Leviticus 22

New Life Version

22 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell Aaron and his sons to be careful with the holy gifts that the people of Israel set apart for Me. So they will not sin against My holy name. I am the Lord. ³ Say to them, ‘If any one of all your children comes near the holy gifts that the people of Israel set apart for the Lord, while he is unclean, he will be cut off from My holy place. I am the Lord. ⁴ None of the children of Aaron who has a bad skin disease or something flowing from his body may eat of the holy gifts until he is clean. If one touches anything that is unclean because of a dead body, or has had his seed come from his sex part, ⁵ or touches anything that is unclean that moves on the ground, or touches any man who makes him unclean, for whatever reason, ⁶ the man who touches any such thing will be unclean until evening. He must not eat of the holy gifts unless he has washed his body in water. ⁷ When the sun has gone down, he will be clean. After that he may eat of the holy gifts, for they are his food. ⁸ He should not eat an animal that dies of itself or is killed by wild animals. He will be unclean if he does. I am the Lord. ⁹ The religious leaders must obey My Law, so they will not be sinful because of it and die because they sin against My Law. I am the Lord Who makes them holy.

¹⁰ ‘But no one who is not a religious leader may eat the holy gift. One who is visiting the religious leader or working for him must not eat of the holy gift. ¹¹ But a person whom the religious leader buys to work for him with his own money may eat of it. And those who are born in his house may eat of his food. ¹² If a religious leader’s daughter is married to a man who is not a religious leader, she must not eat of the holy gifts. ¹³ But if a religious leader’s daughter loses her husband by death or divorce, and has no child and returns to her father’s house as when she was young, she may eat of her father’s food. But no stranger may eat of it. ¹⁴ If a man eats a holy gift by mistake, he must add a fifth of its worth to it and give the holy gift to the religious leader. ¹⁵ The religious leaders must not make the holy gifts unclean that the people of Israel give to the Lord. ¹⁶ This would bring sin upon them when they eat their holy gifts. For I am the Lord Who makes them holy.’”

Gifts That Are Not Good Enough

¹⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹⁸ “Say to Aaron and to his sons and to all the people of Israel, ‘When any man of the house of Israel or of the strangers in Israel gives his gift for a burnt gift to the Lord, to pay a promise or as a free-will gift ¹⁹ to please the Lord, it must be a male that is perfect from the cattle, sheep or goats. ²⁰ Do not give anything that is not perfect, for you will not please the Lord. ²¹ When a man gives a peace gift to the Lord to keep a special promise or for a free-will gift from the cattle or the flock, it must be perfect to be received. It must have nothing wrong with it. ²² You must not give to the Lord or make a gift by fire on the altar to the Lord any animals that are blind or broken or hurt or have a flowing sore or a skin disease. ²³ You may give for a free-will gift a bull or lamb which has some part too long or too short. But it will not be received if it is to pay a promise. ²⁴ Do not give to the Lord any animal with its sex parts hurt or crushed or torn or cut. Do not give such animals on the altar in your land. ²⁵ And do not receive such animals from a man from another land to give as the food of your God. For they are unclean. They are not perfect. They will not be received from you.’”

²⁶ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁷ “When a bull or sheep or goat is born, it must stay seven days with its mother. After that it will be received as a gift by fire to the Lord. ²⁸ But do not kill a cow or female sheep and her young on the same day. ²⁹ When you give thanks to the Lord by giving a gift in worship, give it the right way so you will be received. ³⁰ It must be eaten on the same day. Do not leave any of it until morning. I am the Lord.

³¹ “So keep My Laws and obey them. I am the Lord. ³² Do not sin against My holy name. I will be honored among the people of Israel. I am the Lord Who makes you holy. ³³ I brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord.”