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LEVIT IC U S 2 3
4 “If any of Aaron’s descendants has a skin
disease* or any kind of discharge that makes
him ceremonially unclean, he may not eat
from the sacred offerings until he has been
pronounced clean. He also becomes unclean
by touching a corpse, or by having an emission of semen, 5 or by touching a small animal
that is unclean, or by touching someone who is
ceremonially unclean for any reason. 6 The man
who is defiled in any of these ways will remain
unclean until evening. He may not eat from the
sacred offerings until he has bathed himself
in water. 7 When the sun goes down, he will be
ceremonially clean again and may eat from the
sacred offerings, for this is his food. 8 He may
not eat an animal that has died a natural death
or has been torn apart by wild animals, for this
would defile him. I am the Lord.
9 “The priests must follow my instructions
carefully. Otherwise they will be punished for
their sin and will die for violating my instructions. I am the Lord who makes them holy.
10 “No one outside a priest’s family may eat
the sacred offerings. Even guests and hired
workers in a priest’s home are not allowed to
eat them. 11 However, if the priest buys a slave
for himself, the slave may eat from the sacred
offerings. And if his slaves have children, they
also may share his food. 12 If a priest’s daughter marries someone outside the priestly family, she may no longer eat the sacred offerings.
13 But if she becomes a widow or is divorced and
has no children to support her, and she returns
to live in her father’s home as in her youth, she
may eat her father’s food again. Otherwise, no
one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred
offerings.
14 “Any such person who eats the sacred offerings without realizing it must pay the priest
for the amount eaten, plus an additional 20 percent. 15 The priests must not let the Israelites defile the sacred offerings brought to the Lord 16 by
allowing unauthorized people to eat them. This
would bring guilt upon them and require them
to pay compensation. I am the Lord who makes
them holy.”
Worthy and Unworthy Offerings
17 And the Lord said to Moses, 18 “Give Aaron and
his sons and all the Israelites these instructions,
which apply both to native Israelites and to the
foreigners living among you.
“If you present a gift as a burnt offering to
the Lord, whether it is to fulfill a vow or is a
voluntary offering, 19 you* will be accepted only
if your offering is a male animal with no defects.
It may be a bull, a ram, or a male goat. 20 Do not
present an animal with defects, because the
Lord will not accept it on your behalf.
21 “If you present a peace offering to the Lord
from the herd or the flock, whether it is to fulfill
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a vow or is a voluntary offering, you must offer
a perfect animal. It may have no defect of any
kind. 22 You must not offer an animal that is
blind, crippled, or injured, or that has a wart,
a skin sore, or scabs. Such animals must never
be offered on the altar as special gifts to the
Lord. 23 If a bull* or lamb has a leg that is too
long or too short, it may be offered as a voluntary offering, but it may not be offered to fulfill
a vow. 24 If an animal has damaged testicles or is
castrated, you may not offer it to the Lord. You
must never do this in your own land, 25 and you
must not accept such an animal from foreigners
and then offer it as a sacrifice to your God. Such
animals will not be accepted on your behalf, for
they are mutilated or defective.”
26 And the Lord said to Moses, 27 “When a calf
or lamb or goat is born, it must be left with its
mother for seven days. From the eighth day on,
it will be acceptable as a special gift to the Lord.
28 But you must not slaughter a mother animal
and her offspring on the same day, whether
from the herd or the flock. 29 When you bring
a thanksgiving offering to the Lord, sacrifice it
properly so you will be accepted. 30 Eat the entire
sacrificial animal on the day it is presented. Do
not leave any of it until the next morning. I am
the Lord.
31 “You must faithfully keep all my commands
by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord.
32 Do not bring shame on my holy name, for I
will display my holiness among the people of
Israel. I am the Lord who makes you holy. 33 It
was I who rescued you from the land of Egypt,
that I might be your God. I am the Lord.”
The Appointed Festivals
The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. These are the Lord’s appointed festivals,
which you are to proclaim as official days for
holy assembly.
3 “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath
day of complete rest, an official day for holy assembly. It is the Lord’s Sabbath day, and it must
be observed wherever you live.
4 “In addition to the Sabbath, these are the
Lord’s appointed festivals, the official days for
holy assembly that are to be celebrated at their
proper times each year.
23
Passover and the Festival
of Unleavened Bread
5 “The Lord’s Passover begins at sundown on
the fourteenth day of the first month.* 6 On
the next day, the fifteenth day of the month,
you must begin celebrating the Festival of
22:4 Traditionally rendered leprosy; see note on 13:2a.
22:19 Or it. 22:23 Or cow. 23:5 This day in the ancient
Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in late March, April, or
early May.