Clean and Unclean Land Animals Leviticus 11:1–8 1 Leviticus 11:1. The LORD spoke again to Moses and Aaron, telling them,2 Leviticus 11:2. “Say to the Israelites, ‘Of all the beasts of the earth, these ones you may eat:3 Leviticus 11:3. You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud.4 Leviticus 11:4. But of those that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, you are not to eat the following: The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.5 Leviticus 11:5. The rock badger, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.6 Leviticus 11:6. The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.7 Leviticus 11:7. And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.8 Leviticus 11:8. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.
Clean and Unclean Aquatic Animals Leviticus 11:9–12 9 Leviticus 11:9. Of all the creatures that live in the water, whether in the seas or in the streams, you may eat anything with fins and scales.10 Leviticus 11:10. But the following among all the teeming life and creatures in the water are detestable to you: everything in the seas or streams that does not have fins and scales.11 Leviticus 11:11. They shall be an abomination to you; you must not eat their meat, and you must detest their carcasses.12 Leviticus 11:12. Everything in the water that does not have fins and scales shall be detestable to you.
Unclean Birds Leviticus 11:13–19 13 Leviticus 11:13. Additionally, you are to detest the following birds, and they must not be eaten because they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,14 Leviticus 11:14. the kite, any kind of falcon,15 Leviticus 11:15. any kind of raven,16 Leviticus 11:16. the ostrich, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk,17 Leviticus 11:17. the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,18 Leviticus 11:18. the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey,19 Leviticus 11:19. the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.
Clean and Unclean Flying Insects Leviticus 11:20–23 20 Leviticus 11:20. All flying insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you.21 Leviticus 11:21. However, you may eat the following kinds of flying insects that walk on all fours: those having jointed legs above their feet for hopping on the ground.22 Leviticus 11:22. Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket, or grasshopper.23 Leviticus 11:23. All other flying insects that have four legs are detestable to you.
Purification After Touching Dead Animals Leviticus 11:24–40 24 Leviticus 11:24. These creatures will make you unclean. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening,25 Leviticus 11:25. and whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening.26 Leviticus 11:26. Every animal with hooves not completely divided or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you. Whoever touches any of them will be unclean.27 Leviticus 11:27. All the four-footed animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening,28 Leviticus 11:28. and anyone who picks up a carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening. They are unclean for you.29 Leviticus 11:29. The following creatures that move along the ground are unclean for you: the mole, the mouse, any kind of great lizard,30 Leviticus 11:30. the gecko, the monitor lizard, the common lizard, the skink, and the chameleon.31 Leviticus 11:31. These animals are unclean for you among all the crawling creatures. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening.32 Leviticus 11:32. When one of them dies and falls on something, that article becomes unclean; any article of wood, clothing, leather, sackcloth, or any implement used for work must be rinsed with water and will remain unclean until evening; then it will be clean.33 Leviticus 11:33. If any of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean; you must break the pot.34 Leviticus 11:34. Any food coming into contact with water from that pot will be unclean, and any drink in such a container will be unclean.35 Leviticus 11:35. Anything upon which one of their carcasses falls will be unclean. If it is an oven or cooking pot, it must be smashed; it is unclean and will remain unclean for you.36 Leviticus 11:36. Nevertheless, a spring or cistern containing water will remain clean, but one who touches a carcass in it will be unclean.37 Leviticus 11:37. If a carcass falls on any seed for sowing, the seed is clean;38 Leviticus 11:38. but if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you.39 Leviticus 11:39. If an animal that you may eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass will be unclean until evening.40 Leviticus 11:40. Whoever eats from the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening, and anyone who picks up the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening.
Unclean Swarming Creatures Leviticus 11:41 41 Leviticus 11:41. Every creature that moves along the ground is detestable; it must not be eaten.42 Leviticus 11:42. Do not eat any creature that moves along the ground, whether it crawls on its belly or walks on four or more feet; for such creatures are detestable.43 Leviticus 11:43. Do not defile yourselves by any crawling creature; do not become unclean or defiled by them.44 Leviticus 11:44. For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any creature that crawls along the ground.45 Leviticus 11:45. For I am the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt so that I would be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.46 Leviticus 11:46. This is the law regarding animals, birds, all living creatures that move in the water, and all creatures that crawl along the ground.47 Leviticus 11:47. You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between animals that may be eaten and those that may not.’”
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Pray with this chapter A short prayer for the reader. This is not Scripture and is kept distinct from the Berean text.
Father, as we read Leviticus 11 (Clean and Unclean Land Animals), give us a quiet heart, a willing mind, and the grace to live what you show us. Amen.
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