Leviticus 22:1-16

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)