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Leviticus 11
Lexham English Bible

Clean and Unclean Animals

11 Then[a] Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, 2 “Speak to the Israelites,[b] saying, ‘These are the animals that you may eat from all the animals that are on the land: 3 Any among the animals that has a divided hoof and has a split cleft in[c] the hoof, such[d] you may eat. 4 However,[e] these[f] you may not eat from those that chew the cud and from those that have a[g] divided hoof: the camel, because it is a chewer of cud but it does not have a hoof that is divided—it is unclean for you; 5 and the coney, because it is a chewer of cud but it does not have a hoof that is divided—it is unclean for you; 6 and the hare, because it is a chewer of cud but it does not have a hoof that is divided—it is unclean for you; 7 and the pig, because it has a divided hoof and has a split cleft in[h] the hoof but it does not chew cud—it is unclean for you. 8 You must not eat from their meat, and you must not touch their dead body—they are unclean for you.

9 “‘These[i] you may eat from all that are in the water: any in the water that has a fin and scales, whether in the seas or[j] in the streams—such[k] you may eat. 10 But any that does not have a fin and scales, whether in the seas or[l] in the streams, among[m] all the water’s swarmers among all the living creatures that are in the water—they are a detestable thing to you. 11 And they shall be detestable to you; you must not eat from their meat, and you must detest their dead body. 12 Any that does not have a fin and scales in the water—it is a detestable thing to you.

13 “‘And these you must detest from the birds; they must not be eaten—they are detestable: the eagle and the vulture and the short-toed eagle, 14 and the red kite and the black kite according to its kind, 15 every crow according to its kind, 16 and the ostrich[n] and the short-eared owl and the seagull and the hawk according to its kind, 17 and the little owl and the cormorant and the great owl, 18 and the barn owl and the desert owl and the carrion vulture, 19 and the stork, the heron according to its kind and the hoopoe and the bat.

20 “‘Any winged insect[o] that walks on all fours is detestable to you. 21 Only this may you eat from any of the winged insects[p] that walk on all fours—that which has jointed legs above its feet for leaping upon the land. 22 From these[q] you may eat the locust according to its kind and the bald locust according to its kind and the cricket according to its kind and the grasshopper according to its kind. 23 But[r] any other[s] winged insect[t] that has four legs is detestable to you. 24 And by these you shall become unclean—anyone who touches their dead body shall become unclean until the evening, 25 and anyone who carries their dead body must wash his garments, and he shall be unclean until the evening.

26 “‘With regard to any animal that has a divided hoof but does not split the hoof, or[u] does not have a cud for chewing[v]—they are unclean for you; anyone who touches them shall become unclean. 27 And anything that walks upon its paws among any of the animals[w] that walks on all fours—they are unclean for you; anyone who touches their dead body shall become unclean until the evening, 28 and the one who carries their dead body must wash his garments, and he shall be unclean until the evening—they are unclean for you.

29 “‘And these[x] are the unclean for you among the swarmers[y] that swarm on the land: the weasel and the mouse and the thorn-tailed lizard according to its kind, 30 and the gecko and the land crocodile and the lizard and the sand lizard and the chameleon. 31 These are the unclean for you among all the swarmers; anyone who touches them at their death shall become unclean until the evening. 32 And anything on which one of them[z] falls at their death shall become unclean: any object of wood or garment or skin or sackcloth—any object that has performed work—must be placed in water, and it shall be unclean until the evening, and then it shall be clean. 33 And any clay vessel[aa] into which it falls shall become unclean, and you must break it. 34 Any of the food that could be eaten on which water from such a vessel comes shall become unclean, and any liquid that could be drunk in any such vessel shall become unclean. 35 And anything on which one of their dead bodies[ab] falls shall become unclean: an oven or[ac] a stove must be broken[ad]—they are unclean and shall be unclean for you. 36 Surely[ae] a spring or[af] a cistern collecting water shall be clean, but that which touches their dead body shall become unclean. 37 And when one of their dead bodies[ag] falls on any seed for sowing,[ah] it is clean. 38 But[ai] when water is put on the seed and one of their dead bodies[aj] falls on it, it is unclean for you.

39 “‘And when one of the animals[ak] dies that is for you to eat, the one who touches its dead body shall become unclean until the evening. 40 And the one who eats some of[al] its dead body must wash his garments, and he shall be unclean until the evening; and the one who carries its dead body must wash his garments, and he shall be unclean until the evening.

41 “‘And any swarmer that swarms on the land is detestable; it must not be eaten. 42 You must not eat[am] anything that moves upon its belly or[an] that walks on all fours, even any with numerous feet belonging to any swarmer that swarms on the land, because they are detestable. 43 You must not defile yourselves with any swarmer that swarms, and you must not make yourselves unclean by them and so be made unclean by them, 44 because I am Yahweh your God, and you must keep yourselves sanctified, so that[ao] you shall be holy, because I am holy. And you must not make yourselves unclean with any swarmer that moves along on the land, 45 because I am Yahweh, who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be for you as God. Thus[ap] you shall be holy, because I am holy.

46 “‘This is the regulation of the animals[aq] and the birds and all living creatures that move along in the water and concerning[ar] all the creatures that swarm on the land, 47 to distinguish between the unclean and the clean and between the animal that is to be eaten and the animal that must not be eaten.’”

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 11:1 Or “And”
  2. Leviticus 11:2 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  3. Leviticus 11:3 Hebrew “of”
  4. Leviticus 11:3 Hebrew “her/it”
  5. Leviticus 11:4 Or “Only”
  6. Leviticus 11:4 By context; Hebrew “this”
  7. Leviticus 11:4 Hebrew “the”
  8. Leviticus 11:7 Hebrew “of”
  9. Leviticus 11:9 By context; Hebrew “This”
  10. Leviticus 11:9 Or “and”
  11. Leviticus 11:9 Hebrew “them”
  12. Leviticus 11:10 Or “and”
  13. Leviticus 11:10 Literally “from”
  14. Leviticus 11:16 Literally “the daughter of the ostrich”
  15. Leviticus 11:20 Literally “swarmer of the wing”
  16. Leviticus 11:21 Literally “the swarmer of the wing”
  17. Leviticus 11:22 Literally “These from them”
  18. Leviticus 11:23 Or “And”
  19. Leviticus 11:23 Implied by context
  20. Leviticus 11:23 Literally “swarmer of wing”
  21. Leviticus 11:26 Or “and”
  22. Leviticus 11:26 So HALOT 830 s.v. 4
  23. Leviticus 11:27 Collective singular = plural by context
  24. Leviticus 11:29 By context; Hebrew “this”
  25. Leviticus 11:29 Collective singular = plural
  26. Leviticus 11:32 Literally “from them”
  27. Leviticus 11:33 Context indicates a vessel as distinguished from a tool or utensil
  28. Leviticus 11:35 Literally “from their dead body”
  29. Leviticus 11:35 Or “and”
  30. Leviticus 11:35 Or “smashed” (NASB, HCSB, NET, NJPS) or “broken in pieces” (ASV, ESV, NRSV)
  31. Leviticus 11:36 So HALOT 45
  32. Leviticus 11:36 Or “and”
  33. Leviticus 11:37 Literally “from their dead body”
  34. Leviticus 11:37 Literally “seed plant that is to be sown”
  35. Leviticus 11:38 Or “And”
  36. Leviticus 11:38 Literally “from their dead body”
  37. Leviticus 11:39 Literally “from the animal”
  38. Leviticus 11:40 Literally “from”
  39. Leviticus 11:42 Hebrew “eat them”
  40. Leviticus 11:42 Or “and”
  41. Leviticus 11:44 Or “and”
  42. Leviticus 11:45 Or “And”
  43. Leviticus 11:46 Collective singulars in this verse are plural by context
  44. Leviticus 11:46 Literally “of”
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Leviticus 11
New International Version

Clean and Unclean Food(A)

11 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat:(B) 3 You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud.

4 “‘There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them.(C) The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. 5 The hyrax, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. 6 The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. 7 And the pig,(D) though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. 8 You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.(E)

9 “‘Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams you may eat any that have fins and scales. 10 But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales—whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water—you are to regard as unclean.(F) 11 And since you are to regard them as unclean, you must not eat their meat; you must regard their carcasses as unclean.(G) 12 Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be regarded as unclean by you.(H)

13 “‘These are the birds you are to regard as unclean and not eat because they are unclean: the eagle,[a] the vulture, the black vulture, 14 the red kite, any kind(I) of black kite, 15 any kind of raven,(J) 16 the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, 17 the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, 18 the white owl,(K) the desert owl, the osprey, 19 the stork,(L) any kind(M) of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.(N)

20 “‘All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be regarded as unclean by you.(O) 21 There are, however, some flying insects that walk on all fours that you may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground. 22 Of these you may eat any kind of locust,(P) katydid, cricket or grasshopper. 23 But all other flying insects that have four legs you are to regard as unclean.

24 “‘You will make yourselves unclean by these;(Q) whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening.(R) 25 Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash their clothes,(S) and they will be unclean till evening.(T)

26 “‘Every animal that does not have a divided hoof or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you; whoever touches the carcass of any of them will be unclean. 27 Of all the animals that walk on all fours, those that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. 28 Anyone who picks up their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.(U) These animals are unclean for you.

29 “‘Of the animals that move along the ground, these are unclean for you:(V) the weasel, the rat,(W) any kind of great lizard, 30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon. 31 Of all those that move along the ground, these are unclean for you. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean till evening. 32 When one of them dies and falls on something, that article, whatever its use, will be unclean, whether it is made of wood, cloth, hide or sackcloth.(X) Put it in water; it will be unclean till evening, and then it will be clean. 33 If one of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean, and you must break the pot.(Y) 34 Any food you are allowed to eat that has come into contact with water from any such pot is unclean, and any liquid that is drunk from such a pot is unclean. 35 Anything that one of their carcasses falls on becomes unclean; an oven or cooking pot must be broken up. They are unclean, and you are to regard them as unclean. 36 A spring, however, or a cistern for collecting water remains clean, but anyone who touches one of these carcasses is unclean. 37 If a carcass falls on any seeds that are to be planted, they remain clean. 38 But if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you.

39 “‘If an animal that you are allowed to eat dies,(Z) anyone who touches its carcass(AA) will be unclean till evening. 40 Anyone who eats some of its carcass(AB) must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.(AC) Anyone who picks up the carcass must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.

41 “‘Every creature that moves along the ground is to be regarded as unclean; it is not to be eaten. 42 You are not to eat any creature that moves along the ground, whether it moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet; it is unclean. 43 Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures.(AD) Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean by them. 44 I am the Lord your God;(AE) consecrate yourselves(AF) and be holy,(AG) because I am holy.(AH) Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground.(AI) 45 I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt(AJ) to be your God;(AK) therefore be holy, because I am holy.(AL)

46 “‘These are the regulations concerning animals, birds, every living thing that moves about in the water and every creature that moves along the ground. 47 You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.(AM)’”

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 11:13 The precise identification of some of the birds, insects and animals in this chapter is uncertain.
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