1Then the LORDspoketo Mosesand Aaron,saying,2"Thisis the statuteof the lawwhichthe LORDhas commanded,saying,'Speakto the sonsof Israelthat they bringyou an unblemishedredheiferin whichis nodefect[and] on whicha yokehas neverbeen placed.3You shall giveit to Eleazarthe priest,and it shall be broughtoutsidethe campand be slaughteredin his presence.4Next Eleazarthe priestshall takesomeof its bloodwith his fingerand sprinklesomeof its bloodtowardthe frontof the tentof meetingseventimes.5Then the heifershall be burnedin his sight;its hideand its fleshand its blood,with its refuse,shall be burned.6The priestshall takecedarwoodand hyssopand scarlet[material] and castit into the midstof the burningheifer.7The priestshall then washhis clothesand bathehis bodyin water,and afterwardcomeinto the camp,but the priestshall be uncleanuntilevening.8The one who burnsit shall also washhis clothesin waterand bathehis bodyin water,and shall be uncleanuntilevening.9Now a manwho is cleanshall gatherup the ashesof the heiferand depositthem outsidethe campin a cleanplace,and the congregationof the sonsof Israelshall keepit as waterto remove impurity;it is purificationfrom sin.10The one who gathersthe ashesof the heifershall washhis clothesand be uncleanuntilevening;and it shall be a perpetualstatuteto the sonsof Israeland to the alienwho sojournsamongthem.
11The one who touchesthe corpseof anypersonshall be uncleanfor sevendays.12That oneshall purifyhimself from uncleannesswith the water on the thirddayand on the seventhday,[and then] he will be clean;but ifhe does not purifyhimself on the thirddayand on the seventhday,he will not be clean.13Anyonewho touchesa corpse,the bodyof a manwhohas died,and does not purifyhimself, defilesthe tabernacleof the LORD;and that personshall be cutofffrom Israel.Becausethe waterfor impuritywas not sprinkledon him, he shall be unclean;his uncleannessis stillon him.
14Thisis the lawwhena mandiesin a tent:everyonewho comesinto the tentand everyonewhois in the tentshall be uncleanfor sevendays.15Everyopenvessel,whichhasnocoveringtieddownon it, shall be unclean.16Also, anyonewhoin the openfieldtouchesonewhohas been slainwith a swordorwho has died[naturally], ora humanboneora grave,shall be uncleanfor sevendays.17Then for the unclean[person] they shall takesomeof the ashesof the burntpurificationfrom sinand flowingwatershall be addedto them in a vessel.18A cleanpersonshall takehyssopand dip[it] in the water,and sprinkle[it] on the tentand on allthe furnishingsand on the personswhowere there,and on the one who touchedthe boneorthe oneslainorthe one dying[naturally] orthe grave.19Then the clean[person] shall sprinkleon the uncleanon the thirddayand on the seventhday;and on the seventhdayhe shall purifyhim from uncleanness,and he shall washhis clothesand bathe[himself] in waterand shall be cleanby evening.
20But the manwhois uncleanand does not purifyhimself from uncleanness,that personshall be cutofffrom the midstof the assembly,becausehe has defiledthe sanctuaryof the LORD;the waterfor impurityhas not been sprinkledon him, he is unclean.21So it shall be a perpetualstatutefor them. And he who sprinklesthe waterfor impurityshall washhis clothes,and he who touchesthe waterfor impurityshall be uncleanuntilevening.22Furthermore, anythingthat the unclean[person] touchesshall be unclean;and the personwho touches[it] shall be uncleanuntilevening.'"
