Various Statutes for Priests

1Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Tell Aaron and his sons to be careful with the holy gifts of the sons of Israel, which they set apart to Me as holy, so as not to profane My holy name; I am Yahweh. 3Say to them, ‘If any man among all your seed throughout your generations comes near to the holy gifts which the sons of Israel set apart as holy to Yahweh, and he has an uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from before Me; I am Yahweh. 4No man of the seed of Aaron, who is a leper or who has a discharge, may eat of the holy gifts until he is clean. And if one touches anything made unclean by a corpse, or if a man has a seminal emission, 5or if a man touches any teeming things by which he is made unclean or any man by whom he is made unclean, whatever his uncleanness, 6a [†]person who touches any such thing shall be unclean until evening and shall not eat of the holy gifts unless he has bathed his [†]body in water. 7But the sun will set, and he will be clean. And afterward he shall eat of the holy gifts, for it is his [†]food. 8He shall not eat an animal which dies or is torn by beasts, becoming unclean by it; I am Yahweh. 9They shall therefore keep My charge so that they will not bear sin because of it and die thereby because they profane it; I am Yahweh who makes them holy.

10‘No [†]layman, however, is to eat the holy gift; a foreign resident with the priest or a hired man shall not eat of the holy gift. 11But if a priest buys a person as his property with his money, [†]that one may eat of it, and those who are born in his house may eat of his [†]food. 12If a priest’s daughter is married to a [†]layman, she shall not eat of the [†]contribution of the holy gifts. 13But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or divorced, and has no seed, and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s [†]food; but no [†]layman shall eat of it. 14But if a man eats a holy gift unintentionally, then he shall add to it a fifth of it and shall give the holy gift to the priest. 15They shall not profane the holy gifts of the sons of Israel which they raise up to Yahweh, 16and so cause them to bear [†]punishment for guilt by eating their holy gifts; for I am Yahweh who makes them holy.’”

Offerings Without Blemish

17Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18“Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘Any man of the house of Israel or of the sojourners in Israel who brings near his offering, whether it is any of their [†]votive or any of their freewill offerings, which they bring near to Yahweh for a burnt offering— 19for you to be accepted—it must be a male without blemish from the cattle, the sheep, or the goats. 20Whatever has a defect, you shall not bring it near, for it will not be accepted for you. 21And when a man brings a sacrifice of peace offerings near to Yahweh to [†]fulfill a special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be without blemish to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it. 22Those that are blind or fractured or maimed or have a running sore or eczema or scabs, you shall not bring near to Yahweh nor make of them an offering by fire on the altar to Yahweh. 23Now in respect to an ox or a lamb which has [†]an overgrown or stunted member, you may offer it for a freewill offering, but for a votive offering it will not be accepted. 24Also anything with its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut, you shall not bring near to Yahweh, and you shall not do thus in your land, 25nor shall you bring near any such thing from the hand of a foreigner for offering as the [†]food of your God; for their corruption is in them, they have a defect; they shall not be accepted for you.’”

26Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 27“When an ox or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall [†]remain seven days [†]with its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be accepted as a sacrifice of an offering by fire to Yahweh. 28But, whether it is an ox or a sheep, you shall not slaughter both it and its young in one day. 29And when you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to Yahweh, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. 30It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until morning; I am Yahweh. 31So you shall keep My commandments and do them; I am Yahweh.

32“And you shall not profane My holy name, but I will be treated as holy among the sons of Israel; I am Yahweh who makes you holy, 33who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am Yahweh.”