Leviticus 11
Revised Standard Version
Clean and Unclean Foods
11 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Say to the people of Israel, These are the living things which you may eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. 3 Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. 4 Nevertheless among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: The camel, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. 5 And the rock badger, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. 6 And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. 7 And the swine, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. 8 Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you.
9 “These you may eat, of all that are in the waters. Everything in the waters that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. 10 But anything in the seas or the rivers that has not fins and scales, of the swarming creatures in the waters and of the living creatures that are in the waters, is an abomination to you. 11 They shall remain an abomination to you; of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall have in abomination. 12 Everything in the waters that has not fins and scales is an abomination to you.
13 “And these you shall have in abomination among the birds, they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, 14 the kite, the falcon according to its kind, 15 every raven according to its kind, 16 the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk according to its kind, 17 the owl, the cormorant, the ibis, 18 the water hen, the pelican, the carrion vulture, 19 the stork, the heron according to its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.
20 “All winged insects that go upon all fours are an abomination to you. 21 Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those which have legs above their feet, with which to leap on the earth. 22 Of them you may eat: the locust according to its kind, the bald locust according to its kind, the cricket according to its kind, and the grasshopper according to its kind. 23 But all other winged insects which have four feet are an abomination to you.
Unclean Animals
24 “And by these you shall become unclean; whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, 25 and whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. 26 Every animal which parts the hoof but is not cloven-footed or does not chew the cud is unclean to you; every one who touches them shall be unclean. 27 And all that go on their paws, among the animals that go on all fours, are unclean to you; whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, 28 and he who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; they are unclean to you.
29 “And these are unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm upon the earth: the weasel, the mouse, the great lizard according to its kind, 30 the gecko, the land crocodile, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. 31 These are unclean to you among all that swarm; whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening. 32 And anything upon which any of them falls when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is an article of wood or a garment or a skin or a sack, any vessel that is used for any purpose; it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; then it shall be clean. 33 And if any of them falls into any earthen vessel, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break it. 34 Any food in it which may be eaten, upon which water may come, shall be unclean; and all drink which may be drunk from every such vessel shall be unclean. 35 And everything upon which any part of their carcass falls shall be unclean; whether oven or stove, it shall be broken in pieces; they are unclean, and shall be unclean to you. 36 Nevertheless a spring or a cistern holding water shall be clean; but whatever touches their carcass shall be unclean. 37 And if any part of their carcass falls upon any seed for sowing that is to be sown, it is clean; 38 but if water is put on the seed and any part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.
39 “And if any animal of which you may eat dies, he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening, 40 and he who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; he also who carries the carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.
41 “Every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth is an abomination; it shall not be eaten. 42 Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, all the swarming things that swarm upon the earth, you shall not eat; for they are an abomination. 43 You shall not make yourselves abominable with any swarming thing that swarms; and you shall not defile yourselves with them, lest you become unclean. 44 For I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls upon the earth. 45 For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; you shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”
46 This is the law pertaining to beast and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms upon the earth, 47 to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten.
Leviticus 11
American Standard Version
11 And Jehovah spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, 2 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. 3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and [a]cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that may ye eat. 4 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. 5 And the [c]coney, because he [d]cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, he is unclean unto you. 6 And the hare, because she [e]cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, she is unclean unto you. 7 And the swine, because he parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, but [f]cheweth not the cud, he is unclean unto you. 8 Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch; they are unclean unto you.
9 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
- Leviticus 11:3 Hebrew bringeth up.
- Leviticus 11:4 Hebrew bringeth up.
- Leviticus 11:5 Hebrew shaphan, the Hyrax Syriacus or rock-badger.
- Leviticus 11:5 Hebrew bringeth up.
- Leviticus 11:6 Hebrew bringeth up.
- Leviticus 11:7 Hebrew bringeth up.
- Leviticus 11:13 Or, great vulture
- Leviticus 11:16 Hebrew tahmas, of uncertain meaning.
- Leviticus 11:18 Or, swan
- Leviticus 11:19 Or, ibis
- Leviticus 11:22 Four kinds of locusts or grasshoppers, which are not certainly known.
- Leviticus 11:22 Four kinds of locusts or grasshoppers, which are not certainly known.
- Leviticus 11:22 Four kinds of locusts or grasshoppers, which are not certainly known.
- Leviticus 11:22 Four kinds of locusts or grasshoppers, which are not certainly known.
- Leviticus 11:30 Words of uncertain meaning, but probably denoting four kinds of lizards.
- Leviticus 11:30 Words of uncertain meaning, but probably denoting four kinds of lizards.
- Leviticus 11:30 Words of uncertain meaning, but probably denoting four kinds of lizards.
- Leviticus 11:30 Words of uncertain meaning, but probably denoting four kinds of lizards.
- Leviticus 11:35 Or, stewpan
- Leviticus 11:36 Or, cistern
- Leviticus 11:36 Or, he who
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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