Leviticus 11
New American Standard Bible
Laws about Animals for Food
11 The Lord spoke again to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘(A)These are the creatures which you may eat from all the animals that are on the earth. 3 Whatever has a divided hoof, showing split hoofs, and chews the cud, among the animals, that you may eat. 4 Nevertheless, (B)you are not to eat of these, among those which chew the cud, or among those which have a divided hoof: the camel, for though it chews cud, it does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean to you. 5 Likewise, the rock hyrax, for though it chews cud, it does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean to you. 6 The [a]rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean to you. 7 And the pig, for though it has a divided hoof, and so it shows a split hoof, it does not chew cud; it is unclean to you. 8 You shall not eat any of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.
9 ‘(C)These you may eat, of whatever is in the water: everything that has fins and scales, in the water, in the seas, or in the rivers, you may eat. 10 (D)But whatever is in the seas and in the rivers that does not have fins and scales among all the teeming life of the water, and among all the living creatures that are in the water, they are detestable things to you, 11 and they shall be detestable to you; you may not eat any of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. 12 Whatever in the water does not have fins and scales is detestable to you.
Avoid the Unclean
13 ‘Moreover, these (E)you shall detest among the birds; they are detestable, not to be eaten: the [b]eagle, the vulture, and the [c]buzzard, 14 the red kite, the falcon in its kind, 15 every raven in its kind, 16 the ostrich, the owl, the seagull, and the hawk in its kind, 17 the little owl, the cormorant, and the [d]great owl, 18 the white owl, the [e]pelican, and the carrion vulture, 19 the stork, the heron in its kinds, the hoopoe, and the bat.
20 ‘All the [f]winged insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you. 21 Yet these you may eat among all the [g]winged insects that walk on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to jump on the earth. 22 These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds, the devastating locust in its kinds, the cricket in its kinds, and the grasshopper in its kinds. 23 But all other [h]winged insects which are four-footed are detestable to you.
24 ‘By these, moreover, you will be made unclean; whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, 25 and (F)whoever picks up any of their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. 26 As for all the animals which have a divided hoof but do not show a split hoof, or do not chew the cud, they are unclean to you; whoever touches them becomes unclean. 27 Also whatever walks on its paws, among all the creatures that walk on all fours, are unclean to you; whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, 28 and the one who picks up their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening; they are unclean to you.
29 ‘Now these are to you the unclean among the swarming things which swarm on the earth: the mole, the mouse, and the [i]great lizard in its kinds, 30 the gecko, the [j]crocodile, the lizard, the [k]sand reptile, and the chameleon. 31 These are to you the unclean among all the swarming things; whoever touches them when they are dead becomes unclean until evening. 32 Also anything on which one of them may fall when they are dead becomes unclean, including any wooden article, or clothing, or a hide, or a sack—any article [l]of which use is made—(G)it shall be put in the water and be unclean until evening, then it becomes clean. 33 As for any (H)earthenware vessel into which one of them may fall, whatever is in it becomes unclean and you shall break [m]the vessel. 34 Any of the [n]food which may be eaten, on which water comes, shall become unclean, and any [o]liquid which may be drunk in every vessel shall become unclean. 35 Moreover, everything on which part of their carcass may fall becomes unclean; an oven or a [p]stove shall be smashed; they are unclean and shall continue as unclean to you. 36 Nevertheless, a spring or a cistern [q]collecting water shall be clean, though the one who touches their carcass shall be unclean. 37 Now if a part of their carcass falls on any seed for sowing which is to be sown, it is clean. 38 But if water is put on the seed and a part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.
39 ‘Also if one of the animals dies which you have for food, the one who touches its carcass becomes unclean until evening. 40 (I)He, too, who eats some of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening, and the one who picks up its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.
41 ‘(J)Now every swarming thing that swarms on the earth is detestable, not to be eaten. 42 Whatever crawls on its belly, and whatever walks on all fours, whatever has many feet, in regard to every swarming thing that swarms on the earth, you shall not eat them, because they are detestable. 43 (K)Do not make [r]yourselves detestable through any of the swarming things that swarm; and you shall not make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean. 44 For (L)I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and (M)be holy, because I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. 45 (N)For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt, to be your God; so (O)you shall be holy, because I am holy.’”
46 This is the law regarding the animal and the bird, and every living thing that moves in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth, 47 (P)to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the edible creature and the creature which is not to be eaten.
Footnotes
- Leviticus 11:6 Or hare
- Leviticus 11:13 Or vulture
- Leviticus 11:13 Or black vulture
- Leviticus 11:17 Specifically, great horned owl
- Leviticus 11:18 Or owl; or jackdaw
- Leviticus 11:20 Lit swarming things with wings
- Leviticus 11:21 See note v 20
- Leviticus 11:23 See note v 20
- Leviticus 11:29 Or thorn-tailed lizard
- Leviticus 11:30 Or lizard
- Leviticus 11:30 Species as yet undefined
- Leviticus 11:32 Lit with which work is done
- Leviticus 11:33 Lit it
- Leviticus 11:34 I.e., if touched by a carcass; cf. vv 29-32
- Leviticus 11:34 I.e., if touched by a carcass; cf. vv 29-32
- Leviticus 11:35 Lit hearth for supporting (two) pots
- Leviticus 11:36 Lit a collecting place of
- Leviticus 11:43 Lit your souls
Leviticus 11
Names of God Bible
Laws about Animals the Israelites May and May Not Eat(A)
11 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Tell the Israelites: Here are the kinds of land animals you may eat: 3 all animals that have completely divided hoofs and that also chew their cud. 4 However, from those that either chew their cud or have divided hoofs, these are the kinds you must never eat: You must never eat camels. (Camels are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.) 5 You must never eat rock badgers. (Rock badgers are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.) 6 You must never eat rabbits. (Rabbits are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.) 7 You must never eat pigs. (Because pigs have completely divided hoofs but do not chew their cud, they are also unclean.) 8 Never eat the meat of these animals or touch their dead bodies. They are unclean for you.
9 “Here are the kinds of creatures that live in the water which you may eat—anything in the seas and streams that has fins and scales. 10 However, you must consider all swarming creatures living in the seas or the streams that have no fins or scales disgusting. 11 They must remain disgusting to you. Never eat their meat. Consider their dead bodies disgusting. 12 Every creature in the water without fins or scales is disgusting to you.
13 “Here are the kinds of birds you must consider disgusting and must not eat. They are eagles, bearded vultures, black vultures, 14 kites, all types of buzzards, 15 all types of crows, 16 ostriches, nighthawks, seagulls, all types of falcons, 17 little owls, cormorants, great owls, 18 barn owls, pelicans, ospreys, 19 storks, all types of herons, hoopoes, and bats.
20 “Every swarming, winged insect that walks across the ground like a four-legged animal is disgusting to you. 21 However, you may eat winged insects that swarm if they use their legs to hop on the ground. 22 You may eat any kind of locust, cricket, katydid, or grasshopper. 23 Every kind of winged insect that walks across the ground like a four-legged animal is disgusting to you.
24 “Regarding the creatures mentioned above, this is how you would become unclean: Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. 25 Whoever carries any part of their dead bodies must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening. 26 All animals whose hoofs are not completely divided or that don’t chew their cud are unclean for you. Whoever touches them is unclean. 27 All four-legged animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you. Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. 28 Those who carry the dead body of any of these animals must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening. These animals are unclean for you.
29 “The following swarming creatures that move on the ground are unclean for you—moles, mice, and all types of lizards: 30 geckos, monitors, lizards, skinks, and chameleons. 31 Among all the swarming creatures that move on the ground, these are unclean for you. Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. 32 When the dead body of one of these creatures falls on something, that thing will be unclean. It may be a wooden article, clothing, leather, a sack, or anything used for any purpose. It should be put in water and will be unclean until evening. Then it will be clean again.
33 “If any of these creatures falls into a piece of pottery, break the pottery because everything in it is unclean. 34 If water from that pottery touches any food, the food is unclean. Any liquid that you drink from that pottery is unclean. 35 Anything on which their dead bodies fall is unclean. If it is an oven or a stove, smash it. It is unclean and will remain unclean for you. 36 However, a spring or a cistern holding water will remain clean. But anyone who touches their dead bodies will be unclean. 37 If their dead bodies fall on seed that is to be planted, the seed is clean. 38 But if water is poured on the seed and their dead bodies fall on it, the seed is unclean for you.
39 “When any animal that you are allowed to eat dies, whoever touches its dead body will be unclean until evening. 40 Those who eat any of its dead body must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening. Those who carry its dead body away will wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening.
41 “Any creature that swarms on the ground is disgusting and must not be eaten. 42 Don’t eat any creature with many legs that goes on its belly or on the ground like a four-legged animal, or any creature that swarms on the ground. Consider them disgusting. 43 Don’t become disgusting by eating anything that swarms on the ground. Never allow yourselves to become unclean because of them.
44 “Here is the reason: I am Yahweh your Elohim. You must live holy lives. Be holy because I am holy. Never become unclean by touching anything that swarms or crawls on the ground. 45 Here is the reason again: I am Yahweh. I brought you out of Egypt to be your Elohim. Be holy because I am holy.
46 “These are the instructions about animals, birds, and every living creature that swims in the water and every creature that swarms on the ground. 47 These instructions help you distinguish between clean and unclean, the animals you may eat and those you may not eat.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.