Leviticus 13

¹ Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron,

² If a swelling or scab or shiny spot appears on a man’s skin, a case of leprosy of the skin is to be suspected. The man must be taken to Aaron, the priest, or to one of the priests who are his sons.

³ The priest must examine the disease on the skin. If the hair on the diseased part has turned white, or if the disease bites into the skin, then it is indeed a case of leprosy, and after examination the priest must declare the man unclean.

⁴ But if there is a shiny spot on the skin without any visible depression of the skin and without whitening of the hair, the priest is to isolate the sick person for seven days.

⁵ On the seventh day he must examine him, and if he sees with his own eyes that the disease persists though without spreading over the skin, he is to isolate him for a further seven days

⁶ and examine him again on the seventh. If he finds that the diseased part is no longer shiny and has not spread over the skin, then the priest is to declare the man clean. It is a scab merely. Having washed his clothing he will be clean.

⁷ But if the scab spreads over the skin after the sick person has been examined by the priest and declared clean, then he must present himself again to the priest.

⁸ After examining him and certifying the spread of the scab over the skin, the priest must declare him unclean: it is leprosy.

⁹ When a leprous disease strikes a man, he must be taken to the priest,

¹⁰ who must examine him, and if he finds on the skin a whitish swelling with whitening of the hair and an ulcer forming,

¹¹ then it is chronic leprosy in the skin and the priest must declare him unclean. He is not to isolate him; he is unclean beyond doubt.

¹² But if the leprosy spreads all through the skin, if it covers him entirely from head to foot so far as the priest can see,

¹³ then the priest must examine the sick person and, if he finds that the leprosy covers his whole body, declare the sick person[*a] clean. Since it has all become white, he is clean.

¹⁴ But as soon as an ulcer appears on him, he will be unclean.

¹⁵ After examining the ulcer, the priest is to declare him unclean: the ulcer is unclean, it is leprous.

¹⁶ But if the ulcer becomes white again, the man must go to the priest;

¹⁷ the priest must examine him and if he finds that the disease has turned white, he is to declare the sick person clean: he is clean.

¹⁸ When a boil appears on a man’s skin, which, after healing,

¹⁹ leaves in its place a whitish swelling or a shiny spot of reddish white, the man must show himself to the priest.

²⁰ The priest must examine him, and if he finds a visible depression in the skin and a whitening of the hair, he is to declare him unclean: it is a case of leprosy that has broken out in a boil.

²¹ But if on examination the priest finds neither white hair nor depression of the skin, but a fading of the affected part, he is to isolate the sick person for seven days.

²² If the disease has indeed spread over the skin, he must declare him unclean: it is a case of leprosy.

²³ But if the shiny spot is still restricted and has not spread, then it is the scar of a boil and the priest is to declare the man clean.

²⁴ If someone has had a burn, and on the burn an ulcer forms, a shiny spot reddish-white or whitish in color,

²⁵ then the priest must examine it. If he finds a whitening of the hair or a visible depression of the mark on the skin, this means that leprosy has broken out in the burn. The priest is to declare the man unclean: it is a case of leprosy.

²⁶ If on the other hand the priest on examination does not find white hair on the mark or depression of the skin, but a fading of the mark, then the priest is to isolate him for seven days.

²⁷ On the seventh day he must examine him, and if the disease has spread on the skin, he must declare him unclean: it is a case of leprosy.

²⁸ If the mark is still restricted and has not spread over the skin, but has faded instead, this means that it is only a swelling due to the burn. The priest is to declare the man clean: it is merely a burn scar.

²⁹ If a man or a woman has a sore on the head or chin,

³⁰ the priest must examine this sore; and if he finds a depression visible in the skin, with the hair on it yellow and thin, he must declare the sick person unclean. It is tinea, that is to say, leprosy of the head or chin.

³¹ If on examining this case of tinea the priest finds no visible depression in the skin nor yellow hair, he is to isolate the person so affected for seven days.

³² He must examine the infected part on the seventh day, and if he finds that the tinea has not spread, that the hair on it is not yellow, and that there is no visible depression in the skin,

³³ the sick person will shave his hair, all except the part affected with tinea, and the priest is to isolate him again for seven days.

³⁴ He must examine the infected part on the seventh day, and if he finds that it has not spread over the skin, and that there is no visible depression of the skin, the priest is to declare the sick person clean. After washing his clothes he will be clean.

³⁵ But if after this purification the tinea does spread over the skin,

³⁶ the priest must examine him; if he finds that the tinea has indeed spread over the skin, this means that the sick person is unclean, and there is no need to verify whether the hair is yellow.

³⁷ Whereas if, so far as he can see, the tinea is arrested and dark hair is beginning to grow on it, this means that the sick person is cured. He is clean, and the priest is to declare him clean.

³⁸   If shiny spots break out on the skin of a man or woman, and if these spots are white,

³⁹ the priest must examine them. If he finds that these patches are of a dull white, it is a rash that has broken out on the skin: the sick person is clean.

⁴⁰ If a man loses the hair of his scalp, this is baldness of the scalp but the man is clean.

⁴¹ If he loses his hair off the front of the head, this is baldness of the forehead but the man is clean.

⁴² If, however, a reddish-white sore appears on scalp or forehead, this means that leprosy has broken out on the man’s scalp or forehead.

⁴³ The priest must examine it, and if he finds a reddish-white swelling on the scalp or forehead, of the same appearance as leprosy of the skin,

⁴⁴ this means that the man is leprous: he is unclean. The priest must declare him unclean; he is suffering from leprosy of the head.

⁴⁵ A man infected with leprosy must wear his clothing torn and his hair disordered; he must shield his upper lip and cry, “Unclean, unclean”.

⁴⁶ As long as the disease lasts he must be unclean; and therefore he must live apart: he must live outside the camp.

⁴⁷ When a piece of clothing is infected with leprosy – woollen or linen clothing,

⁴⁸ linen or woollen fabric or covering, leather or leatherwork –

⁴⁹ and if this clothing, fabric, covering, leather or leatherwork appears greenish or reddish, it is a case of leprosy to be shown to the priest.

⁵⁰ The priest must examine the infection and isolate the object for seven days.

⁵¹ If on the seventh day he observes that the infection has spread on the garment, fabric, covering, leather or leatherwork, whatever it may be, it is a case of contagious leprosy and the object is unclean.

⁵² He will burn this clothing, fabric, linen or woollen covering, leather article of any kind, on which the infection has appeared; for it is a contagious leprosy which must be destroyed by fire.

⁵³ But if on examination the priest finds that the infection has not spread on the clothing, fabric, covering, or leather object whatever it may be,

⁵⁴ he is to order the infected article to be washed and is to isolate it again for a period of seven days.

⁵⁵ After the cleansing he must examine the infection and if he finds that there is no change in its appearance, even though it has not spread, the article is unclean. It must be destroyed by fire; it is infected through and through.

⁵⁶ But if on examination the priest finds that the infection has diminished after washing, he is to cut it out of the clothing, leather, fabric or covering.

⁵⁷ But if the infection reappears on the same clothing, fabric, covering or leather article whatever it may be, this means that the infection is active and you must destroy by fire whatever is infected.

⁵⁸ The clothing, fabric, covering or leather article whatever it may be, from which the infection disappears after washing, is to be clean after it has been washed a second time.

⁵⁹ Such is the law for a case of leprosy in a linen or woollen garment, a fabric or covering or leather article whatever it may be, when it is a question of declaring them clean or unclean.’