Leviticus 11
New Life Version
Foods That Could Be Eaten
11 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 animals on the earth. 3 You may eat any animal that has hard and divided feet and chews its food again. 4 But among those which chew their food again or have feet that are hard and divided, do not eat the camel. For it chews its food again, but does not have feet that are hard and divided. It is unclean to you. 5 Do not eat the rock badger. For it chews its food again, but does not have feet that are hard and divided. It is unclean to you. 6 Do not eat the rabbit. For it chews its food again, but does not have feet that are hard and divided. It is unclean to you. 7 And do not eat the pig. For it has feet that are hard and divided, but it does not chew its food again. It is unclean to you. 8 Do not eat their flesh or touch their dead bodies. They are unclean to you.
9 ‘These you may eat, of all that are in the water. You may eat everything in the water that has fins and scales, in the seas or in the rivers. 10 But whatever is in the seas and rivers that does not have fins and scales, among all the living things moving in the water, are to be hated by you. 11 You will hate them. You may not eat their meat, and you will hate their dead bodies. 12 Whatever in the water does not have fins and scales will be hated by you.
13 ‘These you will hate among the birds. They are hated and not to be eaten: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, 14 the kite, every kind of falcon, 15 every kind of raven, 16 the ostrich, the owl, the sea gull, every kind of hawk, 17 the little owl, the cormorant, the big owl, 18 the white owl, the pelican, the vulture that eats dead flesh, 19 the stork, every kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.
20 ‘All bugs with wings and that walk on all fours are to be hated by you. 21 But you may eat, among all the bugs with wings and that walk on all fours, those which have legs above their feet that allow them to jump on the ground. 22 You may eat every kind of locust, every kind of destroying locust, every kind of cricket, and every kind of grasshopper. 23 But you are to hate all other bugs with wings and four feet.
24 ‘If you touch these you will be unclean. Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. 25 And whoever picks up any of their dead bodies will wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. 26 Every animal that has a parted foot but not a divided foot, or that does not eat its food again, is unclean to you. Whoever touches them will be unclean. 27 Whatever walks on its soft feet, among all the animals that walk on all fours, are unclean to you. Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. 28 And he who picks up their dead bodies will wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. They are unclean to you.
29 ‘These animals that move on the earth are unclean to you: the mole, the mouse, every kind of big lizard, 30 the gecko, the crocodile, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. 31 These animals that move on the earth are unclean to you. Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. 32 And anything on which one of them may fall when they are dead will be unclean. Each piece of wood or clothing or skin or bag or anything used as you work, must be put in water. It will be unclean until evening. Then it will be clean. 33 If any falls into a clay pot, whatever is in the pot will be unclean. You should break the pot. 34 Any food that could be eaten but has water from such a pot on it will be unclean. And anything which could be drunk from any such pot will be unclean. 35 Everything on which part of their dead body may fall will be unclean. A stove or a place for pots must be broken. They are unclean to you. 36 But a well or a place holding water will be clean. But whoever touches a dead body will be unclean. 37 If a part of their dead body falls on any seed which is to be planted, it is clean. 38 But if water is put on the seed, and a body falls on it, it is unclean to you.
39 ‘If one of the animals dies which you have for food, the one who touches its dead body will be unclean until evening. 40 He who eats some of the dead body will wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. And he who picks up its dead body will wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.
41 ‘Anything that moves around on the ground in large numbers is hated and is not to be eaten. 42 You should not eat whatever moves on its stomach, or goes on four feet, or has many feet, among all the things that move around on the ground in large numbers. For they are hated. 43 Do not make yourselves unclean by any of the small living things that move together on the ground, so you become unclean. 44 For I am the Lord your God. So set yourselves apart, and be holy. For I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean with any of the small living things that move together in large numbers on the ground. 45 For I am the Lord Who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. So be holy, because I am holy.’”
46 This is the Law of the animal, the bird, every living thing that moves in the water, and everything that moves on the ground. 47 It is so you know the difference between those that are clean and those that are unclean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten.
Leviticus 11
English Standard Version
Clean and Unclean Animals
11 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, (A)These are the living things that you may eat among all the animals 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 (B)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 pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, (C)is unclean to you. 8 You shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; 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 does not have fins and scales, of the swarming creatures in the waters and of the living creatures that are in the waters, is (D)detestable to you. 11 You shall regard them as detestable; you shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. 12 Everything in the waters that does not have fins and scales is detestable to you.
13 “And these you shall detest among the birds;[a] they shall not be eaten; they are (E)detestable: (F)the eagle,[b] the bearded vulture, the black vulture, 14 the kite, (G)the falcon of any kind, 15 every raven of any kind, 16 the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the (H)hawk of any kind, 17 the (I)little owl, the cormorant, the (J)short-eared owl, 18 the barn owl, the (K)tawny owl, the carrion vulture, 19 the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and (L)the bat.
20 “All winged insects that go on all fours are detestable to you. 21 Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs above their feet, with which to hop on the ground. 22 Of them you may eat: (M)the locust of any kind, the bald locust of any kind, the cricket of any kind, and the grasshopper of any kind. 23 But all other winged insects that have four feet are detestable to you.
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 (N)shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. 26 Every animal that parts the hoof but is not cloven-footed or does not chew the cud is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean. 27 And all that walk 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 (O)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 on the ground: the mole rat, (P)the mouse, the great lizard of any kind, 30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, 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 on 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 article that is used for any purpose. (Q)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 earthenware vessel, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you (R)shall break it. 34 Any food in it that could be eaten, on which water comes, shall be unclean. And all drink that could be drunk from every such vessel shall be unclean. 35 And everything on 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 remain unclean for you. 36 Nevertheless, a spring or a cistern holding water shall be clean, but whoever touches a carcass in them shall be unclean. 37 And if any part of their carcass falls upon any seed grain 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 which you may eat dies, whoever touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening, 40 and (S)whoever eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. And whoever carries the carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.
41 (T)“Every swarming thing that swarms on the ground is detestable; it shall not be eaten. 42 Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, any swarming thing that swarms on the ground, you shall not eat, for they are detestable. 43 (U)You shall not make yourselves detestable with any swarming thing that swarms, and you shall not defile yourselves with them, and become unclean through them. 44 For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and (V)be holy, for I am holy. (W)You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. 45 (X)For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. (Y)You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”
46 This is the law about beast and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms on the ground, 47 (Z)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.
Footnotes
- Leviticus 11:13 Or things that fly; compare Genesis 1:20
- Leviticus 11:13 The identity of many of these birds is uncertain
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
