1Yahweh spoke to Moses; he said: 2“Tell Aaron and his sons when they have to abstain from the holy offerings of the people of Israel, lest they profane my holy name; for I am the one who makes them holy. I am Yahweh. 3Tell them this:
Anyone of your descendants, in any generation, who in a state of uncleanness approaches the holy offerings consecrated to Yahweh by the people of Israel, shall be outlawed from my presence. I am Yahweh.
4Anyone of Aaron’s line who is afflicted with leprosy or a discharge must not eat holy things until he is clean. Anyone who touches something made unclean by a dead body, or has a seminal discharge, 5or is made unclean by touching either some creeping thing or some man who has communicated to him his own uncleanness of whatever kind, 6in short, anyone who has had any such contact shall be unclean until evening, and must not eat holy things until he has taken a bath. 7At sunset he will be clean and may then eat holy things, for these are his food.
8He must not eat an animal that has died a natural death or been killed by wild animals; he would become unclean by doing this. I am Yahweh.
9Let them keep these rules and not burden themselves with sin lest they die because of having defiled this food. I am Yahweh who makes them holy.
10No lay person may eat any of the sacred offerings: neither the guest of a priest, nor his hired servant. 11But if the priest has acquired a slave by purchase, the slave may eat them. Likewise anyone born in the house may eat a share of the food.
12If a priest’s daughter marries someone who is not a priest, she must not eat the holy portion set aside; 13but if she is widowed or divorced and, being childless, has had to return to her father’s house as when she was young, she may eat her father’s food. No lay person may eat it; 14if someone does eat a holy thing unintentionally, he shall restore it to the priest with one fifth added.
15They must not profane the holy offerings which the people of Israel have set aside for Yahweh. 16If they ate of them, they would have to pay a guilt offering. I am Yahweh, who have sanctified these offerings.”
17Yahweh spoke to Moses; he said:
18“Tell this to Aaron, to his sons, and to all the people of Israel:
19This rule refers to anyone of the Israelites or to any stranger living in Israel who brings anything for a burnt offering either in payment of a vow or as a voluntary gift. To be welcomed, he must offer a male ox, sheep or goat without any defect, 20You must not offer one that has defects; for it would not make you acceptable.
21If anyone offers to Yahweh a peace offering either to fulfill a vow or as a voluntary offering, the animal — from the herd or from the flock — will not please Yahweh unless it be without any defect. 22You must not offer to Yahweh an animal that is blind, lame, mutilated, ulcerous, or suffering from skin disease or a sore. No part of such an animal shall be laid on the altar as a burnt offering for Yahweh. 23As a voluntary offering, you may offer a bull or a lamb that is underdeveloped or deformed; but such will not be accepted in payment of a vow. 24Don’t offer to Yahweh an animal if its testicles have been bruised, crushed, removed or cut. This is not permitted in your land, 25and you are not to accept any such from the hands of a stranger, to offer as food for your God. Their deformity is a defect and they would not make you acceptable.”
26Yahweh spoke to Moses; he said:
27“A calf, lamb, or kid shall stay with its mother seven days after birth. From the eighth day it will be acceptable as a burnt offering to Yahweh. 28No animal, whether cow or ewe, shall be slaughtered on the same day as its young.
29If you offer Yahweh a sacrifice of thanksgiving, do it so that Yahweh may be pleased. 30You must eat it the same day, and nothing should be left till the morning. I am Yahweh.
Final exhortation
31You must keep my commands and put them into practice. I am Yahweh. 32You must not profane my holy name, so that I may be proclaimed holy among the people of Israel, I, Yahweh who sanctify you. 33I who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God, I am Yahweh.”
