Numbers 19:1-10

Names of God Bible

Water That Makes Israel Clean After Someone Dies

19 Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, ² “This is what Yahweh’s teachings have commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red cow that is perfect, with no defects. Also, it must never have worn a yoke.^{[a] 3} Give it to the priest Eleazar. It must be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. ⁴ The priest Eleazar will take some of the blood with his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting. ⁵ Then the entire cow (the skin, meat, blood, and excrement) will be burned while he watches. ⁶ The priest will take some cedar wood, a hyssop sprig, and some red yarn and throw them onto the burning cow. ⁷ The priest must then wash his clothes and his body. After that, he may go into the camp. But he will be unclean^[b] until evening. ⁸ The person who burned the calf must also wash his clothes and his body. He, too, will be unclean until evening.

⁹ “A man who is clean^[c] will collect the ashes from the cow and put them in a clean place outside the camp. They will be kept by the community of Israel and used in the water that takes away uncleanness. The cow is an offering for sin. ¹⁰ The person who collected the ashes from the cow must also wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening. This will be a permanent law for the Israelites and for the foreigners who live with them.