Top of Page
Page Style
Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: 3 You may eat any animal with split hooves completely divided and that chews the cud.
4 ‘But there are some that only chew the cud or only have split hooves and you are not to eat them. The camel, for although it chews the cud, it does not have split hooves—it is unclean for you. 5 The hyrax, though it chews the cud, it does not have split hooves—it is unclean for you. 6 The rabbit, though it chews the cud, it does not have split hooves—it is unclean for you. 7 The pig, though it has split hooves, it does not chew the cud—it is unclean for you. 8 You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.
9 ‘Of all the creatures living in the waters of the seas or streams, you may eat everything that has fins and scales. 10 But any of the creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales you are to detest, whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures. 11 They are to remain detestable to you; you must not eat any of their meat, and you must detest their carcasses. 12 Everything living in the waters that does not have fins and scales is to be detestable to you.
13 ‘These are the birds you are to detest regard as detestable and not eat because they are detestable: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, 14 the kite, the various kinds of falcon, 15 every kind of raven, 16 the ostrich, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, 17 the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, 18 the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, 19 the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.
20 ‘All winged insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you. 21 However, there are some types of winged insects that walk on all fours you may eat: those that have jointed legs above their feet for hopping on the ground. 22 You may eat these: the various kinds of locust, the various kinds of katydid, the various kinds of cricket, and the various kinds of grasshopper. 23 But you are to detest all other winged insects that have four feet.
24 ‘You will make yourselves unclean by these; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening. 25 Whoever carries any part of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening.
26 ‘Every animal that has split hooves not completely divided or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you. Whoever touches the carcass of any of them will be unclean. 27 All the four-footed animals that walk on their paws are unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening, 28 and anyone who carries their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening. They are unclean for you.
29 ‘Of all the swarming creatures that move about on the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the mouse, the various kinds of large lizard, 30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, the common lizard, the skink, and the chameleon. 31 These are unclean to you among all the swarming creatures that crawl. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean until evening. 32 When any one of them dies and falls on something, that article becomes unclean, regardless of whether it is made of wood, cloth, leather, or sackcloth. Put it in water, and it will be unclean until evening; then it will be clean. 33 If one of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean, and you must break the pot. 34 Any edible food that comes into contact with water from such a pot becomes unclean, and any liquid that could be drunk from it becomes unclean. 35 Anything that one of their carcasses falls on will become unclean; whether it is an oven or stove, it must be broken up. It is unclean, and it will remain unclean for you. 36 However, a spring or a cistern containing water will remain clean, but anyone who touches a carcass in it will become unclean. 37 If a carcass falls on any seed that is to be planted, they remain clean. 38 But if water has been put on the seed and any part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you.
39 ‘If an animal that you are permitted to eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass will be unclean until evening. 40 Anyone who eats some of its carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening.
41 ‘All the creatures that swarm on the earth are detestable; they must not be eaten. 42 You are not to eat any of the creatures that swarm on the earth, whether it moves on its belly, or walks on all fours, or has many feet; they are detestable. 43 Do not make yourselves defiled by any creature that swarms. Do not become unclean by them so you are defiled. 44 For I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy. Do not defile yourselves by any swarming creature that crawls on the ground. 45 For I am the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, for I am holy.
46 ‘This is the law concerning animals, birds, all living creatures that move in the water, and all creatures that swarm on the ground, 47 In order to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, between the animals that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten’.”