New Living Translation NLT
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 be very careful with the sacred gifts that the Israelites set apart for me, so they do not bring shame on 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 Give them the following instructions. “In all future generations, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean when he approaches the sacred offerings that the people of Israel consecrate to the LORD, he 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 any of Aaron’s descendants has a skin disease or any kind of discharge that makes him ceremonially unclean, he may not eat from the sacred offerings until he has been pronounced clean. He also becomes unclean by touching a corpse, or by having 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 by touching a small animal that is unclean, or by touching someone who is ceremonially unclean for any reason.
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or is contaminated by touching a crawling creature, or touches a person who is contaminated for whatever reason
6 The man who is defiled in any of these ways will remain unclean until evening. He may not eat from the sacred offerings until he has bathed himself in 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 ceremonially clean again and may eat from the sacred offerings, for this is 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 may not eat an animal that has died a natural death or has been torn apart by wild animals, for this would defile him. 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 must follow my instructions carefully. Otherwise they will be punished for their sin and will die for violating my instructions. 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 offerings. Even guests and hired workers in a priest’s home are not allowed to eat them.
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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 However, if the priest buys a slave for himself, the slave may eat from the sacred offerings. And if his slaves have children, they also may share 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 someone outside the priestly family, she may no longer eat the sacred offerings.
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If a priest's daughter marries a layperson, she may no longer eat from the holy contributions.
13 But if she becomes a widow or is divorced and has no children to support her, and she returns to live in her father’s home as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food again. Otherwise, no one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offerings.
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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 “Any such person who eats the sacred offerings without realizing it must pay the priest for the amount eaten, plus an additional 20 percent.
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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 let the Israelites defile the sacred offerings brought 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 unauthorized people to eat them. This would bring guilt upon them and require them to pay compensation. 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 And the LORD said to Moses,
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God spoke to Moses,
18 “Give Aaron and his sons and all the Israelites these instructions, which apply both to native Israelites and to the foreigners living among you. “If you present a gift as a burnt offering to the LORD, whether it is to fulfill a vow or is a voluntary 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 will be accepted only if your offering is a male animal with no defects. It may be a bull, a ram, or a male goat.
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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 present an animal with defects, because the LORD will not accept it on your behalf.
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Don't try slipping in some creature that has a defect - it won't be accepted.
21 “If you present a peace offering to the LORD from the herd or the flock, whether it is to fulfill a vow or is a voluntary offering, you must offer a perfect animal. It may have no defect of any kind.
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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 You must not offer an animal that is blind, crippled, or injured, or that has a wart, a skin sore, or scabs. Such animals must never be offered on the altar as special gifts 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 If a bull or lamb has a leg that is too long or too short, it may be offered as a voluntary offering, but it may not be offered to fulfill 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 If an animal has damaged testicles or is castrated, you may not offer it to the LORD . You must never 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 an animal from foreigners and then offer it as a sacrifice to your God. Such animals will not be accepted on your behalf, for they are mutilated or defective.”
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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 And the LORD said to Moses,
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God spoke to Moses:
27 “When a calf or lamb or goat is born, it must be left with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as a special gift 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 But you must not slaughter a mother animal and her offspring on the same day, whether from the herd or the flock.
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Don't slaughter both a cow or ewe and its young on the same day.
29 When you bring a thanksgiving offering to the LORD, sacrifice it properly so you will be accepted.
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When you sacrifice a Thanksgiving-Offering to God, do it right so it will be acceptable.
30 Eat the entire sacrificial animal on the day it is presented. Do not leave any of it until the next 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 “You must faithfully keep all my commands by putting them into practice, for I am the LORD .
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"Do what I tell you; live what I tell you. I am God.
32 Do not bring shame on my holy name, for I will display my holiness among the people of Israel. I am the LORD who makes 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 It was I who rescued you from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. I am the LORD .”
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and brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am God."
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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.