Leviticus 22 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
~1445 BC, in the Sinai encampment while the sacrificial system was being established
Location
The tent of meeting and the priestly households camped nearest to it
Audience
Aaron and his sons, with a closing section addressed to all Israelites who bring offerings
Situation
God rules on when a priest is too unclean to eat the holy portions and who in his household may share them, including servants, daughters, and hired workers. The second half requires that animals brought for sacrifice be without defect and at least eight days old.
Key Background
Priests received no farmland, so the portions of offerings were literally the family income, which makes the rules about who may eat them a matter of household economics as well as ritual. A daughter who married outside the priestly family lost her share but regained it if she returned home widowed or divorced with no children, a provision that kept vulnerable women fed. Requiring unblemished animals meant an offering cost the worshiper something real, since a lame or sickly animal was the cheapest one in the flock to give away.
Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,
Tell Aaron and his sons to keep their distance from the that the Israelites for me, so they do not down the that to me. I am Yahweh.
Tell them: For all generations to come, if any of your descendants approaches the offerings that the Israelites have set aside for Yahweh while he is in a state of that person will be from my presence. I am Yahweh.
Any descendant of Aaron who has a or a must not eat from the offerings kept for God until he is in a Anyone who touches something made ritually contaminated by a corpse, or who has a seminal emission,
"or who touches any that makes him ritually contaminated, or any person whose contamination — whatever the source — can spread to him — "
the person who touches any of these will be ritually contaminated until evening. He must not eat from the offerings kept for God unless he has washed his body with water.
When the sun goes down, he will be in a restored state. After that, he may eat from the offerings kept for God, because that is his food.
"He must not eat anything or by — that would make him ritually contaminated. I am Yahweh."
The priests must keep my requirements, or they will the of their and die because they treated what is kept for God as ordinary. I am Yahweh who them
No may eat the offerings kept for God. Neither a guest staying with a priest nor a hired worker may eat them.
"But if a priest buys a with his own money, that may eat from the offerings. Slaves born in his household may also eat his food."
If a priest's daughter marries someone who is not a priest, she can no longer eat from the for
"But if a priest's daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, and has no children, and she returns to her father's house like when she was young — she may eat from her father's food. But no outsider may eat it."
If someone eats from the offerings kept for God by he must pay back the priest for the offering plus an additional twenty percent.
The priests must not let the people Israel's offerings that are kept for God as by eating them,
causing them to bear the of that when they eat the offerings kept for God. I am Yahweh who sets them apart.
Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,
"Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the people of Israel and tell them: When anyone from the house of Israel, or any living among you, presents an — whether to fulfill a vow or as a voluntary gift — that they bring to Yahweh as an
"it must be a male — from the cattle, sheep, or goats — for it to be accepted on your behalf."
"You must not bring anything that has a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf."
"When anyone brings a to Yahweh — whether to fulfill a specific vow or as a voluntary gift — from the herd or flock, it must be without any defect to be accepted. There must be nothing wrong with it."
"You must not offer to Yahweh anything that is blind, broken, maimed, has running sores, skin disease, or scabs. Do not put any of these on the altar as a to Yahweh."
"As for an ox or a sheep that has a too or too — you may offer that as a voluntary gift, but it will not be accepted to fulfill a vow."
"You must not offer to Yahweh an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn, or cut. You must not do this in your land."
"And you must not accept any such animal from a to offer as for Because they are damaged — they have defects — they will not be accepted on behalf."
Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,
"When an ox, a sheep, or a goat is born, it must stay with its mother for From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as a fire offering to Yahweh."
"Whether it's a cow or a sheep, you must not slaughter both the mother and her young on the same day."
"When you sacrifice a to Yahweh, sacrifice it in a way that will be accepted on your behalf."
"It must be eaten on the same day. Don't leave any of it until morning. I am Yahweh."
"Keep my and carry them out. I am Yahweh."
Do not down the that to me. I must be treated as among the people of Israel. I am Yahweh who sets you
"who you out of the of to be your God. I am