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.

The Holiness of the Offerings

22 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, that they (A)separate[a] themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they (B)do not profane My holy name by what they (C)dedicate to Me: I am the Lord. Say to them: ‘Whoever of all your descendants throughout your generations, who goes near the holy things which the children of Israel dedicate to the Lord, (D)while he has [b]uncleanness upon him, that person shall be cut off from My presence: I am the Lord.

‘Whatever man of the descendants of Aaron, who is a (E)leper or has (F)a discharge, shall not eat the holy offerings (G)until he is clean. And (H)whoever touches anything made unclean by a corpse, or (I)a man who has had an emission of semen, or (J)whoever touches any creeping thing by which he would be made unclean, or (K)any person by whom he would become unclean, whatever his uncleanness may be— the person who has touched any such thing shall be unclean until evening, and shall not eat the holy offerings unless he (L)washes his body with water. And when the sun goes down he shall be clean; and afterward he may eat the holy offerings, because (M)it is his food. (N)Whatever dies naturally or is torn by beasts he shall not eat, to defile himself with it: I am the Lord.

‘They shall therefore keep (O)My [c]ordinance, (P)lest they bear sin for it and die thereby, if they profane it: I the Lord sanctify them.

10 (Q)‘No outsider shall eat the holy offering; one who [d]dwells with the priest, or a hired servant, shall not eat the holy thing. 11 But if the priest (R)buys a person with his money, he may eat it; and one who is born in his house may eat his food. 12 If the priest’s daughter is married to an outsider, she may not eat of the holy offerings. 13 But if the priest’s daughter is a widow or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father’s house as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food; but no outsider shall eat it.

14 ‘And if a man eats the holy offering unintentionally, then he shall restore a holy offering to the priest, and add one-fifth to it. 15 They shall not profane the (S)holy offerings of the children of Israel, which they offer to the Lord, 16 or allow them to bear the guilt of trespass when they eat their holy offerings; for I the Lord sanctify them.’ ”

Offerings Accepted and Not Accepted

17 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them: (T)‘Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, who [e]offers his sacrifice for any of his vows or for any of his freewill offerings, which they offer to the Lord as a burnt offering— 19 (U)you shall offer of your own free will a male without blemish from the cattle, from the sheep, or from the goats. 20 (V)Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it shall not be acceptable on your behalf. 21 And (W)whoever offers a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, (X)to fulfill his vow, or a freewill offering from the cattle or the sheep, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it. 22 (Y)Those that are blind or broken or maimed, or have an [f]ulcer or eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the Lord, nor make (Z)an offering by fire of them on the altar to the Lord. 23 Either a bull or a lamb that has any limb (AA)too long or too short you may offer as a freewill offering, but for a vow it shall not be accepted.

24 ‘You shall not offer to the Lord what is bruised or crushed, or torn or cut; nor shall you make any offering of them in your land. 25 Nor (AB)from a foreigner’s hand shall you offer any of these as (AC)the bread of your God, because their (AD)corruption is in them, and defects are in them. They shall not be accepted on your behalf.’ ”

26 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 27 (AE)“When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall be seven days with its mother; and from the eighth day and thereafter it shall be accepted as an offering made by fire to the Lord. 28 Whether it is a cow or ewe, do not kill both her (AF)and her young on the same day. 29 And when you (AG)offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, offer it of your own free will. 30 On the same day it shall be eaten; you shall leave (AH)none of it until morning: I am the Lord.

31 (AI)“Therefore you shall keep My commandments, and perform them: I am the Lord. 32 (AJ)You shall not profane My holy name, but (AK)I will be [g]hallowed among the children of Israel. I am the Lord who (AL)sanctifies you, 33 (AM)who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 22:2 keep themselves apart from
  2. Leviticus 22:3 defilement
  3. Leviticus 22:9 charge
  4. Leviticus 22:10 As a visitor
  5. Leviticus 22:18 brings his offering
  6. Leviticus 22:22 running sore
  7. Leviticus 22:32 treated as holy