Leviticus 17

1 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

Yahweh also said to Moses/me,

2 Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, saying,

“Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the other Israeli people, and say this to them: ‘This is what Yahweh has commanded:

3 Any man whatsoever of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or a sheep, or a goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp,

If you sacrifice an ox or a lamb or a goat, you must bring it [to the priest] at the entrance of the Sacred Tent [area], to present/offer it to me there.

4 And bringeth it not to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it as an offering unto the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord: as blood-guiltiness shall it be imputed unto that man, blood hath he shed; and that man shall be cut off from among his people.

If you slaughter it to be a sacrifice anywhere else in the camp or outside the camp, you will be guilty of killing an animal [in an unacceptable place]. As a result you will no longer be allowed to be/associate with my people.

5 In order that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they slay in the open field, and bring them unto the Lord, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and slay them as sacrifices of peace-offerings unto the Lord.

That rule is in order that you Israeli people, instead of offering sacrifices in the open fields, will offer them to me by taking them to the priest at the entrance of the Sacred Tent [area], to be offerings to maintain fellowship [with me].

6 And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; and he shall burn the fat for a sweet savor unto the Lord.

[After the animal is slaughtered], the priest must sprinkle some of its blood against the altar at the entrance of the Sacred Tent, and burn its fat to be an aroma that is pleasing to me.

7 So that they shall offer no more their sacrifices unto evil spirits, after which they have gone astray: a statute for ever shall this be unto them throughout their generations.

You people must no longer give sacrifices to the demons that resemble goats which you are worshiping. You people must obey this command forever.’

8 And unto them shalt thou say, Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who may sojourn among them, that offereth a burnt-offering or a sacrifice,

“And tell this to the people: ‘If any Israeli or any foreigner who is living among them brings an offering that is to be completely burned [on the altar], or any other sacrifice,

9 And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the Lord: even that man shall be cut off from among his people.

and does not bring it to the entrance of the Sacred Tent [area] to be a sacrifice to me, that person will no longer be allowed to associate with my people.

10 And if there be any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, that eateth any manner of blood: I will set my face against the person that eateth the blood, and I will cut him off from among his people.

‘I will reject [IDM] any Israeli or any foreigner who is living among you who eats any blood, and I [will command that he] no longer be allowed to associate with my people.

11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have appointed it for you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls; for the blood it is that maketh an atonement for the soul.

That is because the life of every creature is in its blood; I have declared that it is blood that is to be offered on the altar to enable people to be forgiven for their sins.

12 Therefore have I said unto the children of Israel, No one of you shall eat blood, and the stranger that sojourneth among you shall not eat blood.

That is why I say that you Israelis must not eat blood, and the foreigners who live among you must also not eat blood.

13 And if there be any man whatsoever of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, who catcheth by hunting any beast or fowl that may be eaten: then shall he pour out the blood thereof, and cover it up with dust.

‘Any Israeli or any foreigner who is living among you who hunts any animal or bird that is permitted for you to eat, must drain out the blood [of the animal or bird that he kills], and cover the blood with dirt.

14 For the life of all flesh is its blood, on which its life dependeth; therefore have I said unto the children of Israel, The blood of every manner of flesh shall ye not eat; for the life of all flesh is its blood, every one who eateth it shall be cut off.

This is because the life of every creature is in its blood. And that is why I have said [DOU] to you Israelis that anyone who eats blood must no longer [be allowed to associate with my people].

15 And every person that eateth that which hath died of itself, or that which was torn by beasts, be this one born in your own country, or a stranger, shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening, when he shall be clean.

‘Anyone in Israel, including foreigners, who eats any of the meat of any creature that is found dead, or that had been killed by wild animals, must wash his clothes and bathe. Then he must not touch anyone until that evening.

16 But if he wash [them] not, nor bathe his flesh, then shall he bear his iniquity.

If he does not do those things, he will be punished for what he did.’”