The Third Book of Moses: Leviticus

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- Chapter 17 -

Yahweh also said to Moses,

“Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the other Israelites. Tell them that I am giving them the following commands:

If you sacrifice an ox, a lamb, or a goat, you must bring it to the priest at the entrance to the area of the sacred tent, so that he may present it to me there.

If you slaughter it anywhere else as a sacrifice, whether in the camp or outside of it, you will be guilty of shedding its blood in an unacceptable place. If you do that, you will no longer be allowed to be with Yahweh’s people.

Yahweh is telling you to do this so that you will no longer offer sacrifices in the open fields; instead, you must offer them to him in the proper manner: By taking them to the priest at the entrance to the area of the sacred tent, to be offerings to promise friendship with him.

After the priest slaughters the animal, he must sprinkle some of its blood against the altar at the entrance to the sacred tent, and burn its fat for an aroma that is pleasing to Yahweh.

You people must no longer give sacrifices to the images that resemble goats. You people must obey this command for all time.”

Yahweh also said this to Moses: “Tell Aaron and his sons to tell the people that if any Israelite or any foreigner living among them brings an offering for a priest to burn whole on the altar, or if he brings any other sacrifice,

but if he does not bring it to the entrance of the sacred tent area to be a sacrifice to me, that person will no longer be allowed to be with my people.

Laws against Eating Blood

I will reject any Israelite or any foreigner who is living among you who consumes the blood of any animal, and he will no longer be allowed to associate with my people.

That is because the life of every animal is in its blood. I have declared that it is blood that is to be offered on the altar, so that I will forgive people their sins.

That is why I say that neither you Israelites, nor any foreigner living among you, may consume any blood.

If any of you Israelites or any foreigner who is living among you goes hunting and kills an animal or bird that I allow you to eat, you must drain out its blood onto the ground and cover it with earth.

This is because the life of every creature is in its blood. That is why I have said to you Israelites that anyone who consumes blood from an animal must no longer be allowed to associate with my people.

If any of you Israelites or any foreigner who is living among you eats any meat from an animal that died or that was killed by wild animals, you must wash your clothes and bathe. Then you must not touch anyone else until that evening.

If you do not obey this rule, I will certainly punish you.’”

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘This is the thing which the LORD has commanded:

Whatever man there is of the house of Israel who kills a bull, or lamb, or goat in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp,

and hasn’t brought it to the door of the Tent of Meeting to offer it as an offering to the LORD before the LORD’s tabernacle: blood shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood. That man shall be cut off from among his people.

This is to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to the LORD, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to the priest, and sacrifice them for sacrifices of peace offerings to the LORD.

The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the LORD’s altar at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and burn the fat for a pleasant aroma to the LORD.

They shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat idols, after which they play the prostitute. This shall be a statute forever to them throughout their generations.’

“You shall say to them, ‘Any man there is of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,

and doesn’t bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to the LORD, that man shall be cut off from his people.

Laws against Eating Blood

“‘Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who eats any kind of blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people.

For the life of the flesh is in the blood. I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.

Therefore I have said to the children of Israel, “No person among you may eat blood, nor may any stranger who lives as a foreigner among you eat blood.”

“‘Whatever man there is of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who takes in hunting any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood, and cover it with dust.

For as to the life of all flesh, its blood is with its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, “You shall not eat the blood of any kind of flesh; for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.”

“‘Every person that eats what dies of itself, or that which is torn by animals, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. Then he shall be clean.

But if he doesn’t wash them, or bathe his flesh, then he shall bear his iniquity.’”