Leviticus 22
World English Bible
22 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, which they make holy to me, and that they not profane my holy name. I am Yahweh.
3 “Tell them, ‘If anyone of all your offspring throughout your generations approaches the holy things which the children of Israel make holy to Yahweh, having his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from before me. I am Yahweh.
4 “‘Whoever of the offspring of Aaron is a leper or has a discharge shall not eat of the holy things until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is unclean by the dead, or a man who has a seminal emission, 5 or whoever touches any creeping thing whereby he may be made unclean, or a man from whom he may become unclean, whatever uncleanness he has— 6 the person that touches any such shall be unclean until the evening, and shall not eat of the holy things unless he bathes his body in water. 7 When the sun is down, he shall be clean; and afterward he shall eat of the holy things, because it is his bread. 8 He shall not eat that which dies of itself or is torn by animals, defiling himself by it. I am Yahweh.
9 “‘They shall therefore follow my commandment, lest they bear sin for it and die in it, if they profane it. I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.
10 “‘No stranger shall eat of the holy thing: a foreigner living with the priests, or a hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing. 11 But if a priest buys a slave, purchased by his money, he shall eat of it; and those who are born in his house shall eat of his bread. 12 If a priest’s daughter is married to an outsider, she shall not eat of the heave offering of the holy things. 13 But if a priest’s daughter is a widow, or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father’s house as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s bread; but no stranger shall eat any of it.
14 “‘If a man eats something holy unwittingly, then he shall add the fifth part of its value to it, and shall give the holy thing to the priest. 15 The priests shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer to Yahweh, 16 and so cause them to bear the iniquity that brings guilt when they eat their holy things; for I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.’”
17 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘Whoever is of the house of Israel, or of the foreigners in Israel, who offers his offering, whether it is any of their vows or any of their free will offerings, which they offer to Yahweh for a burnt offering: 19 that you may be accepted, you shall offer a male without defect, of the bulls, of the sheep, or of the goats. 20 But you shall not offer whatever has a defect, for it shall not be acceptable for you. 21 Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh to accomplish a vow, or for a free will offering of the herd or of the flock, it shall be perfect to be accepted. It shall have no defect. 22 You shall not offer what is blind, is injured, is maimed, has a wart, is festering, or has a running sore to Yahweh, nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to Yahweh. 23 Either a bull or a lamb that has any deformity or lacking in his parts, that you may offer for a free will offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted. 24 You must not offer to Yahweh that which has its testicles bruised, crushed, broken, or cut. You must not do this in your land. 25 You must not offer any of these as the bread of your God from the hand of a foreigner, because their corruption is in them. There is a defect in them. They shall not be accepted for you.’”
26 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “When a bull, a sheep, or a goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother. From the eighth day on it shall be accepted for the offering of an offering made by fire to Yahweh. 28 Whether it is a cow or ewe, you shall not kill it and its young both in one day.
29 “When you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to Yahweh, 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 the morning. I am Yahweh.
31 “Therefore you shall keep my commandments, and do them. I am Yahweh. 32 You shall not profane my holy name, but I will be made holy among the children of Israel. I am Yahweh who makes you holy, 33 who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am Yahweh.”
Leviticus 22
Common English Bible
Priestly uncleanness
22 The Lord said to Moses: 2 Tell Aaron and his sons to be very careful how they treat the holy things that the Israelites devote to me so that they do not make my holy name impure: I am the Lord. 3 Say to them: If any descendant of yours should ever come near the holy things that the Israelites have dedicated to the Lord while he is in an unclean state, he will be cut off from before me; I am the Lord. 4 Any descendant of Aaron who is afflicted with skin disease[a] or has a discharge cannot eat of the holy things until he is clean. Anyone who touches anything made unclean by a dead body, or who has an emission of semen, 5 or who touches any swarming creature or another person who makes him unclean—whatever the uncleanness might be— 6 the person who touches these things will be unclean until evening. He must not eat of the holy things unless he has bathed his body in water. 7 Once the sun has set and he has become clean again, he may eat of the holy things, for that is his food. 8 He must not eat an animal that has died naturally or that was killed by another animal, becoming unclean by doing so; I am the Lord. 9 The priests must keep my requirement so that they don’t become liable to punishment and die for having made it impure.[b] I am the Lord, who makes them holy.
Unauthorized eating
10 No layperson is allowed to eat the holy offerings. No foreign guest or hired laborer of a priest can eat it. 11 But if a priest purchases a servant, that person can eat it, and servants born into the priest’s household can also eat his food. 12 If a priest’s daughter marries a layman, she is not allowed to eat the holy offerings. 13 But if a priest’s daughter is a widow or divorced and has no children and so returns to her father’s household as when she was young, she can eat her father’s food. But, again, no layperson is allowed to eat it. 14 If someone eats a holy offering unintentionally, they must provide the priest with an equal item, plus one-fifth. 15 The Israelites must not make the holy offerings impure that they offer up to the Lord 16 or make themselves liable to punishment requiring compensation by eating their own holy offerings. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.
Unacceptable animal offerings
17 The Lord said to Moses: 18 Tell Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites: Whenever someone from Israel’s house or from the immigrants in Israel presents their offering to the Lord as an entirely burned offering—whether it is payment for a solemn promise or a spontaneous gift— 19 for it to be acceptable on your behalf, it must be a flawless male from the herd, the sheep, or the goats. 20 You must not present anything that has an imperfection, because it will not be acceptable on your behalf. 21 Whenever someone presents a communal sacrifice of well-being to the Lord from the herd or flock—whether it is payment for a solemn promise or a spontaneous gift—it must be flawless to be acceptable; it must not have any imperfection. 22 You must not present to the Lord anything that is blind or that has an injury, mutilation, warts, a rash, or scabs. You must not put any such animal on the altar as a food gift for the Lord. 23 You can, however, offer an ox or sheep that is deformed or stunted as a spontaneous gift, but it will not be acceptable as payment for a solemn promise. 24 You must not offer to the Lord anything with bruised, crushed, torn, or cut-off testicles. You must not do that in your land. 25 You are not allowed to offer such animals as your God’s food even if they come from a foreigner. Because these animals have blemishes and imperfections in them, they will not be acceptable on your behalf.
Additional rules for sacrifice
26 The Lord said to Moses: 27 When an ox or sheep or goat is born, it must remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on it will be acceptable as an offering, a food gift for the Lord. 28 But you will not slaughter an ox or sheep and its offspring on the same day. 29 When you sacrifice a communal sacrifice of thanksgiving for the Lord, you must sacrifice it so that it will be acceptable on your behalf. 30 It must be eaten on the same day; you must not leave any of it until morning; I am the Lord. 31 You must keep my commands and do them; I am the Lord. 32 You must not make my holy name impure so that I will be treated as holy by the Israelites. I am the Lord—the one who makes you holy 33 and who is bringing you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lord.
Footnotes
- Leviticus 22:4 The precise meaning is uncertain; traditionally leprosy—a term used for several different skin diseases.
- Leviticus 22:9 Vulg; MT and die in it
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