Purification after Childbirth
12 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Tell the Israelites: When a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a male child,(A) she will be unclean seven days, as she is during the days of her menstrual impurity.(B) 3 The flesh of his foreskin(C) must be circumcised(D) on the eighth day.(E) 4 She will continue in purification(F) from her bleeding(G) for thirty-three days. She must not touch any holy thing or go into the sanctuary until completing her days of purification. 5 But if she gives birth to a female child, she will be unclean for two weeks as she is during her menstrual impurity. She will continue in purification from her bleeding for sixty-six days.
6 “When her days of purification are complete, whether for a son or daughter, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. 7 He will present them before the Lord and make atonement on her behalf; she will be clean from her discharge of blood. This is the law for a woman giving birth, whether to a male or female. 8 But if she doesn’t have sufficient means(H) for a sheep, she may take two turtledoves or two young pigeons,(I) one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. Then the priest will make atonement on her behalf, and she will be clean.”
Footnotes
- 12:6
- 12:8
Cross references
- 12:2 : Lv 10:14
- 12:2 : Lv 15:19
- 12:3 : Ex 4:25
- 12:3 : Gn 34:14
- 12:3 : Gn 17:12–13; 21:4; Lk 2:21; Gl 3:5; 5:6; 6:15
- 12:4 : Lv 14:2
- 12:4 : Lk 8:43
- 12:8 : Lv 14:21
- 12:8 : Lk 2:24
