Leviticus 12
New American Standard Bible
Laws of Motherhood
12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying:
‘When a woman gives birth and delivers a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days; (A)as she is in the days of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. 3 Then on (B)the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 And she shall stay at home in her condition of [a]blood purification for thirty-three days; she shall not touch any consecrated thing, nor enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are completed. 5 But if she gives birth to a female child, then she shall be unclean for two weeks, as in her menstruation; and she shall stay at home in her condition of [b]blood purification for sixty-six days.
6 ‘(C)When the days of her purification are completed, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the doorway of the tent of meeting a one-year-old lamb as a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove (D)as a [c]sin offering. 7 Then he shall offer it before the Lord and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the [d]flow of her blood. This is the law for her who gives birth to a child, whether a male or a female. 8 But if [e]she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take (E)two turtledoves or two young doves, (F)the one as a burnt offering and the other as a [f]sin offering; and the (G)priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 12:4 Lit blood of purifying; i.e., ritually clean blood from childbirth
- Leviticus 12:5 See note v 4
- Leviticus 12:6 Or purification offering
- Leviticus 12:7 Lit fountain
- Leviticus 12:8 Lit her hand does not find enough for
- Leviticus 12:8 Or purification offering
Leviticus 12
King James Version
12 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.
3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
4 And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.
5 But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days.
6 And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest:
7 Who shall offer it before the Lord, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female.
8 And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.
Leviticus 12
Living Bible
12 The Lord told Moses to give these instructions to the people of Israel:
2 “When a baby boy is born, the mother shall be ceremonially defiled for seven days, and under the same restrictions as during her monthly menstrual periods. 3 On the eighth day, her son must be circumcised. 4 Then, for the next thirty-three days, while she is recovering from her ceremonial impurity, she must not touch anything sacred nor enter the Tabernacle.
5 “When a baby girl is born, the mother’s ceremonial impurity shall last two weeks, during which time she will be under the same restrictions as during menstruation. Then for a further sixty-six days she shall continue her recovery.[a]
6 “When these days of purification are ended (the following instructions are applicable whether her baby is a boy or girl), she must bring a yearling lamb as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering.
She must take them to the door of the Tabernacle to the priest; 7 and the priest will offer them before the Lord and make atonement for her; then she will be ceremonially clean again after her bleeding at childbirth.
“These, then, are the procedures after childbirth. 8 But if she is too poor to bring a lamb, then she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One will be for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. The priest will make atonement for her with these, so that she will be ceremonially pure again.”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 12:5 shall continue her recovery, literally, “shall continue in her blood of purification.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.