Leis referentes à lepra
1O Senhor disse a Moisés e a Aarão: 2“Se alguém notar na sua pele um inchaço ou uma crosta ou um empolamento, deverá ser suspeito de estar com lepra. Será levado a Aarão, o sacerdote, ou a um dos seus filhos, 3para ser observado. Se o pelo desse sítio afetado se tiver tornado branco e tiver a aparência de algo mais profundo que a pele, é porque se trata de lepra; o sacerdote terá de o declarar impuro.
4Mas se a mancha branca não der a impressão de ser mais funda que a pele, e se o pelo não se tiver tornado branco, o sacerdote pô-lo-á de quarentena durante sete dias. 5Ao fim desse tempo, ao sétimo dia, o sacerdote o examinará de novo; se a mancha não se tiver alterado nem alastrado na pele, 6então o sacerdote mantê-lo-á retirado ainda por mais sete dias, examinando-o de novo ao fim desse tempo. Se a mancha se tiver tornado menos carregada, e não se tiver espalhado, então o sacerdote o declarará sarado. Tratava-se apenas duma lesão superficial. A pessoa só terá de lavar a roupa e tudo continuará normalmente para si. 7Mas se a mancha alastrar, após ter sido observada pelo sacerdote, deverá voltar junto dele; 8o sacerdote o examinará e, se for o caso, deverá declará-lo impuro; está leproso.
9Quando alguém suspeito de lepra for trazido ao sacerdote, 10este verá se há um inchaço branco na pele, se o pelo naquele sítio se tornou branco e se aparece carne viva. 11Se estes sintomas se confirmarem, é sem dúvida um caso declarado de lepra. O sacerdote deverá declará-lo impuro. Essa pessoa não ficará de quarentena para observação posterior, porque está diagnosticado definitivamente o mal.
12Contudo, se o sacerdote vir que a lepra irrompeu e se espalhou por todo o corpo, da cabeça aos pés, 13tanto quanto se pode ver, então o sacerdote o declarará sarado da lepra, visto que se tornou todo branco. Está portanto limpo. 14Mas se aparecer carne viva nalgum sítio, a pessoa será declarada impura. 15A lepra está provada pela carne viva que apareceu. 16No entanto, se a carne viva se fizer mais tarde branca, o leproso deverá voltar ao sacerdote, 17para que este o examine novamente. Se aquela parte se tiver tornado, com efeito, completamente branca, então o sacerdote o declarará limpo.
18No caso de uma pessoa ter uma ferida na pele, 19e vier depois a sarar, tendo ficado no entanto um inchaço branco ou uma mancha avermelhada, a pessoa deve ir ter com o sacerdote para ser examinada. 20Se o sacerdote vir que aquela afeção é mais funda que a pele, e se o pelo se tornou branco, então deverá declará-la impura, porque foi lepra que brotou da ferida anterior. 21No entanto, se o sacerdote vir que não há pelo branco no sítio, e que não dá a impressão de ser mais fundo que a pele, e se tiver tornado escura, a pessoa ficará de quarentena durante sete dias. 22Durante esse espaço de tempo, se a mancha se espalhar, o sacerdote considerá-la-á impura; está leprosa. 23No entanto se não se tiver alastrado, nem se tiver tornado maior, é porque se trata simplesmente de uma inflamação superficial; o sacerdote declará-la-á limpa.
24Se uma pessoa se queimar de alguma maneira, e o sítio da queimadura se tornar avermelhado ou branco, 25então o sacerdote deverá examiná-la; e se o cabelo se tiver tornado branco, e a aparência for de algo mais profundo que a pele, é porque se trata de lepra que brotou da queimadura. O sacerdote deverá declará-la impura; está leprosa. 26Mas se o sacerdote vir que não há naquele sítio pelo branco e que aquela branquidão não tem aspeto de ser mais profunda que a pele, e que se vai esbatendo, o sacerdote pô-lo-á de quarentena durante sete dias, 27tornando a examinar a pessoa ao fim desse tempo. Se a mancha se tiver espalhado, o sacerdote considerá-la-á impura; está leprosa. 28Mas se não se tiver alastrado e for esmorecendo, é uma mera lesão da pele e o sacerdote deverá declará-la limpo; não há lepra.
29Se um homem, ou uma mulher, tiverem uma chaga na cabeça ou na barba, 30o sacerdote terá de o examinar. Se a infeção parecer mais profunda que a pele e o cabelo se tornar amarelo, o sacerdote deverá considerá-lo imundo; está leproso. 31Mas se o exame do sacerdote revelar que essa afeção é apenas superficial e que o pelo naquele sítio é preto, então ficará de quarentena por sete dias. 32Após esse tempo será examinado de novo; se a afeção não tiver alastrado, não tiver aparecido pelo amarelo e não parecer mais funda que a pele, 33deverá rapar todo o cabelo à volta da afeção, mas não no próprio sítio, e o sacerdote voltará a pô-lo de quarentena por mais sete dias. 34Depois será outra vez examinado ao sétimo dia; e se a mancha se não tiver alastrado nem tiver aspeto de ser mais profunda que a pele, então o sacerdote declará-lo-á limpo; depois de lavar a sua roupa essa pessoa poderá ir em paz. 35No entanto, se mais tarde a mancha começar a espalhar-se, 36o sacerdote terá de o examinar de novo e mesmo que não veja o pelo amarelecer, deverá declará-lo impuro. 37Mas se notar que parou na sua evolução, e que há cabelo preto naquele sítio, é porque está curado e não há lepra. O sacerdote deverá considerá-lo limpo.
38Se um homem ou uma mulher tiverem empolamentos brancos (ou transparentes) na sua pele, 39que vão escurecendo progressivamente, é porque não se trata de lepra, mas de uma infeção vulgar que brotou nessa área da pele; está limpo.
40Se o cabelo dum homem começar a cair, não é por isso que é impuro, ainda que venha a ficar completamente calvo. 41Se lhe cair o cabelo na parte da frente da cabeça será naturalmente uma calvície, mas não se poderá considerar leproso; está puro.
42Contudo, se na parte calva da cabeça houver uma mancha avermelhada, então sim, poderá tratar-se de lepra a despontar. 43Nesse caso o sacerdote examinará a pessoa e se houver um inchaço branco começando a avermelhar, parecendo lepra, 44é porque está certamente leprosa, e o sacerdote deverá declará-la impura.
45Alguém que se constate que é leproso deverá rasgar a sua roupa, destapar a cabeça e não se pentear; cobrir o lábio superior e clamar: ‘Impuro! Impuro!’ 46Todo o tempo que durar a doença estará impuro e deverá viver fora do acampamento.
47Quando se declarar lepra nalguma peça de vestuário de lã ou de linho, 48de tecido ou tricotada, ou em qualquer espécie de couro, ou em algo fabricado com peles, 49e apareça uma mancha cinzenta ou avermelhada, é provavelmente lepra. Deverá ser levado ao sacerdote para que examine. 50Este manterá o objeto ou peça de vestuário fechado durante sete dias. 51Ao sétimo dia tornará a observá-lo; se a mancha tiver alastrado é porque se trata de lepra maligna; está impuro. 52Terá de queimar essa roupa ou objeto, seja de que tecido for; linho, lã, malha ou pele, pois trata-se de algo maligno. Terá de ser destruído pelo fogo.
53Contudo, se quando o examinar de novo ao sétimo dia, a mancha não tiver alastrado, 54o sacerdote mandará que essa coisa seja lavada e de novo isolada por mais sete dias; 55após o que, se a mancha não tiver mudado de cor, mesmo que não tenha alastrado, será lepra e deverá ser queimada, porque está infetada tanto de fora como da parte de dentro do tecido. 56Se o sacerdote vir que a mancha se esvaneceu depois da lavagem, então cortará essa parte do tecido, da pele ou da malha. 57Contudo, se tornar a aparecer, é porque se trata de lepra; deverá ser queimado. 58Se depois de ter sido lavado aqueles vestígios tiverem desaparecido, poderá ser usado novamente; está limpo.
59Estas são as leis respeitantes à lepra em vestuário de lã ou de linho, ou em qualquer coisa feita de pele ou de couro, para se saber se deve ser declarado limpo ou impuro.”
Rules About Skin Diseases
1The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He told them to say to the people, 2“Suppose someone’s skin has a swelling or a rash or a shiny spot. And suppose it could become a skin disease. Then they must be brought to the priest Aaron. Or they must be brought to a priest in Aaron’s family line. 3The priest must look carefully at the sore on the person’s skin. He must see whether the hair in the sore has turned white. He must also see whether the sore seems to be under the skin. If the sore is white and is under the skin, it is a skin disease. When the priest looks that person over carefully, he must announce that the person is ‘unclean.’ 4Suppose the shiny spot on the skin is white but does not seem to be under the skin. And suppose the hair in the spot has not turned white. Then the priest must make the person stay away from everyone else for seven days. 5On the seventh day the priest must look carefully at the sore again. Suppose it has not changed and has not spread in the skin. Then the priest must make the person stay away from everyone else for another seven days. 6On the seventh day the priest must look carefully at the sore again. If it has faded and has not spread, he must announce that the person is ‘clean.’ It is only a rash. That person must wash their clothes. They will be ‘clean.’ 7But suppose the rash spreads in the skin after they have shown themselves to the priest a second time. Then they must appear in front of the priest again. 8The priest must look carefully at the sore. If the rash has spread, he must announce that the person is ‘unclean.’ They have a skin disease.
9“When anyone has a skin disease, they must be brought to the priest. 10The priest must look them over carefully. Suppose there is a white swelling in the skin. Suppose it has turned the hair white. And suppose there are open sores in the swelling. 11Then the person has a skin disease that will never go away. The priest must announce that they are ‘unclean.’ The priest must not make them stay away from everyone else. They are already ‘unclean.’
12“Suppose the disease breaks out all over their skin. And suppose it covers them from head to foot, as far as the priest can tell. 13Then the priest must look them over carefully. If the disease has covered their whole body, the priest must announce that they are ‘clean.’ All their skin has turned white. So they are ‘clean.’ 14But when open sores appear on their skin, they will not be ‘clean.’ 15When the priest sees the open sores, he must announce that they are ‘unclean.’ The open sores are not ‘clean.’ They have a skin disease. 16But if the open sores change and turn white, they must go to the priest. 17The priest must look them over carefully. If the sores have turned white, the priest must announce that the person is ‘clean.’ Then they will be ‘clean.’
18“Suppose someone has a boil on their skin and it heals. 19And suppose a white swelling or shiny pink spot appears where the boil was. Then they must show themselves to the priest. 20The priest must look at the boil carefully. Suppose it seems to be under the skin. And suppose the hair in it has turned white. Then the priest must announce that the person is ‘unclean.’ A skin disease has broken out where the boil was. 21But suppose that when the priest looks at the boil carefully, there is no white hair in it. The boil is not under the skin. And it has faded. Then the priest must make the person stay away from everyone else for seven days. 22If the boil is spreading in the skin, the priest must announce that the person is ‘unclean.’ They have a skin disease. 23But suppose the spot has not changed. And suppose it has not spread. Then it is only a scar from the boil. And the priest must announce that the person is ‘clean.’
24“Suppose someone has a burn on their skin. And suppose a white or shiny pink spot shows up in the open sores of the burn. 25Then the priest must look at the spot carefully. Suppose the hair in it has turned white. And suppose the spot seems to be under the skin. Then the person has a skin disease. It has broken out where they were burned. The priest must announce that the person is ‘unclean.’ They have a skin disease. 26But suppose the priest looks at the spot carefully. Suppose there is no white hair in it. Suppose the spot is not under the skin. And suppose it has faded. Then the priest must make the person stay away from everyone else for seven days. 27On the seventh day the priest must look them over carefully. If the spot is spreading in the skin, the priest must announce that the person is ‘unclean.’ They have a skin disease. 28But suppose the spot has not changed. It has not spread in the skin. And it has faded. Then the burn has caused it to swell. The priest must announce that the person is ‘clean.’ It is only a scar from the burn.
29“Suppose a man or woman has a sore on their head or chin. 30Then the priest must look at the sore carefully. Suppose it seems to be under the skin. And suppose the hair in the sore is yellow and thin. Then the priest must announce that the person is ‘unclean.’ The sore is a skin disease on the head or chin. 31But suppose the priest looks carefully at the sore. It does not seem to be under the skin. And there is no black hair in it. Then the priest must make the person stay away from everyone else for seven days. 32On the seventh day the priest must look at the sore carefully. Suppose it has not spread in the skin. It does not have any yellow hair in it. And it does not seem to be under the skin. 33Then the man or woman must shave their head. But they must not shave the area where the disease is. And the priest must make them stay away from everyone else for another seven days. 34On the seventh day the priest must look at the sore carefully. Suppose it has not spread in the skin. And suppose it does not seem to be under the skin. Then the priest must announce that the person is ‘clean.’ They must wash their clothes. They will be ‘clean.’ 35But suppose the sore spreads in the skin after the priest announces that the person is ‘clean.’ 36Then the priest must look them over carefully. Suppose the sore has spread. Then the priest does not have to look for yellow hair. The person is ‘unclean.’ 37But suppose the sore has stopped and black hair has grown there, as far as the priest can tell. Then the person is healed and is ‘clean.’ The priest must announce that they are ‘clean.’
38“Suppose a man or woman has white spots on the skin. 39Then the priest must look at them carefully. Suppose he sees that the spots are dull white. Then a harmless rash has broken out on the skin. That person is ‘clean.’
40“Suppose a man loses all the hair on his head. Then he is ‘clean.’ 41Suppose he loses only the hair on the front of his head. Then he is ‘clean.’ 42But suppose he has a shiny pink sore on his head where his hair was. Then he has a skin disease. It is breaking out on his whole head or on the front of his head. 43The priest must look him over carefully. Suppose the swollen sore on his head or on the front of it is pink and shiny. And suppose it looks like a skin disease. 44Then he has a skin disease. He is ‘unclean.’ The priest must announce that the man is ‘unclean.’ That’s because he has a sore on his head.
45“Suppose someone has a skin disease that makes them ‘unclean.’ Then they must wear torn clothes. They must let their hair hang loose. They must cover the lower part of their face. They must cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46As long as they have the disease, they remain ‘unclean.’ They must live alone. They must live outside the camp.
Rules About Mold
47“Suppose some clothes have mold on them. The clothes could be made out of wool or linen. 48Or there could be cloth woven or knitted out of linen or wool. There could be pieces of leather. Or there could be things that are made out of leather. 49And suppose the mold on the clothes or on the woven or knitted cloth looks green or red. Or suppose the green or red mold is on the pieces of leather or the leather goods. Then it is mold that spreads. It must be shown to the priest. 50The priest must look at it carefully. He must keep the thing with the mold on it away from everything else for seven days. 51On the seventh day he must look at it carefully. Suppose the mold has spread in the clothes or in the woven or knitted cloth. Or suppose it has spread on the pieces of leather or on the leather goods. Then it is mold that destroys. The thing is ‘unclean.’ 52The priest must burn everything with the mold in it. He must burn the clothes or the woven or knitted cloth made out of wool or linen. He must burn the leather goods. The mold destroys. So everything must be burned.
53“But suppose the priest looks at the thing carefully. The mold has not spread in the clothes. And it has not spread in the woven or knitted cloth or in the leather goods. 54Then he will order someone to wash the thing with the mold on it. After that, the priest must keep that thing away from everything else for another seven days. 55After the thing with the mold on it has been washed, the priest must look at it again carefully. Suppose the way the mold looks has not changed. Then even though the mold has not spread, it is ‘unclean.’ Burn it. It does not matter which side of the thing the mold is on. 56But suppose the priest looks at it carefully. And suppose the mold has faded after the thing has been washed. Then the priest must tear out the part with mold on it. He must tear it out of the clothes or leather. He must tear it out of the woven or knitted cloth. 57But suppose it shows up again in the clothes. Or suppose it shows up again in the woven or knitted cloth or in the leather goods. Then it is spreading. Everything with the mold on it must be burned. 58The clothes that have been washed and do not have any more mold on them must be washed again. So must the woven or knitted cloth or the leather goods. Then they will be ‘clean.’ ”
59These are the rules about what to do with anything with mold on it. They apply to clothes that are made out of wool or linen. They apply to woven and knitted cloth and to leather goods. They give a priest directions about when to announce whether something is “clean” or “unclean.”
