< Leviticus 22 >

1 Then the LORD said to Moses,
And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings that the Israelites have consecrated to Me, so that they do not profane My holy name. I am the LORD.
Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD.
3 Tell them that for the generations to come, if any of their descendants in a state of uncleanness approaches the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the LORD, that person must be cut off from My presence. I am the LORD.
Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goes unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.
4 If a descendant of Aaron has a skin disease or a discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is clean. Whoever touches anything defiled by a corpse or by a man who has an emission of semen,
Whosoever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or has a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso touches any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goes from him;
5 or whoever touches a crawling creature or a person that makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be—
Or whosoever touches any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he has;
6 the man who touches any of these will remain unclean until evening. He must not eat from the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water.
The soul which has touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.
7 When the sun has set, he will become clean, and then he may eat from the sacred offerings, for they are his food.
And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food.
8 He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, which would make him unclean. I am the LORD.
That which dies of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith; I am the LORD.
9 The priests must keep My charge, lest they bear the guilt and die because they profane it. I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.
10 No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired hand eat it.
There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.
11 But if a priest buys a slave with his own money, or if a slave is born in his household, that slave may eat his food.
But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his food.
12 If the priest’s daughter is married to a man other than a priest, she is not to eat of the sacred contributions.
If the priest's daughter also be married unto a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things.
13 But if a priest’s daughter with no children becomes widowed or divorced and returns to her father’s house, she may share her father’s food as in her youth. But no outsider may share it.
But if the priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's food: but there shall be no stranger eat thereof.
14 If anyone eats a sacred offering in error, he must add a fifth to its value and give the sacred offering to the priest.
And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing.
15 The priests must not profane the sacred offerings that the Israelites present to the LORD
And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD;
16 by allowing the people to eat the sacred offerings and thus to bear the punishment for guilt. For I am the LORD who sanctifies them.”
Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctify them.
17 Then the LORD said to Moses,
And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
18 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the Israelites and tell them, ‘Any man of the house of Israel or any foreign resident who presents a gift for a burnt offering to the LORD, whether to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering,
Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering;
19 must offer an unblemished male from the cattle, sheep, or goats in order for it to be accepted on your behalf.
All of you shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.
20 You must not present anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf.
But whatsoever has a blemish, that shall all of you not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.
21 When a man presents a peace offering to the LORD from the herd or flock to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without blemish or defect to be acceptable.
And whosoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.
22 You are not to present to the LORD any animal that is blind, injured, or maimed, or anything with a running sore, a festering rash, or a scab; you must not put any of these on the altar as an offering made by fire to the LORD.
Blind, or broken, or physically disabled, or having a leaking sore, or scurvy, or scabbed, all of you shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.
23 You may present as a freewill offering an ox or sheep that has a deformed or stunted limb, but it is not acceptable in fulfillment of a vow.
Either a bullock or a lamb that has any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that may you offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
24 You are not to present to the LORD an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn, or cut; you are not to sacrifice them in your land.
All of you shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall all of you make any offering thereof in your land.
25 Neither you nor a foreigner shall present food to your God from any such animal. They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and flawed.’”
Neither from a stranger's hand shall all of you offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.
26 Then the LORD said to Moses,
And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
27 “When an ox, a sheep, or a goat is born, it must remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as an offering made by fire to the LORD.
When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
28 But you must not slaughter an ox or a sheep on the same day as its young.
And whether it be cow, or ewe, all of you shall not kill it and her young both in one day.
29 When you sacrifice a thank offering to the LORD, offer it so that it may be acceptable on your behalf.
And when all of you will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.
30 It must be eaten that same day. Do not leave any of it until morning. I am the LORD.
On the same day it shall be eaten up; all of you shall leave none of it until the next day: I am the LORD.
31 You are to keep My commandments and practice them. I am the LORD.
Therefore shall all of you keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.
32 You must not profane My holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy among the Israelites. I am the LORD who sanctifies you,
Neither shall all of you profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you,
33 who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD.”
That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.

< Leviticus 22 >