Common English Bible CEB
English Standard Version ESV
1 The LORD said to Moses:
1
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 Tell Aaron and his sons to be very careful how they treat the holy things that the Israelites devote to me so that they do not make my holy name impure: I am the LORD.
2
“Speak to Aaron and his sons so that they abstain from the holy things of the people of Israel, which they dedicate to me, so that they do not profane my holy name: I am the Lord.
3 Say to them: If any descendant of yours should ever come near the holy things that the Israelites have dedicated to the LORD while he is in an unclean state, he will be cut off from before me; I am the LORD.
3
Say to them, ‘If any one of all your offspring throughout your generations approaches the holy things that the people of Israel dedicate to the Lord, while he has an uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from my presence: I am the Lord.
4 Any descendant of Aaron who is afflicted with skin disease or has a discharge cannot eat of the holy things until he is clean. Anyone who touches anything made unclean by a dead body, or who has an emission of semen,
4
None of the offspring of Aaron who has a leprous disease or a discharge may eat of the holy things until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is unclean through contact with the dead or a man who has had an emission of semen,
5 or who touches any swarming creature or another person who makes him unclean—whatever the uncleanness might be—
5
and whoever touches a swarming thing by which he may be made unclean or a person from whom he may take uncleanness, whatever his uncleanness may be—
6 the person who touches these things will be unclean until evening. He must not eat of the holy things unless he has bathed his body in water.
6
the person who touches such a thing shall be unclean until the evening and shall not eat of the holy things unless he has bathed his body in water.
7 Once the sun has set and he has become clean again, he may eat of the holy things, for that is his food.
7
When the sun goes down he shall be clean, and afterward he may eat of the holy things, because they are his food.
8 He must not eat an animal that has died naturally or that was killed by another animal, becoming unclean by doing so; I am the LORD.
8
He shall not eat what dies of itself or is torn by beasts, and so make himself unclean by it: I am the Lord. ’
9 The priests must keep my requirement so that they don't become liable to punishment and die for having made it impure. I am the LORD, who makes them holy.
9
They shall therefore keep my charge, lest they bear sin for it and die thereby when they profane it: I am the Lord who sanctifies them.
10 No layperson is allowed to eat the holy offerings. No foreign guest or hired laborer of a priest can eat it.
10
“A lay person shall not eat of a holy thing; no foreign guest of the priest or hired worker shall eat of a holy thing,
11 But if a priest purchases a servant, that person can eat it, and servants born into the priest's household can also eat his food.
11
but if a priest buys a slave as his property for money, the slave may eat of it, and anyone born in his house may eat of his food.
12 If a priest's daughter marries a layman, she is not allowed to eat the holy offerings.
12
If a priest’s daughter marries a layman, she shall not eat of the contribution of the holy things.
13 But if a priest's daughter is a widow or divorced and has no children and so returns to her father's household as when she was young, she can eat her father's food. But, again, no layperson is allowed to eat it.
13
But if a priest’s daughter is widowed or divorced and has no child and returns to her father’s house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s food; yet no lay person shall eat of it.
14 If someone eats a holy offering unintentionally, they must provide the priest with an equal item, plus one-fifth.
14
And if anyone eats of a holy thing unintentionally, he shall add the fifth of its value to it and give the holy thing to the priest.
15 The Israelites must not make the holy offerings impure that they offer up to the LORD
15
They shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, which they contribute to the Lord,
16 or make themselves liable to punishment requiring compensation by eating their own holy offerings. I am the LORD, who makes them holy.
16
and so cause them to bear iniquity and guilt, by eating their holy things: for I am the Lord who sanctifies them. ”
17 The LORD said to Moses:
17
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
18 Tell Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites: Whenever someone from Israel's house or from the immigrants in Israel presents their offering to the LORD as an entirely burned offering—whether it is payment for a solemn promise or a spontaneous gift—
18
“Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of the house of Israel or of the sojourners in Israel presents a burnt offering as his offering, for any of their vows or freewill offerings that they offer to the Lord,
19 for it to be acceptable on your behalf, it must be a flawless male from the herd, the sheep, or the goats.
19
if it is to be accepted for you it shall be a male without blemish, of the bulls or the sheep or the goats.
20 You must not present anything that has an imperfection, because it will not be acceptable on your behalf.
20
You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you.
21 Whenever someone presents a communal sacrifice of well-being to the LORD from the herd or flock—whether it is payment for a solemn promise or a spontaneous gift—it must be flawless to be acceptable; it must not have any imperfection.
21
And when anyone offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock, to be accepted it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it.
22 You must not present to the LORD anything that is blind or that has an injury, mutilation, warts, a rash, or scabs. You must not put any such animal on the altar as a food gift for the LORD.
22
Animals blind or disabled or mutilated or having a discharge or an itch or scabs you shall not offer to the Lord or give them to the Lord as a food offering on the altar.
23 You can, however, offer an ox or sheep that is deformed or stunted as a spontaneous gift, but it will not be acceptable as payment for a solemn promise.
23
You may present a bull or a lamb that has a part too long or too short for a freewill offering, but for a vow offering it cannot be accepted.
24 You must not offer to the LORD anything with bruised, crushed, torn, or cut-off testicles. You must not do that in your land.
24
Any animal that has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut you shall not offer to the Lord; you shall not do it within your land,
25 You are not allowed to offer such animals as your God's food even if they come from a foreigner. Because these animals have blemishes and imperfections in them, they will not be acceptable on your behalf.
25
neither shall you offer as the bread of your God any such animals gotten from a foreigner. Since there is a blemish in them, because of their mutilation, they will not be accepted for you. ”
26 The LORD said to Moses:
26
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
27 When an ox or sheep or goat is born, it must remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on it will be acceptable as an offering, a food gift for the LORD.
27
“When an ox or sheep or goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be acceptable as a food offering to the Lord.
28 But you will not slaughter an ox or sheep and its offspring on the same day.
28
But you shall not kill an ox or a sheep and her young in one day.
29 When you sacrifice a communal sacrifice of thanksgiving for the LORD, you must sacrifice it so that it will be acceptable on your behalf.
29
And when you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted.
30 It must be eaten on the same day; you must not leave any of it until morning; I am the LORD.
30
It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until morning: I am the Lord.
31 You must keep my commands and do them; I am the LORD.
31
“So you shall keep my commandments and do them: I am the Lord.
32 You must not make my holy name impure so that I will be treated as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD—the one who makes you holy
32
And you shall not profane my holy name, that I may be sanctified among the people of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies you,
33 and who is bringing you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the LORD.
33
who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the Lord. ”
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025