19 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:

And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face:

And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:

And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:

And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.

Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.

And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.

And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.

10 And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever.

11 He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.

12 He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.

13 Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.

14 This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.

15 And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean.

16 And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

17 And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:

18 And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:

19 And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.

20 But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.

21 And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.

22 And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.

紅母牛的灰

19 耶和華對摩西和亞倫說: 「要吩咐以色列人遵行我頒佈的以下律法條例。

「以色列人要牽來一頭毫無殘疾、從未負過軛的紅母牛。 你們要把牛交給以利亞撒祭司,然後牽到營外,當著他的面把牛宰了。 以利亞撒祭司要用指頭蘸牛血,向會幕前面彈七次。 然後,要當著他的面焚燒紅母牛,牛的皮、肉、血和糞都要燒掉。 祭司要把香柏木、牛膝草、朱紅色線扔進燒牛的火裡。 之後,祭司要洗衣沐浴,才能回營,但要等到傍晚才能潔淨。 負責燒牛的人也要洗衣、沐浴,並且要等到傍晚才能潔淨。 要由潔淨的人把紅母牛灰收起來,放在營外潔淨的地方,用於給以色列會眾製作除穢水,作除罪之用。 10 收起牛灰的人也要洗淨衣服,等到傍晚才能潔淨。以色列人和寄居的外族人都要永遠遵行這定例。

11 「碰過屍體的人,七天不潔淨。 12 他要在第三天和第七天用除穢水自潔,才能潔淨,否則就不能潔淨。 13 若有人碰過屍體卻不自潔,他就玷污了耶和華的聖幕,要將他從以色列人中剷除,因為除穢水沒有灑在他身上,污穢還留在他身上。 14 若有人死在帳篷裡,當時走進帳篷的或在場的人都七天不潔淨。 15 帳篷裡沒有蓋的敞口器皿都不潔淨。 16 人若在野外碰過被殺或自然死亡之人的屍體,或碰過死人的骸骨或墳墓,就七天不潔淨。 17 要拿些除罪用的紅母牛灰,放在器皿裡,倒上清水, 18 然後由潔淨的人拿牛膝草蘸這水灑在帳篷及裡面所有的人和器具上,也要灑在碰過骸骨、墳墓、被殺者屍體或自然死亡者屍體的人身上。 19 要由潔淨的人在第三天和第七天把水灑在不潔淨的人身上。到第七天,接受潔淨禮的人要洗衣、沐浴,等到傍晚才能潔淨。 20 若有人沾了污穢卻沒有用除穢水自潔,他就不潔淨,要將他從會眾中剷除,因為他玷污了耶和華的聖所。 21 你們要永遠遵行這定例。灑除穢水的人要洗淨衣服。碰過除穢水的人要等到傍晚才能潔淨。 22 不潔淨的人碰過的東西都不潔淨,碰過這些東西的人傍晚之前都不潔淨。」

Laws of Purification

19 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “This is the [a]ordinance of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without [b]blemish, in which there is no (A)defect (B)and on which a yoke has never come. You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, that he may take it (C)outside the camp, and it shall be slaughtered before him; and Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and (D)sprinkle some of its blood seven times directly in front of the tabernacle of meeting. Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight: (E)its hide, its flesh, its blood, and its offal shall be burned. And the priest shall take (F)cedar wood and (G)hyssop and scarlet, and cast them into the midst of the fire burning the heifer. (H)Then the priest shall wash his clothes, he shall bathe in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp; the priest shall be unclean until evening. And the one who burns it shall wash his clothes in water, bathe in water, and shall be unclean until evening. Then a man who is clean shall gather up (I)the ashes of the heifer, and store them outside the camp in a clean place; and they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel (J)for the water of [c]purification; it is for purifying from sin. 10 And the one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until evening. It shall be a statute forever to the children of Israel and to the stranger who dwells among them.

11 (K)‘He who touches the dead [d]body of anyone shall be unclean seven days. 12 (L)He shall purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean. 13 Whoever touches the body of anyone who has died, and (M)does not purify himself, (N)defiles the tabernacle of the Lord. That person shall be cut off from Israel. He shall be unclean, because (O)the water of purification was not sprinkled on him; (P)his uncleanness is still on him.

14 ‘This is the law when a man dies in a tent: All who come into the tent and all who are in the tent shall be unclean seven days; 15 and every (Q)open vessel, which has no cover fastened on it, is unclean. 16 (R)Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain by a sword or who has died, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

17 ‘And for an unclean person they shall take some of the (S)ashes of the heifer burnt for purification from sin, and [e]running water shall be put on them in a vessel. 18 A clean person shall take (T)hyssop and dip it in the water, sprinkle it on the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons who were there, or on the one who touched a bone, the slain, the dead, or a grave. 19 The clean person shall sprinkle the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; (U)and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, wash his clothes, and bathe in water; and at evening he shall be clean.

20 ‘But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person shall be cut off from among the assembly, because he has (V)defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of purification has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean. 21 It shall be a perpetual statute for them. He who sprinkles the water of purification shall wash his clothes; and he who touches the water of purification shall be unclean until evening. 22 (W)Whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and (X)the person who touches it shall be unclean until evening.’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 19:2 statute
  2. Numbers 19:2 defect
  3. Numbers 19:9 Lit. impurity
  4. Numbers 19:11 Lit. soul of man
  5. Numbers 19:17 Lit. living

Laws for Purification

19 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, (A)and on which a yoke has never come. And you shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and (B)it shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered before him. And Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and (C)sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. And the heifer shall be burned in his sight. (D)Its skin, its flesh, and its blood, with its dung, shall be burned. And the priest shall take (E)cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet yarn, and throw them into the fire burning the heifer. Then the priest (F)shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. But the priest shall be unclean until evening. (G)The one who burns the heifer (H)shall wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water and shall be unclean until evening. And a man who is clean shall gather up (I)the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a (J)clean place. And they shall be kept for the water for (K)impurity for the congregation of the people of Israel; it is a sin offering. 10 And the one who gathers the ashes of the heifer (L)shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. And this shall be a perpetual statute for the people of Israel, and for the stranger who sojourns among them.

11 (M)“Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days. 12 He (N)shall cleanse himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean. But if he does not cleanse himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not become clean. 13 Whoever touches a dead person, the body of anyone who has died, and does not cleanse himself, (O)defiles the tabernacle of the Lord, (P)and that person shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not thrown on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is still on him.

14 “This is the law when someone dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent shall be unclean seven days. 15 And every (Q)open vessel that has no cover fastened on it is unclean. 16 (R)Whoever in the open field touches someone who was killed with a sword or who died naturally, or touches a human bone or a (S)grave, shall be unclean seven days. 17 For the unclean they shall take (T)some ashes of the burnt sin offering, and fresh[a] water shall be added in a vessel. 18 Then a clean person shall take (U)hyssop and dip it in the water and sprinkle it on the tent and on all the furnishings and on the persons who were there and on whoever touched the bone, or the slain or the dead or the grave. 19 And the clean person shall sprinkle it on the unclean (V)on the third day and on the seventh day. (W)Thus on the seventh day he shall cleanse him, and he shall (X)wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and at evening he shall be clean.

20 “If the man who is unclean does not cleanse himself, (Y)that person shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, since he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. Because the water for impurity has not been thrown on him, he is unclean. 21 And it shall be a statute forever for them. The one who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and the one who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening. 22 And (Z)whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean, and anyone who touches it shall be unclean until evening.”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 19:17 Hebrew living