Leviticus 13

Laws About Leprosy

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 "When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling, a a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his body like a 1 leprous sore, b then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. 3 "The priest shall examine the sore on the skin of the body; and if the hair on the sore has turned white, and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous sore. Then the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him 2 unclean. 4 "But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body, and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the sore c seven days. 5 "And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day; and indeed if the sore appears to be as it was, and the sore has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall isolate him another seven days. 6 "Then the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day; and indeed if the sore has faded, and the sore has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a scab, and he d shall wash his clothes and be clean. 7 "But if the scab should at all spread over the skin, after he has been seen by the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen by the priest again. 8 "And if the priest sees that the scab has indeed spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him 3 unclean. It is leprosy.

9 "When the leprous sore is on a person, then he shall be brought to the priest. 10 e "And the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the swelling on the skin is white, and it has turned the hair white, and there is a spot of raw flesh in the swelling, 11 "it is an old leprosy on the skin of his body. The priest shall pronounce him 4 unclean, and shall not isolate him, for he is unclean. 12 "And if leprosy breaks out all over the skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin of the one who has the sore, from his head to his foot, wherever the priest looks, 13 "then the priest shall consider; and indeed if the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean who has the sore. It has all turned f white. He is clean. 14 "But when raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean. 15 "And the priest shall examine the raw flesh and pronounce him to be unclean; for the raw flesh is unclean. It is leprosy. 16 "Or if the raw flesh changes and turns white again, he shall come to the priest. 17 "And the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the sore has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him clean who has the sore. He is clean.

18 "If the body develops a g boil in the skin, and it is healed, 19 "and in the place of the boil there comes a white swelling or a bright spot, reddish-white, then it shall be shown to the priest; 20 "and if, when the priest sees it, it indeed appears deeper than the skin, and its hair has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore which has broken out of the boil. 21 "But if the priest examines it, and indeed there are no white hairs in it, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall isolate him seven days; 22 "and if it should at all spread over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a 5 leprous sore. 23 "But if the bright spot stays in one place, and has not spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

24 "Or if the body receives a h burn on its skin by fire, and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish-white or white, 25 "then the priest shall examine it; and indeed if the hair of the bright spot has turned white, and it appears deeper than the skin, it is leprosy broken out in the burn. Therefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore. 26 "But if the priest examines it, and indeed there are no white hairs in the bright spot, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall isolate him seven days. 27 "And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day. If it has at all spread over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore. 28 "But if the bright spot stays in one place, and has not spread on the skin, but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn. The priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is the scar from the burn.

29 "If a man or woman has a sore on the head or the beard, 30 "then the priest shall examine the sore; and indeed if it appears deeper than the skin, and there is in it thin yellow hair, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a scaly leprosy of the head or beard. 31 "But if the priest examines the scaly sore, and indeed it does not appear deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the scale seven days. 32 "And on the seventh day the priest shall examine the sore; and indeed if the scale has not spread, and there is no yellow hair in it, and the scale does not appear deeper than the skin, 33 "he shall shave himself, but the scale he shall not shave. And the priest shall isolate the one who has the scale another seven days. 34 "On the seventh day the priest shall examine the scale; and indeed if the scale has not spread over the skin, and does not appear deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. He shall wash his clothes and be clean. 35 "But if the scale should at all spread over the skin after his cleansing, 36 "then the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the scale has spread over the skin, the priest need not seek for yellow hair. He is unclean. 37 "But if the scale appears to be at a standstill, and there is black hair grown up in it, the scale has healed. He is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

38 "If a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the body, specifically white bright spots, 39 "then the priest shall look; and indeed if the bright spots on the skin of the body are dull white, it is a white spot that grows on the skin. He is clean.

40 "As for the man whose hair has fallen from his head, he is bald, but he is clean. 41 "He whose hair has fallen from his forehead, he is bald on the forehead, but he is clean. 42 "And if there is on the bald head or bald i forehead a reddish-white sore, it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or his bald forehead. 43 "Then the priest shall examine it; and indeed if the swelling of the sore is reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald forehead, as the appearance of leprosy on the skin of the body, 44 "he is a leprous man. He is unclean. The priest shall surely pronounce him 6 unclean; his sore is on his j head.

45 "Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head k bare; and he shall l cover his mustache, and cry, m 'Unclean! Unclean!' 46 "He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall 7 dwell alone; his dwelling shall be n outside the camp.

47 "Also, if a garment has a 8 leprous plague 9 in it, whether it is a woolen garment or a linen garment, 48 "whether it is in the warp or woof of linen or wool, whether in leather or in anything made of leather, 49 "and if the plague is greenish or reddish in the garment or in the leather, whether in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, it is a leprous 10 plague and shall be shown to the priest. 50 "The priest shall examine the plague and isolate that which has the plague seven days. 51 "And he shall examine the plague on the seventh day. If the plague has spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, in the leather or in anything made of leather, the plague is o an active leprosy. It is unclean. 52 "He shall therefore burn that garment in which is the plague, whether warp or woof, in wool or in linen, or anything of leather, for it is an active leprosy; the garment shall be burned in the fire.

53 "But if the priest examines it, and indeed the plague has not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, 54 "then the priest shall command that they wash the thing in which is the plague; and he shall isolate it another seven days. 55 "Then the priest shall examine the plague after it has been washed; and indeed if the plague has not changed its color, though the plague has not spread, it is unclean, and you shall burn it in the fire; it continues eating away, whether the damage is outside or inside.

56 "If the priest examines it, and indeed the plague has faded after washing it, then he shall tear it out of the garment, whether out of the warp or out of the woof, or out of the leather. 57 "But if it appears again in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, it is a spreading plague; you shall burn with fire that in which is the plague. 58 "And if you wash the garment, either warp or woof, or whatever is made of leather, if the plague has disappeared from it, then it shall be washed a second time, and shall be clean.

59 "This is the law of the leprous plague in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp or woof, or in anything made of leather, to pronounce it clean or to pronounce it unclean."

  1. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 28:27
    The LORD will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, with the scab, and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed.
    Isaiah 3:17
    Therefore the Lord will strike with a scab The crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, And the LORD will uncover their secret parts.
  2. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 17:8
    If a matter arises which is too hard for you to judge, between degrees of guilt for bloodshed, between one judgment or another, or between one punishment or another, matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the LORD your God chooses.
    Deuteronomy 17:9
    And you shall come to the priests, the Levites, and to the judge there in those days, and inquire of them; they shall pronounce upon you the sentence of judgment.
    Deuteronomy 24:8
    Take heed in an outbreak of leprosy, that you carefully observe and do according to all that the priests, the Levites, shall teach you; just as I commanded them, so you shall be careful to do.
    Malachi 2:7
    For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.
    Luke 17:14
    So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
  3. Cross References
    Leviticus 14:8
    He who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean. After that he shall come into the camp, and shall stay outside his tent seven days.
  4. Cross References
    Leviticus 11:25
    Whoever carries part of the carcass of any of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening:
    Leviticus 14:8
    He who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean. After that he shall come into the camp, and shall stay outside his tent seven days.
    John 13:8
    Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.
    John 13:10
    Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.
  5. Cross References
    Numbers 12:10
    And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper.
    Numbers 12:12
    "Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother's womb!"
    2 Kings 5:27
    Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever." And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.
    2 Chronicles 26:19
    Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the incense altar.
    2 Chronicles 26:20
    And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the LORD had struck him.
  6. Cross References
    Exodus 4:6
    Furthermore the LORD said to him, "Now put your hand in your bosom." And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow.
  7. Cross References
    Exodus 9:9
    "And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt."
    Exodus 15:26
    And said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.
  8. Cross References
    Isaiah 3:24
    And so it shall be: Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench; Instead of a sash, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, baldness; Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty.
  9. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 26:19
    Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the incense altar.
  10. Cross References
    Isaiah 1:5
    Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints.
  11. Cross References
    Leviticus 10:6
    And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, "Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD has kindled.
    Leviticus 21:10
    He who is the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes.
  12. Cross References
    Ezekiel 24:17
    "Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead; bind your turban on your head, and put your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips, and do not eat man's bread of sorrow."
    Ezekiel 24:22
    And you shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your lips nor eat man's bread of sorrow.
    Micah 3:7
    So the seers shall be ashamed, And the diviners abashed; Indeed they shall all cover their lips; For there is no answer from God.
  13. Cross References
    Isaiah 6:5
    So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.
    Isaiah 64:6
    But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
    Lamentations 4:15
    They cried out to them, "Go away, unclean! Go away, go away, Do not touch us!" When they fled and wandered, Those among the nations said, "They shall no longer dwell here.
    Luke 5:8
    When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!
  14. Cross References
    Numbers 5:1 - 4
    And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
    Numbers 12:14
    Then the LORD said to Moses, "If her father had...
    2 Kings 7:3
    Now there were four leprous men at the entrance...
    2 Kings 15:5
    Then the LORD struck the king, so that he was a...
    2 Chronicles 26:21
    King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his de...
    Psalms 38:11
    My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from m...
    Luke 17:12
    Then as He entered a certain village, there met...
  15. Cross References
    Leviticus 14:44
    Then the priest shall come and look; and indeed if the plague has spread in the house, it is an active leprosy in the house. It is unclean.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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