Sexual uncleanness

1The LORD told Moses and Aaron 2to say to the community of Israel:

Any man with an infected penis is unclean, 3whether it is stopped up or keeps dripping. 4Anything that he rests on or sits on is also unclean, 5-7and if you touch either these or him, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening.

8If you are spat on by the man, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening. 9-10Any saddle or seat on which the man sits is unclean. And if you touch or carry either of these, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening. 11If the man touches you without first washing his hands, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening. 12Any clay pot that he touches must be destroyed, and any wooden bowl that he touches must be washed.

13Seven days after the man gets well, he will be considered clean, if he washes his clothes and takes a bath in spring water. 14On the eighth day he must bring either two doves or two pigeons to the front of my sacred tent and give them to a priest. 15The priest will offer one of the birds as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a sacrifice to please me,15.15 sacrifice to please me: See the note at 1.1-3. then I will consider the man completely clean.

16Any man who has a flow of semen must take a bath, but he still remains unclean until evening. 17If the semen touches anything made of cloth or leather, these must be washed, but they still remain unclean until evening. 18After having sex, both the man and the woman must take a bath, but they still remain unclean until evening.

19When a woman has her monthly period, she remains unclean for seven days, and if you touch her, you must take a bath, but you remain unclean until evening. 20-23Anything that she rests on or sits on is also unclean, and if you touch either of these, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening. 24Any man who has sex with her during this time becomes unclean for seven days, and anything he rests on is also unclean.

25Any woman who has a flow of blood outside her regular monthly period is unclean until it stops, just as she is during her monthly period. 26Anything that she rests on or sits on during this time is also unclean, just as it would be during her period. 27If you touch either of these, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening.

28Seven days after the woman gets well, she will be considered clean. 29On the eighth day, she must bring either two doves or two pigeons to the front of my sacred tent and give them to a priest. 30He will offer one of the birds as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a sacrifice to please me; then I will consider the woman completely clean.

31When any of you are unclean, you must stay away from the rest of the community of Israel. Otherwise, my sacred tent will become unclean, and the whole nation will die.

32-33These are the things you men must do if you become unclean because of an infected penis or if you have a flow of semen. And these are the things you women must do when you become unclean either because of your monthly period or an unusual flow of blood. This is also what you men must do if you have sex with a woman who is unclean.