³ Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate^(A) it, and it tasted as sweet as honey^(B) in my mouth.

¹⁹ For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods^(A) clean.)^(B)

¹⁷ “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.^(A)

⁵ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ ⁶ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

Clean and Unclean Food^(A)

11 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ² “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat:^{(B) 3} You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud.

⁴ “‘There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them.^(C) The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. ⁵ The hyrax, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. ⁶ The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. ⁷ And the pig,^(D) though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. ⁸ You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.^(E)

⁹ “‘Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams you may eat any that have fins and scales. ¹⁰ But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales—whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water—you are to regard as unclean.^{(F) 11} And since you are to regard them as unclean, you must not eat their meat; you must regard their carcasses as unclean.^{(G) 12} Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be regarded as unclean by you.^(H)

¹³ “‘These are the birds you are to regard as unclean and not eat because they are unclean: the eagle,^[a] the vulture, the black vulture, ¹⁴ the red kite, any kind^(I) of black kite, ¹⁵ any kind of raven,^{(J) 16} the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, ¹⁷ the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, ¹⁸ the white owl,^(K) the desert owl, the osprey, ¹⁹ the stork,^(L) any kind^(M) of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.^(N)

²⁰ “‘All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be regarded as unclean by you.^{(O) 21} There are, however, some flying insects that walk on all fours that you may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground. ²² Of these you may eat any kind of locust,^(P) katydid, cricket or grasshopper. ²³ But all other flying insects that have four legs you are to regard as unclean.

²⁴ “‘You will make yourselves unclean by these;^(Q) whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening.^{(R) 25} Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash their clothes,^(S) and they will be unclean till evening.^(T)

²⁶ “‘Every animal that does not have a divided hoof or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you; whoever touches the carcass of any of them will be unclean. ²⁷ Of all the animals that walk on all fours, those that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. ²⁸ Anyone who picks up their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.^(U) These animals are unclean for you.

²⁹ “‘Of the animals that move along the ground, these are unclean for you:^(V) the weasel, the rat,^(W) any kind of great lizard, ³⁰ the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon. ³¹ Of all those that move along the ground, these are unclean for you. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean till evening. ³² When one of them dies and falls on something, that article, whatever its use, will be unclean, whether it is made of wood, cloth, hide or sackcloth.^(X) Put it in water; it will be unclean till evening, and then it will be clean. ³³ If one of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean, and you must break the pot.^{(Y) 34} Any food you are allowed to eat that has come into contact with water from any such pot is unclean, and any liquid that is drunk from such a pot is unclean. ³⁵ Anything that one of their carcasses falls on becomes unclean; an oven or cooking pot must be broken up. They are unclean, and you are to regard them as unclean. ³⁶ A spring, however, or a cistern for collecting water remains clean, but anyone who touches one of these carcasses is unclean. ³⁷ If a carcass falls on any seeds that are to be planted, they remain clean. ³⁸ But if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you.

³⁹ “‘If an animal that you are allowed to eat dies,^(Z) anyone who touches its carcass^(AA) will be unclean till evening. ⁴⁰ Anyone who eats some of its carcass^(AB) must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.^(AC) Anyone who picks up the carcass must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.

⁴¹ “‘Every creature that moves along the ground is to be regarded as unclean; it is not to be eaten. ⁴² You are not to eat any creature that moves along the ground, whether it moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet; it is unclean. ⁴³ Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures.^(AD) Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean by them. ⁴⁴ I am the Lord your God;^(AE) consecrate yourselves^(AF) and be holy,^(AG) because I am holy.^(AH) Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground.^{(AI) 45} I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt^(AJ) to be your God;^(AK) therefore be holy, because I am holy.^(AL)

⁴⁶ “‘These are the regulations concerning animals, birds, every living thing that moves about in the water and every creature that moves along the ground. ⁴⁷ You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.^(AM)’”

³ In the fortieth year,^(A) on the first day of the eleventh month,^(B) Moses proclaimed^(C) to the Israelites all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them. ⁴ This was after he had defeated Sihon^(D) king of the Amorites,^(E) who reigned in Heshbon,^(F) and at Edrei had defeated Og^(G) king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.^(H)

⁵ East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab,^(I) Moses began to expound this law, saying:

⁶ The Lord our God said to us^(J) at Horeb,^(K) “You have stayed long enough^(L) at this mountain. ⁷ Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites;^(M) go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah,^(N) in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev^(O) and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites^(P) and to Lebanon,^(Q) as far as the great river, the Euphrates.^{(R) 8} See, I have given you this land^(S).^(T) Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore^(U) he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.”

The Appointment of Leaders

⁹ At that time I said to you, “You are too heavy a burden^(V) for me to carry alone.^{(W) 10} The Lord your God has increased^(X) your numbers^(Y) so that today you are as numerous^(Z) as the stars in the sky.^{(AA) 11} May the Lord, the God of your ancestors, increase^(AB) you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised!^{(AC) 12} But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself?^{(AD) 13} Choose some wise, understanding and respected men^(AE) from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you.”

¹⁴ You answered me, “What you propose to do is good.”

¹⁵ So I took^(AF) the leading men of your tribes,^(AG) wise and respected men,^(AH) and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders^(AI) of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials.^{(AJ) 16} And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge^(AK) fairly,^(AL) whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you.^{(AM) 17} Do not show partiality^(AN) in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone,^(AO) for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.”^{(AP) 18} And at that time I told you everything you were to do.^(AQ)

Spies Sent Out

¹⁹ Then, as the Lord our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites^(AR) through all that vast and dreadful wilderness^(AS) that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea.^{(AT) 20} Then I said to you, “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. ²¹ See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession^(AU) of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid;^(AV) do not be discouraged.”^(AW)

¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own^(A) evil desire and enticed.