吃聖物的條例

22 耶和華對摩西說: 「你告訴亞倫父子們要謹慎處理以色列人獻給我的聖物,免得褻瀆我的聖名。我是耶和華。 把以下條例告訴他們。

「你們的後代中,如果有人不潔淨,卻接近以色列人獻給我的聖物,必須把他從我面前剷除。我是耶和華。 亞倫的後代中若有人患了痲瘋病或漏症,在他潔淨之前,不可吃聖物。如果有人遺精,或碰到因接觸屍體而不潔淨之物, 或碰到不潔淨的爬蟲,或碰到不潔淨的人, 這人就不潔淨,要到傍晚之後才能潔淨。他要沐浴後才可吃聖物。 日落之後,他就潔淨了,可以吃聖物,因為那是他應得的食物。 他不可吃自然死亡或被野獸撕裂的動物,否則就不潔淨。我是耶和華。 他們要遵守我的命令,免得他們犯罪,因違背我的命令而死亡。我是使他們聖潔的耶和華。

10 「只有祭司一家可以吃聖物,在祭司家中寄居的或做雇工的都不可吃, 11 但出生在祭司家裡或用錢買來的奴隸都可以吃。 12 如果祭司的女兒嫁給本族以外的人,她便不可再吃舉祭。 13 如果祭司的女兒守寡或被休,無兒無女,又像年輕時回到父親家居住,便可以吃父親的食物。除此以外,不屬於祭司家的人都不可以吃。 14 任何人如果誤吃聖物,就要如數償還給祭司,並加賠五分之一。 15 祭司不可褻瀆以色列民眾獻給耶和華的聖物, 16 以免有人因擅自吃聖物而擔罪、受罰。我是使聖物聖潔的耶和華。」

選擇祭牲的條例

17 耶和華對摩西說: 18 「你把以下條例告訴亞倫父子們及所有以色列人。

「任何以色列人或寄居在以色列的外族人若向耶和華獻燔祭,無論是為了還願還是出於自願, 19 都必須獻毫無殘疾的公牛、公綿羊或公山羊才能蒙悅納。 20 不可獻有殘疾的,因為不蒙悅納。 21 如果有人為了還願或自願獻牛羊作平安祭,必須獻毫無殘疾的牛羊才能蒙悅納。 22 不可獻給耶和華瞎眼的、骨折的、殘廢的、長疥癬的牲畜,也不可把這些牲畜獻給耶和華作火祭。 23 至於畸形或發育不全的公牛或綿羊羔,可以用作自願獻的祭,但不可用作還願祭。 24 不可獻給耶和華睪丸受損、被壓碎、破裂或被閹割的牲畜。在你們境內不可做這樣的事, 25 也不可從外族人手中接受這些牲畜並獻給你們的上帝作食物。因為這些牲畜是畸形的、殘疾的,不蒙悅納。」

26 耶和華對摩西說: 27 「剛出生的牛、綿羊或山羊,前七天要與母親在一起。從第八天起,可以把牠們獻給我作火祭。 28 不可在同一天內宰殺母牛和小牛或母羊和小羊。 29 你們獻感恩祭給耶和華時,要使你們所獻的蒙悅納。 30 要當天吃完祭物,不可留到第二天早晨。我是耶和華。 31 你們要遵行我的一切誡命。我是耶和華。 32 不可褻瀆我的聖名,我要在以色列人中彰顯我的聖潔,我是使你們聖潔的耶和華。 33 我領你們離開埃及,為要做你們的上帝。我是耶和華。」

Sundry Rules for Priests

22 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Tell Aaron and his sons to be careful with the holy gifts of the sons of Israel, which they dedicate to Me, so as not to profane My holy name; I am the Lord. Say to them, ‘(A)If any man among all your [a]descendants throughout your generations approaches the holy gifts which the sons of Israel dedicate to the Lord, while he has an uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from before Me; I am the Lord. (B)No man of the [b]descendants of Aaron, who is a leper or who has a discharge, may eat of the holy gifts until he is clean. (C)And if one touches anything made unclean by a corpse or if (D)a man has a seminal emission, or (E)if a man touches any teeming things by which he is made unclean, or any man by whom he is made unclean, whatever his uncleanness; a [c]person who touches any such shall be unclean until evening, and shall not eat of the holy gifts unless he has bathed his [d]body in water. But when the sun sets, he will be clean, and afterward he shall eat of the holy gifts, for (F)it is his [e]food. He shall not eat (G)an animal which dies or is torn by beasts, becoming unclean by it; I am the Lord. They shall therefore keep (H)My charge, so that (I)they will not bear sin because of it and die thereby because they profane it; I am the Lord who sanctifies them.

10 (J)No [f]layman, however, is to eat the holy gift; a sojourner with the priest or a hired man shall not eat of the holy gift. 11 (K)But if a priest buys a [g]slave as his property with his money, [h]that one may eat of it, and those who are born in his house may eat of his [i]food. 12 If a priest’s daughter is married to a [j]layman, she shall not eat of the [k]offering of the gifts. 13 But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or divorced, and has no child and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s [l]food; (L)but no [m]layman shall eat of it. 14 (M)But if a man eats a holy gift unintentionally, then he shall add to it a fifth of it and shall give the holy gift to the priest. 15 (N)They shall not profane the holy gifts of the sons of Israel which they offer to the Lord, 16 and so cause them (O)to bear [n]punishment for guilt by eating their holy gifts; for I am the Lord who sanctifies them.’”

Flawless Animals for Sacrifice

17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘(P)Any man of the house of Israel or of the aliens in Israel who presents his offering, whether it is any of their [o]votive or any of their freewill offerings, which they present to the Lord for a burnt offering— 19 (Q)for you to be accepted—it must be a male without defect from the cattle, the sheep, or the goats. 20 (R)Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it will not be accepted for you. 21 When a man offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord (S)to [p]fulfill a special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it. 22 Those that are blind or fractured or maimed or having a running sore or eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the Lord, nor make of them an offering by fire on the altar to the Lord. 23 In respect to an ox or a lamb which has an [q]overgrown or stunted member, you may present it for a freewill offering, but for a vow it will not be accepted. 24 Also (T)anything with its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut, you shall not offer to the Lord, or [r]sacrifice in your land, 25 nor shall you accept any such from the hand of a foreigner for offering (U)as the [s]food of your God; for their corruption is in them, they have a defect, they shall not be accepted for you.’”

26 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “When an ox or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall [t]remain (V)seven days [u]with its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be accepted as a sacrifice of an offering by fire to the Lord. 28 (W)But, whether it is an ox or a sheep, you shall not kill both it and its young in one day. 29 When you sacrifice (X)a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. 30 It shall be eaten on the same day, you shall leave none of it until morning; I am the Lord. 31 (Y)So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the Lord.

32 “You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel; I am the Lord who sanctifies you, 33 (Z)who brought you out from the land of Egypt, to be your God; I am the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 22:3 Lit seed
  2. Leviticus 22:4 Lit seed
  3. Leviticus 22:6 Lit soul
  4. Leviticus 22:6 Lit flesh
  5. Leviticus 22:7 Lit bread
  6. Leviticus 22:10 Lit stranger
  7. Leviticus 22:11 Lit soul
  8. Leviticus 22:11 Lit he may
  9. Leviticus 22:11 Lit bread
  10. Leviticus 22:12 Lit stranger
  11. Leviticus 22:12 Lit heave offering
  12. Leviticus 22:13 Lit bread
  13. Leviticus 22:13 Lit stranger
  14. Leviticus 22:16 Or iniquity requiring a guilt offering
  15. Leviticus 22:18 Lit vows
  16. Leviticus 22:21 Or make a special votive offering
  17. Leviticus 22:23 Or a deformed
  18. Leviticus 22:24 Lit do
  19. Leviticus 22:25 Lit bread
  20. Leviticus 22:27 Lit be
  21. Leviticus 22:27 Lit under

22 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings(A) the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name.(B) I am the Lord.(C)

“Say to them: ‘For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord,(D) that person must be cut off from my presence.(E) I am the Lord.

“‘If a descendant of Aaron has a defiling skin disease[a] or a bodily discharge,(F) he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse(G) or by anyone who has an emission of semen, or if he touches any crawling thing(H) that makes him unclean, or any person(I) who makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be. The one who touches any such thing will be unclean(J) till evening.(K) He must not eat any of the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water.(L) When the sun goes down, he will be clean, and after that he may eat the sacred offerings, for they are his food.(M) He must not eat anything found dead(N) or torn by wild animals,(O) and so become unclean(P) through it. I am the Lord.(Q)

“‘The priests are to perform my service(R) in such a way that they do not become guilty(S) and die(T) for treating it with contempt. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.(U)

10 “‘No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired worker eat it.(V) 11 But if a priest buys a slave with money, or if slaves are born in his household, they may eat his food.(W) 12 If a priest’s daughter marries anyone other than a priest, she may not eat any of the sacred contributions. 13 But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, yet has no children, and she returns to live in her father’s household as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food. No unauthorized person, however, may eat it.

14 “‘Anyone who eats a sacred offering by mistake(X) must make restitution to the priest for the offering and add a fifth of the value(Y) to it. 15 The priests must not desecrate the sacred offerings(Z) the Israelites present to the Lord(AA) 16 by allowing them to eat(AB) the sacred offerings and so bring upon them guilt(AC) requiring payment.(AD) I am the Lord, who makes them holy.(AE)’”

Unacceptable Sacrifices

17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘If any of you—whether an Israelite or a foreigner residing in Israel(AF)—presents a gift(AG) for a burnt offering to the Lord, either to fulfill a vow(AH) or as a freewill offering,(AI) 19 you must present a male without defect(AJ) from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf.(AK) 20 Do not bring anything with a defect,(AL) because it will not be accepted on your behalf.(AM) 21 When anyone brings from the herd or flock(AN) a fellowship offering(AO) to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering,(AP) it must be without defect or blemish(AQ) to be acceptable.(AR) 22 Do not offer to the Lord the blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores. Do not place any of these on the altar as a food offering presented to the Lord. 23 You may, however, present as a freewill offering an ox[b] or a sheep that is deformed or stunted, but it will not be accepted in fulfillment of a vow. 24 You must not offer to the Lord an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut.(AS) You must not do this in your own land, 25 and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God.(AT) They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.(AU)’”

26 The Lord said to Moses, 27 “When a calf, a lamb or a goat(AV) is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days.(AW) From the eighth day(AX) on, it will be acceptable(AY) as a food offering presented to the Lord. 28 Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day.(AZ)

29 “When you sacrifice a thank offering(BA) to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 30 It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning.(BB) I am the Lord.(BC)

31 “Keep(BD) my commands and follow them.(BE) I am the Lord. 32 Do not profane my holy name,(BF) for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites.(BG) I am the Lord, who made you holy(BH) 33 and who brought you out of Egypt(BI) to be your God.(BJ) I am the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 22:4 The Hebrew word for defiling skin disease, traditionally translated “leprosy,” was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
  2. Leviticus 22:23 The Hebrew word can refer to either male or female.