Leviticus 12

Contemporary English Version

What Women Must Do after Giving Birth

12 The Lord told Moses ² to say to the community of Israel:

If a woman gives birth to a son, she is unclean for seven days, just as she is during her monthly period. ^3 (A) Her son must be circumcised on the eighth day, ⁴ but her loss of blood keeps her from being completely clean for another 33 days. During this time she must not touch anything holy or go to the place of worship. ⁵ Any woman who gives birth to a daughter is unclean for two weeks, just as she is during her period. And she won't be completely clean for another 66 days.

⁶ When the mother has completed her time of cleansing, she must come to the front of the sacred tent and bring to the priest a year-old lamb as a sacrifice to please me^[a] and a dove or a pigeon as a sacrifice for sin. ⁷ After the priest offers the sacrifices to me, the mother will become completely clean from her loss of blood, whether her child is a boy or a girl. ^8 (B) If she cannot afford a lamb, she can offer two doves or two pigeons, one as a sacrifice to please me and the other as a sacrifice for sin.