Deuteronomy 14
1 “We are people who belong to Yahweh our God. So, when people die, do not show that you are grieving by gashing/cutting yourselves or by shaving the hair on your foreheads [like the other people-groups do].
You are sons of the LORD your God; do not cut yourselves or shave your foreheads on behalf of the dead,
2 We belong to Yahweh alone. Yahweh chose us from all the other people-groups on the earth to be his special people.
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 “Do not eat anything that [Yahweh] detests.
You must not eat any detestable thing.
4 The animals [whose meat] you are permitted to eat are cattle, sheep, goats,
These are the animals that you may eat: The ox, the sheep, the goat,
5 deer, gazelles, wild goats, antelopes, and mountain sheep.
the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.
6 Those are animals that have split hoofs and that also (chew their cuds/regurgitate their food [from their stomachs] to chew it again).
You may eat any animal that has a split hoof divided in two and that chews the cud.
7 But there are other animals that chew their cuds that you must not eat. Those are camels, rabbits, and rock badgers. They chew their cuds, but their hooves are not split. So they are not acceptable for you to eat.
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 Do not eat pigs. They are unacceptable for you to eat; their hooves are split, but they do not chew cud. Do not eat the meat of those animals; do not even touch their dead bodies.
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 You are permitted to eat any fish that has scales and fins.
Of all the creatures that live in the water, you may eat anything with fins and scales,
10 But anything else [that lives in the water] that does not have scales and fins, you must not eat, because [if you eat them], you will become unacceptable [to Yahweh].
but you may not eat anything that does not have fins and scales; it is unclean for you.
11 “You are permitted to eat the flesh of any bird that is acceptable [to Yahweh].
You may eat any clean bird,
12 But eagles, vultures, black vultures,
but these you may not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,
13 buzzards, all kinds of kites,
the red kite, the falcon, any kind of kite,
14 all kinds of crows,
any kind of raven,
15 ostriches, seagulls,
the ostrich, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk,
16 owls, hawks, falcons,
the little owl, the great owl, the white owl,
17 pelicans, vultures that eat dead animals, cormorants,
the desert owl, the osprey, the cormorant,
18 storks, herons, hoopoes, and bats, you must not eat.
the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, or the bat.
19 “All insects with wings [and which walk on the ground] are unacceptable [to Yahweh]; do not eat them.
All flying insects are unclean for you; they may not be eaten.
20 But other insects with wings [and which hop along the ground] are acceptable to eat.
But you may eat any clean bird.
21 “Do not eat any animal that has died naturally, [because its blood has not been drained out]. You may allow foreigners who live among you to eat those things or you may sell them to other foreigners. But you belong to Yahweh our God; [and those who belong to him are not permitted to eat the meat of animals whose blood has not been drained out]. “You must not cook a young sheep or goat in its mother’s milk.”
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 “Once each year you must set apart (a tithe/10 percent) of all the crops that are produced/harvested in your fields.
You must be sure to set aside a tenth of all the produce brought forth each year from your fields.
23 Take those things to the place that Yahweh our God will choose [for you to worship him]. There eat the tithes of your grain, your wine, your [olive] oil, and the meat of the firstborn male animals of your cattle and your sheep. Do this in order that you may learn to always revere Yahweh, [the one who has blessed you by giving you these things].
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 If the place that Yahweh has chosen [for you to worship him] is very far from your home, with the result that you are not able to take there the tithes [of your crops] with which Yahweh has blessed you, do this:
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 Sell [IDM] the tithes of your crops, wrap the money carefully [in a cloth], and take it with you to the place of worship that Yahweh has chosen.
then exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place the LORD your God will choose.
26 There, [with that money], you may buy whatever you want to—beef or lamb or wine or fermented drinks. And there, in the presence of Yahweh, you and your families should eat [and drink] those things and be happy.
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 But be sure to not neglect/forget [to help] the descendants of Levi who live in your towns, because they will not own any land.
And do not neglect the Levite within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.
28 “At the end of every three years, bring a tithe of all your crops that have been produced/harvested in that year and store it in your towns.
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 That food is for the descendants of Levi, because they do not have their own land, and for foreigners [who live among you], and for orphans and widows who live in your towns. They are permitted to come [to where the food is stored] and take what they need. Do that in order that Yahweh our God will bless you in everything that you 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.
