Numeri 19
Het Boek
Reinigingsceremonie
19 De Here zei tegen Mozes en Aäron: 2 ‘Hierbij geef Ik u nog een wet: zeg het volk Israël dat het u een rode jonge koe zonder gebreken brengt die nog nooit een juk heeft gedragen. 3 Geef haar aan de priester Eleazar. Die zal haar buiten het kamp brengen en daar zal iemand haar doden, terwijl Eleazar toekijkt. 4 Eleazar zal iets van haar bloed op zijn vinger nemen en dat zevenmaal tegen de voorzijde van de tabernakel aanbrengen. 5 Daarna zal iemand de jonge koe onder het toeziend oog van Eleazar verbranden: haar huid, vlees, bloed en mest. 6 Eleazar zal cederhout, hysop en scharlaken nemen en dat in het vuur gooien. 7 Daarna moet hij zijn kleren wassen en zich baden. Hij kan terugkeren naar het kamp en is tot de avond onrein. 8 Ook degene die de jonge koe heeft verbrand, moet zijn kleren wassen en zich baden. Ook hij zal tot de avond onrein zijn. 9 Dan zal iemand die niet onrein is, de as van de verbrande jonge koe verzamelen en die naar een reine plaats buiten het kamp brengen, waar het zal worden bewaard om voor het volk Israël het water te bereiden, dat nodig is bij de reinigingsceremonies voor de afwassing van zonden. 10 En degene die de as van de jonge koe verzamelt, moet zijn kleren wassen en zal tot de avond onrein zijn, deze instructie blijft eeuwig van kracht voor de Israëlieten en voor iedere buitenlander die bij hen woont.
11 Iemand die het lijk van een mens aanraakt, zal zeven dagen onrein zijn en 12 moet zich op de derde dag reinigen met water waaraan de as van de jonge koe is toegevoegd, op de zevende dag zal hij dan rein zijn. Maar als hij dat niet doet op de derde dag, zal hij op de zevende dag nog steeds onrein zijn. 13 Iemand die een lijk aanraakt en zich niet reinigt op de hierboven beschreven manier, heeft de tabernakel van de Here verontreinigd en zal uit Israël worden verstoten. Het reinigingswater werd niet op hem gesprenkeld, dus is hij nog steeds onrein.
14 Als een man sterft in een tent, geldt deze wet: ieder die de tent binnengaat en zij die tijdens het overlijden binnen zijn, zullen zeven dagen onrein zijn. 15 Elke onafgesloten pot in de tent is onrein. 16 Als iemand buiten in het veld het lichaam aanraakt van iemand die in de strijd of op een andere manier is gestorven of als hij een bot of een graf aanraakt, zal hij zeven dagen onrein zijn. 17 Om weer rein te worden, moet as van de jonge koe die als zondoffer is verbrand, worden toegevoegd aan water uit een bron of rivier en in een ketel worden gedaan. 18 Dan moet een rein iemand een bundel hysop nemen, die in de pot met water dopen en het water sprenkelen over de tent en over alle potten en pannen in de tent. Hij moet het ook sprenkelen op ieder die verontreinigd is door zijn aanwezigheid in de tent, door het aanraken van een bot, het aanraken van iemand die is gedood of gestorven of die een graf heeft aangeraakt. 19 Dit zal plaatshebben op de derde en zevende dag. Daarna moet de onreine persoon zijn kleren wassen en zich baden en die avond zal hij van zijn onreinheid zijn verlost. 20 Maar iemand die onrein is geworden en zich niet reinigt, zal worden verstoten. Want hij heeft het heiligdom van de Here verontreinigd en het reinigingswater is niet op hem gesprenkeld, daarom blijft hij onrein. 21 Dit is een eeuwige wet. De man die het water sprenkelt, moet daarna zijn kleren wassen, en iemand die het water aanraakt, zal tot de avond onrein zijn. 22 Alles wat een onreine persoon aanraakt, zal tot de avond onrein zijn en een ieder tot de avond onrein maken die dit weer aanraakt.’
Numbers 19
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 19
The Red Heifer. 1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “This is a statute of the law which the Lord has commanded saying, ‘Tell the people of Israel to bring you an unblemished red heifer that has no defect and upon which a yoke has never been placed. 3 You will give it to Eleazar the priest. Take it outside of the camp and slaughter it in front of him. 4 Eleazar the priest is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle its blood seven times directly in front of the tent of meeting. 5 Then the heifer will be burned before him; its skin, its meat, its blood, and its dung will be burned. 6 The priest is to take cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet wool and throw them upon the burning heifer. 7 The priest is then to wash his clothes and bathe himself. He can then enter the camp, but he will be unclean until the evening. 8 The man who burns it must also wash his clothes in water and bathe in water, but he, too, will be unclean until the evening. 9 A man who is clean is to gather up the ashes from the heifer and place them in a clean place outside of the camp. They will be kept by the assembly of the people of Israel for the water of purification, for removal of sin. 10 The man who gathers the ashes of the heifer will wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until the evening. This is the way it will be for the people of Israel and the foreigner dwelling among them, a statute forever.
11 Water of Purification.“ ‘Whoever touches a person’s dead body will be unclean for seven days. 12 He will purify himself with the water on the third day, and on the seventh day he will be clean; but if he does not cleanse himself on the third day, then he will not be clean on the seventh day. 13 Whoever touches a dead body, the body of someone who died and then does not purify himself defiles the tabernacle of the Lord. That person shall be cut off from Israel. He will be unclean because the water of purification was not sprinkled upon him; he will be unclean.
14 “ ‘This is the law for when a man dies inside of a tent. Everyone who comes inside the tent and everything that is in the tent will be unclean for seven days. 15 Every open uncovered container will be unclean. 16 Anyone who is out in the open fields and touches someone who has been killed with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a person, or a grave, that person will be unclean for seven days.
17 [a]“ ‘For the unclean, take the ashes from the burnt purification from sin and put them into a vessel and pour fresh water over them. 18 Then a person who is clean will dip hyssop into the water and sprinkle it upon the tent and upon its belongings and upon all the people who were there, upon anyone who touched a bone, or a person who was killed, or a dead body, or a grave. 19 The clean person will sprinkle the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day. On the seventh day he will purify himself. He will wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and then he will be clean in the evening. 20 But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself will be cut off from the assembly because he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of purification was not sprinkled upon him and he is unclean. 21 It will be an everlasting statute that the one who sprinkles the water of purification will wash his clothes. The one who touches the water of purification will be unclean until the evening. 22 Whatever the unclean person touches will be unclean, and the person who touches it will be unclean until the evening.’ ”
Footnotes
- Numbers 19:17 Throughout history water has been used for cleansing in religious ceremonies. Here is a detailed account of water being used in a cleansing ritual to purify persons who have come into contact with dead bodies. In the New Testament (Heb 9:13-14), the cleansing power of the blood of Christ is the ultimate means of being made clean.
Numbers 19
King James Version
19 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
2 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:
3 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:
4 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:
5 And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:
6 And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.
7 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.
8 And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.
9 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.
Numbers 19
New International Version
The Water of Cleansing
19 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 2 “This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer(A) without defect or blemish(B) and that has never been under a yoke.(C) 3 Give it to Eleazar(D) the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp(E) and slaughtered in his presence. 4 Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle(F) it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting. 5 While he watches, the heifer is to be burned—its hide, flesh, blood and intestines.(G) 6 The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop(H) and scarlet wool(I) and throw them onto the burning heifer. 7 After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water.(J) He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening. 8 The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening.
9 “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer(K) and put them in a ceremonially clean place(L) outside the camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing;(M) it is for purification from sin.(N) 10 The man who gathers up(O) the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he too will be unclean till evening.(P) This will be a lasting ordinance(Q) both for the Israelites and for the foreigners residing among them.(R)
11 “Whoever touches a human corpse(S) will be unclean for seven days.(T) 12 They must purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day;(U) then they will be clean. But if they do not purify themselves on the third and seventh days, they will not be clean.(V) 13 If they fail to purify themselves after touching a human corpse,(W) they defile the Lord’s tabernacle.(X) They must be cut off from Israel.(Y) Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, they are unclean;(Z) 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(AA) 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,(AB) or anyone who touches a human bone(AC) or a grave,(AD) will be unclean for seven days.(AE)
17 “For the unclean person, put some ashes(AF) from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water(AG) over them. 18 Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop,(AH) dip it in the water and sprinkle(AI) 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(AJ) or anyone who has been killed or anyone who has died a natural death. 19 The man who is clean is to sprinkle(AK) those who are unclean on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify them.(AL) Those who are being cleansed must wash their clothes(AM) 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(AN) the sanctuary of the Lord.(AO) The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean.(AP) 21 This is a lasting ordinance(AQ) 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(AR) person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean till evening.”
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