Sundry Rules for Priests

22 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Tell Aaron and his sons to be careful with the holy gifts of the sons of Israel, which they dedicate to Me, so as not to profane My holy name; I am the Lord. Say to them, ‘(A)If any man among all your [a]descendants throughout your generations approaches the holy gifts which the sons of Israel dedicate to the Lord, while he has an uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from before Me; I am the Lord. (B)No man of the [b]descendants of Aaron, who is a leper or who has a discharge, may eat of the holy gifts until he is clean. (C)And if one touches anything made unclean by a corpse or if (D)a man has a seminal emission, or (E)if a man touches any teeming things by which he is made unclean, or any man by whom he is made unclean, whatever his uncleanness; a [c]person who touches any such shall be unclean until evening, and shall not eat of the holy gifts unless he has bathed his [d]body in water. But when the sun sets, he will be clean, and afterward he shall eat of the holy gifts, for (F)it is his [e]food. He shall not eat (G)an animal which dies or is torn by beasts, becoming unclean by it; I am the Lord. They shall therefore keep (H)My charge, so that (I)they will not bear sin because of it and die thereby because they profane it; I am the Lord who sanctifies them.

10 (J)No [f]layman, however, is to eat the holy gift; a sojourner with the priest or a hired man shall not eat of the holy gift. 11 (K)But if a priest buys a [g]slave as his property with his money, [h]that one may eat of it, and those who are born in his house may eat of his [i]food. 12 If a priest’s daughter is married to a [j]layman, she shall not eat of the [k]offering of the gifts. 13 But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or divorced, and has no child and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s [l]food; (L)but no [m]layman shall eat of it. 14 (M)But if a man eats a holy gift unintentionally, then he shall add to it a fifth of it and shall give the holy gift to the priest. 15 (N)They shall not profane the holy gifts of the sons of Israel which they offer to the Lord, 16 and so cause them (O)to bear [n]punishment for guilt by eating their holy gifts; for I am the Lord who sanctifies them.’”

Flawless Animals for Sacrifice

17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘(P)Any man of the house of Israel or of the aliens in Israel who presents his offering, whether it is any of their [o]votive or any of their freewill offerings, which they present to the Lord for a burnt offering— 19 (Q)for you to be accepted—it must be a male without defect from the cattle, the sheep, or the goats. 20 (R)Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it will not be accepted for you. 21 When a man offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord (S)to [p]fulfill a special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it. 22 Those that are blind or fractured or maimed or having a running sore or eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the Lord, nor make of them an offering by fire on the altar to the Lord. 23 In respect to an ox or a lamb which has an [q]overgrown or stunted member, you may present it for a freewill offering, but for a vow it will not be accepted. 24 Also (T)anything with its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut, you shall not offer to the Lord, or [r]sacrifice in your land, 25 nor shall you accept any such from the hand of a foreigner for offering (U)as the [s]food of your God; for their corruption is in them, they have a defect, they shall not be accepted for you.’”

26 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “When an ox or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall [t]remain (V)seven days [u]with its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be accepted as a sacrifice of an offering by fire to the Lord. 28 (W)But, whether it is an ox or a sheep, you shall not kill both it and its young in one day. 29 When you sacrifice (X)a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. 30 It shall be eaten on the same day, you shall leave none of it until morning; I am the Lord. 31 (Y)So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the Lord.

32 “You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel; I am the Lord who sanctifies you, 33 (Z)who brought you out from the land of Egypt, to be your God; I am the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 22:3 Lit seed
  2. Leviticus 22:4 Lit seed
  3. Leviticus 22:6 Lit soul
  4. Leviticus 22:6 Lit flesh
  5. Leviticus 22:7 Lit bread
  6. Leviticus 22:10 Lit stranger
  7. Leviticus 22:11 Lit soul
  8. Leviticus 22:11 Lit he may
  9. Leviticus 22:11 Lit bread
  10. Leviticus 22:12 Lit stranger
  11. Leviticus 22:12 Lit heave offering
  12. Leviticus 22:13 Lit bread
  13. Leviticus 22:13 Lit stranger
  14. Leviticus 22:16 Or iniquity requiring a guilt offering
  15. Leviticus 22:18 Lit vows
  16. Leviticus 22:21 Or make a special votive offering
  17. Leviticus 22:23 Or a deformed
  18. Leviticus 22:24 Lit do
  19. Leviticus 22:25 Lit bread
  20. Leviticus 22:27 Lit be
  21. Leviticus 22:27 Lit under

22 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings(A) the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name.(B) I am the Lord.(C)

“Say to them: ‘For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord,(D) that person must be cut off from my presence.(E) I am the Lord.

“‘If a descendant of Aaron has a defiling skin disease[a] or a bodily discharge,(F) he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse(G) or by anyone who has an emission of semen, or if he touches any crawling thing(H) that makes him unclean, or any person(I) who makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be. The one who touches any such thing will be unclean(J) till evening.(K) He must not eat any of the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water.(L) When the sun goes down, he will be clean, and after that he may eat the sacred offerings, for they are his food.(M) He must not eat anything found dead(N) or torn by wild animals,(O) and so become unclean(P) through it. I am the Lord.(Q)

“‘The priests are to perform my service(R) in such a way that they do not become guilty(S) and die(T) for treating it with contempt. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.(U)

10 “‘No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired worker eat it.(V) 11 But if a priest buys a slave with money, or if slaves are born in his household, they may eat his food.(W) 12 If a priest’s daughter marries anyone other than a priest, she may not eat any of the sacred contributions. 13 But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, yet has no children, and she returns to live in her father’s household as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food. No unauthorized person, however, may eat it.

14 “‘Anyone who eats a sacred offering by mistake(X) must make restitution to the priest for the offering and add a fifth of the value(Y) to it. 15 The priests must not desecrate the sacred offerings(Z) the Israelites present to the Lord(AA) 16 by allowing them to eat(AB) the sacred offerings and so bring upon them guilt(AC) requiring payment.(AD) I am the Lord, who makes them holy.(AE)’”

Unacceptable Sacrifices

17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘If any of you—whether an Israelite or a foreigner residing in Israel(AF)—presents a gift(AG) for a burnt offering to the Lord, either to fulfill a vow(AH) or as a freewill offering,(AI) 19 you must present a male without defect(AJ) from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf.(AK) 20 Do not bring anything with a defect,(AL) because it will not be accepted on your behalf.(AM) 21 When anyone brings from the herd or flock(AN) a fellowship offering(AO) to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering,(AP) it must be without defect or blemish(AQ) to be acceptable.(AR) 22 Do not offer to the Lord the blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores. Do not place any of these on the altar as a food offering presented to the Lord. 23 You may, however, present as a freewill offering an ox[b] or a sheep that is deformed or stunted, but it will not be accepted in fulfillment of a vow. 24 You must not offer to the Lord an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut.(AS) You must not do this in your own land, 25 and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God.(AT) They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.(AU)’”

26 The Lord said to Moses, 27 “When a calf, a lamb or a goat(AV) is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days.(AW) From the eighth day(AX) on, it will be acceptable(AY) as a food offering presented to the Lord. 28 Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day.(AZ)

29 “When you sacrifice a thank offering(BA) to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 30 It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning.(BB) I am the Lord.(BC)

31 “Keep(BD) my commands and follow them.(BE) I am the Lord. 32 Do not profane my holy name,(BF) for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites.(BG) I am the Lord, who made you holy(BH) 33 and who brought you out of Egypt(BI) to be your God.(BJ) I am the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 22:4 The Hebrew word for defiling skin disease, traditionally translated “leprosy,” was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
  2. Leviticus 22:23 The Hebrew word can refer to either male or female.