Leviticus 22
1 The Lord told Moses,
And the Lord said to Moses,
2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to be dedicated when dealing with the holy offerings that the Israelites have dedicated to me, so that they don't dishonor my holy character. I am the Lord.
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,
3 Tell them: These rules apply for all future generations. If any of your descendants in an unclean state comes close to the holy offerings that the Israelites dedicate to honor the Lord, that person must be expelled from my presence. I am the Lord.
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.
4 If one of Aaron's descendants has a skin disease or a discharge, he is not allowed to eat the holy offerings until he is clean. Anyone who touches anything made unclean by a dead body or by a man who has had a release of semen,
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;
5 or anyone who touches an unclean animal or an unclean person, (whatever the uncleanness is),
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;
6 anyone who touches anything like this will remain unclean until evening. He is not allowed to eat from the holy offerings unless he has washed himself with water.
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;
7 At sunset he will become clean, and then he is allowed to eat from the holy offerings because they provide his food.
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.
8 He must not eat anything that's died, or killed by wild animals, because that would make him unclean. I am the Lord.
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.
9 The priests must do as I demand, so that they don't become guilty and die because they have not done so, treating my requirements with contempt. I am the Lord who makes them holy.
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.
10 Anyone who isn't part of a priest's family is not allowed eat the holy offerings. This also applies to a priest's guest or his paid worker.
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.
11 However, if a priest uses his own money to buy a slave, or if a slave is born in the priest's household, then that slave is allowed to eat his food.
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.
12 If the priest's daughter gets married to a man who isn't a priest, she is not allowed to eat the holy offerings.
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.
13 But if a priest's daughter without children is widowed or divorced and goes back to her father's house, she is allowed to eat her father's food as she did when she was growing up. But no one outside the priest's family can eat it.
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.
14 Anyone who eats a holy offering by mistake must pay compensation by adding a fifth to its value, and give it all to the priest.
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.
15 The priests must not make the holy offerings the Israelites present to the Lord unclean
And they may not make common the holy things which the children of Israel give to the Lord,
16 by allowing the people to eat them and in so doing take upon themselves the punishment for guilt. For I am the Lord who makes them holy.”
So causing sin to come on them when they take their holy things for food: I am the Lord who make them holy.
17 The Lord told Moses,
And the Lord said to Moses,
18 “Tell Aaron, his sons and all the Israelites: If you or foreigner living with you wants to make a gift as a burnt offering to the Lord, whether it's to fulfill a promise or as a freewill offering, this is what you are to do.
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;
19 If it is to be accepted on your behalf you must offer a male without defects from the herds of cattle, sheep, or goats.
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.
20 Don't present anything with a defect because it won't be accepted on your behalf.
But anything which has a mark you may not give; it will not make you pleasing to the Lord.
21 If you want to present a peace offering to the Lord from the herd or flock to fulfill a promise or as a freewill offering, in order to be acceptable the animal must be perfect, completely without defects.
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.
22 Don't present to the Lord an animal that is blind, injured, or damaged in some way, or has warts, skin sores, or scabs. Don't place any animal that has these on the altar as a food offering to the Lord.
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.
23 However, you can present a freewill offering of a bull or sheep that has a leg that is too long or too short, but not if it is a sacrifice to fulfill a promise.
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.
24 Don't present to the Lord an animal with testicles that are accidentally or deliberately damaged. You are not allowed to sacrifice any of these damaged animals in your land.
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.
25 Nor are you allowed to accept such animals from a foreigner to be damaged and defective.”
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.
26 The Lord told Moses,
And the Lord said to Moses,
27 “When a bull, a sheep, or a goat is born, it must stay with its mother for seven days. After eight days it can be accepted as a food offering to the Lord.
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.
28 However, don't kill a bull or a sheep and its young on the same day.
A cow or a sheep may not be put to death with its young on the same day.
29 When you present a thank offering to the Lord, make sure to do so in a way that it will be accepted on your behalf.
And when you make an offering of praise to the Lord, make it in a way which is pleasing to him.
30 It has to be eaten on the same day. Don't leave any of it until morning. I am the Lord.
Let it be used for food on the same day; do not keep any part of it till the morning: I am the Lord.
31 Keep my rules and put them into practice. I am the Lord.
So then, keep my orders and do them: I am the Lord.
32 Don't disgrace my holy character. I must be accepted as holy by you. I am the Lord who makes you holy.
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,
33 I am the one who led you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord.”
Who took you out of the land of Egypt that I might be your God: I am the Lord.
