Leviticus

Law Concerning Animals

Pure and Impure Animals

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said to them:

“Speak to the people of Israel and say:

Of all the animals on earth, these are the animals you may eat.

You may eat any animal that has divided hooves, split into two parts, and that also chews the cud.

You may not eat the camel, because although it chews the cud, it does not have divided hooves;

the rabbit, because although it chews the cud, it does not have divided hooves;

the hare, as well;

the pig, because although it has divided hooves, it does not chew the cud.

You must not eat the meat of these animals or their carcasses; they are unclean for you.

Of all the creatures that live in water, you may eat anything with fins and scales that lives in the sea or rivers.

But anything living in the sea or rivers that lacks fins and scales must not be eaten.

They are unclean for you; you shall not eat their flesh or even touch their dead bodies.

Anything that lives in water but does not have fins and scales is unclean for you.

Among the birds, these are the ones you should consider unclean and avoid eating:

Thee vulture, the eagle, the osprey, the hawk, and various types of predators;

all kinds of ravens;

the ostrich, the screech owl, and the seagull;

the horned owl, the night owl, seabirds, and barn owls;

the ibis, the pelican, and the white vulture;

the stork, several types of herons, and bats.

All winged insects that walk on four legs are unclean for you.

Of all the winged insects, you may only eat those with legs above their feet that enable them to leap over the ground.

These are the ones you may eat: various kinds of locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers.

However, all other winged insects with four legs are to be considered unclean.

Animals that Pollute

Anyone who touches

or carries the dead bodies of any of these animals will be unclean until evening.

The same applies to animals that have hooves, unless their hooves are split and they chew the cud;

and four-footed animals that walk on the flat of their feet.

Anyone who picks up their dead bodies must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening.

These small animals crawling on the ground shall be unclean for you: rats, mice, and several kinds of lizards:

the gecko, chameleon, agama, skink, and mole.

Anyone who touches them when they are dead will be unclean until evening.

Anything that the dead body of any of these creatures touches becomes unclean: wooden utensils, clothing, skin, sackcloth—any utensil. It must be dipped in water and remains unclean until evening; then, it will be clean.

If the creature falls into a clay pot, the pot must be broken; whatever is inside the pot is unclean.

Any food that water from such a pot has splashed onto will be unclean.

Anything that the dead body of such a creature may touch will also be unclean: if it is a clay stove or oven, they must be broken, for they are unclean, and you must treat them as such.

A spring or cistern used for collecting water remains clean, but anyone who touches the dead body becomes unclean.

If one of their dead bodies falls on any seed, the seed will remain clean;

but if the seed is wet and such a dead body falls on it, then it must be considered unclean.

If one of the animals used for food dies, anyone who touches the dead body will be unclean until evening.

Anyone who eats the meat from a dead animal must wash their clothing and will remain unclean until evening. Anyone who picks up the dead body will also be unclean until evening and must wash their clothing.

All the creatures that swarm on the ground are unclean and cannot be eaten.

Everything that crawls on its belly, moves on four legs, or has many legs is not permissible to eat.

Do not pollute yourselves with any swarming creature that could defile you,

for I am the Lord your God. Choose the path of holiness and be holy, as I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean with any creatures that swarm on the ground,

for I am the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt so that I might be your God. Be holy because I am holy.

This law applies to all animals, birds, and creatures that move in water or crawl on land. Let everyone distinguish between the clean and the unclean, as well as between creatures that may be eaten and those that may not.