Laws about Animals for Food

1The LORD spoke again to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘These are the creatures which you may eat from all the animals that are on the earth. 3Whatever has a divided hoof, showing split hoofs, and chews the cud, among the animals, that you may eat. 4Nevertheless, you are not to eat of these, among those which chew the cud, or among those which have a divided hoof: the camel, for though it chews cud, it does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean to you. 5Likewise, the rock hyrax, for though it chews cud, it does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean to you. 6The [a]rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean to you. 7And the pig, for though it has a divided hoof, and so it shows a split hoof, it does not chew cud; it is unclean to you. 8You shall not eat any of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.

9‘These you may eat, of whatever is in the water: everything that has fins and scales, in the water, in the seas, or in the rivers, you may eat. 10But whatever is in the seas and in the rivers that does not have fins and scales among all the teeming life of the water, and among all the living creatures that are in the water, they are detestable things to you, 11and they shall be detestable to you; you may not eat any of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. 12Whatever in the water does not have fins and scales is detestable to you.

Avoid the Unclean

13‘Moreover, these you shall detest among the birds; they are detestable, not to be eaten: the [b]eagle, the vulture, and the [c]buzzard, 14the red kite, the falcon in its kind, 15every raven in its kind, 16the ostrich, the owl, the seagull, and the hawk in its kind, 17the little owl, the cormorant, and the [d]great owl, 18the white owl, the [e]pelican, and the carrion vulture, 19the stork, the heron in its kinds, the hoopoe, and the bat.

20‘All the [f]winged insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you. 21Yet these you may eat among all the [g]winged insects that walk on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to jump on the earth. 22These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds, the devastating locust in its kinds, the cricket in its kinds, and the grasshopper in its kinds. 23But all other [h]winged insects which are four-footed are detestable to you.

24‘By these, moreover, you will be made unclean; whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, 25and whoever picks up any of their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. 26As for all the animals which have a divided hoof but do not show a split hoof, or do not chew the cud, they are unclean to you; whoever touches them becomes unclean. 27Also whatever walks on its paws, among all the creatures that walk on all fours, are unclean to you; whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, 28and the one who picks up their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening; they are unclean to you.

29‘Now these are to you the unclean among the swarming things which swarm on the earth: the mole, the mouse, and the [i]great lizard in its kinds, 30the gecko, the [j]crocodile, the lizard, the [k]sand reptile, and the chameleon. 31These are to you the unclean among all the swarming things; whoever touches them when they are dead becomes unclean until evening. 32Also anything on which one of them may fall when they are dead becomes unclean, including any wooden article, or clothing, or a hide, or a sack—any article [l]of which use is made—it shall be put in the water and be unclean until evening, then it becomes clean. 33As for any earthenware vessel into which one of them may fall, whatever is in it becomes unclean and you shall break [m]the vessel. 34Any of the [n]food which may be eaten, on which water comes, shall become unclean, and any [o]liquid which may be drunk in every vessel shall become unclean. 35Moreover, everything on which part of their carcass may fall becomes unclean; an oven or a [p]stove shall be smashed; they are unclean and shall continue as unclean to you. 36Nevertheless, a spring or a cistern [q]collecting water shall be clean, though the one who touches their carcass shall be unclean. 37Now if a part of their carcass falls on any seed for sowing which is to be sown, it is clean. 38But if water is put on the seed and a part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.

39‘Also if one of the animals dies which you have for food, the one who touches its carcass becomes unclean until evening. 40He, too, who eats some of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening, and the one who picks up its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

41‘Now every swarming thing that swarms on the earth is detestable, not to be eaten. 42Whatever crawls on its belly, and whatever walks on all fours, whatever has many feet, in regard to every swarming thing that swarms on the earth, you shall not eat them, because they are detestable. 43Do not make [r]yourselves detestable through any of the swarming things that swarm; and you shall not make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean. 44For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, because I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. 45For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt, to be your God; so you shall be holy, because I am holy.’”

46This is the law regarding the animal and the bird, and every living thing that moves in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth, 47to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the edible creature and the creature which is not to be eaten.

[a] 6 Or hare
[b] 13 Or vulture
[c] 13 Or black vulture
[d] 17 Specifically, great horned owl
[e] 18 Or owl; or jackdaw
[f] 20 Lit swarming things with wings
[g] 21 See note v 20
[h] 23 See note v 20
[i] 29 Or thorn-tailed lizard
[j] 30 Or lizard
[k] 30 Species as yet undefined
[l] 32 Lit with which work is done
[m] 33 Lit it
[n] 34 I.e., if touched by a carcass; cf. vv 29-32
[o] 34 I.e., if touched by a carcass; cf. vv 29-32
[p] 35 Lit hearth for supporting (two) pots
[q] 36 Lit a collecting place of
[r] 43 Lit your souls