- Leviticus
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13
1 The Lord told Moses and Aaron, 2 “Anyone who has a swelling, a rash, or a spot on the skin that may be an infectious skin disease must be taken to Aaron the priest or to one of his descendants. 3 The priest will inspect whatever is on the skin. If the hair there has turned white and if the issue seems to be more than something on the surface, it is a serious skin disease, and the priest who inspects it will declare the person unclean.
4 But if the spot is only a white discoloration and doesn't seem to be more than superficial, and if the hair on the spot has not turned white, the priest will place the person in isolation for seven days. 5 On the seventh day the priest will conduct another inspection, and if he discovers that the spot hasn't changed and hasn't spread on the skin, the priest must place the person in isolation for another seven days. 6 On the seventh day after this the priest will inspect it again. If the spot has faded and has not spread on the skin, the priest will declare the person clean since it was a rash. They must wash their clothes and will be clean. 7 However, if the rash does spread after the person has been inspected by the priest and has been declared clean, the person must go back to be inspected again. 8 If the priest discovers that the rash has spread, he must declare the person unclean because it is certainly a skin disease.
9 Anyone who develops an infectious skin disease must be taken to the priest. 10 The priest will inspect them, and if there is a white swelling on the skin and the hair there has turned white, and there is an open wound in the swelling, 11 it is a serious skin disease and the priest must declare them unclean. He doesn't need to place the person in isolation because they are unclean.
12 However, if the skin disease affects all their skin so that it covers their skin from head to toe, everywhere the priest can see, 13 the priest shall inspect them, and if the disease has covered their entire body, he will declare the person clean. As it has all turned white, they are clean. 14 But if when someone's inspected an open wound is found, they will be unclean. 15 When the priest discovers an open wound, he must declare the person unclean. The open wound is unclean; it is an infectious skin disease. 16 But if the open wound heals and becomes white, the person must go back to the priest. 17 The priest will inspect them again, and if the wound has turned white, the priest is to declare the person clean; then they are clean.
18 When a boil comes up on someone's skin and then it heals, 19 and a white swelling or a reddish-white spot appears in its place, they must show themselves to the priest. 20 The priest shall inspect it, and if it seems to be more than something on the surface, and if the hair there has turned white, the priest shall declare him unclean. It is a serious skin disease that has infected the boil. 21 However, if when the priest inspects it, it doesn't have white hair in it and doesn't seem to be more than superficial, and has faded, the priest is to place the person in isolation for seven days. 22 If then the spot has spread further on the skin, the priest will declare them unclean; it is a disease. 23 But if the spot stays the same and doesn't spread, it's just the scar from the boil, and the priest will declare them clean.
24 If someone has a burn on their skin and the place where it's raw changes into a reddish-white or white spot, 25 the priest must inspect it. If the hair in the spot has turned white and the spot seems to be more than something on the surface, it is a serious skin disease that has infected the burn, and the priest who inspects it will declare the person unclean. It is an infectious skin disease. 26 However, if when the priest inspects it, it doesn't have white hair in it and doesn't seem to be more than superficial, and has faded, the priest is to place the person in isolation for seven days. 27 On the seventh day the priest will inspect the person again. If then the spot has spread further on the skin, the priest will declare them unclean; it is a serious skin disease. 28 But if the spot stays the same and hasn't spread on the skin, but has faded, it's the swelling from the burn, and the priest will declare them clean because it's just the scar from the burn.
29 If someone, man or woman, has a sore on the head or chin, 30 the priest shall inspect it, and if it appears to be more than superficial and the hair in it has become pale and thin, the priest must declare them unclean; it is an infection producing scabs, a serious disease of the head or chin. 31 However, if the priest inspects the scabby infection and it doesn't seem to be more than superficial and has no pale*“Pale”: the Hebrew text reads “black” but this is probably a scribal error. hair in it, the priest is to place the person in isolation for seven days. 32 On the seventh day the priest will inspect the person again and if the scabby infection has not spread and there is no pale hair in it, and it doesn't seem to be more than superficial, 33 then the person must shave themselves except for the scaly area. The priest is to place the person in isolation for another seven days. 34 On the seventh day the priest will inspect the scabby infection, and if it has not spread on the skin and doesn't seem to be more than superficial, the priest is to pronounce the person clean. They must wash their clothes and will be clean. 35 However, if the scabby infection has spread on the skin after having been declared clean, 36 the priest must inspect them, and if the scabby infection has indeed spread on the skin, the priest doesn't need to check for pale hair; the person is unclean. 37 But if the priest sees that the scabby infection hasn't changed, and black hair has grown in it, then it has healed. The person is clean, and the priest must declare it.
38 If someone, man or woman, has white spots on the skin, 39 the priest shall inspect them, and if the spots appear a dull white, it's just a rash that has developed on the skin; the person is clean.
40 If a man loses his hair and goes bald, he is still clean. 41 If he has a receding hairline and he goes bald on his forehead, he is still clean. 42 But if a reddish-white sore appears on his bald head or forehead, it is an infectious disease developing. 43 The priest must inspect him, and if the swelling of the sore on his bald head or forehead looks reddish-white like a skin disease, 44 then he has an infectious disease; he is unclean. The priest must declare him unclean because of the infection on his head.
45 Anyone who has such diseases must wear clothes that are torn and let their hair remain uncombed. They must cover their faces†“Faces”: literally, “upper lip.” and shout out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ 46 They remain unclean as long as the infection lasts. They have to live alone somewhere outside the camp.
47 The following regulations relate‡“The following regulations relate”: supplied for clarity. to any material that becomes affected by mold,§“Mold”: the word used is the same as that for the infectious skin disease noted above. such as wool or linen clothing, 48 anything woven or knitted made from linen or wool, or anything made of leather: 49 If the spot is green or red on the material, whether it's leather, woven, or knitted or some other leather item, then it is infected with mold and must be shown to the priest. 50 The priest must inspect the mold and place the item in isolation for seven days. 51 On the seventh day the priest shall inspect it again, and if the patch of mold has spread in the material, whether it's leather, woven, or knitted or some other leather item, then it is a harmful mold; the article is unclean, whatever it is being used for. 52 The priest is to burn it, whether the affected item is wool or linen or leather. Because the mold is harmful, the article must be burned. 53 However, if when the priest inspects it again, the patch of mold has not spread, 54 then the priest shall order that the affected item be washed and placed in isolation for another seven days. 55 Once it has been washed, the priest is to inspect it again, and if the item with the mold hasn't changed how it looks, it is unclean. Though the mold hasn't spread, you must burn the item, whether the mold damage is on the inside or the outside. 56 If the priest inspects it and the patch of mold has faded after it has been washed, he is to cut out the affected part of the material, whether it's leather, woven, or knitted. 57 However, if the mold comes back then it is spreading. In that case you must burn the affected item. 58 If the mold disappears after washing, then have it washed again, and it will be clean.
59 These are the regulations regarding what needs to be done when mold contaminates wool or linen material, whether woven or knitted, or any leather item, as to declaring it clean or unclean.”

- Leviticus
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*13:31 “Pale”: the Hebrew text reads “black” but this is probably a scribal error.

†13:45 “Faces”: literally, “upper lip.”

‡13:47 “The following regulations relate”: supplied for clarity.

§13:47 “Mold”: the word used is the same as that for the infectious skin disease noted above.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher