloth. It does not matter if the cloth is woven or knitted. 57 But the mildew might come back to that piece of leather or cloth. If that happens, the mildew is spreading. And that piece of leather or cloth must be burned. 58 The cloth, the woven or knitted material, or the leather may be washed. The mildew may then be gone. It must be washed again. Then it will be clean.
59 “These are the teachings about mildew on pieces of leather or cloth. It doesn’t matter if the cloth is woven or knitted.”
Rules for Cleansing from Skin Diseases
14 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “These are the teachings for people who had a harmful skin disease and have become well. These teachings are for making that person clean.
3 “A priest must look at the person who had the skin disease. He must go to that person outside the camp. He must see if the skin disease is healed. 4 If the person is healthy, the priest will tell him to do these things: He must get two living, clean birds. He must also get a piece of cedar wood, a piece of red cloth and a hyssop plant. These things are for cleansing the person with the skin disease.
5 “The priest must order one bird to be killed in a clay bowl containing fresh water. 6 Then he will take the other bird that is still alive. He will take the piece of cedar wood, the red cloth and the hyssop. He will dip the living bird and other things into the blood. (This is the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.) 7 The priest will sprinkle the blood seven times on the person who had the skin disease. He must announce that the person is clean. Then the priest must go to an open field. He must let the living bird go free.
8 “Next, that person must wash his clothes. He must shave off all his hair. And he must wash with water. Then he will be clean and may go into the camp. But at first he must stay outside his tent for seven days. 9 On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair. He must shave off his hair, his beard and his eyebrows. He must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water. Then he will be clean.
10 “On the eighth day the person who had the skin disease must take two male lambs. They must have nothing wrong with them. He must also take a year-old female lamb. It must have nothing wrong with it. The person must take six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil. This is for a grain offering. He must also take two-thirds of a pint of olive oil. 11 A priest must announce that the person is clean. Then he must bring that person and his sacrifices before the Lord. This is at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. 12 The priest will take one of the male lambs. He will offer it and the olive oil as a guilt offering. And he will present them before the Lord as an offering. 13 Then he will kill the male lamb in the holy place. He will kill it where they kill the sin offering and the whole burnt offering. The penalty offering is like the sin offering. It belongs to the priest. It is most holy.
14 “The priest will take some of the blood of the penalty offering. He will put some of it on the bottom of the right ear of the person to be made clean. He will put some of it on the thumb of the person’s right hand. And he will put some on the big toe of the person’s right foot. 15 The priest will also take some of the oil and pour it into his own left hand. 16 Then he will dip a finger of his right hand into the oil that is in his left hand. He will use his finger to sprinkle some of the oil seven times before the Lord. 17 The priest will put some oil from his hand on the bottom of the right ear of the person to be made clean. He will put some of it on the thumb of the person’s right hand. And he will put some of it on the big toe of the person’s right foot. The oil will go on these places on top of the blood for the penalty offering. 18 He will put the rest of the oil that is in his left hand on the head of the person to be made clean. In this way the priest will make that person clean so he can belong to the Lord again.
19 “Next the priest will offer the sin offering. It will make that person clean so he can belong to the Lord again. After this the priest will kill the animal for the whole burnt offering. 20 Then he will offer the burnt offering and grain offering on the altar. In this way he will make that person clean so he can belong to the Lord again.
21 “But the person may be poor and unable to afford these offerings. Then he must take one male lamb for a penalty offering. It will be presented to the Lord so the priest can make that person clean. Then he can belong to the Lord again. The person must take two quarts of fine flour mixed with oil. It will be used for a grain offering. He must also take two-thirds of a pint of olive oil. 22 He must take two doves or two young pigeons, which he can afford. One bird will be a sin offering. The other will be a whole burnt offering. 23 On the eighth day the person will bring them to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. The gifts will be offered before the Lord. This is so the person can become clean. 24 The priest will take the lamb for the penalty offering and the oil. He will present them as an offering before the Lord. 25 Then he will kill the lamb of the penalty offering. He will take some of the blood of the penalty offering. He will put it on the bottom of the right ear of the person to be made clean. The priest will put some of this blood on the thumb of the person’s right hand. And he will put some on the big toe of the person’s right foot. 26 He will also pour some of the oil into his own left hand. 27 Then with a finger of his right hand, he will sprinkle some of the oil from his left hand. He will sprinkle it seven times before the Lord. 28 Then the priest will take some of the oil from his hand. He will put it on the bottom of the right ear of the person to be made clean. He will also put some of it on the thumb of the person’s right hand. And he will put some on the big toe of the person’s right foot. The oil will go on these places on top of the blood from the penalty offering. 29 The priest must put the rest of the oil that is in his hand on the head of the person to be made clean. In this way the priest will make the person clean so he can belong to the Lord again. 30 Then the priest will offer one of the doves or young pigeons. He must offer what the person can afford. 31 He must offer one of the birds as a sin offering. And he must offer the other bird as a whole burnt offering. He must offer them with the grain offering. In this way the priest will make the person clean so he can belong to the Lord again. The person will become clean.
32 “These are the teachings for making a person clean. This is done after he has become well from a skin disease. These teachings are for people who cannot afford the regular sacrifices for becoming clean.”
Rules for Cleaning Mildew
33 The Lord also said to Moses and Aaron, 34 “I am giving the land of Canaan to your people. When they enter that land, I might cause mildew to grow in someone’s house. 35 The owner of that house must come and tell the priest. He should say, ‘I have seen something like mildew in my house.’ 36 Then the priest must order the people to empty the house. They must do this before he goes in to look at the mildew. This is so he will not have to say that everything in the house is unclean. After the people have emptied the house, the priest will go in to look at it. 37 He will look at the mildew. The mildew on the walls of the house might be green or red. It might go into the wall’s surface. 38 If these things are true, he must go out and close up the house for seven days. 39 On the seventh day the priest must come back and check the house. The mildew may have spread on the walls of the house. 40 If it has, the priest must order the people to tear out the stones with the mildew on them. They should throw the stones away. They must put the stones at a certain unclean place outside the city. 41 Then the priest must have all the inside of the house scraped. The people must throw away the plaster they scraped off the walls. They must put the plaster at a certain unclean place outside the city. 42 Then the owner must put new stones in the walls. And he must cover the walls with new clay plaster.
43 “A person may have taken away the old stones and plaster. He may have put in new stones and plaster. But mildew may again appear in his house. 44 If it does, the priest must come back and check the house again. If the mildew has spread in the house, it is a mildew that destroys things. So the house is unclean. 45 Then the owner must tear down the house. He must remove all its stones, plaster and wood. He must take them to the unclean place outside the city. 46 Anyone who goes into that house will be unclean until evening. 47 Anyone who eats in that house or lies down there must wash his clothes.
48 “After new stones and plaster have been put in a house, the priest must check it again. The mildew may not have spread in the house. Then the priest will announce that the house is clean. This is because the mildew is gone.
49 “Then, to make the house clean, the priest must take two birds. He must also take a piece of cedar wood, a piece of red cloth and a hyssop plant. 50 He will kill one bird in a clay bowl containing fresh water. 51 Then he will take the other bird that is still alive. He will also take the cedar wood, the hyssop and the red cloth. He will dip the living bird and other things into the blood. (This is the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.) Then the priest will sprinkle the blood on the house seven times. 52 He will use the bird’s blood, the fresh water and the live bird. And he will use the cedar wood, the hyssop and the red cloth. With these things he will make the house clean. 53 The priest will go to an open field outside the city. And he will let the living bird go free. This is how the priest makes the house clean and ready for service to the Lord.”
54 These are the teachings about any kind of skin disease. 55 These are the teachings for mildew on pieces of cloth or in a house. 56 These are also the teachings for swellings, rashes or bright spots on the skin. 57 They teach when things are unclean and when they are clean. These are the teachings about all these kinds of diseases.
Rules About a Man’s Body
15 The Lord also said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Say to the people of Israel: ‘When a fluid comes from a man’s body, he is unclean. 3 It doesn’t matter if the fluid flows freely or if it is blocked from flowing.
4 “‘The man who discharges the body fluid may lie on a bed. If he does, that bed becomes unclean. Everything he sits on becomes unclean. 5 Also anyone who touches his bed must wash his clothes and bathe in water. This person will be unclean until evening. 6 Someone might sit on something that the man who discharges the fluid sat on. If he does, he must wash his clothes and bathe in water. He will be unclean until evening. 7 Anyone who touches the man who discharges the body fluid must wash his clothes and bathe in water. The person will be unclean until evening.
8 “‘The man who discharges the body fluid might spit on a clean person. If so, the person who was clean must wash his clothes. He must bathe in water. The person will be unclean until evening. 9 Everything on which the man who is unclean has ridden will become unclean. 10 Someone might touch something that was under the man who discharges a body fluid. If he does, he will be unclean until evening. Someone might carry these things that were under the man who discharges a body fluid. This person must wash his clothes and bathe in water. He will be unclean until evening.
11 “‘The man who discharges a body fluid may not have washed his hands in water. If he touches another person, that person must wash his clothes. That person must bathe in water. He will be unclean until evening.
12 “‘A man who discharges a body fluid may touch a clay bowl. That bowl must be broken. If he touches a wooden bowl, that bowl must be washed in water.
13 “‘A man who discharges a body fluid may be made clean. He must count seven days for himself for his cleansing. He must wash his clothes and bathe his body in fresh water. Then he will be clean. 14 On the eighth day he must take two doves or two young pigeons. He must come before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. He will give the two birds to the priest. 15 The priest will offer the birds. One bird is for a sin offering. The other is for a burnt offering. So the priest will make that man clean so he can belong to the Lord again.
16 “‘If semen[a] goes out from a man, he must bathe in water. He will be unclean until evening. 17 If the fluid gets on any clothing or leather, it must be washed with water. It will be unclean until evening.
18 “‘If a man has physical relations with a woman and semen comes out, both people must bathe in water. They will be unclean until evening.
Rules About a Woman’s Body
19 “‘When a woman has her monthly period, she is unclean for seven days. Anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening. 20 Anything she lies on during this time will be unclean. Everything she sits on during that time will be unclean. 21 Anyone who touches her bed must wash his clothes and bathe in water. That person will be unclean until evening. 22 Anyone who touches something she has sat on must wash his clothes and bathe in water. That person will be unclean until evening. 23 It does not matter if the person touched the woman’s bed or something she sat on. That person will be unclean until evening.
24 “‘A man might have physical relations with a woman during her monthly period. If he does, he will be unclean for seven days. Every bed he lies on will also be unclean.
25 “‘A woman might have a loss of blood for many days. It may not be during her regular monthly period. Or she may continue to have a loss of blood after her regular period. If she does, she will be unclean, as she is during her monthly period. She will be unclean for as long as she continues to bleed. 26 Any bed she lies on during all the time of her bleeding will be like her bed during her regular monthly period. Everything she sits on will be unclean. It will be like during her regular monthly period.
27 “‘If anyone touches those things, that person will be unclean. He must wash his clothes and bathe in water. He will be unclean until evening. 28 When the woman becomes clean from her bleeding, she must wait seven days. After this she will be clean. 29 Then on the eighth day she must take two doves or two young pigeons. She must bring them to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. 30 Then the priest must offer one bird for a sin offering. He must offer the other bird for a whole burnt offering. So the priest will make her clean so she can belong to the Lord again.
31 “‘So you must warn the people of Israel to stay separated from things that make them unclean. If you don’t warn the people, they might make my Holy Tent unclean. And then they would have to die!’”
32 These are the teachings for the man who discharges a body fluid. These are the teachings for men who become unclean from semen[b] coming out of their bodies. 33 These are the teachings for women who become unclean from their monthly period. These are the teachings for anyone who becomes unclean by having physical relations with another person who is unclean.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
