¹⁵ Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer,^(A) according to the blessing the Lord your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it. ¹⁶ But you must not eat the blood;^(B) pour^(C) it out on the ground like water.^(D)

²² Eat them as you would gazelle or deer.^(A) Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat. ²³ But be sure you do not eat the blood,^(B) because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.^{(C) 24} You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.^(D)

17 Do not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect^(A) or flaw in it, for that would be detestable^(B) to him.^(C)

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^(A)—presents a gift^(B) for a burnt offering to the Lord, either to fulfill a vow^(C) or as a freewill offering,^{(D) 19} you must present a male without defect^(E) from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf.^{(F) 20} Do not bring anything with a defect,^(G) because it will not be accepted on your behalf.^{(H) 21} When anyone brings from the herd or flock^(I) a fellowship offering^(J) to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering,^(K) it must be without defect or blemish^(L) to be acceptable.^{(M) 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^[a] 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.^(N) 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.^(O) They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.^(P)’”

⁸ When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals,^(A) is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased^(B) with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.^(C)