Leviticus 22

1 The Lord told Moses,

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to be dedicated when dealing with the holy offerings that the Israelites have dedicated to me, so that they don't dishonor my holy character. I am the Lord.

“Speak to Aaron and to his sons, tell them to keep away from the holy things of the people of Israel, which they set apart to me. They must not profane my holy name. I am Yahweh.

3 Tell them: These rules apply for all future generations. If any of your descendants in an unclean state comes close to the holy offerings that the Israelites dedicate to honor the Lord, that person must be expelled from my presence. I am the Lord.

Say to them, 'If any of your descendants throughout your generations approaches the holy things that the people of Israel have set apart to Yahweh, while he is unclean, that person must be cut off from before me: I am Yahweh.

4 If one of Aaron's descendants has a skin disease or a discharge, he is not allowed to eat the holy offerings until he is clean. Anyone who touches anything made unclean by a dead body or by a man who has had a release of semen,

None of the descendants of Aaron who has an infectious skin disease, or an infection flowing from his body, may eat any of the sacrifices made to Yahweh until he is clean. Whoever touches anything unclean through contact with the dead, or by contact with a man who has a flow of semen,

5 or anyone who touches an unclean animal or an unclean person, (whatever the uncleanness is),

or whoever touches any creeping animal that makes him unclean, or any person who makes him unclean, whatever kind of uncleanness it may be—

6 anyone who touches anything like this will remain unclean until evening. He is not allowed to eat from the holy offerings unless he has washed himself with water.

then the priest who touches anything unclean will be unclean until evening. He must not eat any of the holy things, unless he has bathed his body in water.

7 At sunset he will become clean, and then he is allowed to eat from the holy offerings because they provide his food.

When the sun has set, he will then be clean. After sunset he may eat from the holy things, because they are his food.

8 He must not eat anything that's died, or killed by wild animals, because that would make him unclean. I am the Lord.

He must not eat anything found dead or killed by wild animals, by which he would defile himself. I am Yahweh.

9 The priests must do as I demand, so that they don't become guilty and die because they have not done so, treating my requirements with contempt. I am the Lord who makes them holy.

The priests must follow my instructions, or they will be guilty of sin and could die for profaning me. I am Yahweh who makes them holy.

10 Anyone who isn't part of a priest's family is not allowed eat the holy offerings. This also applies to a priest's guest or his paid worker.

No one outside the priest's family, including guests of a priest or his hired servants, may eat anything that is holy.

11 However, if a priest uses his own money to buy a slave, or if a slave is born in the priest's household, then that slave is allowed to eat his food.

But if a priest buys any slave with his own money, that slave may eat from the things set apart to Yahweh. The priest's family members and slaves born in his house, they also may eat with him from those things.

12 If the priest's daughter gets married to a man who isn't a priest, she is not allowed to eat the holy offerings.

If a priest's daughter married someone who is not a priest, she may not eat any of the holy contribution offerings.

13 But if a priest's daughter without children is widowed or divorced and goes back to her father's house, she is allowed to eat her father's food as she did when she was growing up. But no one outside the priest's family can eat it.

But if a priest's daughter is a widow, or divorced, and if she has no child, and if she returns to live in her father's house as in her youth, she may eat from her father's food. But no one who is not in the priestly family may eat from the priest's food.

14 Anyone who eats a holy offering by mistake must pay compensation by adding a fifth to its value, and give it all to the priest.

If a man eats a holy food without knowing it, then he must repay the priest for it; he must add one-fifth to it and give it back to the priest.

15 The priests must not make the holy offerings the Israelites present to the Lord unclean

The people of Israel must not profane the holy things that they have raised high and presented to Yahweh,

16 by allowing the people to eat them and in so doing take upon themselves the punishment for guilt. For I am the Lord who makes them holy.”

and cause themselves to carry the sin that would make them guilty of eating the holy food, for I am Yahweh who makes them holy.'”

17 The Lord told Moses,

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

18 “Tell Aaron, his sons and all the Israelites: If you or foreigner living with you wants to make a gift as a burnt offering to the Lord, whether it's to fulfill a promise or as a freewill offering, this is what you are to do.

“Speak to Aaron and his sons, and to all the people of Israel. Say to them, 'Any Israelite, or an alien living in Israel, when they present a sacrifice—whether it is to fulfill a vow, or whether it is a freewill offering, or they present to Yahweh a burnt offering,

19 If it is to be accepted on your behalf you must offer a male without defects from the herds of cattle, sheep, or goats.

if it is to be accepted, they must offer a male animal without blemish from the cattle, sheep, or goats.

20 Don't present anything with a defect because it won't be accepted on your behalf.

But you must not offer whatever has a blemish. I will not accept it on your behalf.

21 If you want to present a peace offering to the Lord from the herd or flock to fulfill a promise or as a freewill offering, in order to be acceptable the animal must be perfect, completely without defects.

Whoever offers a sacrifice of fellowship offerings from the herd or the flock to Yahweh to fulfill a vow, or as a freewill offering, it must be unblemished to be accepted. There must be no defect in the animal.

22 Don't present to the Lord an animal that is blind, injured, or damaged in some way, or has warts, skin sores, or scabs. Don't place any animal that has these on the altar as a food offering to the Lord.

You must not offer animals that are blind, disabled, or maimed, or that have warts, sores, or scabs. You must not offer these to Yahweh as a sacrifice by fire on the altar.

23 However, you can present a freewill offering of a bull or sheep that has a leg that is too long or too short, but not if it is a sacrifice to fulfill a promise.

You may present as a freewill offering an ox or a lamb that is deformed or small, but an offering like that will not be accepted for a vow.

24 Don't present to the Lord an animal with testicles that are accidentally or deliberately damaged. You are not allowed to sacrifice any of these damaged animals in your land.

Do not offer any animal to Yahweh that has bruised, crushed, torn, or cut testicles. Do not do this within your land.

25 Nor are you allowed to accept such animals from a foreigner to be damaged and defective.”

You must not present the bread of your God from the hand of a foreigner. Those animals are deformed and have defects in them, they will not be accepted for you.'”

26 The Lord told Moses,

Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

27 “When a bull, a sheep, or a goat is born, it must stay with its mother for seven days. After eight days it can be accepted as a food offering to the Lord.

“When a calf or a sheep or a goat is born, it must remain seven days with its mother. Then from the eighth day on, it may be accepted as a sacrifice for an offering made by fire to Yahweh.

28 However, don't kill a bull or a sheep and its young on the same day.

Do not kill a cow or ewe along with its young, both on the same day.

29 When you present a thank offering to the Lord, make sure to do so in a way that it will be accepted on your behalf.

When you sacrifice a thank offering to Yahweh, you must sacrifice it in an acceptable way.

30 It has to be eaten on the same day. Don't leave any of it until morning. I am the Lord.

It must be eaten on the same day that it is sacrificed. You must leave none of it until the next morning. I am Yahweh.

31 Keep my rules and put them into practice. I am the Lord.

So you must keep my commandments and carry them out. I am Yahweh.

32 Don't disgrace my holy character. I must be accepted as holy by you. I am the Lord who makes you holy.

You must not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the people of Israel. I am Yahweh who makes you holy,

33 I am the one who led you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord.”

who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am Yahweh.”