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Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron,
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'If a swelling or scab or spot appears on someone's skin, which could develop into a contagious skin-disease, that person must then be taken to the priest, either Aaron or one of his sons.
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The priest will examine the disease on the skin. If the hair on the diseased part has turned white, or if the disease bites into the skin, the skin-disease is contagious, and after examination the priest will declare the person unclean.
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But if there is a white spot on the skin without any visible depression of the skin or whitening of the hair, the priest will isolate the sick person for seven days.
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On the seventh day he will examine the person, and if he observes that the disease persists though without spreading over the skin, he will isolate the person for a further seven days
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and examine him again on the seventh. If he finds that the disease has faded and has not spread over the skin, the priest will declare the person clean. This was merely a scab. Once he has washed his clothing he will be clean.
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'But if the scab spreads over the skin after the sick person has been examined by the priest and declared clean, then he will let himself be examined again by the priest.
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After examining him and certifying the spread of the scab over the skin, the priest will declare him unclean: it is a contagious skin-disease.
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'Someone who has a contagious skin-disease must be taken to the priest.
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The priest will examine the sick person, and if he finds a whitish swelling with whitening of the hair and an ulcer forming on the skin,
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this is a dormant skin-disease, and the priest will declare the person unclean. He will not isolate him; he is obviously unclean.
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'But if the disease spreads all through the skin, if it covers the person entirely from head to foot so far as the priest can see,
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the priest will then examine the sick person and, if he finds that the skin-disease covers his whole body, declare the sick person clean. Since it has all become white, he is clean.
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But as soon as an ulcer appears on him, he will be unclean.
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After examining the ulcer, the priest will declare him unclean: the ulcer is unclean, it is contagious.
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But if the ulcer becomes white again, the sick person will go to the priest;
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the priest will examine him and if he finds that the disease has turned white, he will declare the sick person clean: he is clean.
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'When an ulcer appears on someone's skin, and then gets better,
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and if then a white swelling or a reddish-white spot forms on the same place, the sick person will show himself to the priest.
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The priest will examine him, and if he finds a visible depression in the skin and a whitening of the hair, he will declare the person unclean: this is a case of contagious skin-disease breaking out in an ulcer.
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But if on examination the priest finds neither white hair nor depression of the skin, but a fading of the affected part, he will isolate the sick person for seven days.
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If the disease has then spread over the skin, he will declare the person unclean: this is a case of contagious skin-disease.
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But if the spot has stayed where it was and has not spread, it is the scar of the ulcer and the priest will declare the person clean.
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'If someone has a burn on the skin and an abscess, a reddish-white or white spot, forms on the burn,
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the priest will then examine it. If he finds a whitening of the hair or a visible depression of the mark on the skin, a contagious disease has broken out in the burn. The priest will declare the sick person unclean: this is a contagious skin-disease.
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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, the priest will isolate the person for seven days.
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He will examine the person on the seventh day and, if the disease has spread over the skin, he will declare the sick person unclean: this is a case of contagious skin-disease.
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If the mark has stayed where it was and has not spread over the skin, but has faded instead, it was only a swelling due to the burn. The priest will declare the person clean: it is merely a burn scar.
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'If a man or a woman has a sore on the head or chin,
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the priest will examine the sore; and if he finds a depression visible in the skin, with the hair on it yellow and thin, he will declare the sick person unclean: this is tinea, that is to say, a contagious skin-disease of the head or chin.
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If on examining this case of tinea the priest finds no visible depression in the skin and no yellow hair, he will isolate the person so affected for seven days.
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He will 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,
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the sick person will shave his hair off, all except the part affected with tinea, and the priest will again isolate him for seven days.
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He will 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 will declare the sick person clean. After washing his clothes the person will be clean.
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But if after this purification the tinea does spread over the skin,
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the priest will examine the person; if he finds that the tinea has indeed spread over the skin, the sick person is unclean, and there is no need to verify whether the hair is yellow.
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Whereas if, so far as he can see, the tinea is arrested and dark hair is beginning to grow on it, the sick person is cured. He is clean, and the priest will declare him clean.
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'If spots break out on the skin of a man or woman, and if these spots are white,
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the priest will examine them. If he finds that the spots are of a dull white, this is a rash that has broken out on the skin: the sick person is clean.
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'If someone loses the hair of the scalp, this is baldness of the scalp but the person is clean.
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If he loses hair off the front of the head, this is baldness of the forehead but the person is clean.
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If, however, a reddish-white sore appears on scalp or forehead, a contagious skin-disease has broken out on the scalp or forehead.
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The priest will examine it, and if he finds a reddish-white swelling on scalp or forehead, looking like a contagious skin-disease,
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the person has such a disease: he is unclean. The priest will declare him unclean; he has a contagious skin-disease of the head.
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'Anyone with a contagious skin-disease will wear torn clothing and disordered hair; and will cover the upper lip and shout, "Unclean, unclean."
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As long as the disease lasts, such a person will be unclean and, being unclean, will live alone and live outside the camp.
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'When a piece of clothing is infected with mould, be it woollen or linen clothing,
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linen or woollen fabric or covering, or leather or anything made of leather,
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if the spot on the clothing, leather, fabric, covering or object made of leather is a greenish or reddish colour, it is a disease to be shown to the priest.
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The priest will examine the infection and isolate the object for seven days.
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If on the seventh day he observes that the infection has spread on the clothing, fabric, covering, leather or object made of leather, whatever it may be, this is a contagious disease and the object is unclean.
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He will burn this clothing, fabric, linen or woollen covering or leather object whatever it may be, on which the infection has appeared; for this is a contagious disease which must be destroyed by fire.
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'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,
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he will order the infected object to be washed and will isolate it again for a period of seven days.
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After the washing, he will 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. You will burn it; it is infected through and through.
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'But if on examination the priest finds that the infection has diminished after washing, he will tear it out of the clothing, leather, fabric or covering.
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But if the infection reappears on the same clothing, fabric, covering or leather object whatever it may be, this means that the infection is active; you will burn whatever is infected.
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The clothing, fabric, covering or leather object whatever it may be, from which the infection disappears after being washed, will be clean after it has been washed a second time.
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'Such is the law governing disease in a linen or woollen garment, a fabric or covering or leather object whatever it may be, when it is a question of declaring them clean or unclean.'
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