Diagnosing Skin Diseases

1The LORD said this to Moses and Aaron: 2“When a persona has a swelling or a scab in the skin on his bodyb that turns white in appearance and appears to be more extensive than skin deep, he is to be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons among the priests. 3The priest is to examine the skin rash on the body. If the hair on the skin rash has turned white and its appearance is deeper than the skin of his body, it’s an infectious skin disease. When the priest has examined it, then he is to declare him unclean.

4“If the light spot in the skin of his body is white but the appearance of the skin rash isn’t deeper than the skin of his body and its hair has not become white, then the priest is to isolatec the one who is infected for seven days. 5On the seventh day, the priest is to examine him again. If, in his opinion, the skin rash remained the same and itd did not spread, then he is to isolatee him for another seven days.

6“On the nextf seventh day, the priest is to examine him again. If the skin rash didn’t become dull and itg didn’t spread in the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him clean: it’s a scab. He is to wash his clothes and be clean. 7But if the scab did spread in the skin after he presented himself to the priest for cleansing, then he is to show himself a second time to the priest. 8When the priest examines him and determines that the scab did, in fact, spread in his skin, then the priest is to pronounce him unclean, since it’s an infectious skin disease.”

Infectious Skin Diseases

9“When a person has a skin rash that’s infectious, he is to be brought to the priest. 10The priest is to examine it. If it is, indeed, a white swelling in the skin that has turned the hair white, and yet it sustains live flesh on the swelling, 11it’s a festering skin disease in his body. The priest is to declare him unclean. The man need not be confined, since he’s already unclean. 12If the infectious skin disease spreads in the skin so that it covers his entire body from head to foot (as the priest examines it), 13when the priest’s examination reveals that the infectious skin disease has covered his entire body, then he is to declare him clean, even though he still has the skin infection. He has turned entirely white, so he’s clean. 14But if, one day, infected flesh appears again in him, he is unclean. 15The priest is to examine the infected flesh and declare him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean; it’s an infectious skin disease. 16If the raw flesh recurs and turns white, then he is to go to the priest. 17When the priest examines him and finds that the skin rash has indeed turned white, then the priest is to declare the one with the skin rash clean, and he will be clean.”

On Boils

18“When someone is infected with a boil, but after it’s healed, 19in place of the boil there remains a white swelling or a bright, white-reddish spot, he is to present himself to the priest. 20When the priest undertakes his examination and finds that it appears more extensive than skin deep and that its hair has turned white, then the priest is to declare him unclean, since an infectious skin disease has flourished in the boil. 21If the priest undertakes an examination, but there’s no white hair in it and it’s not more extensive than skin deep, but it’s dull, then the priest is to isolateh him for seven days. 22But if the infection has spread in the skin, then the priest is to declare him unclean. It’s a skin rash. 23If the scab remains in place and doesn’t spread, then it’s the scab from the boil. The priest is to declare him clean.”

Burn Scars

24“When a person has a burn scar in the skin that turns bright, white-reddish, or white, 25if the priest examines it and indeed the hair has turned white with a white spot appearing more extensive than skin deep, it’s an infectious skin disease with a burn scar that has spread. The priest is to declare him unclean. It’s an infectious skin disease. 26But if the priest examines it and discovers that there’s no bright area or white hair, or if he discovers thati it’s not more extensive than skin deep and it’s dull, then the priest is to isolatej him for seven days. 27When the priest examines it on the seventh day and finds that it has indeed spread on the skin, then the priest is to declare him unclean. It’s an infectious skin disease. 28But if the bright spot remains in place, doesn’t spread in the skin, and it’s dull, it’s the swelling of the burned area. The priest is to declare him clean, since it’s the scar from a burn.”

Rashes

29“Now when a man or a woman has a skin rash on the head or the man develops a skin rash under his beard,k 30if when the priest examines the skin rash and indeed it appears more extensive than skin deep, and it’s accompanied by fine, yellowish hair, then the priest is to declare him unclean. The scales on the head or the beard are an infectious skin disease. 31But when the priest examines the scales of the skin rash and it doesn’t appear more extensive than skin deep and there’s no black hair in it, then the priest is to isolatel him for seven days. 32When the priest examines the skin rash on the seventh day and finds that indeed the scab did not spread, there’s no yellowish hair on it, and the scales don’t appear more extensive than skin deep, 33then he is to be shaven, but the scab is not to be shaved off. The priest is to isolatem him a second time for seven days. 34The priest is to examine the scab on the seventh day. If, indeed, the scab hasn’t spread on the skin and it doesn’t appear more extensive than skin deep, then the priest is to declare him clean. He is to wash his garments and be clean.

35“But if the scales spread on the skin after his cleansing, 36and the priest examines it and finds the scale to have spread on the skin, the priest need not look for yellowish hair, since he is clean. 37If, in his opinion, the scab remained the same and a black hair grew in it, then the scab has healed. He’s clean. The priest is to declare him clean. 38If a man or a woman has a light or whitish spot in the skin of their body, 39when the priest examines it and finds that there is a light or dull white patch of skin on the body, it’s a harmless skin eruption that has spread on the skin. The person is clean.”

Baldness vs. Head Rashes

40“When a man’s head becomes bare, he’s bald, but he’s clean. 41When his head becomes bare on the side corner of his face, he has a bald forehead, but he’s clean. 42But when in the baldness of his head or his forehead there develops a skin rash that’s white or reddish, it’s an infectious skin disease that has spread to his bald head or forehead. 43When the priest examines it and finds that the swelling of the skin rash is white or reddish on his bald head or forehead, similar in appearance to an infectious disease in the skin of the body, 44he’s a man with an infectious skin disease. He’s unclean. The priest is to declare him unclean on account of the skin rash in his head. 45The person with the infectious skin disease is to tear his garments and loosen his hair.n He is to cover his mustache and shout out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46The whole time that the skin rash infects him, he will be unclean. He is to live by himself in a home outside the encampment.”

Infected Clothing

47“When clothing becomes infected with a contagion—whether the clothing is wool or linen— 48in woven or knitted material, in leather, or with any article containing leather, 49if the contagion is greenish or reddish in the clothing, leather, woven material, knitted material, or with any article containing leather, it’s a fungal infection and is to be shown to the priest.

50“The priest is to examine the contagion and isolateo the clothingp for seven days. 51The priest is to examine the contagion on the seventh day. If the infection has spread on the clothing, in the woven material, the knitted material, or in the leather, no matter the purpose for which the leather material had been manufactured, the contagion is a chronic fungal infection. It’s unclean.

52“Incinerate the clothing, the woven material, the knitted material (whether wool or linen), or any of the leather articles on which the contagion is found, because it’s a chronic fungal infection. It is to be incinerated.

53“But if the priest examines it and the infection did not spread on the clothing, either in the woven or knitted material or on anything made of leather, 54then the priest is to command that they wash whatever has the contagion and then isolateq it for seven days a second time. 55Then the priest is to examine it after the contagion has been washed. If the contagion hasn’t changed in appearance,r even though the contagion hasn’t spread, it’s unclean. Incinerate it. It’s a fungal infection, especially if the infection is on its exposed side.

56“If the priest examines the item and determines that the contagion has become dull after it has been washed, tear it away from the garment, leather, woven material, or knitted material. 57But if it recurs on the clothing (whether woven or knitted material) or on any article made of leather, it’s a breakout, so incinerate it with fire wherever the contagion is found. 58Then the clothing (whether it is woven or knitted material) or any article made of leather that you’ve washed, if the contagion has been removed from it and it’s washed a second time, then it’s clean.

59“This is the law concerning fungal contagions on clothing of wool or linen (whether woven or knitted material) or in any of the articles made of leather, for determining whether it is clean or unclean.”