< Leviticus 22 >

1 And the Lord said to Moses,
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2 Give orders to Aaron and to his sons to keep themselves separate from the holy things of the children of Israel which they give to me, and not to make my holy name common: I am the Lord,
“Tell Aaron and his sons to separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, which they make holy to me, and that they not profane my holy name. I am the LORD.
3 Say to them, If any man of all your seed through all your generations, being unclean, comes near the holy things which the children of Israel make holy to the Lord, he will be cut off from before me: I am the Lord.
“Tell them, ‘If anyone of all your offspring throughout your generations approaches the holy things which the children of Israel make holy to the LORD, having his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from before me. I am the LORD.
4 No man of the seed of Aaron who is a leper, or who has a flow from his body, may take of the holy food till he is clean. And any man touching anything which is unclean because of the dead, or any man whose seed goes from him;
“‘Whoever of the offspring of Aaron is a leper or has a discharge shall not eat of the holy things until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is unclean by the dead, or a man who has a seminal emission,
5 Or anyone touching any unclean thing which goes flat on the earth, or someone by whom he may be made unclean in any way whatever;
or whoever touches any creeping thing by which he may be made unclean, or a man from whom he may become unclean, whatever uncleanness he has—
6 Any person touching any such unclean thing will be unclean till evening, and may not take of the holy food till his flesh has been bathed in water;
the person that touches any such shall be unclean until the evening, and shall not eat of the holy things unless he bathes his body in water.
7 And when the sun has gone down he will be clean; and after that he may take part in the holy food, because it is his bread.
When the sun is down, he shall be clean; and afterward he shall eat of the holy things, because it is his bread.
8 That which comes to a natural death, or is attacked by beasts, he may not take as food, for it will make him unclean: I am the Lord.
He shall not eat that which dies of itself or is torn by animals, defiling himself by it. I am the LORD.
9 So then, let them keep what I have put into their care, for fear that sin may come on them because of it, so causing their death because they have made it common: I am the Lord, who make them holy.
“‘They shall therefore follow my commandment, lest they bear sin for it and die in it, if they profane it. I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
10 No outside person may take of the holy food, or one living as a guest in the priest's house, or a servant working for payment.
“‘No stranger shall eat of the holy thing: a foreigner living with the priests, or a hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.
11 But any person for whom the priest has given money, to make him his, may take of it with him; and those who come to birth in his house may take of his bread.
But if a priest buys a slave, purchased by his money, he shall eat of it; and those who are born in his house shall eat of his bread.
12 And if the daughter of a priest is married to an outside person she may not take of the holy things which are lifted up as offerings.
If a priest’s daughter is married to an outsider, she shall not eat of the heave offering of the holy things.
13 But if a priest's daughter is a widow, or parted from her husband, and has no child, and has come back to her father's house as when she was a girl, she may take of her father's bread; but no outside person may do so.
But if a priest’s daughter is a widow, or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father’s house as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s bread; but no stranger shall eat any of it.
14 And if a man takes the holy food in error, he will have to give the holy thing back to the priest, with the addition of a fifth part.
“‘If a man eats something holy unwittingly, then he shall add the fifth part of its value to it, and shall give the holy thing to the priest.
15 And they may not make common the holy things which the children of Israel give to the Lord,
The priests shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer to the LORD,
16 So causing sin to come on them when they take their holy things for food: I am the Lord who make them holy.
and so cause them to bear the iniquity that brings guilt when they eat their holy things; for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’”
17 And the Lord said to Moses,
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
18 Say to Aaron and to his sons and to all the children of Israel, If any man of the children of Israel, or of another nation living in Israel, makes an offering, given because of an oath or freely given to the Lord for a burned offering;
“Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘Whoever is of the house of Israel, or of the foreigners in Israel, who offers his offering, whether it is any of their vows or any of their free will offerings, which they offer to the LORD for a burnt offering:
19 So that it may be pleasing to the Lord, let him give a male, without any mark, from among the oxen or the sheep or the goats.
that you may be accepted, you shall offer a male without defect, of the bulls, of the sheep, or of the goats.
20 But anything which has a mark you may not give; it will not make you pleasing to the Lord.
But you shall not offer whatever has a defect, for it shall not be acceptable for you.
21 And whoever makes a peace-offering to the Lord, in payment of an oath or as a free offering, from the herd or the flock, if it is to be pleasing to the Lord, let it be free from any mark or damage.
Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to accomplish a vow, or for a free will offering of the herd or of the flock, it shall be perfect to be accepted. It shall have no defect.
22 Anything blind or broken or damaged or having any disease or any mark on it may not be offered to the Lord; you may not make an offering of it by fire on the altar to the Lord.
You shall not offer what is blind, is injured, is maimed, has a wart, is festering, or has a running sore to the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to the LORD.
23 An ox or a lamb which has more or less than its natural parts, may be given as a free offering; but it will not be taken in payment of an oath.
Either a bull or a lamb that has any deformity or lacking in his parts, that you may offer for a free will offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
24 An animal which has its sex parts damaged or crushed or broken or cut, may not be offered to the Lord; such a thing may not be done anywhere in your land.
You must not offer to the LORD that which has its testicles bruised, crushed, broken, or cut. You must not do this in your land.
25 And from one who is not an Israelite you may not take any of these for an offering to the Lord; for they are unclean, there is a mark on them, and the Lord will not be pleased with them.
You must not offer any of these as the bread of your God from the hand of a foreigner, because their corruption is in them. There is a defect in them. They shall not be accepted for you.’”
26 And the Lord said to Moses,
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
27 When an ox or a sheep or a goat is given birth, let it be with its mother for seven days; and after the eighth day it may be taken as an offering made by fire to the Lord.
“When a bull, a sheep, or a goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother. From the eighth day on it shall be accepted for the offering of an offering made by fire to the LORD.
28 A cow or a sheep may not be put to death with its young on the same day.
Whether it is a cow or ewe, you shall not kill it and its young both in one day.
29 And when you make an offering of praise to the Lord, make it in a way which is pleasing to him.
“When you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted.
30 Let it be used for food on the same day; do not keep any part of it till the morning: I am the Lord.
It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until the morning. I am the LORD.
31 So then, keep my orders and do them: I am the Lord.
“Therefore you shall keep my commandments, and do them. I am the LORD.
32 And do not make my holy name common; so that it may be kept holy by the children of Israel: I am the Lord who make you holy,
You shall not profane my holy name, but I will be made holy among the children of Israel. I am the LORD who makes you holy,
33 Who took you out of the land of Egypt that I might be your God: I am the Lord.
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am the LORD.”

< Leviticus 22 >