Purification after Childbirth

1The 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 3The flesh of his foreskina must be circumcisedb on the eighth day.c 4She will continue in purificationa from her bleedingb for thirty-three days. She must not touch any holy thing or go into the sanctuary until completing her days of purification. 5But 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 sinA offering. 7He 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. 8But if she doesn’t have sufficient meansa a for a sheep, she may take two turtledoves or two young pigeons,b 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.”