Leviticus 22
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 the Lord. 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 the Lord. 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 the Lord. 9 They must keep my instruction,(E) or they will be guilty and die because they profane it; I am the Lord 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 worker is not to eat the holy offering. 11 But if a priest purchases someone with his own silver, 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 is to 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 the Lord 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 resident aliens(J) in Israel who presents his offering(K)—whether they present payment of vows or freewill gifts 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 food 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 is to remain with[g] its mother for seven days; from the eighth day(Q) on, it will be acceptable as an offering, a food 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 offer a thanksgiving sacrifice(S) to the Lord, offer 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 the Lord.
31 “You are to keep my commands and do them; I am the Lord. 32 You must not profane my holy name; I must be treated as holy(U) among the Israelites. I am the Lord who sets you apart, 33 the one who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lord.”
Leviticus 22
New Life Version
22 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to be careful with the holy gifts that the people of Israel set apart for Me. So they will not sin against My holy name. I am the Lord. 3 Say to them, ‘If any one of all your children comes near the holy gifts that the people of Israel set apart for the Lord, while he is unclean, he will be cut off from My holy place. I am the Lord. 4 None of the children of Aaron who has a bad skin disease or something flowing from his body may eat of the holy gifts until he is clean. If one touches anything that is unclean because of a dead body, or has had his seed come from his sex part, 5 or touches anything that is unclean that moves on the ground, or touches any man who makes him unclean, for whatever reason, 6 the man who touches any such thing will be unclean until evening. He must not eat of the holy gifts unless he has washed his body in water. 7 When the sun has gone down, he will be clean. After that he may eat of the holy gifts, for they are his food. 8 He should not eat an animal that dies of itself or is killed by wild animals. He will be unclean if he does. I am the Lord. 9 The religious leaders must obey My Law, so they will not be sinful because of it and die because they sin against My Law. I am the Lord Who makes them holy.
10 ‘But no one who is not a religious leader may eat the holy gift. One who is visiting the religious leader or working for him must not eat of the holy gift. 11 But a person whom the religious leader buys to work for him with his own money may eat of it. And those who are born in his house may eat of his food. 12 If a religious leader’s daughter is married to a man who is not a religious leader, she must not eat of the holy gifts. 13 But if a religious leader’s daughter loses her husband by death or divorce, and has no child and returns to her father’s house as when she was young, she may eat of her father’s food. But no stranger may eat of it. 14 If a man eats a holy gift by mistake, he must add a fifth of its worth to it and give the holy gift to the religious leader. 15 The religious leaders must not make the holy gifts unclean that the people of Israel give to the Lord. 16 This would bring sin upon them when they eat their holy gifts. For I am the Lord Who makes them holy.’”
Gifts That Are Not Good Enough
17 Then the Lord said to Moses, 18 “Say to Aaron and to his sons and to all the people of Israel, ‘When any man of the house of Israel or of the strangers in Israel gives his gift for a burnt gift to the Lord, to pay a promise or as a free-will gift 19 to please the Lord, it must be a male that is perfect from the cattle, sheep or goats. 20 Do not give anything that is not perfect, for you will not please the Lord. 21 When a man gives a peace gift to the Lord to keep a special promise or for a free-will gift from the cattle or the flock, it must be perfect to be received. It must have nothing wrong with it. 22 You must not give to the Lord or make a gift by fire on the altar to the Lord any animals that are blind or broken or hurt or have a flowing sore or a skin disease. 23 You may give for a free-will gift a bull or lamb which has some part too long or too short. But it will not be received if it is to pay a promise. 24 Do not give to the Lord any animal with its sex parts hurt or crushed or torn or cut. Do not give such animals on the altar in your land. 25 And do not receive such animals from a man from another land to give as the food of your God. For they are unclean. They are not perfect. They will not be received from you.’”
26 The Lord said to Moses, 27 “When a bull or sheep or goat is born, it must stay seven days with its mother. After that it will be received as a gift by fire to the Lord. 28 But do not kill a cow or female sheep and her young on the same day. 29 When you give thanks to the Lord by giving a gift in worship, give it the right way so you will be received. 30 It must be eaten on the same day. Do not leave any of it until morning. I am the Lord.
31 “So keep My Laws and obey them. I am the Lord. 32 Do not sin against My holy name. I will be honored among the people of Israel. I am the Lord Who makes you holy. 33 I brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord.”
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