“Clean” and “Unclean” Food
1The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said to them, 2“Speak to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘Many animals live on land. Here are the only ones you can eat. 3You can eat any animal that has hooves that are separated completely in two. But it must also chew the cud.
4“ ‘Some animals only chew the cud. Some only have hooves that are separated in two. You must not eat those animals. Camels chew the cud. But their hooves are not separated in two. So they are “unclean” for you. 5Rock badgers chew the cud. But their hooves are not separated in two. So they are “unclean” for you. 6Rabbits chew the cud. But their hooves are not separated in two. So they are “unclean” for you. 7Pigs have hooves that are separated completely in two. But they do not chew the cud. So they are “unclean” for you. 8You must not eat the meat of those animals. You must not even touch their dead bodies. They are “unclean” for you.
9“ ‘Many creatures live in the water of the oceans and streams. You can eat all those that have fins and scales. 10Treat as “unclean” all the creatures in the oceans or streams that do not have fins and scales. That includes all those that move together in groups and all those that do not. 11Treat them as “unclean.” Do not eat their meat. Treat their dead bodies as “unclean.” 12Regard as “unclean” everything that lives in the water that does not have fins and scales.
13“ ‘Here are the birds you must treat as “unclean.” Do not eat them because they are “unclean.” The birds include eagles, vultures and black vultures. 14They include red kites and all kinds of black kites. 15They include all kinds of ravens. 16They include horned owls, screech owls, gulls and all kinds of hawks. 17They include little owls, cormorants and great owls. 18They include white owls, desert owls and ospreys. 19They also include storks, hoopoes, bats and all kinds of herons.
20“ ‘Treat as “unclean” every flying insect that walks on all fours. 21But you can eat some flying insects that walk on all fours. Their legs have joints so they can hop on the ground. 22Here are the insects you can eat. You can eat all kinds of locusts, katydids, crickets and grasshoppers. 23Treat as “unclean” every other creature with wings and four legs.
24“ ‘You will make yourselves “unclean” if you eat these things. If you touch their dead bodies, you will be “unclean” until evening. 25If a person picks up one of their dead bodies, that person must wash their clothes. They will be “unclean” until evening.
26“ ‘Suppose an animal has hooves that are not separated completely in two. Or suppose an animal does not chew the cud. Then these animals are “unclean” for you. If you touch the dead body of any of them, you will be “unclean.” 27Many animals walk on all fours. But those that walk on their paws are “unclean” for you. Anyone who touches their dead bodies will be “unclean” until evening. 28If a person picks up their dead bodies, that person must wash their clothes. They will be “unclean” until evening. These animals are “unclean” for you.
29“ ‘Many animals move along the ground. Here are the ones that are “unclean” for you. They include weasels, rats and all kinds of large lizards. 30They also include geckos, monitor lizards, wall lizards, skinks and chameleons. 31These are the animals that move around on the ground that are “unclean” for you. If you touch their dead bodies, you will be “unclean” until evening. 32Suppose one of them dies and falls on something. Then that thing will be “unclean.” It does not matter what it is used for. It does not matter whether it is made out of wood, cloth, hide or rough cloth. Put it in water. It will be “unclean” until evening. After that, it will be “clean.” 33Suppose one of these animals falls into a clay pot. Then everything in the pot will be “unclean.” You must break the pot. 34Any food that could be eaten but has water on it that came from that pot is “unclean.” And any liquid that could be drunk from it is “unclean.” 35Anything that the dead body of one of these animals falls on becomes “unclean.” If it is an oven or cooking pot, break it. It is “unclean.” And you must consider it “unclean.” 36But a spring or a well for collecting water remains “clean.” That is true even if the dead body of one of these animals falls into it. But anyone who touches the dead body is not “clean.” 37If the dead body falls on any seeds that have not been planted yet, the seeds remain “clean.” 38But suppose water has already been put on the seeds. And suppose the dead body falls on them. Then they are “unclean” for you.
39“ ‘Suppose an animal you are allowed to eat dies. If anyone touches its dead body, they will be “unclean” until evening. 40If they eat part of the dead body, they must wash their clothes. They will be “unclean” until evening. If they pick up the dead body, they must wash their clothes. They will be “unclean” until evening.
41“ ‘Treat as “unclean” every creature that moves along the ground. Do not eat it. 42Do not eat any of these creatures. It does not matter whether they move on their bellies. It does not matter whether they walk on all fours or on many feet. It is “unclean.” 43Do not make yourselves “unclean” by eating any of these animals. Do not make yourselves “unclean” because of them. Do not let them make you “unclean.” 44I am the Lord your God. Set yourselves apart. Be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves “unclean” by eating any creatures that move around on the ground. 45I am the Lord. I brought you up out of Egypt to be your God. So be holy, because I am holy.
46“ ‘These are the rules about animals and birds. These are the rules about every living thing that moves around in the water. And these are the rules about every creature that moves along the ground. 47You must be able to tell the difference between what is “clean” and what is not. You must also be able to tell the difference between living creatures that can be eaten and those that can’t.’ ”
Clean and unclean food
1The 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: 3you 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. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. 5The hyrax, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. 6The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. 7And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. 8You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.
9‘ “Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams you may eat any that have fins and scales. 10But 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. 11And since you are to regard them as unclean, you must not eat their meat; you must regard their carcasses as unclean. 12Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be regarded as unclean by you.
13‘ “These are the birds you are to regard as unclean and not eat because they are unclean: the eagle,11:13 The precise identification of some of the birds, insects and animals in this chapter is uncertain. the vulture, the black vulture, 14the red kite, any kind of black kite, 15any kind of raven, 16the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, 17the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, 18the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, 19the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.
20‘ “All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be regarded as unclean by you. 21There are, however, some flying insects that walk on all fours that you may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground. 22Of these you may eat any kind of locust, cricket, cicada or grasshopper. 23But all other flying insects that have four legs you are to regard as unclean.
24‘ “You will make yourselves unclean by these; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. 25Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.
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. 27Of 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. 28Anyone who picks up their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening. These animals are unclean for you.
29‘ “Of the animals that move along the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, 30the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon. 31Of all those that move along the ground, these are unclean for you. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean till evening. 32When 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. Put it in water; it will be unclean till evening, and then it will be clean. 33If one of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean, and you must break the pot. 34Any 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. 35Anything 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. 36A spring, however, or a cistern for collecting water remains clean, but anyone who touches one of these carcasses is unclean. 37If a carcass falls on any seeds that are to be planted, they remain clean. 38But 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, anyone who touches its carcass will be unclean till evening. 40Anyone who eats some of its carcass must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening. 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. 42You 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. 43Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean by them. 44I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground. 45I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.
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. 47You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.” ’
