let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience towards God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
he saved us #– #not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy #– #through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
The one who is to be cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe with water; he is clean. Afterwards he may enter the camp, but he must remain outside his tent for seven days.
Once the priests have entered, they are not to go out from the holy area to the outer court until they have removed the clothes they minister in, for these are holy. They are to put on other clothes before they approach the public area.’