Leviticus 22

1 And the Lord said to Moses,

Then the LORD said to Moses,

2 Give orders to Aaron and to his sons to keep themselves separate from the holy things of the children of Israel which they give to me, and not to make my holy name common: I am the Lord,

“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.

3 Say to them, If any man of all your seed through all your generations, being unclean, comes near the holy things which the children of Israel make holy to the Lord, he will be cut off from before me: I am the Lord.

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.

4 No man of the seed of Aaron who is a leper, or who has a flow from his body, may take of the holy food till he is clean. And any man touching anything which is unclean because of the dead, or any man whose seed goes from him;

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,

5 Or anyone touching any unclean thing which goes flat on the earth, or someone by whom he may be made unclean in any way whatever;

or whoever touches a crawling creature or a person that makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be—

6 Any person touching any such unclean thing will be unclean till evening, and may not take of the holy food till his flesh has been bathed in water;

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.

7 And when the sun has gone down he will be clean; and after that he may take part in the holy food, because it is his bread.

When the sun has set, he will become clean, and then he may eat from the sacred offerings, for they are his food.

8 That which comes to a natural death, or is attacked by beasts, he may not take as food, for it will make him unclean: I am the Lord.

He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, which would make him unclean. I am the LORD.

9 So then, let them keep what I have put into their care, for fear that sin may come on them because of it, so causing their death because they have made it common: I am the Lord, who make them holy.

The priests must keep My charge, lest they bear the guilt and die because they profane it. I am the LORD who sanctifies them.

10 No outside person may take of the holy food, or one living as a guest in the priest's house, or a servant working for payment.

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.

11 But any person for whom the priest has given money, to make him his, may take of it with him; and those who come to birth in his house may take of his bread.

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.

12 And if the daughter of a priest is married to an outside person she may not take of the holy things which are lifted up as offerings.

If the priest’s daughter is married to a man other than a priest, she is not to eat of the sacred contributions.

13 But if a priest's daughter is a widow, or parted from her husband, and has no child, and has come back to her father's house as when she was a girl, she may take of her father's bread; but no outside person may do so.

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.

14 And if a man takes the holy food in error, he will have to give the holy thing back to the priest, with the addition of a fifth part.

If anyone eats a sacred offering in error, he must add a fifth to its value and give the sacred offering to the priest.

15 And they may not make common the holy things which the children of Israel give to the Lord,

The priests must not profane the sacred offerings that the Israelites present to the LORD

16 So causing sin to come on them when they take their holy things for food: I am the Lord who make them holy.

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.”

17 And the Lord said to Moses,

Then the LORD said to Moses,

18 Say to Aaron and to his sons and to all the children of Israel, If any man of the children of Israel, or of another nation living in Israel, makes an offering, given because of an oath or freely given to the Lord for a burned offering;

“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,

19 So that it may be pleasing to the Lord, let him give a male, without any mark, from among the oxen or the sheep or the goats.

must offer an unblemished male from the cattle, sheep, or goats in order for it to be accepted on your behalf.

20 But anything which has a mark you may not give; it will not make you pleasing to the Lord.

You must not present anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf.

21 And whoever makes a peace-offering to the Lord, in payment of an oath or as a free offering, from the herd or the flock, if it is to be pleasing to the Lord, let it be free from any mark or damage.

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.

22 Anything blind or broken or damaged or having any disease or any mark on it may not be offered to the Lord; you may not make an offering of it by fire on the altar to the Lord.

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.

23 An ox or a lamb which has more or less than its natural parts, may be given as a free offering; but it will not be taken in payment of an oath.

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.

24 An animal which has its sex parts damaged or crushed or broken or cut, may not be offered to the Lord; such a thing may not be done anywhere in your land.

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.

25 And from one who is not an Israelite you may not take any of these for an offering to the Lord; for they are unclean, there is a mark on them, and the Lord will not be pleased with them.

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.’”

26 And the Lord said to Moses,

Then the LORD said to Moses,

27 When an ox or a sheep or a goat is given birth, let it be with its mother for seven days; and after the eighth day it may be taken as an offering made by fire to the Lord.

“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.

28 A cow or a sheep may not be put to death with its young on the same day.

But you must not slaughter an ox or a sheep on the same day as its young.

29 And when you make an offering of praise to the Lord, make it in a way which is pleasing to him.

When you sacrifice a thank offering to the LORD, offer it so that it may be acceptable on your behalf.

30 Let it be used for food on the same day; do not keep any part of it till the morning: I am the Lord.

It must be eaten that same day. Do not leave any of it until morning. I am the LORD.

31 So then, keep my orders and do them: I am the Lord.

You are to keep My commandments and practice them. I am the LORD.

32 And do not make my holy name common; so that it may be kept holy by the children of Israel: I am the Lord who make you holy,

You must not profane My holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy among the Israelites. I am the LORD who sanctifies you,

33 Who took you out of the land of Egypt that I might be your God: I am the Lord.

who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD.”