Leviticus 11:1-31

Laws about Animals for Food

1 The Lord spoke again to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘ aThese are the creatures which you may eat from all the animals that are on the earth. 3Whatever has a divided hoof, showing 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 have a divided hoof: the camel, for though it chews cud, it does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean to you. 5Likewise, the rock hyrax, for though it chews cud, it does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean to you. 6The
Or hare
rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean to you.
7And the pig, for though it has a divided hoof, and so it shows a split hoof, it does not chew cud; it is unclean to you. 8You shall not eat any of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.

9dThese you may eat, of whatever is in the water: everything that has fins and scales, in the water, in the seas, or in the rivers, you may eat. 10 eBut 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 detestable to you; you may not eat any of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. 12Whatever in the water does not have fins and scales is detestable to you.

Avoid the Unclean

13 ‘Moreover, these fyou shall detest among the birds; they are detestable, not to be eaten: the
Or vulture
eagle, the vulture, and the
Or black vulture
buzzard,
14the red kite, the falcon in its kind, 15every raven in its kind, 16the ostrich, the owl, the seagull, and the hawk in its kind, 17the little owl, the cormorant, and the
Specifically, great horned owl
great owl,
18the white owl, the
Or owl; or jackdaw
pelican, and the carrion vulture,
19the stork, the heron in its kinds, the hoopoe, and the bat.

20 ‘All 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
See note v 20
winged insects that walk on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to jump on the earth.
22These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds, the devastating locust in its kinds, the cricket in its kinds, and the grasshopper in its kinds. 23But all other
See note v 20
winged insects which are four-footed are detestable to you.

24 ‘By these, moreover, you will be made unclean; whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, 25and nwhoever picks up any of their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. 26As for all the animals which have a divided hoof but do not show a split hoof, or do not chew the 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.

29 ‘Now these are to you the unclean among the swarming things which swarm on the earth: the mole, the mouse, and the
Or thorn-tailed lizard
great lizard in its kinds,
30the gecko, the
Or lizard
crocodile, the lizard, 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.
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