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Laws of Motherhood

¹ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

² "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: 'When a woman ^(F1)gives birth and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days, ^(C1)as in the days of ^(F2)her menstruation she shall be unclean.³ 'On ^(C1)the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.⁴ 'Then she shall remain in the blood of her purification for thirty-three days; she shall not touch any consecrated thing, nor enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are completed.⁵ 'But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean for two weeks, as in her ^(F1)menstruation; and she shall remain in the blood of her purification for sixty-six days.

⁶ '^(C1)When the days of her purification are completed, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the doorway of the tent of meeting a one year old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove ^(C2)for a sin offering.⁷ 'Then he shall offer it before the LORD and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the ^(F1)flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, whether a male or a female.⁸ 'But if ^(F1)she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take ^(C1)two turtledoves or two young pigeons, ^(C2)the one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the ^(C3)priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.'"