The Red Heifer
The LORD commands a flawless red heifer to be taken outside the camp, slaughtered before Eleazar, and treated through sprinkling and burning. The whole animal, along with cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet wool, is given over to the fire.
T1hen the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 2“This is the statute of the law that the LORD has commanded: Instruct the Israelites to bring you an unblemished red heifer that has no defect and has never been placed under a yoke. 3Give it to Eleazar the priest, and he will have it brought outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. 4Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting. 5Then the heifer must be burned in his sight. Its hide, its flesh, and its blood are to be burned, along with its dung. 6The priest is to take cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer.
Those who oversee the burning, gather the ashes, or handle the rite must wash and remain unclean until evening. The ashes are stored in a clean place for Israel and the resident foreigner as a lasting provision for purification.
7Then the priest must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after that he may enter the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean until evening. 8The one who burned the heifer must also wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he too will be ceremonially unclean until evening. 9Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to gather up the ashes of the heifer and store them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They must be kept by the congregation of Israel for preparing the water of purification; this is for purification from sin. 10The man who has gathered up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he will be ceremonially unclean until evening. This is a permanent statute for the Israelites and for the foreigner residing among them.