Laws about Skin Diseases (Numbers 5:1–4)
1 WBS And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
2 WBS When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons the priests: BSB BSB: “When someone has a swelling or rash or bright spot on his skin that may be an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is a priest.
3 WBS And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight is deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean. BSB BSB: The priest is to examine the infection on his skin, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin, it is a skin disease. After the priest examines him, he must pronounce him unclean.
4 WBS If the bright spot is white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight, not deeper than the skin, and the hair of it not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days: BSB BSB: If, however, the spot on his skin is white and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall isolate the infected person for seven days.
5 WBS And the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and behold, if the plague in his sight is at a stay, and the plague spreadeth not in the skin; then the priest shall shut him up seven days more: BSB BSB: On the seventh day the priest is to reexamine him, and if he sees that the infection is unchanged and has not spread on the skin, the priest must isolate him for another seven days.
6 WBS And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day: and behold, if the plague is somewhat dark, and the plague spreadeth not in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is but a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean. BSB BSB: The priest will examine him again on the seventh day, and if the sore has faded and has not spread on the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is a rash. The person must wash his clothes and be clean.
7 WBS But if the scab shall spread much in the skin, after he hath been seen by the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen by the priest again: BSB BSB: But if the rash spreads further on his skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he must present himself again to the priest.
8 WBS And if the priest shall see, that behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy. BSB BSB: The priest will reexamine him, and if the rash has spread on the skin, the priest must pronounce him unclean; it is a skin disease.
9 WBS When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought to the priest: BSB BSB: When anyone develops a skin disease, he must be brought to the priest.
10 WBS And the priest shall see him : and behold, if the rising is white in the skin, and it hath turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the rising; BSB BSB: The priest will examine him, and if there is a white swelling on the skin that has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling,
11 WBS It is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not shut him up; for he is unclean. BSB BSB: it is a chronic skin disease and the priest must pronounce him unclean. He need not isolate him, for he is unclean.
12 WBS And if a leprosy shall break out in the skin, and the leprosy shall cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wherever the priest looketh; BSB BSB: But if the skin disease breaks out all over his skin so that it covers all the skin of the infected person from head to foot, as far as the priest can see,
13 WBS Then the priest shall consider: and behold, if the leprosy hath covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean. BSB BSB: the priest shall examine him, and if the disease has covered his entire body, he is to pronounce the infected person clean. Since it has all turned white, he is clean.
14 WBS But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean. BSB BSB: But whenever raw flesh appears on someone, he will be unclean.
15 WBS And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy. BSB BSB: When the priest sees the raw flesh, he must pronounce him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean; it is a skin disease.
16 WBS Or if the raw flesh shall turn again, and be changed into white, he shall come to the priest; BSB BSB: But if the raw flesh changes and turns white, he must go to the priest.
17 WBS And the priest shall see him: and behold, if the plague is turned into white: then the priest shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: he is clean. BSB BSB: The priest will reexamine him, and if the infection has turned white, the priest is to pronounce the infected person clean; then he is clean.
18 WBS The flesh also, in which, even in the skin of it, was a boil, and is healed, BSB BSB: When a boil appears on someone’s skin and it heals,
19 WBS And in the place of the boil there shall be a white rising, or a bright spot, white, and somewhat reddish, and it be showed to the priest; BSB BSB: and a white swelling or a reddish-white spot develops where the boil was, he must present himself to the priest.
20 WBS And if, when the priest seeth it, behold, it is in sight lower than the skin, and the hair of it is turned white; the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague of leprosy broken out of the boil. BSB BSB: The priest shall examine it, and if it appears to be beneath the skin and the hair in it has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a diseased infection that has broken out in the boil.
21 WBS But if the priest shall look on it, and behold, there are no white hairs in it, and if it is not lower than the skin, but somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days: BSB BSB: But when the priest examines it, if there is no white hair in it, and it is not beneath the skin and has faded, the priest shall isolate him for seven days.
22 WBS And if it hath spread much in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague. BSB BSB: If it spreads any further on the skin, the priest must pronounce him unclean; it is an infection.
23 WBS But if the bright spot shall stay in its place, and not spread, it is a burning boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean. BSB BSB: But if the spot remains unchanged and does not spread, it is only the scar from the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
24 WBS Or if there is any flesh, in the skin of which there is a hot burning, and the live flesh that burneth hath a white bright spot, somewhat reddish or white; BSB BSB: When there is a burn on someone’s skin and the raw area of the burn becomes reddish-white or white,
25 WBS Then the priest shall look upon it: and behold, if the hair in the bright spot is turned white, and it is in sight deeper than the skin: it is a leprosy broken out of the burning: wherefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy. BSB BSB: the priest must examine it. If the hair in the spot has turned white and the spot appears to be deeper than the skin, it is a disease that has broken out in the burn. The priest must pronounce him unclean; it is a diseased infection.
26 WBS But if the priest shall look on it, and behold, there is no white hair in the bright spot, and it is no lower than the other skin, but is somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days: BSB BSB: But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the spot, and it is not beneath the skin but has faded, the priest shall isolate him for seven days.
27 WBS And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day: and if it is spread much in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy, BSB BSB: On the seventh day the priest is to reexamine him, and if it has spread further on the skin, the priest must pronounce him unclean; it is a diseased infection.
28 WBS And if the bright spot shall stay in its place, and not spread in the skin, but be somewhat dark; it is a rising of the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him clean: for it is an inflammation of the burning. BSB BSB: But if the spot is unchanged and has not spread on the skin but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn, and the priest is to pronounce him clean; for it is only the scar from the burn.
29 WBS If a man or woman shall have a plague upon the head or the beard; BSB BSB: If a man or woman has an infection on the head or chin,
30 WBS Then the priest shall see the plague: and behold, if it is in sight deeper than the skin, and there is in it a yellow thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard. BSB BSB: the priest shall examine the infection, and if it appears to be deeper than the skin and the hair in it is yellow and thin, the priest must pronounce him unclean; it is a scaly outbreak, an infectious disease of the head or chin.
31 WBS And if the priest shall look on the plague of the scall, and behold, it is not in sight deeper than the skin, and no black hair in it; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague of the scall seven days: BSB BSB: But if the priest examines the scaly infection and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, the priest shall isolate the infected person for seven days.
32 WBS And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague: and behold, if the scall spreadeth not, and there is in it no yellow hair, and the scall is not in sight deeper than the skin; BSB BSB: On the seventh day the priest is to reexamine the infection, and if the scaly outbreak has not spread and there is no yellow hair in it, and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin,
33 WBS He shall be shaven, but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up him that hath the scall seven days more: BSB BSB: then the person must shave himself except for the scaly area. Then the priest shall isolate him for another seven days.
34 WBS And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the scall: and behold, if the scall is not spread in the skin, nor is in sight deeper than the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him clean: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean. BSB BSB: On the seventh day the priest shall examine the scaly outbreak, and if it has not spread on the skin and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, the priest is to pronounce him clean. He must wash his clothes, and he will be clean.
35 WBS But if the scall shall spread much in the skin after his cleansing; BSB BSB: If, however, the scaly outbreak spreads further on the skin after his cleansing,
36 WBS Then the priest shall look on him: and behold, if the scall is spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for yellow hair; he is unclean. BSB BSB: the priest is to examine him, and if the scaly outbreak has spread on the skin, the priest need not look for yellow hair; the person is unclean.
37 WBS But if the scall shall be in his sight at a stay, and there is black hair grown in it; the scall is healed, he is clean: and the priest shall pronounce him clean. BSB BSB: If, however, in his sight the scaly outbreak is unchanged and black hair has grown in it, then it has healed. He is clean, and the priest is to pronounce him clean.
38 WBS If a man also or a woman shall have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots; BSB BSB: When a man or a woman has white spots on the skin,
39 WBS Then the priest shall look: and behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh are darkish white; it is a freckled spot that groweth in the skin; he is clean. BSB BSB: the priest shall examine them, and if the spots are dull white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin; the person is clean.
40 WBS And the man whose hair hath fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean. BSB BSB: Now if a man loses his hair and is bald, he is still clean.
41 WBS And he that hath his hair fallen off from the part of his head towards his face, he is forehead-bald; yet is he clean. BSB BSB: Or if his hairline recedes and he is bald on his forehead, he is still clean.
42 WBS And if there is in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up on his bald head, or his bald forehead. BSB BSB: But if there is a reddish-white sore on the bald head or forehead, it is an infectious disease breaking out on it.
43 WBS Then the priest shall look upon it: and behold, if the rising of the sore is white reddish on his bald head, or on his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh; BSB BSB: The priest is to examine him, and if the swelling of the infection on his bald head or forehead is reddish-white like a skin disease,
44 WBS He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head. BSB BSB: the man is diseased; he is unclean. The priest must pronounce him unclean because of the infection on his head.
45 WBS And the leper in whom the plague is , his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. BSB BSB: A diseased person must wear torn clothes and let his hair hang loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’
46 WBS All the days in which the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone, without the camp shall his habitation be . BSB BSB: As long as he has the infection, he remains unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp.
Laws about Mildew 47 WBS The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether a woolen garment, or a linen garment; BSB BSB: If any fabric is contaminated with mildew—any wool or linen garment,
48 WBS Whether in the warp, or woof, of linen, or of woolen: whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin: BSB BSB: any weave or knit of linen or wool, or any article of leather—
49 WBS And if the plague is greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin: it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be shown to the priest: BSB BSB: and if the mark in the fabric, leather, weave, knit, or leather article is green or red, then it is contaminated with mildew and must be shown to the priest.
50 WBS And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up that which hath the plague seven days: BSB BSB: And the priest is to examine the mildew and isolate the contaminated fabric for seven days.
51 WBS And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague is spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin: the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean. BSB BSB: On the seventh day the priest shall reexamine it, and if the mildew has spread in the fabric, weave, knit, or leather, then regardless of how it is used, it is a harmful mildew; the article is unclean.
52 WBS He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woolen or in linen, or any thing of skin, in which the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire. BSB BSB: He is to burn the fabric, weave, or knit, whether the contaminated item is wool or linen or leather. Since the mildew is harmful, the article must be burned up.
53 WBS And if the priest shall look, and behold, the plague is not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; BSB BSB: But when the priest reexamines it, if the mildew has not spread in the fabric, weave, knit, or leather article,
54 WBS Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing in which the plague is , and he shall shut it up seven days more: BSB BSB: the priest is to order the contaminated article to be washed and isolated for another seven days.
55 WBS And the priest shall look on the plague after it is washed: and behold, if the plague hath not changed its color, and the plague hath not spread; it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; it is fret inward, whether it is bare within or without. BSB BSB: After it has been washed, the priest is to reexamine it, and if the mildewed article has not changed in appearance, it is unclean. Even though the mildew has not spread, you must burn it, whether the rot is on the front or back.
56 WBS And if the priest shall look, and behold, the plague is somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof: BSB BSB: If the priest examines it and the mildew has faded after it has been washed, he must cut the contaminated section out of the fabric, leather, weave, or knit.
57 WBS And if it shall appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague : thou shalt burn that in which the plague is , with fire. BSB BSB: But if it reappears in the fabric, weave, or knit, or on any leather article, it is spreading. You must burn the contaminated article.
58 WBS And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatever thing of skin it is , which thou shalt wash, if the plague hath departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean. BSB BSB: If the mildew disappears from the fabric, weave, or knit, or any leather article after washing, then it is to be washed again, and it will be clean.
59 WBS This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woolen or linen, either in the warp or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean. BSB BSB: This is the law concerning a mildew contamination in wool or linen fabric, weave, or knit, or any leather article, for pronouncing it clean or unclean.”