Leviticus 11

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,

Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses/me,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These [are] the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that [are] on the earth.

“Tell the Israeli people that [this is what Yahweh says]: From all the animals that live on the land, these are the ones that you are permitted to eat:

3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, [and] cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.

The ones that have hooves that are completely split and that (chew their cuds/bring their food up from their stomachs to chew it again).

4 Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: [as] the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he [is] unclean unto you.

There are some animals that chew their cuds but do not have split hooves, and some animals that have split hooves but do not chew their cuds. You must not eat any of those animals. [For example], camels chew their cuds but do not have split hooves, so they are unacceptable for you to eat.

5 And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he [is] unclean unto you.

Rock badgers chew their cuds but do not have split hooves, so they are unacceptable for you to eat.

6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he [is] unclean unto you.

Rabbits chew their cuds but do not have split hooves, so they are unacceptable for you to eat.

7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he [is] unclean to you.

Pigs have completely split hooves but they do not chew their cuds, so they are unacceptable for you to eat.

8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they [are] unclean to you.

All of those animals are unacceptable for you, so you must not eat their meat or even touch their carcasses.

9 These shall ye eat of all that [are] in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.

From all the creatures that live in the oceans and the streams, you are permitted to eat any that have fins and scales.

10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which [is] in the waters, they [shall be] an abomination unto you:

But you must detest [and not eat] those that do not have fins and scales. That includes ones that are very small.

11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.

You must despise them, and you must not eat their meat, and you must detest their carcasses.

12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that [shall be] an abomination unto you.

You must detest everything that lives in the water that does not have fins and scales.

13 And these [are they which] ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they [are] an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,

There are some birds that you must detest [and not eat]. They include eagles, bearded vultures, black vultures,

14 And the vulture, and the kite after his kind;

kites, any kind of falcon/buzzard,

15 Every raven after his kind;

any kind of raven,

16 And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,

horned owls, screech owls, seagulls, any kind of hawk,

17 And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,

small owls, cormorants, large owls,

18 And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,

white owls, desert owls, vultures that eat dead animals,

19 And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

storks, any kind of heron, hoopoes, and bats.

20 All fowls that creep, going upon [all] four, [shall be] an abomination unto you.

You must detest [and not eat] flying insects that [sometimes] walk on the ground [MTY].

21 Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon [all] four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;

But you are permitted to eat creatures with wings that sometimes walk on the ground if they have jointed legs for hopping around.

22 [Even] these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.

They include locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers.

23 But all [other] flying creeping things, which have four feet, [shall be] an abomination unto you.

But you must detest [and not eat] other insects with wings that have four legs.

24 And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even.

‘There are certain creatures that if you touch their carcasses you will become defiled. Anyone who touches their carcasses must not touch other people until that evening.

25 And whosoever beareth [ought] of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

Anyone who picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes and not touch other people until that evening.

26 [The carcases] of every beast which divideth the hoof, and [is] not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, [are] unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.

‘The animals whose carcasses you must not touch are those that have hooves that are not completely divided or animals that do not chew their cuds. Anyone who touches the carcasses of any of those animals becomes (defiled/unacceptable to me).

27 And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on [all] four, those [are] unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even.

From all the animals that walk on the ground, you must not touch the carcasses of those that have paws to walk on. Anyone who touches one of their carcasses must not touch other people until that evening.

28 And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they [are] unclean unto you.

Anyone who picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes and not touch other people until that evening, because touching their carcasses (defiles you/causes you to become unacceptable to me).

29 These also [shall be] unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind,

‘From all the animals that walk on the ground, these are the ones that (defile you/cause you to become unacceptable to me) [if you touch them]: Moles, rats, any kind of lizard,

30 And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.

geckos, skinks, and chameleons.

31 These [are] unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.

Those creatures that scurry across the ground (defile you/cause you to become unacceptable to me); anyone who touches one of their carcasses must not touch other people until the evening.

32 And upon whatsoever [any] of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether [it be] any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel [it be], wherein [any] work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed.

When one of those creatures dies and falls on something, the thing that it falls on, whatever it is used for, will become (defiled/unacceptable to me), whether it is made of wood or cloth or the hide of some animal or from rough cloth. You must put it in water. Then you must not use it until that evening.

33 And every earthen vessel, whereinto [any] of them falleth, whatsoever [is] in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it.

If one of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it becomes defiled, and you must break that pot into pieces.

34 Of all meat which may be eaten, [that] on which [such] water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every [such] vessel shall be unclean.

If you pour water from that pot on any food, you must not eat that food. And you must not drink any water from that pot.

35 And every [thing] whereupon [any part] of their carcase falleth shall be unclean; [whether it be] oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: [for] they [are] unclean, and shall be unclean unto you.

Anything that one of the carcasses of those creatures falls on becomes (defiled/unacceptable to me); even if it falls on an oven or a cooking pot, anything that it falls on must be broken into pieces. It becomes unacceptable to me and you must not use it again.

36 Nevertheless a fountain or pit, [wherein there is] plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean.

If one of their carcasses falls into a spring or a pit for storing water, the water may still be drunk, but anyone who touches one of those carcasses becomes unacceptable to me.

37 And if [any part] of their carcase fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it [shall be] clean.

If one of those carcasses falls on seeds that are to be planted, those seeds are still acceptable to be planted.

38 But if [any] water be put upon the seed, and [any part] of their carcase fall thereon, it [shall be] unclean unto you.

But if water has been put on the seeds and then a carcass falls on them, the seeds must be thrown away.

39 And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.

‘If an animal [whose meat] you are permitted to eat dies, anyone who touches its carcass must not touch other people until that evening.

40 And he that eateth of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

Anyone who eats some meat from that carcass must wash his clothes, and then he must not touch anyone until that evening.

41 And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth [shall be] an abomination; it shall not be eaten.

‘All creatures that scurry across the ground, including those that move on their bellies and those that crawl, are detestable, and they must not be eaten.

42 Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon [all] four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they [are] an abomination.

43 Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.

Do not (defile yourselves/cause you to become unacceptable to me) by [eating] any of those creatures [DOU].

44 For I [am] the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I [am] holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

I am Yahweh your God, and I am holy, so you must consecrate yourselves and be holy. You must avoid eating things that cause you to be unacceptable to me. Do not cause yourselves to become unacceptable to me by eating creatures that scurry across the ground.

45 For I [am] the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I [am] holy.

I am Yahweh, the one who freed you from [being slaves in] Egypt, in order to be your God. Therefore, because I am holy, you must be holy.

46 This [is] the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:

'Those are the regulations concerning animals and birds, all the living creatures that live in water or scurry across the ground.

47 To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.

You must learn what things [I say] are acceptable to me and what things are not, and learn what things you are permitted to eat and what things you are not permitted to eat.’”