New International Version NIV
The Message Bible MSG
1 The LORD said to Moses,
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God spoke to Moses,
2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name. I am the LORD.
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"Tell Aaron and his sons to treat the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate to me with reverence so they won't desecrate my holy name. I am God.
3 “Say to them: ‘For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the LORD, that person must be cut off from my presence. I am the LORD.
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"Tell them, From now on, if any of your descendants approaches in a state of ritual uncleanness the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate to God, he will be cut off from my presence. I am God.
4 “ ‘If a descendant of Aaron has a defiling skin disease or a bodily discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse or by anyone who has an emission of semen,
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"Each and every one of Aaron's descendants who has an infectious skin disease or a discharge may not eat any of the holy offerings until he is clean. Also, if he touches anything defiled by a corpse, or has an emission of semen,
5 or if he touches any crawling thing that makes him unclean, or any person who makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be.
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or is contaminated by touching a crawling creature, or touches a person who is contaminated for whatever reason
6 The one who touches any such thing will be unclean till evening. He must not eat any of the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water.
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- a person who touches any such thing will be ritually unclean until evening and may not eat any of the holy offerings unless he has washed well with water.
7 When the sun goes down, he will be clean, and after that he may eat the sacred offerings, for they are his food.
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After the sun goes down he is clean and may go ahead and eat the holy offerings; they are his food.
8 He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, and so become unclean through it. I am the LORD.
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But he must not contaminate himself by eating anything found dead or torn by wild animals. I am God.
9 “ ‘The priests are to perform my service in such a way that they do not become guilty and die for treating it with contempt. I am the LORD, who makes them holy.
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"The priests must observe my instructions lest they become guilty and die by treating the offerings with irreverence. I am God who makes them holy.
10 “ ‘No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired worker eat it.
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"No layperson may eat anything set apart as holy. Nor may a priest's guest or his hired hand eat anything holy.
11 But if a priest buys a slave with money, or if slaves are born in his household, they may eat his food.
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But if a priest buys a slave, the slave may eat of it; also the slaves born in his house may eat his food.
12 If a priest’s daughter marries anyone other than a priest, she may not eat any of the sacred contributions.
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If a priest's daughter marries a layperson, she may no longer eat from the holy contributions.
13 But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, yet has no children, and she returns to live in her father’s household as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food. No unauthorized person, however, may eat it.
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But if the priest's daughter is widowed or divorced and without children and returns to her father's household as before, she may eat of her father's food. But no layperson may eat of it.
14 “ ‘Anyone who eats a sacred offering by mistake must make restitution to the priest for the offering and add a fifth of the value to it.
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"If anyone eats from a holy offering accidentally, he must give back the holy offering to the priest and add twenty percent to it.
15 The priests must not desecrate the sacred offerings the Israelites present to the LORD
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"The priests must not treat with irreverence the holy offerings of the Israelites that they contribute to God
16 by allowing them to eat the sacred offerings and so bring upon them guilt requiring payment. I am the LORD, who makes them holy.’ ”
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lest they desecrate themselves and make themselves guilty when they eat the holy offerings. I am God who makes them holy."
17 The LORD said to Moses,
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God spoke to Moses,
18 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘If any of you—whether an Israelite or a foreigner residing in Israel—presents a gift for a burnt offering to the LORD, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering,
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"Tell Aaron and his sons and all the People of Israel, Each and every one of you, whether native born or foreigner, who presents a Whole-Burnt-Offering to God to fulfill a vow or as a Freewill-Offering,
19 you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf.
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must make sure that it is a male without defect from cattle, sheep, or goats for it to be acceptable.
20 Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf.
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Don't try slipping in some creature that has a defect - it won't be accepted.
21 When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to the LORD to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable.
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Whenever anyone brings an offering from cattle or sheep as a Peace-Offering to God to fulfill a vow or as a Freewill-Offering, it has to be perfect, without defect, to be acceptable.
22 Do not offer to the LORD the blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores. Do not place any of these on the altar as a food offering presented to the LORD.
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Don't try giving God an animal that is blind, crippled, mutilated, an animal with running sores, a rash, or mange. Don't place any of these on the Altar as a gift to God.
23 You may, however, present as a freewill offering an ox or a sheep that is deformed or stunted, but it will not be accepted in fulfillment of a vow.
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You may, though, offer an ox or sheep that is deformed or stunted as a Freewill-Offering, but it is not acceptable in fulfilling a vow.
24 You must not offer to the LORD an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut. You must not do this in your own land,
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Don't offer to God an animal with bruised, crushed, torn, or cut-off testicles. Don't do this in your own land
25 and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God. They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.’ ”
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but don't accept them from foreigners and present them as food for your God either. Because of deformities and defects they will not be acceptable."
26 The LORD said to Moses,
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God spoke to Moses:
27 “When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as a food offering presented to the LORD.
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"When a calf or lamb or goat is born, it is to stay with its mother for seven days. After the eighth day, it is acceptable as an offering, a gift to God.
28 Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day.
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Don't slaughter both a cow or ewe and its young on the same day.
29 “When you sacrifice a thank offering to the LORD, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf.
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When you sacrifice a Thanksgiving-Offering to God, do it right so it will be acceptable.
30 It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. I am the LORD.
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Eat it on the same day; don't leave any leftovers until morning. I am God.
31 “Keep my commands and follow them. I am the LORD.
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"Do what I tell you; live what I tell you. I am God.
32 Do not profane my holy name, for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD, who made you holy
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"Don't desecrate my holy name. I insist on being treated with holy reverence among the People of Israel. I am God who makes you holy
33 and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD.”
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and brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am God."
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.