11 “Whoever touches a human corpse(A) will be unclean for seven days.(B) 12 They must purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day;(C) then they will be clean. But if they do not purify themselves on the third and seventh days, they will not be clean.(D) 13 If they fail to purify themselves after touching a human corpse,(E) they defile the Lord’s tabernacle.(F) They must be cut off from Israel.(G) Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, they are unclean;(H) their uncleanness remains on them.

14 “This is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, 15 and every open container(I) without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.

16 “Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death,(J) or anyone who touches a human bone(K) or a grave,(L) will be unclean for seven days.(M)

17 “For the unclean person, put some ashes(N) from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water(O) over them. 18 Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop,(P) dip it in the water and sprinkle(Q) the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave(R) or anyone who has been killed or anyone who has died a natural death. 19 The man who is clean is to sprinkle(S) those who are unclean on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify them.(T) Those who are being cleansed must wash their clothes(U) and bathe with water, and that evening they will be clean. 20 But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled(V) the sanctuary of the Lord.(W) The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean.(X) 21 This is a lasting ordinance(Y) for them.

“The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening. 22 Anything that an unclean(Z) person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean till evening.”

Read full chapter

Contact with a dead body

11 The person who touches the dead body of any human will be unclean for seven days. 12 That person must be cleansed with water on the third and seventh days to be clean. If he fails to be cleansed with water on the third and seventh days, he will not be clean. 13 Anyone who touches the body of a human who has died and doesn’t cleanse himself defiles the Lord’s dwelling. Such persons must be cut off from Israel because the water of purification wasn’t sprinkled on them. They remain unclean.

14 This is the instruction: When anyone dies in a tent, all who go into the tent and all who are in the tent are unclean for seven days. 15 Any open jar without a sealed cover on it is unclean. 16 Anyone in the open field who touches a person slain by the sword, or who died naturally, or a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days. 17 For the unclean person, they will take some of the ashes of the purification offering and place fresh water with it in a jar. 18 Then a clean person will take hyssop, dip it into the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, on all the jars, on the people who were there, and on anyone who touched bone, the slain, the dead, or the grave. 19 On the third day and the seventh day the clean person will sprinkle it on the unclean, so that he will have purified him on the seventh day. He will then wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be clean at evening. 20 Any person who is unclean and didn’t cleanse himself will be cut off from the assembly, because he has defiled the Lord’s sanctuary. He didn’t have the water of purification sprinkled on him. He is unclean. 21 This will be a permanent regulation for them. The one who sprinkles the water of purification will wash his own clothes. Anyone who touches the water of purification will be unclean until evening. 22 Whoever the unclean person touches will be unclean, and the one who touches the unclean will be unclean until evening.

Read full chapter