Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 192
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IMMERSE
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BEGINNINGS
17:12–18:12
given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the
Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification
possible. That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat
or drink blood—neither you nor the foreigners living among you.’
“And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you goes hunting
and kills an animal or bird that is approved for eating, he must drain its
blood and cover it with earth. The life of every creature is in its blood.
That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink
blood, for the life of any creature is in its blood.’ So whoever consumes
blood will be cut off from the community.
“And if any native-born Israelites or foreigners eat the meat of an animal
that died naturally or was torn up by wild animals, they must wash their
clothes and bathe themselves in water. They will remain ceremonially unclean until evening, but then they will be clean. But if they do not wash
their clothes and bathe themselves, they will be punished for their sin.”
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the
people of Israel. I am the Lord your God. So do not act like the people in
Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am
taking you. You must not imitate their way of life. You must obey all my
regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the Lord your
God. If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through
them. I am the Lord.
“You must never have sexual relations with a close relative, for I am the
Lord.
“Do not violate your father by having sexual relations with your mother.
She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.
“Do not have sexual relations with any of your father’s wives, for this
would violate your father.
“Do not have sexual relations with your sister or half sister, whether she
is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born
into your household or someone else’s.
“Do not have sexual relations with your granddaughter, whether she
is your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, for this would violate
yourself.
“Do not have sexual relations with your stepsister, the daughter of any
of your father’s wives, for she is your sister.
“Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister, for she is your
father’s close relative.
