5. Then the whole cow must be burned while he watches. The skin, the meat, the blood and the intestines must all be burned.
6. Then the priest must take a cedar stick, a hyssop branch and a red string. He must throw them onto the burning cow.
7. Then the priest must wash himself and his clothes with water. After that, he may come back into the camp. But he will be unclean until evening.
8. The man who burns the cow must wash himself and his clothes in water. He will be unclean until evening.
9. “Then someone who is clean will collect the ashes from the cow. He will put them in a clean place outside the camp. The Israelites will use these ashes in a special ceremony to cleanse away sin.
10. The man who collected the cow’s ashes must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening. This is a lasting rule. It is for the Israelites and for the foreigners among them.
11. “Whoever touches a dead body will be unclean for seven days.
12. He must wash himself with this water. He must do this on the third day and on the seventh day. Then he will be clean. But if he does not wash himself on the third day and the seventh day, he cannot be clean.
13. Whoever touches a dead body is unclean. If he stays unclean and goes to the Lord’s Holy Tent, it becomes unclean. So he must be separated from Israel. If the cleansing water is not sprinkled on him, he will stay unclean.