Animais que se podem e não se podem comer
(Dt 14.3-21)
1Então o Senhor disse a Moisés e a Aarão:
2-3“Digam o seguinte ao povo de Israel: Os animais que podem servir para a alimentação são os que têm o casco fendido e que ruminam. 4Quer isto dizer que os seguintes animais não devem ser comidos: o camelo que rumina, mas não tem o casco fendido, deve ser considerado impuro; 5o damão-do-cabo que rumina, mas não tem o casco fendido, deve ser considerado impuro; 6a lebre que também rumina, mas não tem o casco fendido, deve ser considerada impura; 7o porco, embora tenha o casco fendido, não rumina, deve ser considerado impuro. 8Não deverão comer a sua carne nem sequer tocar nos seus cadáveres. É alimento que vos é proibido, pois é considerado impuro.
9E quanto aos peixes poderão comer os que têm barbatanas e escamas, sejam pescados no mar ou em rios; 10mas todos os outros vos são proibidos. 11Não deverão comer a sua carne e não tocarão nos seus corpos mortos. 12Repito: qualquer animal aquático que não tenha barbatanas ou escamas vos é proibido, pois é considerado impuro.
13No que concerne às aves, são as seguintes as que não devem comer: a águia, o abutre, a águia pesqueira, 14o milhafre, o falcão de toda a espécie, 15o corvo de toda a espécie, 16a coruja do deserto, a coruja pequena, a gaivota, o gavião de toda a espécie, 17o mocho, o pelicano, o corujão-orelhudo, 18a gralha, a coruja do deserto, o abutre-egípcio, 19a cegonha, a garça de toda a espécie, a poupa e o morcego.
20Nenhum inseto que voa, que tenha quatro patas, deverão comer, pois é considerado impuro; 21mas poderão comer de todos os que saltam. 22Por isso, podem comer toda a variedade de locusta, de gafanhoto devorador, de gafanhoto comum, de grilo. 23Mas tudo o mais que voe e tenha quatro patas é proibido. 24Quem tocar os seus corpos mortos será impuro até à noite; 25quem transportar o cadáver dum deles tem de lavar as suas roupas e ficará impuro até à noite.
26Também serão considerados impuros se tocarem qualquer animal com casco não fendido em duas partes, ou qualquer animal que não rumine. 27Igualmente todo o animal plantígrado, que anda pousando no chão toda a planta dos pés, vos é proibido. Quem tocar nos seus corpos mortos será impuro até ao cair da noite. 28Qualquer pessoa que tiver de carregar as suas carcaças deverá lavar a roupa e será impura até à noite. Porque são para vocês animais proibidos.
29Também vos serão proibidos os seguintes pequenos animais, que se esgueiram por entre os pés ou que rastejam: a doninha, o rato, o lagarto, 30o geco, a iguana, a agama, a lagartixa e o camaleão. 31Seja quem for que tocar nos seus corpos mortos ficará impuro até ao anoitecer; 32também tudo aquilo sobre o que caírem os seus cadáveres será impuro, quer se trate de objeto de madeira, de tecido, de pele ou tecido de saco, ou instrumento de trabalho; deverá ser metido em água, e será impuro até ao fim da tarde. Só depois disso poderá ser usado novamente. 33Se for dentro de um vaso de barro que caírem os seus corpos mortos, tudo o que lá estiver será impuro, e o recipiente será quebrado. 34E se a água usada para a limpeza do objeto impuro tocar algum alimento, todo este será impuro. Toda a bebida que estiver nesse recipiente de barro ficará impura.
35Se o corpo morto de um desses animais tocar num forno de barro será impuro: deverá quebrar-se. 36Se cair dentro de uma fonte de água ou de uma cisterna, a água não será impura, mas quem tirar de lá o corpo morto será impuro. 37Se tocar ou cair sobre semente a semear no campo, esta não ficará contaminada. 38No entanto, se o grão estiver molhado quando cair nele o corpo morto dum desses animais, essa semente será impura.
39-40Se algum dos animais que vos é permitido comer, morrer, quem tocar no seu cadáver deverá lavar a sua roupa com água e será impuro até à noite.
41Animais que rastejam não deverão ser comidos. 42Isto inclui tanto os que rastejam sobre o ventre como os que têm patas. Tão pouco os que se arrastam, com muitas patas, poderão comer, porque são impuros. 43Não se contaminem tocando-lhes.
44Eu sou o Senhor, vosso Deus. Mantenham-se puros no respeitante a estas coisas, e sejam santos, porque eu sou santo. Não se contaminem tocando algum desses animais que rastejam sobre o chão. 45Porque eu sou o Senhor que vos tirou da terra do Egito para que eu seja o vosso Deus. Devem pois ser santos porque eu sou santo.”
46São pois estas as leis referentes aos animais que vivem sobre a terra, às aves, aos que vivem na água e aos que rastejam sobre a terra; 47para se fazer diferença entre os animais que são cerimonialmente limpos, e podem ser comidos, e os que são impuros e não devem ser ingeridos.
“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.’ ”
