Leviticus 11

Laws about Animals for Food

1The Lord spoke again to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, 2Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘ aThese are the creatures which you may eat from all the animals that are on the earth. 3Whatever divides a hoof, thus making split hoofs, and chews the cud, among the animals, that you may eat. 4Nevertheless, byou are not to eat of these, among those which chew the cud, or among those which divide the hoof: the camel, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you. 5‘Likewise, the
A small, shy, furry animal (Hyrax syriacus) found in the peninsula of the Sinai, northern Israel, and the region round the Dead Sea; KJV coney, orig NASB rock badger
shaphan, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you;
6the
Or hare
rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you;
7and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you. 8You shall not eat of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.

9eThese you may eat, whatever is in the water: all that have fins and scales, those in the water, in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. 10fBut whatever is in the seas and in the rivers that does not have fins and scales among all the teeming life of the water, and among all the living creatures that are in the water, they are detestable things to you, 11and they shall be
Lit detestable things
abhorrent to you; you may not eat of their flesh, and their carcasses you shall detest.
12Whatever in the water does not have fins and scales is
Lit detestable things
abhorrent to you.

Avoid the Unclean

13These, moreover, iyou shall detest among the birds; they are
Lit a detestable thing
abhorrent, not to be eaten: the
Or vulture
eagle and the vulture and the
Or black vulture
buzzard,
14and the kite and the falcon in its kind, 15every raven in its kind, 16and the ostrich and the owl and the sea gull and the hawk in its kind, 17and the little owl and the cormorant and the
Specifically, great horned owl
great owl,
18and the white owl and the
Or owl or jackdaw
pelican and the carrion vulture,
19and the stork, the heron in its kinds, and the hoopoe, and the bat.

20All the
Lit swarming things with wings
winged insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you.
21Yet these you may eat among all the
V 20, note 1
winged insects which walk on all fours: those which have above their feet jointed legs with which to jump on the earth.
22These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds, and the devastating locust in its kinds, and the cricket in its kinds, and the grasshopper in its kinds. 23But all other
V 20, note 1
winged insects which are four-footed are detestable to you.

24By these, moreover, you will be made unclean: whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, 25and rwhoever picks up any of their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. 26Concerning all the animals which divide the hoof but do not make a split hoof, or which do not chew cud, they are unclean to you: whoever touches them becomes unclean. 27Also whatever walks on its paws, among all the creatures that walk on all fours, are unclean to you; whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, 28and the one who picks up their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening; they are unclean to you.

29Now these are to you the unclean among the swarming things which swarm on the earth: the mole, and the mouse, and the
Or thorn-tailed lizard
great lizard in its kinds,
30and the gecko, and the
Or lizard
crocodile, and the lizard, and the
Species as yet undefined
sand reptile, and the chameleon.
31These are to you the unclean among all the swarming things; whoever touches them when they are dead becomes unclean until evening. 32Also anything on which one of them may fall when they are dead becomes unclean, including any wooden article, or clothing, or a skin, or a sackany article
Lit with which work is done
of which use is madewit shall be put in the water and be unclean until evening, then it becomes clean.
33As for any xearthenware vessel into which one of them may fall, whatever is in it becomes unclean and you shall break
Lit it
the vessel.
34Any of the
I.e. if touched by a carcass; cf vv 29-32
food which may be eaten, on which water comes, shall become unclean, and any
I.e. if touched by a carcass; cf vv 29-32
liquid which may be drunk in every vessel shall become unclean.
35Everything, moreover, on which part of their carcass may fall becomes unclean; an oven or a
Lit hearth for supporting (two) pots
stove shall be smashed; they are unclean and shall continue as unclean to you.
36Nevertheless a spring or a cistern
Lit of a gathering of
collecting water shall be clean, though the one who touches their carcass shall be unclean.
37If a part of their carcass falls on any seed for sowing which is to be sown, it is clean. 38Though if water is put on the seed and a part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.

39Also if one of the animals dies which you have for food, the one who touches its carcass becomes unclean until evening. 40adHe too, who eats some of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening, and the one who picks up its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

41aeNow every swarming thing that swarms on the earth is detestable, not to be eaten. 42Whatever crawls on its belly, and whatever walks on all fours, whatever has many feet, in respect to every swarming thing that swarms on the earth, you shall not eat them, for they are detestable. 43afDo not render
Lit your souls
yourselves detestable through any of the swarming things that swarm; and you shall not make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean.
44‘For ahI am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and aibe holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. 45ajFor I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus akyou shall be holy, for I am holy.’”

46This is the law regarding the animal and the bird, and every living thing that moves in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth, 47 alto make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the edible creature and the creature which is not to be eaten.
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