Cleansing From Defiling Skin Diseases

14 The Lord said to Moses, “These are the regulations for any diseased person at the time of their ceremonial cleansing, when they are brought to the priest:(A) The priest is to go outside the camp and examine them.(B) If they have been healed of their defiling skin disease,[a](C) the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop(D) be brought for the person to be cleansed.(E) Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot.(F) He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.(G) Seven times(H) he shall sprinkle(I) the one to be cleansed of the defiling disease, and then pronounce them clean. After that, he is to release the live bird in the open fields.(J)

“The person to be cleansed must wash their clothes,(K) shave off all their hair and bathe with water;(L) then they will be ceremonially clean.(M) After this they may come into the camp,(N) but they must stay outside their tent for seven days. On the seventh day(O) they must shave off all their hair;(P) they must shave their head, their beard, their eyebrows and the rest of their hair. They must wash their clothes and bathe themselves with water, and they will be clean.(Q)

10 “On the eighth day(R) they must bring two male lambs and one ewe lamb(S) a year old, each without defect, along with three-tenths of an ephah[b](T) of the finest flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering,(U) and one log[c] of oil.(V) 11 The priest who pronounces them clean shall present(W) both the one to be cleansed and their offerings before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting.(X)

12 “Then the priest is to take one of the male lambs and offer it as a guilt offering,(Y) along with the log of oil; he shall wave them before the Lord as a wave offering.(Z) 13 He is to slaughter the lamb in the sanctuary area(AA) where the sin offering[d] and the burnt offering are slaughtered. Like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest;(AB) it is most holy. 14 The priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot.(AC) 15 The priest shall then take some of the log of oil, pour it in the palm of his own left hand,(AD) 16 dip his right forefinger into the oil in his palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of it before the Lord seven times.(AE) 17 The priest is to put some of the oil remaining in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering.(AF) 18 The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed(AG) and make atonement for them before the Lord.

19 “Then the priest is to sacrifice the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from their uncleanness.(AH) After that, the priest shall slaughter the burnt offering 20 and offer it on the altar, together with the grain offering, and make atonement for them,(AI) and they will be clean.(AJ)

21 “If, however, they are poor(AK) and cannot afford these,(AL) they must take one male lamb as a guilt offering to be waved to make atonement for them, together with a tenth of an ephah[e] of the finest flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, a log of oil, 22 and two doves or two young pigeons,(AM) such as they can afford, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.(AN)

23 “On the eighth day they must bring them for their cleansing to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting,(AO) before the Lord.(AP) 24 The priest is to take the lamb for the guilt offering,(AQ) together with the log of oil,(AR) and wave them before the Lord as a wave offering.(AS) 25 He shall slaughter the lamb for the guilt offering and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot.(AT) 26 The priest is to pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand,(AU) 27 and with his right forefinger sprinkle some of the oil from his palm seven times before the Lord. 28 Some of the oil in his palm he is to put on the same places he put the blood of the guilt offering—on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot. 29 The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for them before the Lord.(AV) 30 Then he shall sacrifice the doves or the young pigeons, such as the person can afford,(AW) 31 one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering,(AX) together with the grain offering. In this way the priest will make atonement before the Lord on behalf of the one to be cleansed.(AY)

32 These are the regulations for anyone who has a defiling skin disease(AZ) and who cannot afford the regular offerings(BA) for their cleansing.

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 14:3 The Hebrew word for defiling skin disease, traditionally translated “leprosy,” was used for various diseases affecting the skin; also in verses 7, 32, 54 and 57.
  2. Leviticus 14:10 That is, probably about 11 pounds or about 5 kilograms
  3. Leviticus 14:10 That is, about 1/3 quart or about 0.3 liter; also in verses 12, 15, 21 and 24
  4. Leviticus 14:13 Or purification offering; also in verses 19, 22 and 31
  5. Leviticus 14:21 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms

Purification of the Diseased

14 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “This shall be the rule for the person with a defiling skin disease at the time of his cleansing:

“He shall be brought to the priest;(A) the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall make an examination. If the disease is healed in the defiled person, the priest shall command that two living clean birds and cedarwood and crimson yarn and hyssop be brought for the one who is to be cleansed.(B) The priest shall command that one of the birds be slaughtered over fresh water in a clay vessel. He shall take the living bird with the cedarwood and the crimson yarn and the hyssop and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water. He shall sprinkle it seven times upon the one who is to be cleansed of the defiling disease; then he shall pronounce him clean, and he shall let the living bird go into the open field.(C) The one who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe himself in water, and he shall be clean. After that he shall come into the camp but shall live outside his tent seven days.(D) On the seventh day he shall shave all his hair: of head, beard, eyebrows; he shall shave all his hair. Then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he shall be clean.

10 “On the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish and one ewe lamb in its first year without blemish and a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of choice flour mixed with oil and one log[a] of oil.(E) 11 The priest who cleanses shall set the person to be cleansed, along with these things, before the Lord, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 12 The priest shall take one of the lambs and offer it as a guilt offering, along with the log[b] of oil, and raise them as an elevation offering before the Lord.(F) 13 He shall slaughter the lamb in the place where the purification offering and the burnt offering are slaughtered in the holy place, for the guilt offering, like the purification offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy.(G) 14 The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed and on the thumb of the right hand and on the big toe of the right foot.(H) 15 The priest shall take some of the log[c] of oil and pour it into the palm of his own left hand 16 and dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand and sprinkle some oil with his finger seven times before the Lord. 17 Some of the oil that remains in his hand the priest shall put on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed and on the thumb of the right hand and on the big toe of the right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. 18 The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed. Then the priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the Lord:(I) 19 the priest shall offer the purification offering, to make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. Afterward he shall slaughter the burnt offering,(J) 20 and the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. Thus the priest shall make atonement on his behalf, and he shall be clean.

21 “But if he is poor and cannot afford so much, he shall take one male lamb for a guilt offering to be elevated, to make atonement on his behalf, and one-tenth of an ephah of choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering and a log[d] of oil,(K) 22 also two turtledoves or two pigeons, such as he can afford, one for a purification offering and the other for a burnt offering.(L) 23 On the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, before the Lord,(M) 24 and the priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log[e] of oil, and the priest shall raise them as an elevation offering before the Lord.(N) 25 The priest shall slaughter the lamb of the guilt offering and shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed and on the thumb of the right hand and on the big toe of the right foot.(O) 26 The priest shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand 27 and shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the Lord. 28 The priest shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed and on the thumb of the right hand and the big toe of the right foot, where the blood of the guilt offering was placed.(P) 29 The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement on his behalf before the Lord. 30 And he shall offer, of the turtledoves or pigeons, such as he can afford,(Q) 31 one[f] for a purification offering and the other for a burnt offering, along with a grain offering, and the priest shall make atonement before the Lord on behalf of the one being cleansed.(R) 32 This is the rule for the one who has a defiling disease who cannot afford the offerings for his cleansing.”

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Footnotes

  1. 14.10 A liquid measure
  2. 14.12 A liquid measure
  3. 14.15 A liquid measure
  4. 14.21 A liquid measure
  5. 14.24 A liquid measure
  6. 14.31 Gk Syr: Heb afford, such as he can afford, one