Old Testament · Leviticus

Leviticus 17

The Place of Sacrifice

1And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel, and say to them: This is the word which the LORD commanded^a, saying: 3Any man^b, man from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or who slaughters it outside the camp, 4and to the opening of the tent^c of appointed time (mo-ed) he has not brought him, to present an offering to the LORD before the tabernacle^d of the LORD — blood shall be reckoned to that man; he has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from the midst of his people.

5in order that the sons of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they are sacrificing upon the face of the field, and they shall bring them to the LORD, to the opening of the tent of appointed time (mo-ed), to the priest, and they shall sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the LORD. 6And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the LORD at the opening of the tent of appointed time (mo-ed), and he shall make the fat smoke for a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

7And they shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat-demons after whom they go whoring. This shall be an everlasting statute^e for them throughout their generations.

8And to them you shall say: Any man, man from the house of Israel, or from the sojourner who sojourns in their midst, who offers up a burnt offering or a sacrifice, 9and to the opening of the tent of appointed time (mo-ed) he does not bring it, to offer it to the LORD — that man shall be cut off from his people.

Laws against Eating Blood

10And any man, man from the house of Israel, or from the sojourner who sojourns in their midst, who eats any blood — I will set my face against the soul^f that eats the blood, and I will cut it off from the midst of its people. 11For the soul of the flesh^g is in the blood, and I myself have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by the soul. 12Therefore I said to the sons of Israel: No soul among you shall eat blood, nor shall the sojourner who sojourns in your midst eat blood.

13And any man, man from the sons of Israel, or from the sojourner who sojourns in their midst, who hunts game, a living thing^h or a bird that may be eaten — he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dustⁱ. 14For the soul of all flesh — its blood is in its soul; and I said to the sons of Israel: You shall not eat the blood of all flesh, for the soul of all flesh is its blood; everyone who eats it shall be cut off.

15And every soul that eats a carcass or that which is torn, whether native or sojourner, he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean before(ad עד) the evening; then he shall be clean. 16But if he does not wash, and does not bathe his flesh, then he shall bear his iniquity.