Laws Against Eating Blood

10 “If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them (A)eats any blood, I will (B)set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. 11 (C)For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar (D)to make atonement for your souls, (E)for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. 12 Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.

13 “Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall (F)pour out its blood and (G)cover it with earth. 14 For the life of every creature[a] is its (H)blood: its blood is its life.[b] Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off. 15 (I)And every person who eats what dies of itself or what is torn by beasts, (J)whether he is a native or a sojourner, (K)shall wash his clothes and (L)bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening; then he shall be clean. 16 But if he does not wash them or bathe his flesh, (M)he shall bear his iniquity.”

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 17:14 Hebrew all flesh
  2. Leviticus 17:14 Hebrew it is in its life

10 “And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you eats or drinks blood in any form, I will turn against that person and cut him off from the community of your people, 11 for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord.[a] It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible. 12 That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink blood—neither you nor the foreigners living among you.’

13 “And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you goes hunting and kills an animal or bird that is approved for eating, he must drain its blood and cover it with earth. 14 The life of every creature is in its blood. That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink blood, for the life of any creature is in its blood.’ So whoever consumes blood will be cut off from the community.

15 “And if any native-born Israelites or foreigners eat the meat of an animal that died naturally or was torn up by wild animals, they must wash their clothes and bathe themselves in water. They will remain ceremonially unclean until evening, but then they will be clean. 16 But if they do not wash their clothes and bathe themselves, they will be punished for their sin.”

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Footnotes

  1. 17:11 Or to make atonement for you.