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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.(A) 20 You shall not offer one that has any blemish, for such a one would not be acceptable on your behalf.(B) 21 When anyone presents a communion sacrifice(C) 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 [a]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.

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Footnotes

  1. 22:23 Burnt offerings and communion sacrifices brought as voluntary offerings may have slight defects, probably because they are freely given and do not depend upon a prior promise as do votive offerings.

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

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 22:23 The Hebrew word can refer to either male or female.

19 Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.

20 But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.

21 And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.

22 Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the Lord.

23 Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.

24 Ye shall not offer unto the Lord that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.

25 Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.

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Membership in the Assembly. [a]No one whose testicles have been crushed or whose penis has been cut off may come into the assembly of the Lord.(A) No one born of an illicit union may come into the assembly of the Lord, nor any descendant of such even to the tenth generation may come into the assembly of the Lord.(B) (C)No Ammonite or Moabite may ever come into the assembly of the Lord, nor may any of their descendants even to the tenth generation come into the assembly of the Lord, because they would not come to meet you with food and water on your journey after you left Egypt, and because they hired Balaam, son of Beor, from Pethor in Aram Naharaim, to curse you. The Lord, your God, would not listen to Balaam but turned his curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord, your God, loves you. Never seek their welfare or prosperity as long as you live.(D) (E)Do not abhor the Edomite: he is your brother. Do not abhor the Egyptian: you were a resident alien in his country. Children born to them may come into the assembly of the Lord in the third generation.

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Footnotes

  1. 23:2 Exclusion of an emasculated male may have had to do with association of emasculation with the practices of other peoples, or it may have been rejection of someone with a significant blemish who was thus not suitable for participation in the sacral assembly.

No one born of a forbidden marriage[a] nor any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.

No Ammonite(A) or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.(B) For they did not come to meet you with bread and water(C) on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam(D) son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim[b](E) to pronounce a curse on you.(F) However, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse(G) into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves(H) you. Do not seek a treaty(I) of friendship with them as long as you live.(J)

Do not despise an Edomite,(K) for the Edomites are related to you.(L) Do not despise an Egyptian, because you resided as foreigners in their country.(M) The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord.

Uncleanness in the Camp

When you are encamped against your enemies, keep away from everything impure.(N)

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 23:2 Or one of illegitimate birth
  2. Deuteronomy 23:4 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia

A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord.

An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever:

Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.

Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee.

Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.

Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land.

The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the Lord in their third generation.

When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.

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