利未記12:1-8

12:1 耶和華對摩西說：
12:2 「你曉諭以色列人說：若有婦人懷孕生男孩，她就不潔淨七天，像在月經污穢的日子不潔淨一樣。
12:3 第八天，要給嬰孩行割禮。
12:4 婦人在產血不潔之中，要家居三十三天。她潔淨的日子未滿，不可摸聖物，也不可進入聖所。
12:5 她若生女孩，就不潔淨兩個七天，像污穢的時候一樣，要在產血不潔之中，家居六十六天。
12:6 「滿了潔淨的日子，無論是為男孩是為女孩，她要把一歲的羊羔為燔祭，一隻雛鴿或是一隻斑鳩為贖罪祭，帶到會幕門口交給祭司。
12:7 祭司要獻在耶和華面前，為她贖罪，她的血源就潔淨了。這條例是為生育的婦人，無論是生男生女。
12:8 她的力量若不夠獻一隻羊羔，她就要取兩隻斑鳩或是兩隻雛鴿，一隻為燔祭，一隻為贖罪祭。祭司要為她贖罪，她就潔淨了。」

 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. ³ On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. ⁴ Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over. ⁵ If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding.

⁶ “‘When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering.^{[a] 7} He shall offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood.

“‘These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. ⁸ But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’”

 

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    對女性而言生產是件非常辛苦的事情，有時還會造成生命的危險，在生產之後真的要好好的休息，不管是生男或生女！然而聖經用一個很有意思的理由，讓女性來休息，就是「不潔」！

    更有意思的是生男可以休息40天，生女可以休息80天。就像中國人的坐月子一般，對身體的恢復非常必要！

    從這樣的情形，我們看見上帝的看顧與保守！是的，上帝是眷顧祂子民的上帝！