Leviticus 12

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 3}The flesh of his foreskin ^c must be circumcised ^d on the eighth day. ^{e 4}She will continue in purification ^f from her bleeding ^g 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 sin ^h 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 means ⁱ,^j for a sheep, she may take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, ^k 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.”