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Offering Sacrifices

17 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the ·people [L sons; children] of Israel. Tell them: ‘This is what the Lord has commanded. If ·an Israelite [L a person from the house of Israel] ·kills [slaughters] an ox, a lamb, or a goat either inside the camp or outside it, when he should have brought the animal to the entrance of the Meeting Tent as a ·gift [offering] to the Lord in front of the Lord’s ·Holy Tent [sanctuary], he is guilty of ·killing [L shedding blood]. He has ·killed [L shed blood], and he must be cut off from the people. This rule is so ·people [L the sons/T children of Israel] will bring their sacrifices, which they have been sacrificing in the open fields, to the Lord. They must bring those animals to the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent; they must bring them to the priest and offer them as ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [3:1]. Then the priest will ·sprinkle [dash] the blood from those animals on the Lord’s altar near the entrance of the Meeting Tent. And he will ·burn [L turn into smoke] the fat from those animals on the altar [3:17], as a smell pleasing to the Lord. They must not offer any more sacrifices to their goat idols [C goat images representing demons; 2 Chr. 11:15; Is. 13:21; 34:14], which they have chased like prostitutes [C spiritual infidelity is often likened to marital infidelity; Hos. 1:2]. These ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] will continue for people ·from now on [L throughout their generations].’

“Tell the people this: ‘If ·any citizen [L anyone from the house] of Israel or ·foreigner living with you [sojourner; wanderer; resident alien] offers a burnt offering [1:1–17] or sacrifice, that person must take his sacrifice to the entrance of the Meeting Tent to offer it to the Lord. If he does not do this, he must be cut off from the people.

10 “‘I will be against ·any citizen [L anyone from the house] of Israel or ·foreigner living with you [sojourner; wanderer; resident alien] who eats blood [3:17]. I will cut off that person from the people. 11 This is because the life of the body is in the blood, and I have given you rules for pouring that blood on the altar ·to remove your sins so you will belong to the Lord [to make atonement]. It is the blood that ·removes the sins [makes atonement], because it is life. 12 So I tell the ·people [L sons; children] of Israel this: “None of you may eat blood, and no ·foreigner living among you [resident alien] may eat blood.”

13 “‘If any ·citizen [L of the sons/T children] of Israel or ·foreigner living among you [resident alien] ·catches [hunts] a wild animal or bird that can be eaten, that person must pour the blood on the ground and cover it with dirt. 14 If blood is still in the ·meat [flesh], the animal’s life is still in it. So I give this command to the ·people [L sons; children] of Israel: “Don’t eat ·meat [flesh] that still has blood in it, because the animal’s life is in its blood. Anyone who eats blood must be cut off [3:17].”

15 “‘If a person, either a ·citizen [native] or a ·foreigner [resident alien], eats an animal that died by itself or was killed by another animal, he must wash his clothes and bathe in water. He will be unclean [C in a ritual sense] until evening; then he will be clean. 16 If he does not wash his clothes and bathe his body, he will ·be guilty of sin [carry their guilt].’”

Eating Blood Forbidden

17 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron and his sons(A) and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox,[a] a lamb(B) or a goat(C) in the camp or outside of it instead of bringing it to the entrance to the tent of meeting(D) to present it as an offering to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord(E)—that person shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; they have shed blood and must be cut off from their people.(F) This is so the Israelites will bring to the Lord the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the Lord, at the entrance to the tent of meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings.(G) The priest is to splash the blood against the altar(H) of the Lord(I) at the entrance to the tent of meeting and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(J) They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols[b](K) to whom they prostitute themselves.(L) This is to be a lasting ordinance(M) for them and for the generations to come.’(N)

“Say to them: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice and does not bring it to the entrance to the tent(O) of meeting(P) to sacrifice it to the Lord(Q) must be cut off from the people of Israel.

10 “‘I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats blood,(R) and I will cut them off from the people. 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood,(S) and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.[c](T) 12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood.”

13 “‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth,(U) 14 because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”(V)

15 “‘Anyone, whether native-born or foreigner, who eats anything(W) found dead or torn by wild animals(X) must wash their clothes and bathe with water,(Y) and they will be ceremonially unclean till evening;(Z) then they will be clean. 16 But if they do not wash their clothes and bathe themselves, they will be held responsible.(AA)’”

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 17:3 The Hebrew word can refer to either male or female.
  2. Leviticus 17:7 Or the demons
  3. Leviticus 17:11 Or atonement by the life in the blood