On Defilement

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the sons of Israel that they (A)send away from the camp everyone with leprosy, everyone having a (B)discharge, and everyone who is (C)unclean because of contact with a dead person. You shall send away both male and female; you shall send them outside the camp so that they do not defile their camp where I dwell (D)in their midst.” And the sons of Israel did so and sent them outside the camp; just as the Lord had spoken to Moses, that is what the sons of Israel did.

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Unclean People

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the people of Israel that they (A)put out of the camp everyone who is leprous[a] or has (B)a discharge and everyone who is (C)unclean through contact with the dead. You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camp, (D)in the midst of which I dwell.” And the people of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the Lord said to Moses, so the people of Israel did.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 5:2 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13