Leviticus 17:10-16

Common English Bible

Consuming blood forbidden

¹⁰ I will oppose the person who consumes blood—whether they are from Israel’s house or from the immigrants who live with you—and I will cut them off from their people. ¹¹ A creature’s life is in the blood. I have provided you the blood to make reconciliation for your lives on the altar, because the blood reconciles by means of the life.^{[a] 12} That is why I have told the Israelites: No one among you can consume blood, nor can the immigrant who lives with you consume blood.

¹³ Anyone who hunts any animal or bird that can be eaten—whether the hunter is an Israelite or an immigrant who lives with you—must drain its blood out and cover it with dirt. ¹⁴ Again: for every creature’s life, its blood is its life. That is why I have told the Israelites: You must not consume any creature’s blood because every creature’s life is its blood. Anyone who consumes it will be cut off.

Eating meat

¹⁵ Anyone, whether citizen or immigrant, who eats an animal that has died naturally or that was killed by another animal, must wash their clothes, bathe in water, and will be unclean until evening. At that time, they will be clean again. ¹⁶ If they do not wash or bathe their body, they will be liable to punishment.