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Leviticus 12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Leviticus 12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 12
Uncleanness of Childbirth. 1 The Lord said to Moses: 2 Tell the Israelites: When a woman has a child, giving birth to a boy, she shall be unclean[a] for seven days, with the same uncleanness as during her menstrual period.(A) 3 On the eighth day, the flesh of the boy’s foreskin shall be circumcised,[b](B) 4 and then she shall spend thirty-three days more in a state of blood purity; she shall not touch anything sacred nor enter the sanctuary till the days of her purification are fulfilled. 5 If she gives birth to a girl, for fourteen days she shall be as unclean as during her menstrual period, after which she shall spend sixty-six days[c] in a state of blood purity.
6 [d]When the days of her purification for a son or for a daughter are fulfilled,(C) she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a yearling lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or a turtledove for a purification offering. 7 The priest shall offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and thus she will be clean again after her flow of blood. Such is the ritual for the woman who gives birth to a child, male or female. 8 If, however, she cannot afford a lamb,(D) she may take two turtledoves or two pigeons,(E) the one for a burnt offering and the other for a purification offering. The priest shall make atonement for her, and thus she will again be clean.
Footnotes
- 12:2–5 The mother has two stages of uncleanness or impurity: the first where her uncleanness is as severe as during her menstrual period and is contagious to profane persons and objects (cf. 15:19–24), and the second where she does not contaminate persons and objects but is still impure to what is holy, such as the sanctuary (12:4) or sacrifices. The implication is that in the second stage she may resume sexual relations with her husband (which would be prohibited in the first stage according to 18:19).
- 12:3 Circumcision is the sign of the covenant between God and Israel (Gn 17:1–27) and allows full participation in the religious community (Ex 12:43–49; Jos 5:2–10). This command was fulfilled after Jesus’ birth (Lk 2:21).
- 12:5 If she gives birth to a girl…sixty-six days: while the longer period of uncleanness following the birth of a girl, compared to that following the birth of a boy, might reflect the relative disparity in social status between men and women in ancient Israel (and attested in other cultures), this is by no means certain. There is no simple correlation in the Bible between the worth of something and the degree of impurity it can occasion.
- 12:6–8 Certain tolerated impurities (see note on 11:1–15:33) are strong enough to pollute the sanctuary and require purification offerings, including the parturient (see also 14:10–32; 15:13–15, 28–30). Cf. note on 4:3. Mary fulfilled the command of bringing sacrifices after the birth of Jesus (Lk 2:22–24).
Leviticus 12
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Leviticus 12
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Purification of Women after Childbirth
12 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying:
If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. 3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. 5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days.
6 When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. 7 He shall offer it before the Lord, and make atonement on her behalf; then she shall be clean from her flow of blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, male or female. 8 If she cannot afford a sheep, she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement on her behalf, and she shall be clean.
Leviticus 12
Good News Translation
Leviticus 12
Good News Translation
The Purification of Women after Childbirth
12 The Lord gave Moses the following regulations 2 for the people of Israel. For seven days after a woman gives birth to a son, she is ritually unclean, as she is during her monthly period. 3 (A)On the eighth day, the child shall be circumcised. 4 Then it will be thirty-three more days until she is ritually clean from her loss of blood; she must not touch anything that is holy or enter the sacred Tent until the time of her purification is completed.
5 For fourteen days after a woman gives birth to a daughter, she is ritually unclean, as she is during her monthly period. Then it will be sixty-six more days until she is ritually clean from her loss of blood.
6 When the time of her purification is completed, whether for a son or daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the Tent of the Lord's presence a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or a dove for a sin offering. 7 The priest shall present her offering to the Lord and perform the ritual to take away her impurity, and she will be ritually clean. This, then, is what a woman must do after giving birth.
8 (B)If the woman cannot afford a lamb, she shall bring two doves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering, and the priest shall perform the ritual to take away her impurity, and she will be ritually clean.
Leviticus 12
New American Standard Bible
Leviticus 12
New American Standard Bible
Laws of Motherhood
12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying:
‘When a woman gives birth and delivers a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days; (A)as she is in the days of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. 3 Then on (B)the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 And she shall stay at home in her condition of [a]blood purification for thirty-three days; she shall not touch any consecrated thing, nor enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are completed. 5 But if she gives birth to a female child, then she shall be unclean for two weeks, as in her menstruation; and she shall stay at home in her condition of [b]blood purification for sixty-six days.
6 ‘(C)When the days of her purification are completed, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the doorway of the tent of meeting a one-year-old lamb as a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove (D)as a [c]sin offering. 7 Then he shall offer it before the Lord and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the [d]flow of her blood. This is the law for her who gives birth to a child, whether a male or a female. 8 But if [e]she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take (E)two turtledoves or two young doves, (F)the one as a burnt offering and the other as a [f]sin offering; and the (G)priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 12:4 Lit blood of purifying; i.e., ritually clean blood from childbirth
- Leviticus 12:5 See note v 4
- Leviticus 12:6 Or purification offering
- Leviticus 12:7 Lit fountain
- Leviticus 12:8 Lit her hand does not find enough for
- Leviticus 12:8 Or purification offering
Leviticus 12
New International Version
Leviticus 12
New International Version
Purification After Childbirth
12 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period.(A) 3 On the eighth day(B) the boy is to be circumcised.(C) 4 Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over. 5 If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding.
6 “‘When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over,(D) she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb(E) for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering.[a](F) 7 He shall offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood.
“‘These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. 8 But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons,(G) one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering.(H) In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.(I)’”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 12:6 Or purification offering; also in verse 8
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)
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Good News Translation (GNT) 
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