Rules About Skin Diseases

13 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ² “Someone might have on ·his skin [^Lthe skin of his body; ^Cand so throughout the passage] a swelling or a ·rash [eruption] or a bright spot. If the sore looks like ·a harmful skin disease [^Tleprosy; the term does not refer to modern leprosy (Hansen’s disease), but to various skin disorders], the person must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of Aaron’s sons, the priests. ³ The priest must ·look at [examine] the sore on the person’s skin. If the hair in the sore has become white, and the sore seems deeper than the person’s skin, it is a harmful skin disease [13:2]. When he has finished ·looking at [examining] the person, the priest must announce that the person is unclean [^Cin a ritual sense; the principle of “wholeness” was disturbed by running sores or by a skin disease that partially covered the body; see 13:12–13].

⁴ “If there is a white spot on a person’s skin, but the spot does not seem deeper than the skin, and if the hair from the spot has not turned white, the priest must ·separate [confine; quarantine] that person from other people for seven days. ⁵ On the seventh day the priest must ·look at [examine] the person again. If he sees that the sore has not changed and it has not spread on the skin, the priest must keep the person ·separated [confined; quarantined] for seven more days. ⁶ On the seventh day the priest must ·look at [examine] the person again. If the sore has faded and has not spread on the skin, the priest must announce that the person is clean [^Cin a ritual sense]. The sore is only a ·rash [eruption]. The person must wash his clothes, and he will become clean again.

⁷ “But if the ·rash [eruption] spreads again after the priest has announced him clean [^Cin a ritual sense], the person must come again to the priest. ⁸ The priest must ·look at [examine] him, and if the ·rash [eruption] has spread on the skin, the priest must announce that the person is unclean; it is a harmful skin disease [13:2].

⁹ “If a person has a harmful skin disease [13:2], he must be brought to the priest, ¹⁰ and the priest must ·look at [examine] him. If there is a white swelling in the skin, and the hair has become white, and the skin looks raw in the swelling, ¹¹ it is a harmful skin disease [13:2]. It is one he has had for a long time. The priest must announce that the person is unclean [^Cin a ritual sense]. He will not need to ·separate [confine; quarantine] that person from other people, because everyone already knows that the person is unclean.

¹² “If the skin disease [13:2] spreads all over a person’s body, covering his skin from his head to his feet, as far as the priest can see, the priest must ·look at [examine] the person’s whole body. ¹³ If the priest sees that the disease covers the whole body and has turned all of the person’s skin white, he must announce that the person is clean [^Cin a ritual sense; he was clean because he was whole, uniformly covered by skin disease; 13:3].

¹⁴ “But when the person has ·an open sore [raw flesh], he is unclean [^Cin a ritual sense; because there was a break in the surface of his body, he was no longer whole]. ¹⁵ When the priest sees the ·open sore [raw flesh], he must announce that the person is unclean. The open sore is not clean; it is a harmful skin disease [13:2]. ¹⁶ If the ·open sore [raw flesh] becomes white again, the person must come to the priest. ¹⁷ The priest must ·look at [examine] him, and if the ·sores have [raw flesh has] become white, the priest must announce that the person with the ·sores [raw flesh] is clean. Then he will be clean.

¹⁸ “Someone may have a boil on his skin that is healed. ¹⁹ If in the place where the boil was, there is a white swelling or a bright red spot, this place on the skin must be shown to the priest. ²⁰ And the priest must ·look at [examine] it. If the spot seems deeper than the skin and the hair on it has become white, the priest must announce that the person is unclean [^Cin a ritual sense]. The spot is a harmful skin disease [13:2] that has broken out from inside the boil. ²¹ But if the priest looks at the spot and there are no white hairs in it and the spot is not deeper than the skin and it has faded, the priest must ·separate [confine; quarantine] the person from other people for seven days. ²² If the spot spreads on the skin, the priest must announce that the person is unclean; it is a disease that will spread. ²³ But if the bright spot does not spread or change, it is only the scar from the old boil. Then the priest must announce that the person is clean.

²⁴ “When a person gets a burn on his skin, if the ·open sore [raw flesh] becomes white or red, ²⁵ the priest must ·look at [examine] it. If the white spot seems deeper than the skin and the hair at that spot has become white, it is a harmful skin disease [13:2]. The disease has broken out in the burn, and the priest must announce that the person is unclean [^Cin a ritual sense]. It is a harmful skin disease [13:2]. ²⁶ But if the priest ·looks at [examines] the spot and there is no white hair in the bright spot, and the spot is no deeper than the skin and has faded, the priest must ·separate [confine; quarantine] the person from other people for seven days. ²⁷ On the seventh day the priest must ·look at [examine] him again. If the spot has spread on the skin, the priest must announce that the person is unclean. It is a harmful skin disease [13:2]. ²⁸ But if the bright spot has not spread on the skin but has faded, it is the swelling from the burn. The priest must announce that the person is clean, because the spot is only a scar from the burn.

²⁹ “When a man or a woman gets a sore on the scalp or on the ·chin [or cheek; or beard], ³⁰ a priest must ·look at [examine] the sore. If it seems deeper than the skin and the hair around it is thin and yellow, the priest must announce that the person is unclean [^Cin a ritual sense]. It is an ·itch [scaly patch; ^Cperhaps eczema or ringworm], a harmful skin disease [13:2] of the head or ·chin [or cheek; or beard]. ³¹ But if the priest ·looks at [examines] it and it does not seem deeper than the skin and there is no black hair in it, the priest must ·separate [confine; quarantine] the person from other people for seven days. ³² On the seventh day the priest must ·look at [examine] the ·sore [itch; scaly patch; 13:30]. If it has not spread, and there are no yellow hairs growing in it, and the ·sore [itch; scaly patch] does not seem deeper than the skin, ³³ the person must shave himself, but he must not shave the ·sore place [itch; scaly patch]. The priest must ·separate [confine; quarantine] that person from other people for seven more days. ³⁴ On the seventh day the priest must ·look at [examine] the ·sore [itch; scaly patch]. If it has not spread on the skin and it does not seem deeper than the skin, the priest must announce that the person is clean [^Cin a ritual sense]. So the person must wash his clothes and become clean. ³⁵ But if the ·sore [itch; scaly patch] spreads on the skin after the person has become clean, ³⁶ the priest must ·look at [examine] him again. If the sore has spread on the skin, the priest doesn’t need to look for the yellowish hair; the person is unclean. ³⁷ But if the priest thinks the sore has stopped spreading, and black hair is growing in it, the ·sore [itch; scaly patch; 13:30] has healed. The person is clean, and the priest must announce that he is clean.

³⁸ “When a man or a woman has white spots on the skin, ³⁹ a priest must ·look at [examine] them. If the spots on the skin are dull white, the disease is only a harmless rash. That person is clean [^Cin a ritual sense].

⁴⁰ “When anyone loses hair from his head and is bald, he is clean [^Cin a ritual sense]. ⁴¹ If he loses hair from the front of his head and has a bald forehead, he is clean. ⁴² But if there is a red-white sore on his bald head or forehead, it is a skin disease [13:2] breaking out in those places. ⁴³ A priest must ·look at [examine] that person. If the swelling of the sore on his bald head or forehead is red-white, like a skin disease that spreads, ⁴⁴ that person has a skin disease [13:2]. He is unclean. The priest must announce that the person is unclean because of the sore on his head.

⁴⁵ “If a person has a skin disease [13:2] that spreads, he must warn other people by shouting, ‘Unclean, unclean [^Cin a ritual sense]!’ His clothes must be torn at the seams, he must let his hair stay uncombed, and he must cover his ·mouth [^Lupper lip]. ⁴⁶ That person will be unclean the whole time he has the disease; he is unclean. He must live alone outside the camp.

Rules About Mildew

⁴⁷ “Clothing might have ·mildew [or mold; ^Cthe same Hebrew word as for “skin disease”; 13:2] on it. It might be clothing made of linen or wool ⁴⁸ (either woven or knitted), or of leather, or something made from leather. ⁴⁹ If the mildew [13:47] in the clothing, leather, or woven or knitted material is green or red, it is a spreading mildew. It must be shown to the priest. ⁵⁰ The priest must ·look at [examine] the mildew, and he must put that piece of clothing in a ·separate [confined; quarantined] place for seven days. ⁵¹ On the seventh day he must ·look at [examine] the mildew [13:47] again. If the mildew has spread on the cloth (either woven or knitted) or the leather, no matter what the leather was used for, it is a mildew [13:47] that destroys; it is unclean [^Cin a ritual sense]. ⁵² The priest must burn the clothing. It does not matter if it is woven or knitted, wool or linen, or made of leather, because the mildew is spreading. It must be burned.

⁵³ “If the priest sees that the mildew [13:47] has not spread in the cloth (either knitted or woven) or leather, ⁵⁴ he must order the people to wash that piece of leather or cloth. Then he must ·separate [confine; quarantine] the clothing for seven more days. ⁵⁵ After the piece with the mildew has been washed, the priest must ·look at [examine] it again. If the mildew [13:47] still looks the same, the piece is unclean, even if the mildew has not spread. You must burn it in fire; it does not matter if the mildew is on one side or the other.

⁵⁶ “But when the priest ·looks at [examines] that piece of leather or cloth, the mildew [13:47] might have faded after the piece has been washed. Then the priest must tear the mildew out of the piece of leather or cloth (either woven or knitted). ⁵⁷ But if the mildew comes back to that piece of leather or cloth (either woven or knitted), the mildew is spreading. And whatever has the mildew must be burned with fire. ⁵⁸ When the cloth (either woven or knitted) or the leather is washed and the mildew [13:47] is gone, it must be washed again; then it will be clean [^Cin a ritual sense].

⁵⁹ “These are the ·teachings [laws; instructions] about mildew [13:47] on pieces of cloth (either woven or knitted) or leather, to decide if they are clean or unclean [^Cin a ritual sense].”

Rules for Cleansing from Skin Diseases

14 The Lord said to Moses, ² “These are the ·teachings [instructions; laws] for the time at which people who had a harmful skin disease [13:2] are made clean [^Cin a ritual sense].

“The person shall be brought to the priest, ³ and the priest must go outside the camp and ·look at [examine] the one who had the skin disease. If the skin disease is healed, ⁴ the priest will command that two living, clean birds, a piece of cedar wood, a piece of red string, and a hyssop plant [Ex. 12:22] be brought for cleansing the person with the skin disease.

⁵ “The priest must order one bird to be ·killed [slaughtered] in a clay bowl containing fresh water. ⁶ Then he will take the living bird, the piece of cedar wood, the red string, and the hyssop; all these he will dip into the blood of the bird that was ·killed [slaughtered] over the fresh water. ⁷ The priest will sprinkle the blood seven times on the person being cleansed from the skin disease [13:2]. He must announce that the person is clean [^Cin a ritual sense] and then go to an open field and let the living bird go free.

⁸ “The person to be cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe in water [^Cperhaps representing complete decontamination]. Then he will be clean and may go into the camp, though he must stay outside his tent for the first seven days. ⁹ On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair—the hair from his head, his beard, his eyebrows, and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he will be clean [^Cin a ritual sense].

¹⁰ “On the eighth day the person who had the skin disease must take two male lambs that ·have nothing wrong with them [are unblemished] and a year-old female lamb that ·has nothing wrong with it [is unblemished]. He must also take six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil for a ·grain [^Lgift; tribute] offering [2:1] and ·two-thirds of a pint [^Lthree-tenths of an ephah] of olive oil. ¹¹ The priest who is to announce that the person is clean [^Cin a ritual sense] must bring him and his sacrifices before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. ¹² The priest will take one of the male lambs and offer it with the olive oil as a ·penalty [guilt; reparation; 5:14–6:7] offering; he will present them before the Lord as an offering. ¹³ Then he will ·kill [slaughter] the male lamb in the holy place, where the ·sin [or purification; 4:3] offering and the whole burnt offering are killed. The ·penalty [guilt; reparation] offering is like the ·sin [or purification; 4:3] offering—it belongs to the priest and it is most holy.

¹⁴ “The priest will take some of the blood of the ·penalty [guilt; reparation; 5:14–6:7] offering and put it on the ·bottom [lobe] of the right ear of the person to be made clean. He will also put some of it on the thumb of the person’s right hand and on the big toe of the person’s right foot. ¹⁵ Then the priest will take some of the [^Llog of; ^Ca liquid measure] oil and pour it into his own left hand. ¹⁶ He will dip a finger of his right hand into the oil that is in his left hand, and with his finger he will sprinkle some of the oil seven times before the Lord. ¹⁷ The priest will put some oil from his hand on the ·bottom [lobe] of the right ear of the person to be made clean, some on the thumb of the person’s right hand, and some on the big toe of the person’s right foot. The oil will go on these places on top of the blood for the ·penalty [guilt; reparation] offering. ¹⁸ He will put the rest of the oil that is in his left hand on the head of the person to be made clean [^Cin a ritual sense]. In this way the priest will make that person clean ·so he can belong to [^Land make atonement for that person before] the Lord again.

¹⁹ “Next the priest will offer the ·sin [or purification; 4:3] offering to make that person clean ·so he can belong to the Lord again [^Land make atonement]. After this the priest will ·kill [slaughter] the animal for the whole burnt offering [1:1–17], ²⁰ and he will offer the burnt offering and ·grain [^Lgift; tribute] offering [2:1] on the altar. In this way he will make that person clean [^Cin a ritual sense] ·so he can belong to the Lord again [^Land make atonement for him].

²¹ “But if the person is poor and unable to afford these offerings, he must take one male lamb for a ·penalty [guilt; reparation; 5:14–6:7] offering. It will be presented to the Lord to make him clean [^Cin a ritual sense] ·so he can belong to the Lord again [^Land make atonement for him]. The person must also take ·two quarts [^Lone tenth of an ephah] of ·fine [choice] flour mixed with oil for a ·grain [^Lgift; tribute] offering [2:1]. He must also take ·two-thirds of a pint [^La log; ^Ca liquid measure] of olive oil ²² and two doves or two young pigeons, which he can afford. One bird is for a ·sin [or purification; 4:3] offering and the other for a whole burnt offering [1:1–17]. ²³ On the eighth day the person will bring them for his cleansing to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, before the Lord. ²⁴ The priest will take the lamb for the ·penalty [guilt; reparation] offering and the oil, and he will present them as an offering before the Lord. ²⁵ Then he will ·kill [slaughter] the lamb of the ·penalty [guilt; reparation] offering, take some of its blood, and put it on the ·bottom [lobe] of the right ear of the person to be made clean [^Cin a ritual sense]. The priest will put some of this blood on the thumb of the person’s right hand and some on the big toe of the person’s right foot. ²⁶ He will also pour some of the oil into his own left hand. ²⁷ Then with a finger of his right hand, he will sprinkle some of the oil from his left hand seven times before the Lord. ²⁸ The priest will take some of the oil from his hand and put it on the ·bottom [lobe] of the right ear of the person to be made clean. He will also put some of it on the thumb of the person’s right hand and some on the big toe of the person’s right foot. The oil will go on these places on top of the blood from the ·penalty [guilt; reparation] offering. ²⁹ The priest must put the rest of the oil that is in his hand on the head of the person to be made clean, to make him clean ·so he can belong to [^Lto make atonement for him before] the Lord again. ³⁰ Then the priest will offer one of the doves or young pigeons, which the person can afford. ³¹ He must offer one of the birds for a ·sin [or purification; 4:3] offering and the other for a whole burnt offering [1:1–17], along with the grain [^Lgift; tribute; 2:1] offering. In this way the priest will make the person clean so he can ·belong to [make atonement before] the Lord again; he will become clean.

³² “These are the ·teachings [regulations; laws] for making a person clean [^Cin a ritual sense] after he has had a skin disease [13:2], if he cannot afford the regular sacrifices for becoming clean.”

Rules for Cleaning Mildew

³³ The Lord also said to Moses and Aaron, ³⁴ “I am giving the land of Canaan to your people. When they enter that land [^Lof your possession], if I cause ·mildew [or mold; 13:47] to grow in someone’s house in that land [^Lof your possession], ³⁵ the owner of that house must come and tell the priest. He should say, ‘I have seen something like ·mildew [or mold; ^La disease] in my house.’ ³⁶ Then the priest must order the people to empty the house before he goes in to ·look at [examine] the ·mildew [or mold; ^Ldisease]. This is so he will not have to say that everything in the house is unclean [^Cin a ritual sense]. After this, the priest will go in to ·look at [examine] it. ³⁷ He will ·look at [examine] the ·mildew [or mold; ^Ldisease], and if the ·mildew [or mold; ^Ldisease] on the walls of the house is green or red and goes into the wall’s surface, ³⁸ he must go out and close up the house for seven days. ³⁹ On the seventh day the priest must come back and check the house. If the ·mildew [or mold; ^Ldisease] has spread on the walls of the house, ⁴⁰ the priest must order the people to tear out the stones with the ·mildew [or mold; ^Ldisease] on them. They should throw them away, at a certain unclean place outside the city. ⁴¹ Then the priest must have all the inside of the house scraped. The people must throw away the plaster they scraped off the walls, at a certain unclean place outside the city. ⁴² Then the owner must put new stones in the walls, and he must cover the walls with new clay plaster.

⁴³ “Suppose a person has taken away the old stones and plaster and put in new stones and plaster. If ·mildew [or mold; ^Ldisease] again appears in his house, ⁴⁴ the priest must come back and check the house again. If the ·mildew [or mold; ^Ldisease] has spread in the house, it is a ·mildew [or mold; 13:47] that destroys things; the house is unclean [^Cin a ritual sense]. ⁴⁵ Then the owner must tear down the house, remove all its stones, plaster, and wood, and take them to the unclean place outside the city. ⁴⁶ Anyone who goes into that house while it is closed up will be unclean until evening. ⁴⁷ Anyone who eats in that house or lies down there must wash his clothes.

⁴⁸ “Suppose after new stones and plaster have been put in a house, the priest checks it again and the ·mildew [or mold; ^Ldisease] has not spread. Then the priest will announce that the house is clean [^Cin a ritual sense], because the ·mildew [or mold; ^Ldisease] is gone.

⁴⁹ “Then, to make the house clean [^Cin a ritual sense], the priest must take two birds, a piece of cedar wood, a piece of red string, and a hyssop plant. ⁵⁰ He will ·kill [slaughter] one bird in a clay bowl containing fresh water. ⁵¹ Then he will take the bird that is still alive, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the red string, and he will dip them into the blood of the bird that was ·killed [slaughtered] over the fresh water. The priest will sprinkle the blood on the house seven times. ⁵² He will use the bird’s blood, the fresh water, the live bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the red string to make the house clean. ⁵³ He will then go to an open field outside the city and let the living bird go free. This is how the priest makes the house clean and ·ready for service to the Lord [makes atonement for the house].”

⁵⁴ These are the ·teachings [regulations; laws] about any kind of skin disease [13:2], ⁵⁵ ·mildew [or mold] on pieces of cloth or in a house, ⁵⁶ swellings, rashes, or bright spots on the skin; ⁵⁷ they help people decide when things are unclean [^Cin a ritual sense] and when they are clean. These are the ·teachings [regulations; laws] about all these kinds of diseases.