1上主訓示梅瑟說： 1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2「你告訴以色列子民說：若一婦人分娩，生一男孩，七天之久，她是不潔的；她不潔有如經期不潔一樣。 2Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: If a woman having received seed shall bear a man child, she shall be unclean seven days, according to the days of the separation of her flowers.
3第八天，應給孩子割損。 3And on the eighth day the infant shall be circumcised:
4此外，她還要守度三十三天的潔血期。在未滿取潔的日期以前，不可接觸任何聖物，不可走進聖所。 4But she shall remain three and thirty days in the blood of her purification. She shall touch no holy thing, neither shall she enter into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification be fulfilled.
5若生一女孩，兩星期是不潔的，有如經期一樣。此外，還要守度六十六天的潔血期。 5But if she shall bear a maid child, she shall be unclean two weeks, according to the custom of her monthly courses, and she shall remain in the blood of her purification sixty-six days.
6一滿了取潔的日期，不拘為兒子或女兒，她應在會幕門口交給司祭一隻一歲的羔羊，獻作全燔祭；一隻雛鴿或一隻斑鳩，獻作贖罪祭。 6And when the days of her purification are expired, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, a lamb of a year old for a holocaust, and a young pigeon or a turtle for sin, and shall deliver them to the priest:
7司祭將祭品奉獻在上主面前，為她行贖罪禮，她纔算由流血的狀況中潔淨了：以上是關於生男或生女的婦人的法律。 7Who shall offer them before the Lord, and shall pray for her, and so she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that beareth a man child or a maid child.
8但若她的財力不夠備辦一隻羔羊，可帶兩隻斑鳩或兩隻雛鴿：一隻獻作全燔祭，一隻獻作贖罪祭。司祭為她行贖罪禮，她就潔淨了。」 8And if her hand find not sufficiency, and she is not able to offer a lamb, she shall take two turtles, or two young pigeons, one for a holocaust, and another for sin: and the priest shall pray for her, and so she shall be cleansed.
12:1-8
大概梅瑟以前，有许多民族已有为产妇取洁的风俗。但梅瑟制定此礼，除合乎生理卫生之道外，也叫人想起自己的罪，另外男女性生活中能犯的罪，又叫人感念天主所赐的子女。关於贫穷的圣母玛利亚如何遵守了这取洁的法律，见路2:22,23。