Regulations Concerning Discharges
15 The Lord told Moses and Aaron, 2 “Tell the Israelis that when a man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean, 3 and this is the cause of his uncleanness—his discharge. Whether his body is releasing the discharge or his body has stopped the discharge, he’s unclean. 4 Every bed on which he lies down with the discharge is to be considered unclean, and every object on which he sits becomes unclean. 5 Any person[a] who touches his bed is to wash his garments and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. 6 Whoever sits on any object on which the one with the discharge has sat is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening.
7 “Whoever touches the body of someone with a discharge is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. 8 Whoever has a discharge and spits on someone who is clean, then he is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening.
9 “Any saddle that anyone with a discharge rides on will become unclean. 10 Whoever touches anything that was under him will be unclean until evening. Whoever carries these things is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening.
11 “Anyone whom the one with the discharge touches without rinsing his hands with water is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. 12 The earthen vessel that the person with the discharge touches is to be broken in pieces, and every wooden vessel is to be rinsed with water.”
On Cleansing from Discharges
13 “When the one with the discharge is cleansed from his discharge, then he is to set aside for himself seven days for his cleansing. He is to wash his clothes and bathe with flowing water. Then he will be clean. 14 On the eighth day, he is to take for himself two turtledoves or two young doves, bring them to the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, and give them to the priest. 15 Then the priest is to offer them—one for a sin offering and the other for a whole burnt offering. That’s how the priest will make atonement for him in the Lord’s presence regarding his discharge.”
On Seminal Emissions
16 “If a man has a seminal emission, he is to bathe his entire body with water and remain unclean until evening. 17 Every garment (including leather) on which the semen is found is to be washed with water, and it will remain unclean until evening. 18 When a man has sexual relations with a woman and the man releases semen, both are to bathe with water, and they will remain unclean until evening.”
On Menstrual Discharges
19 “When a woman has a discharge,[b] and the blood is her monthly menstrual discharge[c] from her body, then for seven days she is to remain in her menstrual uncleanness. Whoever touches her will remain unclean until evening. 20 Everything that she sleeps on during her uncleanness will be unclean. Moreover, everything that she sits on will become unclean. 21 Anyone who touches her bed is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. 22 Anyone who touches any of the objects on which she has sat is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. 23 Any bed or other object on which she sat that he touches will make him unclean until evening. 24 When a man has sexual relations with her and her menstrual uncleanness touches him, he will be unclean for seven days. Every bed where he sleeps will remain unclean.
25 “When a woman has a continuous discharge of blood many days beyond the time of her menstrual uncleanness, or if she has a discharge that lasts beyond the days of her menstrual uncleanness, her uncleanness is to be treated like the days of her menstruation—she’s unclean. 26 Every bed on which she sleeps the whole time she has the discharge will be her own unclean bed, so that every object on which she sits becomes unclean like her menstrual uncleanness. 27 Whoever touches them will become unclean. He is to wash his clothes and bathe with water and he will remain unclean until evening.
28 “If she becomes clean with her discharge, then she is to count for herself seven days, after which she becomes clean. 29 On the eighth day, she is to take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 30 Then the priest is to offer one for a sin offering and the other for a whole burnt offering. This is how the priest will make atonement in the Lord’s presence for her regarding her unclean discharge.
31 “So separate the Israelis from their uncleanness so that they won’t die in their uncleanness if they defile my tent that is in their midst. 32 These are the regulations for one whose discharge of semen causes him to become unclean because of it, 33 for her whose menstruation causes her to become ill,[d] for anyone who has a discharge (whether male or female), and for the man who has sexual relations[e] with one who is unclean.”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 15:5 Lit. man
- Leviticus 15:19 Or flow
- Leviticus 15:19 The Heb. lacks monthly menstrual
- Leviticus 15:33 Lit. who is unwell due to menstrual uncleanness
- Leviticus 15:33 Lit. who sleeps; or who lays down