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 the children of the Lord your God. Don't mutilate yourselves or shave your forehead like pagans do when they mourn 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.
because you are a holy people who belong to the Lord your God. The Lord chose you as his special people out of all the nations on earth.
3 “Do not eat anything that [Yahweh] detests.
You must not eat anything repulsive.
4 The animals [whose meat] you are permitted to eat are cattle, sheep, goats,
These are the animals that you are allowed to eat: cattle, sheep, goats,
5 deer, gazelles, wild goats, antelopes, and mountain sheep.
deer, gazelles, wild goats, antelopes, and 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 can eat any animal that both has a divided hoof and also 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 you are not allowed to eat those that either chew the cud or have a divided hoof. This includes: camels, rabbits, and rock hyraxes. Even though they chew the cud, they don't have a divided hoof. You must treat them as unclean.
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.
The same applies to the pig. Even though it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. So you must treat it as unclean. You must not eat its meat or touch its dead body.
9 You are permitted to eat any fish that has scales and fins.
When it comes to creatures that live in the water, you are allowed to eat anything that has 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 must not eat anything that does not have fins and scales. You must treat them as unclean.
11 “You are permitted to eat the flesh of any bird that is acceptable [to Yahweh].
You are allowed to eat any clean bird.
12 But eagles, vultures, black vultures,
But you must not eat the following: eagle, griffon vulture, bearded vulture,
13 buzzards, all kinds of kites,
buzzard, kites, any kind of falcon,
14 all kinds of crows,
any member of the crow family,
15 ostriches, seagulls,
tawny owl, long-eared owl, gulls, any kind of hawk,
16 owls, hawks, falcons,
little owl, eagle owl, barn owl,
17 pelicans, vultures that eat dead animals, cormorants,
desert owl, Egyptian vulture, fish owl,
18 storks, herons, hoopoes, and bats, you must not eat.
storks, any kind of heron, hoopoe, or bats.
19 “All insects with wings [and which walk on the ground] are unacceptable [to Yahweh]; do not eat them.
All insects that fly are unclean to you; you must not eat them.
20 But other insects with wings [and which hop along the ground] are acceptable to eat.
But you are allowed to eat any clean animal that has wings.
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 must not eat any animal that dies. You can give it to a foreigner in your town, and they can eat it, or you can sell it to a foreigner. You, however, are a holy people who belong to the Lord your God. Don't 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.
Make sure you pay a tithe of every crop grown each year in 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].
You are to eat a tenth of your grain, new wine, and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks, in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose to live with you, so that you will learn to always respect the Lord your God.
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:
However, if it's too far to carry all the tithe that the Lord your God has blessed you with, because the place where the Lord your God will choose to live with you is too distant,
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 you can exchange it for money, take the money with you 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 can spend the money on anything you like—cattle, sheep, wine, alcoholic drink, or anything else you want. Then you can have a feast there in the presence of the Lord your God and celebrate with your family.
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.
Don't forget to take care of the Levites in your town, because they don't have any share in the allotment of land.
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 third year, collect a tenth of all your produce for that year and store it in your town.
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.”
This way the Levites (who don't have any share in the allotment of land), the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows in your town will be provided with what they need. The Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.
