Leviticus 22
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Use of Holy Offerings
22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Direct Aaron and his sons to deal carefully with the sacred donations of the Israelites, which they dedicate to me, so that they may not profane my holy name: I am the Lord.(A) 3 Say to them, ‘If anyone among all your offspring throughout your generations comes near the sacred donations, which the Israelites dedicate to the Lord, while he is in a state of uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from my presence: I am the Lord.’(B) 4 No one of Aaron’s offspring who has a defiling skin disease or suffers a discharge may eat of the sacred donations until he is clean. Whoever touches anything made unclean by a corpse or a man who has had an emission of semen,(C) 5 and whoever touches any swarming thing by which he may be made unclean or any human being by whom he may be made unclean—whatever his uncleanness may be(D)— 6 the person who touches any such shall be unclean until evening and shall not eat of the sacred donations unless he has washed his body in water. 7 When the sun sets he shall be clean, and afterward he may eat of the sacred donations, for they are his food. 8 That which died or was torn by wild animals he shall not eat, becoming unclean by it: I am the Lord.(E) 9 They shall keep my charge, so that they may not incur guilt and die because of it for having profaned them: I am the Lord; I sanctify them.(F)
10 “No layperson shall eat of the sacred donations. No bound or hired servant of the priest shall eat of the sacred donations,(G) 11 but if a priest acquires anyone by purchase, the person may eat of them, and those who are born in his house may eat of his food. 12 If a priest’s daughter marries a layman, she shall not eat of the offering of the sacred donations, 13 but if a priest’s daughter is widowed or divorced, without offspring, and returns to her father’s house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s food. No layperson shall eat of it.(H) 14 If a man eats of the sacred donation unintentionally, he shall add one-fifth of its value to it and give the sacred donation to the priest.(I) 15 No one shall profane the sacred donations of the Israelites, which they offer to the Lord, 16 causing them to bear guilt requiring a guilt offering, by eating their sacred donations, for I am the Lord; I sanctify them.”(J)
Acceptable Offerings
17 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the Israelites and say to them: When anyone of the house of Israel or of the aliens residing in Israel presents an offering, whether in payment of a vow or as a freewill offering that is offered to the Lord as a burnt offering, 19 to be acceptable on your behalf it shall be a male without blemish, of the cattle or the sheep or the goats.(K) 20 You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable on your behalf.(L)
21 “When anyone offers a sacrifice of well-being to the Lord, in fulfillment of a vow or as a freewill offering, from the herd or from the flock, to be acceptable it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it.(M) 22 Anything blind or injured or maimed or having a discharge or an itch or scabs—these you shall not offer to the Lord or put any of them on the altar as offerings by fire[a] to the Lord. 23 An ox or a lamb that is deformed or stunted you may present for a freewill offering, but it will not be accepted for a vow. 24 Any animal that has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut, you shall not offer to the Lord; such you shall not do within your land, 25 nor shall you accept any such animals from a foreigner to offer as food to your God; since they are mutilated, with a blemish in them, they shall not be accepted on your behalf.”(N)
26 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “When an ox or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be acceptable as the Lord’s offering by fire.[b](O) 28 But you shall not slaughter, from the herd or the flock, an animal with its young on the same day.(P) 29 When you sacrifice a thanksgiving offering to the Lord, you shall sacrifice it so that it may be acceptable on your behalf.(Q) 30 It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall not leave any of it until morning: I am the Lord.(R)
31 “Thus you shall keep my commandments and observe them: I am the Lord.(S) 32 You shall not profane my holy name, that I may be sanctified among the Israelites: I am the Lord; I sanctify you,(T) 33 I who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the Lord.”(U)
Leviticus 22
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Priests and Their Food
22 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to deal respectfully with the holy offerings of the Israelites that they have consecrated to Me, so they do not profane My holy name;(A) I am Yahweh. 3 Say to them: If any man from any of your descendants throughout your generations is in a state of uncleanness yet approaches the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord, that person will be cut off from My presence; I am Yahweh. 4 No man of Aaron’s descendants who has a skin disease[a] or a discharge is to eat from the holy offerings until he is clean. Whoever touches anything made unclean by a dead person or by a man who has an emission of semen, 5 or whoever touches any swarming creature that makes him unclean or any person who makes him unclean—whatever his uncleanness— 6 the man who touches any of these will remain unclean until evening(B) and is not to eat from the holy offerings unless he has bathed his body with water. 7 When the sun has set, he will become clean, and then he may eat from the holy offerings, for that is his food.(C) 8 He must not eat an animal that died naturally or was mauled by wild beasts,[b](D) making himself unclean by it; I am Yahweh. 9 They must keep My instruction,(E) or they will be guilty and die because they profane it; I am Yahweh who sets them apart.
10 “No one outside a priest’s family[c](F) is to eat the holy offering. A foreigner staying with a priest or a hired hand is not to eat the holy offering. 11 But if a priest purchases someone with his money, that person may eat it, and those born in his house may eat his food. 12 If the priest’s daughter is married to a man outside a priest’s family,[d] she is not to eat from the holy contributions.[e] 13 But if the priest’s daughter becomes widowed or divorced, has no children, and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she may share her father’s food. But no outsider may share it. 14 If anyone eats a holy offering in error,(G) he must add a fifth to its value and give the holy offering to the priest.(H) 15 The priests must not profane the holy offerings the Israelites give to the Lord 16 by letting the people eat their holy offerings and having them bear the penalty of restitution.(I) For I am Yahweh who sets them apart.”
Acceptable Sacrifices
17 The Lord spoke to Moses: 18 “Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites and tell them: Any man of the house of Israel or of the foreign residents(J) in Israel who presents his offering(K)—whether they present freewill gifts or payment of vows to the Lord as burnt offerings— 19 must offer an unblemished male(L) from the cattle, sheep, or goats in order for you to be accepted. 20 You are not to present anything that has a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf.
21 “When a man presents a fellowship sacrifice to the Lord to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the herd or flock, it has to be unblemished to be acceptable; there must be no defect in it. 22 You are not to present any animal to the Lord that is blind, injured, maimed, or has a running sore, festering rash,(M) or scabs; you may not put any of them on the altar as a fire offering to the Lord.(N) 23 You may sacrifice as a freewill offering any animal from the herd or flock that has an elongated or stunted limb, but it is not acceptable as a vow offering. 24 You are not to present to the Lord anything that has bruised, crushed, torn, or severed testicles;(O) you must not sacrifice them in your land. 25 Neither you nor[f] a foreigner are to present food to your God from any of these animals. They will not be accepted for you because they are deformed and have a defect.”(P)
26 The Lord spoke to Moses: 27 “When an ox, sheep, or goat is born, it must remain with[g] its mother for seven days; from the eighth day(Q) on, it will be acceptable as a gift, a fire offering to the Lord. 28 But you are not to slaughter an animal from the herd or flock on the same day as its young.(R) 29 When you sacrifice a thank offering(S) to the Lord, sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. 30 It is to be eaten on the same day.(T) Do not let any of it remain until morning; I am Yahweh.
31 “You are to keep My commands and do them; I am Yahweh. 32 You must not profane My holy name; I must be treated as holy(U) among the Israelites. I am Yahweh who sets you apart, 33 the One who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am Yahweh.”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 22:4 Or has leprosy or scale disease
- Leviticus 22:8 Lit eat a carcass or a mauled beast
- Leviticus 22:10 Lit No stranger
- Leviticus 22:12 Lit man, a stranger
- Leviticus 22:12 Lit the contribution of holy offerings
- Leviticus 22:25 Lit nor from the hand of
- Leviticus 22:27 Lit under
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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