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Clean and Unclean Animals

11 Yahweh spoke again to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, “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. Whatever divides a hoof, thus making split hoofs, and chews the cud, among the animals, that you may eat. Nevertheless, (B)you shall not eat of these, among those which chew the cud or among those which divide the hoof: the camel, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you. Likewise, the [a]shaphan, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you; the [b]rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you; and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud; it is unclean to you. You shall not eat of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.

(C)These you may eat, whatever is in the water: all that have fins and scales, those 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 swarming 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 of their flesh, and their carcasses you shall detest. 12 Whatever in the water does not have fins and scales is detestable to you.

13 ‘These, moreover, (E)you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten; they are detestable: the [c]eagle and the vulture and the [d]buzzard, 14 and the kite and the falcon in its kind, 15 every raven in its kind, 16 and the ostrich and the owl and the gull and the hawk in its kind, 17 and the little owl and the cormorant and the [e]great owl, 18 and the white owl and the [f]pelican and the carrion vulture, 19 and the stork, the heron in its kinds, and the hoopoe, and the bat.

20 ‘All the swarming things that fly and that walk on all fours are detestable to you. 21 Yet these you may eat among all the swarming things that fly and that walk on all fours: those which have above their feet jointed legs with which to jump on the earth. 22 These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds and the devastating locust in its kinds and the cricket in its kinds and the grasshopper in its kinds. 23 But all other swarming things that fly and that 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 Concerning all the animals which divide the hoof but do not make a split hoof or which do not chew 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 and the mouse and the [g]great lizard in its kinds, 30 and the gecko and the [h]crocodile and the lizard and the [i]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 skin or a sack—any article by which work is done—(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 [j]the vessel. 34 Any of the [k]food which may be eaten, on which water comes, shall become unclean, and any [l]liquid which may be drunk in every vessel shall become unclean. 35 Everything, moreover, on which part of their carcass may fall becomes unclean; an oven or a [m]stove shall be smashed; they are unclean and shall continue as unclean to you. 36 Nevertheless a spring or a cistern [n]collecting water shall be clean, though the one who touches their carcass shall be unclean. 37 And if a part of their carcass falls on any seed for sowing which is to be sown, it is clean. 38 Though 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; it shall not be eaten. 42 Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, whatever has many feet, in respect to every swarming thing that swarms on the earth, you shall not eat them, for they are detestable. 43 (K)Do not render [o]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 Yahweh your God. Therefore, set yourselves apart as holy and (M)be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that move on the earth. 45 (N)For I am Yahweh who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus (O)you shall be holy, for 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 separate between the unclean and the clean, and between the edible creature and the creature which is not to be eaten.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 11:5 A small, shy, furry animal (Hyrax syriacus) found in the peninsula of the Sinai, northern Israel, and the region round the Dead Sea; KJV coney, orig NASB rock badger
  2. Leviticus 11:6 Or hare
  3. Leviticus 11:13 Or vulture
  4. Leviticus 11:13 Or black vulture
  5. Leviticus 11:17 Specifically, great horned owl
  6. Leviticus 11:18 Or owl, jackdaw
  7. Leviticus 11:29 Or thorn-tailed lizard
  8. Leviticus 11:30 Or lizard
  9. Leviticus 11:30 Species unknown
  10. Leviticus 11:33 Lit it
  11. Leviticus 11:34 If touched by a carcass, cf. 11:29-32
  12. Leviticus 11:34 If touched by a carcass, cf. 11:29-32
  13. Leviticus 11:35 A hearth for supporting two pots
  14. Leviticus 11:36 Lit of a gathering of
  15. Leviticus 11:43 Lit your souls

11 And Jehovah spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the living things which ye may eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and [a]cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that may ye eat. Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that part the hoof: the camel, because he [b]cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, he is unclean unto you. And the [c]coney, because he [d]cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, he is unclean unto you. And the hare, because she [e]cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, she is unclean unto you. And the swine, because he parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, but [f]cheweth not the cud, he is unclean unto you. Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch; they are unclean unto you.

These may ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, that may ye eat. 10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are an abomination unto you, 11 and they shall be an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, and their carcasses ye shall have in abomination. 12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that is an abomination unto you.

13 And these ye shall have in abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the [g]eagle, and the gier-eagle, and the ospray, 14 and the kite, and the falcon after its kind, 15 every raven after its kind, 16 and the ostrich, and the [h]night-hawk, and the sea-mew, and the hawk after its kind, 17 and the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, 18 and the [i]horned owl, and the pelican, and the vulture, 19 and the stork, the [j]heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.

20 All winged creeping things that go upon all fours are an abomination unto you. 21 Yet these may ye eat of all winged creeping things that go upon all fours, which have legs above their feet, wherewith to leap upon the earth. 22 even these of them ye may eat: the [k]locust after its kind, and the [l]bald locust after its kind, and the [m]cricket after its kind, and the [n]grasshopper after its kind. 23 But all winged creeping things, which have four feet, are an abomination unto you.

24 And by these ye shall become unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcass of them shall be unclean until the even; 25 and whosoever beareth aught of the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even. 26 Every beast which parteth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, is unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean. 27 And whatsoever goeth upon its paws, among all beasts that go on all fours, they are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcass shall be unclean until the even. 28 And he that beareth the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.

29 And these are they which are unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth: the weasel, and the mouse, and the great lizard after its kind, 30 and the [o]gecko, and the [p]land-crocodile, and the [q]lizard, and the [r]sand-lizard, and the chameleon. 31 These are they which are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they are dead, shall be unclean until the even. 32 And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherewith any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; then shall it be clean. 33 And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean, and it ye shall break. 34 All food therein which may be eaten, that on which water cometh, shall be unclean; and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean. 35 And every thing whereupon any part of their carcass falleth shall be unclean; whether oven, or [s]range for pots, it shall be broken in pieces: they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you. 36 Nevertheless a fountain or a [t]pit wherein is a gathering of water shall be clean: but [u]that which toucheth their carcass shall be unclean. 37 And if aught of their carcass fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean. 38 But if water be put upon the seed, and aught of their carcass fall thereon, it is unclean unto you.

39 And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcass thereof shall be unclean until the even. 40 And he that eateth of the carcass of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcass of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

41 And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth is an abomination; it shall not be eaten. 42 Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all fours, or whatsoever hath many feet, even all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination. 43 Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby. 44 For I am Jehovah your God: sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that moveth upon the earth. 45 For I am Jehovah that brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

46 This is the law of the beast, and of the bird, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth; 47 to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living thing that may be eaten and the living thing that may not be eaten.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 11:3 Hebrew bringeth up.
  2. Leviticus 11:4 Hebrew bringeth up.
  3. Leviticus 11:5 Hebrew shaphan, the Hyrax Syriacus or rock-badger.
  4. Leviticus 11:5 Hebrew bringeth up.
  5. Leviticus 11:6 Hebrew bringeth up.
  6. Leviticus 11:7 Hebrew bringeth up.
  7. Leviticus 11:13 Or, great vulture
  8. Leviticus 11:16 Hebrew tahmas, of uncertain meaning.
  9. Leviticus 11:18 Or, swan
  10. Leviticus 11:19 Or, ibis
  11. Leviticus 11:22 Four kinds of locusts or grasshoppers, which are not certainly known.
  12. Leviticus 11:22 Four kinds of locusts or grasshoppers, which are not certainly known.
  13. Leviticus 11:22 Four kinds of locusts or grasshoppers, which are not certainly known.
  14. Leviticus 11:22 Four kinds of locusts or grasshoppers, which are not certainly known.
  15. Leviticus 11:30 Words of uncertain meaning, but probably denoting four kinds of lizards.
  16. Leviticus 11:30 Words of uncertain meaning, but probably denoting four kinds of lizards.
  17. Leviticus 11:30 Words of uncertain meaning, but probably denoting four kinds of lizards.
  18. Leviticus 11:30 Words of uncertain meaning, but probably denoting four kinds of lizards.
  19. Leviticus 11:35 Or, stewpan
  20. Leviticus 11:36 Or, cistern
  21. Leviticus 11:36 Or, he who