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
Vayikra 11
Orthodox Jewish Bible
11 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe and to Aharon, saying unto them,
2 Speak unto the Bnei Yisroel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on ha’aretz.
3 Whatsoever spliteth the hoof, and separateth into double hooves, and cheweth the cud, among the behemah (animals), that shall ye eat.
4 Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that separateth the hoof; as the gamal (camel), because he cheweth the cud, but separateth not the hoof; he is tamei unto you.
5 And the hyrax, because he cheweth the cud, but separateth not the hoof; he is tamei unto you.
6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but separateth not the hoof; he is temeiah (unclean) unto you.
7 And the chazir (swine), though he separate the hoof, and be separated into double hooves, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is tamei to you.
8 Of their basar shall ye not eat, and their nevelah shall ye not touch; they are temei’im (unclean ones) to you.
9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the mayim; whatsoever hath fins and scales in the mayim, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that swarm in the mayim, and of any nefesh hachayyah which is in the mayim, they shall be sheketz (abomination, detestable) unto you;
11 They shall be even sheketz unto you; ye shall not eat of their basar, but ye shall have their nevelah in sheketz.
12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the mayim, that shall be sheketz unto you.
13 And these are they which ye shall have in sheketz among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are sheketz: the nesher (eagle), and the vulture, and the whitetailed eagle,
14 And the da’ah (kite), and the black kite after its kind;
15 Every orev (raven) after its kind;
16 And the ostrich, and the screech owl, and the seagull, and the hawk after its kind,
17 And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,
18 And the white owl, and the pelican, and the osprey,
19 And the stork, the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.
20 All fowls that creep, going upon all fours, shall be sheketz unto you.
21 Yet these may ye eat of every winged insect that goeth upon all fours, which have jumping legs above their feet, to hop withal upon ha’aretz;
22 Even these of them ye may eat: the arbeh (locust) after its kind, and the katydid after its kind, and the cricket after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind.
23 But all other winged insects, which have four feet, shall be sheketz unto you.
24 And for these ye shall be temei’im; whosoever toucheth the nevelah of them shall be tamei until erev.
25 And whosoever pick up any of the nevelah of them shall wash his clothes, and be tamei until erev.
26 Every beast which spliteth the hooves, and is not completely split, nor cheweth the cud, are temei’im unto you; every one that toucheth them shall be tamei.
27 And whatsoever goeth upon its paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all fours, those are temei’im unto you; whosoever toucheth their nevelah shall be tamei until erev.
28 And he that beareth the nevelah of them shall wash his clothes, and be tamei until erev; they are temei’im unto you.
29 These also shall be tamei unto you among the creeping things that creep upon ha’aretz: the weasel, and the rat, and the great lizard after its kind,
30 And the gecko, and the land crocodile, and the skink, and the lizard, and the chameleon.
31 These are temei’im to you among all that creep; whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be tamei until erev.
32 And whatsoever of them, when they are dead, doth fall on something, it shall be tamei; whether it be any vessel of wood, or cloth, or hide, or sackcloth, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any melachah (work) is done, it must be put into mayim, and it shall be tamei until erev; then it shall be tahor (clean).
33 And every clay vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be tamei; and ye shall break it.
34 Of all okhel which may be eaten, that on which such mayim cometh shall be tamei; and all mashkeh that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be tamei.
35 And everything whereupon any part of their nevelah falleth shall be tamei; whether it be oven, or stove, they shall be broken; for they are temei’im and shall be temei’im unto you.
36 Nevertheless a spring or cistern, wherein there is a mikveh mayim (collection of water) shall be tahor; but that which toucheth their nevelah shall be tamei.
37 And if any part of their nevelah fall upon any zera for sowing which is to be sown, it shall be tahor.
38 But if any mayim be put upon the zera, and any part of their nevelah fall thereon, it shall be tamei unto you.
39 And if any behemah, of which ye may eat, die, he that toucheth the nevelah thereof shall be tamei until erev.
40 And he that eateth of the nevelah of it shall wash his clothes, and be tamei until erev; he also that picketh up the nevelah of it shall wash his clothes, and be tamei until erev.
41 And every creeping thing that creepeth upon ha’aretz shall be sheketz; it shall not be eaten.
42 Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all fours, or whatsoever hath marbeh raglayim (many feet) among all creeping things that creep upon ha’aretz, them ye shall not eat; for they are sheketz.
43 Ye shall not make your nefashot sheketz with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves tamei with them, that ye should be made tamei thereby.
44 For I am Hashem Eloheichem; ye shall therefore set yourselves apart as kodesh, and ye shall be kadoshim; for I am kadosh; neither shall ye make your nefashot tamei with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon ha’aretz.
45 For I am Hashem that bringeth you up out of Eretz Mitzrayim, to be for you as Elohim: ye shall therefore be kadoshim, for I am kadosh.
46 This is the torah concerning the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the mayim, and of every creature that creepeth upon ha’aretz;
47 To make a divide [lehavdil; to make a distinction, separation] between the tamei and the tahor, and between the beast that may be and the beast that may not be eaten.
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