Leviticus 22:1-21 ▼

1 The LORD said to Moses:

2 Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings which the Israelites consecrate to me; otherwise they will profane my holy name. I am the LORD.

3 Tell them: If any one of you, or of your descendants in any future generation, dares, while he is in a state of uncleanness, to draw near the sacred offerings which the Israelites consecrate to the LORD, such a one shall be cut off from my presence. I am the LORD.

4 No descendant of Aaron who is stricken with a scaly infection, or who suffers from a genital discharge, may eat of the sacred offerings, until he again becomes clean. Moreover, if anyone touches a person who has become unclean by contact with a corpse, or if anyone has had an emission of semen,

5 or if anyone touches any swarming creature whose uncleanness is contagious or any person whose uncleanness, of whatever kind it may be, is contagious—

6 the one who touches such as these shall be unclean until evening and may not eat of the sacred portions until he has first bathed his body in water.

7 Then, when the sun sets, he shall be clean. Only then may he eat of the sacred offerings, for they are his food.

8 He shall not make himself unclean by eating of any animal that has died of itself or has been killed by wild beasts. I am the LORD.

9 They shall keep my charge so that they will not bear the punishment in this matter and die for their profanation. I am the LORD who makes them holy.

10 Neither an unauthorized person nor a priest’s tenant or laborer may eat of any sacred offering.

11 But a slave whom a priest acquires by purchase or who is born in his house may eat of his food.

12 A priest’s daughter who is married to an unauthorized person may not eat of the sacred contributions.

13 But if a priest’s daughter is widowed or divorced and, having no children, returns to her father’s house, she may then eat of her father’s food as in her youth. No unauthorized person, however, may eat of it.

14 If such a one eats of a sacred offering through inadvertence, that person shall make restitution to the priest for the sacred offering, with an increment of one fifth of the amount.

15 The priests shall not allow the sacred offerings which the Israelites contribute to the LORD to be profaned

16 nor make them incur a penalty when they eat their sacred offerings. For I, the LORD, make them holy.

17 The LORD said to Moses:

18 Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites, and tell them: When anyone of the house of Israel, or any alien residing in Israel, who presents an offering, brings a burnt offering as a votive offering or as a voluntary offering to the LORD,

19 if it is to be acceptable for you, it must be an unblemished male of the herd, of the sheep or of the goats.

20 You shall not offer one that has any blemish, for such a one would not be acceptable on your behalf.

21 When anyone presents a communion sacrifice to the LORD from the herd or the flock in fulfillment of a vow, or as a voluntary offering, if it is to find acceptance, it must be unblemished; it shall not have any blemish.