Study Desk

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:

"Tell the Israelites: You may eat^(a) all these kinds of land animals.^(b)

You may eat any animal with divided hooves and that chews the cud.

But among the ones that chew the cud or have divided hooves you are not to eat these: the camel,^(c) though it chews the cud, does not have divided hooves—it is unclean for you;

the hyrax,^[a](d) though it chews the cud, does not have hooves—it is unclean for you;

the hare, though it chews the cud, does not have hooves—it is unclean for you;

the pig, though it has divided hooves, does not chew the cud—it is unclean for you.

Do not eat any of their meat or touch their carcasses—they are unclean for you.^(e)

"This is what you may eat from all that is in the water: You may eat everything in the water that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or streams.

But these are to be detestable to you: everything in the seas or streams that does not have fins and scales among all the swarming things and other living creatures^(f) in the water.

They are to remain detestable to you; you must not eat any of their meat, and you must detest their carcasses.

Everything in the water that does not have fins and scales will be detestable to you.

"You are to detest these birds. They must not be eaten because they are detestable: the eagle,^[b](g) the bearded^[c] vulture, the black vulture,^[d]

¹⁴the kite,^[e] any kind of falcon,^[f](h)

every kind of raven,

¹⁶the ostrich,^[g] the short-eared owl,^[h] the gull,^[i] any kind of hawk,⁽ⁱ⁾

the little^[j] owl, the cormorant,^[k] the long-eared owl,^[l](j)

the white^[m] owl, the desert owl,^[n](k) the osprey,^[o]

¹⁹the stork,^[p] any kind of heron,^[q] the hoopoe, and the bat.

"All winged insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you.

But you may eat these kinds of all the winged insects that walk on all fours: those that have jointed legs above their feet for hopping on the ground.

You may eat these: any kind of locust,^(l) katydid, cricket, and grasshopper.

All other winged insects that have four feet are to be detestable to you.

"These will make you unclean. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean^(m) until evening,

and whoever carries any of their carcasses must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening.⁽ⁿ⁾

All animals that have hooves but do not have a divided hoof and do not chew the cud are unclean for you. Whoever touches them becomes unclean.

All the four-footed animals^(o) that walk on their paws are unclean for you. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening,

and anyone who carries their carcasses must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening. They are unclean for you.

"These creatures that swarm^(p) on the ground are unclean for you: the weasel,^[r] the mouse,^(q) any kind of large lizard,^[s]

the gecko, the monitor lizard,^[t] the common lizard,^[u] the skink,^[v] and the chameleon.^[w]

These are unclean for you among all the swarming creatures. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean until evening.

When any one of them dies and falls on anything it becomes unclean—any item of wood, clothing, leather, sackcloth,^(r) or any implement used for work. It is to be rinsed with water and will remain unclean until evening; then it will be clean.

If any of them falls into any clay pot, everything in it will become unclean; you must break it.

Any edible food^(s) coming into contact with that unclean water will become unclean, and any drinkable liquid in any container will become unclean.

Anything one of their carcasses falls on will become unclean. If it is an oven or stove, it must be smashed; it is unclean and will remain unclean for you.

A spring or cistern containing water will remain clean, but someone who touches a carcass in it will become unclean.

If one of their carcasses falls on any seed that is to be sown, it is clean;

but if water has been put on the seed and one of their carcasses falls on it, it is unclean for you.

"If one of the animals that you use for food dies,^[x] anyone who touches its carcass will be unclean until evening.

Anyone who eats some of its carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening. Anyone who carries its carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening.

"All the creatures that swarm on the earth are detestable; they must not be eaten.

Do not eat any of the creatures that swarm on the earth, anything that moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet,^[y] for they are detestable.

Do not become contaminated by any creature that swarms; do not become unclean or defiled by them.

For I am Yahweh your God,^(t) so you must consecrate yourselves^(u) and be holy because I am holy.^(v) You must not defile yourselves by any swarming creature that crawls on the ground.

For I am Yahweh, who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God,^(w) so you must be holy because I am holy.^(x)

"This is the law concerning animals, birds, all living creatures that move in the water, and all creatures that swarm on the ground,

in order to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between the animals^(y) that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten."

The Lord spoke to Moses:

"Tell the Israelites: When a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a male child,^(a) she will be unclean seven days, as she is during the days of her menstrual impurity.^(b)

The flesh of his foreskin^(c) must be circumcised^(d) on the eighth day.^(e)

She will continue in purification^(f) from her bleeding^(g) for 33 days. She must not touch any holy thing or go into the sanctuary until completing her days of purification.

But if she gives birth to a female child, she will be unclean for two weeks as she is during her menstrual impurity. She will continue in purification from her bleeding for 66 days.

"When her days of purification are complete, whether for a son or daughter, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin^[a] offering.

He will present them before the Lord and make atonement on her behalf; she will be clean from her discharge of blood. This is the law for a woman giving birth, whether to a male or female.

But if she doesn't have sufficient means^[b](h) for a sheep, she may take two turtledoves or two young pigeons,⁽ⁱ⁾ one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin^[c] offering. Then the priest will make atonement on her behalf, and she will be clean."