Rules About a Person’s Body

15 The Lord also said to Moses and Aaron, ² “Say to the ·people [^Lsons; children] of Israel: ‘When ·a fluid comes from a person’s body [^Lany man has a discharge from his genitals/flesh], the ·fluid is [discharge makes him] unclean [^Cin a ritual sense]. ³ It doesn’t matter if the ·fluid [discharge] flows freely or if it is blocked from ·flowing [discharging]; the ·fluid [discharge] will make him unclean. This is the way the ·fluid [discharge] makes him unclean:

⁴ “‘If the person ·who discharges the body fluid [with the discharge] lies on a bed, that bed becomes unclean [^Cin a ritual sense], and everything he sits on becomes unclean. ⁵ Anyone who touches his bed must wash his clothes and bathe in water, and the person will be unclean until evening. ⁶ Whoever sits on something that the person ·who discharges the fluid [with the discharge] sat on must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he will be unclean until evening. ⁷ Anyone who touches the person ·who discharges the body fluid [with the discharge] must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he will be unclean until evening.

⁸ “‘If the person ·who discharges the body fluid [with the discharge] spits on someone who is clean [^Cin a ritual sense], that person must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he will be unclean until evening. ⁹ Everything on which the person who is unclean sits when riding [^Cspecifically a saddle] will become unclean. ¹⁰ Anyone who touches something that was under him will be unclean until evening. And anyone who carries these things must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he will be unclean until evening.

¹¹ “‘If the person ·who discharges a body fluid [with a discharge] has not washed his hands in water and touches another person, that person must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he will be unclean [^Cin a ritual sense] until evening.

¹² “‘If a person ·who discharges a body fluid [with a discharge] touches a clay bowl, that bowl must be broken. If he touches a wooden bowl, that bowl must be washed in water.

¹³ “‘When a person ·who discharges a body fluid [with a discharge] is made clean [^Cin a ritual sense], he must count seven days for himself for his cleansing. He must wash his clothes and bathe his body in fresh water, and he will be clean. ¹⁴ On the eighth day he must take two doves or two young pigeons before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. He will give the two birds to the priest. ¹⁵ The priest will offer the birds, one for a sin [or purification; 4:3] offering and the other for a burnt offering [1:1–17]. And the priest will make that person clean ·so he can belong to the Lord again [^Land make atonement for him].

¹⁶ “‘If semen [^Cconsidered holy due to its association with life] goes out from a man, he must bathe in water; he will be unclean [^Cin a ritual sense] until evening [^Ccontact with something holy also rendered a person unclean]. ¹⁷ If the fluid gets on any clothing or leather, it must be washed with water; it will be unclean until evening.

¹⁸ “‘If a man ·has sexual relations [^Llies] with a woman [^Cpresumably his wife] and ·semen comes out [has an emission of semen], both people must bathe in water; they will be unclean [^Cin a ritual sense] until evening.