Deuteronomy 14

1 “Be sons of the Lord your God. You shall not cut yourselves, nor make yourselves bald, because of the dead.

You are sons of the LORD your God; do not cut yourselves or shave your foreheads on behalf of the dead,

2 For you are a holy people, for the Lord your God. And he chose you, so that you may be a people particularly his, out of all the nations on earth.

for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.

3 You shall not eat the things that are unclean.

You must not eat any detestable thing.

4 These are the animals which you ought to eat: the ox, and the sheep, and the goat,

These are the animals that you may eat: The ox, the sheep, the goat,

5 the stag and the roe deer, the gazelle, the wild goat, the addax, the antelope, the giraffe.

the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.

6 Every beast which has a hoof divided into two parts and which also chews the cud, you shall eat.

You may eat any animal that has a split hoof divided in two and that chews the cud.

7 But those which chew over again, but do not have a divided hoof, you must not eat, such as the camel, the hare, and the hyrax. Since these chew the cud, but do not have a divided the hoof, they shall be unclean to you.

But of those that chew the cud or have a completely divided hoof, you are not to eat the following: the camel, the rabbit, or the rock badger. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof. They are unclean for you,

8 The pig also, since it has a divided hoof, but does not chew over again, shall be unclean. Their flesh shall not be eaten, and you shall not touch their carcasses.

as well as the pig; though it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. It is unclean for you. You must not eat its meat or touch its carcass.

9 These you shall eat out of all that dwells in the waters: whatever has fins and scales, you shall eat.

Of all the creatures that live in the water, you may eat anything with fins and scales,

10 Whatever is without fins and scales, you shall not eat, for these are unclean.

but you may not eat anything that does not have fins and scales; it is unclean for you.

11 All the clean birds, you shall eat.

You may eat any clean bird,

12 You shall not eat those that are unclean: such as the eagle, and the griffin, and the osprey,

but these you may not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,

13 the crane, and the vulture, and the kite, according to their kind,

the red kite, the falcon, any kind of kite,

14 and any kind of raven,

any kind of raven,

15 and the ostrich, and the owl, and the gull, and the hawk, according to their kind,

the ostrich, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk,

16 the heron, and the swan, and the ibis,

the little owl, the great owl, the white owl,

17 and the sea bird, the marsh hen, and the night raven,

the desert owl, the osprey, the cormorant,

18 the pelican and the plover, each in their kind, likewise the crested hoopoe and the bat.

the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, or the bat.

19 And anything which crawls and also has little wings shall be unclean, and shall not be eaten.

All flying insects are unclean for you; they may not be eaten.

20 All that is clean, you shall eat.

But you may eat any clean bird.

21 But whatever has died of itself, you shall not eat from it. Give it to the sojourner, who is within your gates, so that he may eat, or sell it to him. For you are the holy people of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in the milk of his mother.

You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to the foreigner residing within your gates, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.

22 Each year, you shall separate the tithes out of all your crops which spring forth from the earth.

You must be sure to set aside a tenth of all the produce brought forth each year from your fields.

23 And you shall eat these in the sight of the Lord your God, in the place which he will choose, so that his name may be invoked there: the tenth part of your grain and wine and oil, and the firstborn from the herds and your sheep. So may you learn to fear the Lord your God at all times.

And you are to eat a tenth of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks, in the presence of the LORD your God at the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.

24 But when the way and the place which the Lord your God will have chosen is further away, and he will have blessed you, so that you are not able to carry all these things to it,

But if the distance is too great for you to carry that with which the LORD your God has blessed you, because the place where the LORD your God will choose to put His Name is too far away,

25 you shall sell them all, so as to turn them into money, and you shall carry it in your hand, and you shall set out for the place which the Lord will choose.

then exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place the LORD your God will choose.

26 And you shall buy with the same money whatever pleases you, either from the herds or from the sheep, and also wine and liquor, and all that your soul desires. And you shall eat in the sight of the Lord your God, and you shall feast: you and your household.

Then you may spend the money on anything you desire: cattle, sheep, wine, strong drink, or anything you wish. You are to feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice with your household.

27 As for the Levite, who is within your gates, take care that you do not abandon him, for he has no other portion within your possession.

And do not neglect the Levite within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.

28 In the third year, you shall separate another tenth part of all the things which spring forth for you at that time, and you shall store it within your gates.

At the end of every three years, bring a tenth of all your produce for that year and lay it up within your gates.

29 And the Levite, who has no other portion or possession with you, and the sojourner as well as the orphan and the widow who are within your gates, shall approach and eat and be satisfied, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the works of your hands which you shall do.”

Then the Levite (because he has no portion or inheritance among you), the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow within your gates may come and eat and be satisfied. And the LORD your God will bless you in all the work of your hands.