Leviticus 13

Rules for illnesses in the skin

1The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 2‘A person may have a kind of mark on his skin that might be an illness. He might give the illness to other people. If he has a mark like that, you must bring him to the priest. 3The priest must look at the mark. If the hair on the mark is white, it might be an illness. If the mark is under the skin and on the skin it might be an illness. The priest must say that the person is not clean. 4If the mark on the skin is white but not under the skin it might not be an illness. If the hair on the skin is not white, it might not be a bad illness. The priest must keep him separate from the people for 7 (seven) days. 5On the 7th (seventh) day, the priest must look at the person. The mark may not be any bigger. If it is not, he must keep the person separate from the people for 7 (seven) more days. 6On the 7th (seventh) day, the priest must look at the person. The mark may not be so dark and it may not be any bigger. The priest can say that the illness has left that person. The person must wash his clothes. 7A person might see that the mark on his skin had grown. This might happen after the priest had said that the illness had left him. Then the person must go again to the priest. 8The priest must look at the person. The mark might be bigger. The priest must say that the person has an illness. It is an illness that he could give to other people.

9If a person has an illness on his skin, you must bring him to the priest. 10The priest must look at the person. If the skin has a white mark and white hair on it, the person has an illness. If the mark has no skin on part of it, the person has an illness. But it may not be an illness that he could give to other people. 11The priest must say that the person is not clean. The priest need not keep him separate from the people. He already has an illness.

12If the illness is all over the body of the person, the priest must look at the person. 13If the skin is all white the priest must say that the person is clean. 14If there is an open hole in the skin, the person is not clean. 15The priest will see the hole in the skin. He must say that the person has an illness. 16The hole might close up and the skin might go white. If it does, the person must go to the priest. 17The priest must look at the skin. It may be white. The priest must say that the illness has left the person. Then he will be clean.

18A mark on the skin of a person might have water under it. Then it might get better. 19If there is still a red or white mark on the skin, the person must go to the priest. 20The priest must look at the person. The red mark might be under the skin and the hair on the skin might be white. The priest must say that the person has an illness. The person is not clean. 21If the red mark is not under the skin, it might not be an illness. There may not be any white hair on the red mark and the mark may be less red. If that is true, it might not be an illness. The priest must keep the person separate from the people for 7 (seven) days. 22The red mark may get bigger. The priest must say that the person has an illness. 23If the red mark is not getting bigger, the illness is getting better. The priest must say that the illness has left the person.

24A person who has burnt his skin might have a red or white mark. It might be where he burnt himself. 25The priest must look at him. If the hair on the mark is white, it is an illness. If the mark is under the skin and on the skin, it is an illness. The priest must say that the person is not clean. He might give the illness to other people. 26There may not be any white hair and the mark may not be under the skin. The illness is leaving the person. Then the priest must keep him separate from the people for 7 (seven) days. 27On the 7th (seventh) day, the priest must look at the person. If the mark is getting bigger, it is an illness. The priest must say that the person is not clean. 28If the mark is getting smaller, it is not an illness. The mark is because the person burnt himself. The priest must say that the person is clean.

29A person may have a mark that hurts on his head. 30The priest must look at the mark. The mark may be under the skin and on the skin, and it may have thin yellow hair on it. That is a bad illness. He could give that illness to other people. The priest must say that the person is not clean. 31If the mark is not under the skin, it might not be a bad illness. If there is not any black hair on the mark, it might not be an illness. The priest must keep that person separate from the people for 7 (seven) days. 32On the 7th (seventh) day, the priest must look at the mark that is hurting. The mark might not be under the skin. There might not be any yellow hair on it. 33The person must cut the hair off his head. He must not cut the hair for 7 (seven) more days. 34On the 7th (seventh) day, the priest must look at the mark that is hurting. The mark may be no bigger and not under the skin. The priest can say that the person is clean. The person must wash his clothes. 35The mark might get bigger after the priest has said that the illness has left the person. 36The priest must look at the mark. If it is bigger, he need not look for yellow hair. The person is not clean. 37The mark may be no bigger and black hair may have grown on it. If that is true, the illness has left the person.

38If a person has white marks on his skin, 39the priest must look at the marks. If the colour of the marks is not bright, it is not an illness. The person is clean.

40The hair may fall from the head of a man until he is bald. That man remains clean. 41If the hair falls from the front of the man’s head, it is bald. The man is clean. 42If the man has a red and white mark on his bald head, it is an illness. 43The priest must look at the red and white mark on the bald head. 44The priest must say that the man has an illness. It is an illness that he might give to other people,

45A person with this illness must tear his clothes. He must not comb his hair. He must cover the lower part of his face. He must shout, “I am not clean.” 46He must be alone all the time that he has an illness. He must live outside the camp.

Rules for clothes that have mildew

47Clothes might become bad because of mildew. 48People might have made the clothes from wool, linen cloth or leather. 49If the mark in the clothes is green or red, the mildew is growing. People must show these clothes to the priest. 50The priest must look at the mildew. And he must keep the clothes separate from other clothes for 7 (seven) days. 51On the 7th (seventh) day, the priest must look at the clothes. If the illness is getting bigger, the person must not wear them. 52The priest must burn the wool, leather or linen clothes. They have an illness that will destroy them.

53When the priest looks at the clothes, the mildew might not be getting bigger. 54He must tell the people that they must wash the clothes. The people must keep these clothes separate from their other clothes for 7 (seven) more days. 55The priest will look at the clothes after the people have washed them. If the mildew still seems the same, the people must not wear the clothes. The people must burn the clothes whether the mark is inside or outside them. 56The colour of the mark might be less bright, after the people have washed the clothes. If it is, the priest must tear the marked part out of the clothes. 57If the mildew comes back to the clothes, the people must burn them. 58If there is no mildew in the washed clothes, the people must wash the clothes again. Then the clothes will be clean.’

59These are the rules for mildew in linen cloth. They are rules for wool or leather clothes. They tell the priest how to know whether they are clean or not clean.