Unacceptable Victims. ^17 [a]The Lord said to Moses: ¹⁸ Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites, and tell them: When anyone of the house of Israel, or any alien residing in Israel, who presents an offering, brings a burnt offering^(A) as a votive offering or as a voluntary offering to the Lord, ¹⁹ if it is to be acceptable for you, it must be an unblemished male of the herd, of the sheep or of the goats.^{(B) 20} You shall not offer one that has any blemish, for such a one would not be acceptable on your behalf.^{(C) 21} When anyone presents a communion sacrifice^(D) to the Lord from the herd or the flock in fulfillment of a vow, or as a voluntary offering, if it is to find acceptance, it must be unblemished; it shall not have any blemish. ²² One that is blind or lame or maimed, or one that has running lesions or sores or scabs, you shall not offer to the Lord; do not put such an animal on the altar as an oblation to the Lord. ^23 [b]An ox or a sheep that has a leg that is too long or is stunted you may indeed present as a voluntary offering, but it will not be acceptable as a votive offering. ²⁴ One that has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn out or cut off you shall not offer to the Lord. You shall neither do this in your own land ²⁵ nor receive from a foreigner any such animals to offer up as the food of your God; since they are deformed or blemished, they will not be acceptable on your behalf.

⁵ Your lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish. You may take it from either the sheep or the goats.