Leviticus 17:1-9
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
IV. Holiness Laws
Chapter 17
Sacredness of Blood. 1 The Lord said to Moses: 2 Speak to Aaron and his sons, as well as to all the Israelites, and tell them: This is what the Lord has commanded: 3 [a]Any Israelite who slaughters an ox or a sheep or a goat, whether in the camp or outside of it, 4 without first bringing it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to the Lord in front of the Lord’s tabernacle, shall be judged guilty of bloodshed[b](A)—that individual has shed blood, and shall be cut off(B) from the people. 5 This is so that such sacrifices as they used to offer in the open field the Israelites shall henceforth bring to the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting, to the priest, and sacrifice them there as communion sacrifices to the Lord.(C) 6 The priest will splash the blood on the altar of the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting and burn the fat for an odor pleasing to the Lord. 7 No longer shall they offer their sacrifices to the demons[c] with whom they prostituted themselves.(D) This shall be an everlasting statute for them and their descendants.
8 Tell them, therefore: Anyone, whether of the house of Israel or of the aliens residing among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice 9 without bringing it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it to the Lord, shall be cut off from the people.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 17:3–4 Any animal slaughtered must be brought to the tent of meeting as an offering. This differs from Dt 12:15–28, which allows those living too far from the temple to slaughter an animal for food at home without offering it as a sacrifice.
- 17:4 Guilty of bloodshed: human beings and animals can incur blood guilt for killing human beings (cf. Gn 9:5–6); human beings can incur blood guilt for killing animals (see note on Lv 24:17–22).
- 17:7 Demons: for Hebrew śe‘îrîm, lit., “goats.” Like the demon Azazel (cf. 16:8, 10, 21–22), they dwell in the open country (17:5). Cf. Is 13:21; 34:14.
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