Deuteronomy 14

1 Be ye children of the Lord your God: you shall not cut yourselves, no, make any baldness for the dead;

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

2 Because thou art a holy people to the Lord thy God: and he chose thee to be his peculiar people of all nations that are upon the 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 Eat not the things that are unclean.

You must not eat any detestable thing.

4 These are the beasts that you shall 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 hart and the roe, the buffle, the chamois, the pygarg, the wild goat, the camelopardalus.

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

6 Every beast that divideth the hoof in two parts, and cheweth 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 of them that chew the cud, but divide not the hoof, you shall not eat, such as the camel, the hare, and the cherogril: because they chew the cud, but divide not 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 swine also, because it divideth the hoof, but cheweth not the cud, shall be unclean, their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch.

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 shall you eat of all that abide in the waters: All that have fins and scales, you shall eat.

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

10 Such as are without fins and scales, you shall not eat, because they are unclean.

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

11 All birds that are clean you shall eat.

You may eat any clean bird,

12 The unclean eat not: to wit, the eagle, and the grype, and the osprey,

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

13 The ringtail, and the vulture, and the kite according to their kind:

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

14 And all of the raven’s kind:

any kind of raven,

15 And the ostrich, and the owl, and the larus, and the hawk according to its kind:

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

16 The heron, and the swan, and the stork,

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

17 And the cormorant, the porphyrion, and the night crow,

the desert owl, the osprey, the cormorant,

18 The bittern, and the charadrion, every one in their kind: the hoop also and the bat.

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

19 Every thing that creepeth, and hath 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 whatsoever is dead of itself, eat not thereof. Give it to the stranger, that is within thy gates, to eat, or sell it to him: because thou art the holy people of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not boil a kid in the milk of his dam.

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 Every year thou shalt set aside the tithes of all thy fruits that the earth bringeth forth,

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

23 And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose, that his name may be called upon therein, the tithe of thy corn, and thy wine, and thy oil, and the firstborn of thy herds and thy sheep: that thou mayst learn to fear the Lord thy 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 thy God shall choose, are far off, and he hath blessed thee, and thou canst not carry all these things thither,

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 Thou shalt sell them all, and turn them into money, and shalt carry it in thy hand, and shalt go to the place which the Lord shall 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 thou shalt buy with the same money whatsoever pleaseth thee, either of the herds or of sheep, wine also and strong drink, and all that thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, and shalt feast, thou and thy house:

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 And the Levite that is within thy gates, beware thou forsake him not, because he hath no other part in thy possession.

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

28 The third year thou shalt separate another tithe of all things that grow to thee at that time, and shalt lay it up within thy 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 that hath no other part nor possession with thee, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, that are within thy gates, shall come and shall eat and be filled: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the works of thy hands that thou shalt 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.