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Leviticus 17-19
The Message
Leviticus 17-19
The Message
Holy Living: Sacrifices and Blood
17 1-7 God spoke to Moses: “Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the Israelites. Tell them, This is what God commands: Any and every man who slaughters an ox or lamb or goat inside or outside the camp instead of bringing it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to offer it to God in front of The Dwelling of God—that man is considered guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood and must be cut off from his people. This is so the Israelites will bring to God the sacrifices that they’re in the habit of sacrificing out in the open fields. They must bring them to God and the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and sacrifice them as Peace-Offerings to God. The priest will splash the blood on the Altar of God at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat as a pleasing fragrance to God. They must no longer offer their sacrifices to goat-demons—a kind of religious orgy. This is a perpetual decree down through the generations.
8-9 “Tell them, Any Israelite or foreigner living among them who offers a Whole-Burnt-Offering or Peace-Offering but doesn’t bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to God, that person must be cut off from his people.
10-12 “If any Israelite or foreigner living among them eats blood, I will disown that person and cut him off from his people, for the life of an animal is in the blood. I have provided the blood for you to make atonement for your lives on the Altar; it is the blood, the life, that makes atonement. That’s why I tell the People of Israel, ‘Don’t eat blood.’ The same goes for the foreigner who lives among you, ‘Don’t eat blood.’
13-14 “Any and every Israelite—this also goes for the foreigners—who hunts down an animal or bird that is edible, must bleed it and cover the blood with dirt, because the life of every animal is its blood—the blood is its life. That’s why I tell the Israelites, ‘Don’t eat the blood of any animal because the life of every animal is its blood. Anyone who eats the blood must be cut off.’
15-16 “Anyone, whether native or foreigner, who eats from an animal that is found dead or mauled must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening and is then clean. If he doesn’t wash or bathe his body, he’ll be held responsible for his actions.”
Sex
18 1-5 God spoke to Moses: “Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them, I am God, your God. Don’t live like the people of Egypt where you used to live, and don’t live like the people of Canaan where I’m bringing you. Don’t do what they do. Obey my laws and live by my decrees. I am your God. Keep my decrees and laws: The person who obeys them lives by them. I am God.
6 “Don’t have sex with a close relative. I am God.
7 “Don’t violate your father by having sex with your mother. She is your mother. Don’t have sex with her.
8 “Don’t have sex with your father’s wife. That violates your father.
9 “Don’t have sex with your sister, whether she’s your father’s daughter or your mother’s, whether she was born in the same house or elsewhere.
10 “Don’t have sex with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter. That would violate your own body.
11 “Don’t have sex with the daughter of your father’s wife born to your father. She is your sister.
12 “Don’t have sex with your father’s sister; she is your aunt, closely related to your father.
13 “Don’t have sex with your mother’s sister; she is your aunt, closely related to your mother.
14 “Don’t violate your father’s brother, your uncle, by having sex with his wife. She is your aunt.
15 “Don’t have sex with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; don’t have sex with her.
16 “Don’t have sex with your brother’s wife; that would violate your brother.
17 “Don’t have sex with both a woman and her daughter. And don’t have sex with her granddaughters either. They are her close relatives. That is wicked.
18 “Don’t marry your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sex with her while your wife is living.
19 “Don’t have sex with a woman during the time of her menstrual period when she is unclean.
20 “Don’t have sex with your neighbor’s wife and violate yourself by her.
21 “Don’t give any of your children to be burned in sacrifice to the god Molech—an act of sheer blasphemy of your God. I am God.
22 “Don’t have sex with a man as one does with a woman. That is abhorrent.
23 “Don’t have sex with an animal and violate yourself by it.
“A woman must not have sex with an animal. That is perverse.
24-28 “Don’t pollute yourself in any of these ways. This is how the nations became polluted, the ones that I am going to drive out of the land before you. Even the land itself became polluted and I punished it for its iniquities—the land vomited up its inhabitants. You must keep my decrees and laws—natives and foreigners both. You must not do any of these abhorrent things. The people who lived in this land before you arrived did all these things and polluted the land. And if you pollute it, the land will vomit you up just as it vomited up the nations that preceded you.
29-30 “Those who do any of these abhorrent things will be cut off from their people. Keep to what I tell you; don’t engage in any of the abhorrent acts that were practiced before you came. Don’t pollute yourselves with them. I am God, your God.”
“I Am God, Your God”
19 1-2 God spoke to Moses: “Speak to the congregation of Israel. Tell them, Be holy because I, God, your God, am holy.
3 “Every one of you must respect his mother and father.
“Keep my Sabbaths. I am God, your God.
4 “Don’t take up with no-god idols. Don’t make gods of cast metal. I am God, your God.
5-8 “When you sacrifice a Peace-Offering to God, do it as you’ve been taught so it is acceptable. Eat it on the day you sacrifice it and the day following. Whatever is left until the third day is to be burned up. If it is eaten on the third day it is polluted meat and not acceptable. Whoever eats it will be held responsible because he has violated what is holy to God. That person will be cut off from his people.
9-10 “When you harvest your land, don’t harvest right up to the edges of your field or gather the gleanings from the harvest. Don’t strip your vineyard bare or go back and pick up the fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am God, your God.
11 “Don’t steal.
“Don’t lie.
“Don’t deceive anyone.
12 “Don’t swear falsely using my name, violating the name of your God. I am God.
13 “Don’t exploit your friend or rob him.
“Don’t hold back the wages of a hired hand overnight.
14 “Don’t curse the deaf; don’t put a stumbling block in front of the blind; fear your God. I am God.
15 “Don’t pervert justice. Don’t show favoritism to either the poor or the great. Judge on the basis of what is right.
16 “Don’t spread gossip and rumors.
“Don’t just stand by when your neighbor’s life is in danger. I am God.
17 “Don’t secretly hate your neighbor. If you have something against him, get it out into the open; otherwise you are an accomplice in his guilt.
18 “Don’t seek revenge or carry a grudge against any of your people.
“Love your neighbor as yourself. I am God.
19 “Keep my decrees.
“Don’t mate two different kinds of animals.
“Don’t plant your fields with two kinds of seed.
“Don’t wear clothes woven of two kinds of material.
20-22 “If a man has sex with a slave girl who is engaged to another man but has not yet been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be an investigation. But they aren’t to be put to death because she wasn’t free. The man must bring a Compensation-Offering to God at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, a ram of compensation. The priest will perform the ritual of atonement for him before God with the ram of compensation for the sin he has committed. Then he will stand forgiven of the sin he committed.
23-25 “When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, don’t eat the fruit for three years; consider it inedible. By the fourth year its fruit is holy, an offering of praise to God. Beginning in the fifth year you can eat its fruit; you’ll have richer harvests this way. I am God, your God.
26 “Don’t eat meat with blood in it.
“Don’t practice divination or sorcery.
27 “Don’t cut the hair on the sides of your head or trim your beard.
28 “Don’t gash your bodies on behalf of the dead.
“Don’t tattoo yourselves. I am God.
29 “Don’t violate your daughter by making her a whore—the whole country would soon become a brothel, filled with sordid sex.
30 “Keep my Sabbaths and revere my Sanctuary: I am God.
31 “Don’t dabble in the occult or traffic with mediums; you’ll pollute your souls. I am God, your God.
32 “Show respect to the aged; honor the presence of an elder; fear your God. I am God.
33-34 “When a foreigner lives with you in your land, don’t take advantage of him. Treat the foreigner the same as a native. Love him like one of your own. Remember that you were once foreigners in Egypt. I am God, your God.
35-36 “Don’t cheat when measuring length, weight, or quantity. Use honest scales and weights and measures. I am God, your God. I brought you out of Egypt.
37 “Keep all my decrees and all my laws. Yes, do them. I am God.”
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Leviticus 17-19
New International Version
Leviticus 17-19
New International Version
Eating Blood Forbidden
17 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to Aaron and his sons(A) and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: 3 Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox,[a] a lamb(B) or a goat(C) in the camp or outside of it 4 instead of bringing it to the entrance to the tent of meeting(D) to present it as an offering to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord(E)—that person shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; they have shed blood and must be cut off from their people.(F) 5 This is so the Israelites will bring to the Lord the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the Lord, at the entrance to the tent of meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings.(G) 6 The priest is to splash the blood against the altar(H) of the Lord(I) at the entrance to the tent of meeting and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(J) 7 They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols[b](K) to whom they prostitute themselves.(L) This is to be a lasting ordinance(M) for them and for the generations to come.’(N)
8 “Say to them: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice 9 and does not bring it to the entrance to the tent(O) of meeting(P) to sacrifice it to the Lord(Q) must be cut off from the people of Israel.
10 “‘I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats blood,(R) and I will cut them off from the people. 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood,(S) and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.[c](T) 12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood.”
13 “‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth,(U) 14 because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”(V)
15 “‘Anyone, whether native-born or foreigner, who eats anything(W) found dead or torn by wild animals(X) must wash their clothes and bathe with water,(Y) and they will be ceremonially unclean till evening;(Z) then they will be clean. 16 But if they do not wash their clothes and bathe themselves, they will be held responsible.(AA)’”
Unlawful Sexual Relations
18 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God.(AB) 3 You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.(AC) 4 You must obey my laws(AD) and be careful to follow my decrees.(AE) I am the Lord your God.(AF) 5 Keep my decrees and laws,(AG) for the person who obeys them will live by them.(AH) I am the Lord.
6 “‘No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord.
7 “‘Do not dishonor your father(AI) by having sexual relations with your mother.(AJ) She is your mother; do not have relations with her.
8 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife;(AK) that would dishonor your father.(AL)
9 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your sister,(AM) either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.(AN)
10 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter; that would dishonor you.
11 “‘Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, born to your father; she is your sister.
12 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister;(AO) she is your father’s close relative.
13 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister,(AP) because she is your mother’s close relative.
14 “‘Do not dishonor your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt.(AQ)
15 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law.(AR) She is your son’s wife; do not have relations with her.(AS)
16 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife;(AT) that would dishonor your brother.
17 “‘Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter.(AU) Do not have sexual relations with either her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness.
18 “‘Do not take your wife’s sister(AV) as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.
19 “‘Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness(AW) of her monthly period.(AX)
20 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife(AY) and defile yourself with her.
21 “‘Do not give any of your children(AZ) to be sacrificed to Molek,(BA) for you must not profane the name of your God.(BB) I am the Lord.(BC)
22 “‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman;(BD) that is detestable.(BE)
23 “‘Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.(BF)
24 “‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you(BG) became defiled.(BH) 25 Even the land was defiled;(BI) so I punished it for its sin,(BJ) and the land vomited out its inhabitants.(BK) 26 But you must keep my decrees and my laws.(BL) The native-born and the foreigners residing among you must not do any of these detestable things, 27 for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. 28 And if you defile the land,(BM) it will vomit you out(BN) as it vomited out the nations that were before you.
29 “‘Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people. 30 Keep my requirements(BO) and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.(BP)’”
Various Laws
19 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel(BQ) and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God,(BR) am holy.(BS)
3 “‘Each of you must respect your mother and father,(BT) and you must observe my Sabbaths.(BU) I am the Lord your God.(BV)
4 “‘Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves.(BW) I am the Lord your God.(BX)
5 “‘When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 6 It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned up.(BY) 7 If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is impure and will not be accepted.(BZ) 8 Whoever eats it will be held responsible(CA) because they have desecrated what is holy(CB) to the Lord; they must be cut off from their people.(CC)
9 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges(CD) of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.(CE) 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time(CF) or pick up the grapes that have fallen.(CG) Leave them for the poor and the foreigner.(CH) I am the Lord your God.
11 “‘Do not steal.(CI)
“‘Do not lie.(CJ)
“‘Do not deceive one another.(CK)
12 “‘Do not swear falsely(CL) by my name(CM) and so profane(CN) the name of your God. I am the Lord.
13 “‘Do not defraud or rob(CO) your neighbor.(CP)
“‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker(CQ) overnight.(CR)
14 “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind,(CS) but fear your God.(CT) I am the Lord.
15 “‘Do not pervert justice;(CU) do not show partiality(CV) to the poor or favoritism to the great,(CW) but judge your neighbor fairly.(CX)
16 “‘Do not go about spreading slander(CY) among your people.
“‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life.(CZ) I am the Lord.
17 “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart.(DA) Rebuke your neighbor frankly(DB) so you will not share in their guilt.
18 “‘Do not seek revenge(DC) or bear a grudge(DD) against anyone among your people,(DE) but love your neighbor(DF) as yourself.(DG) I am the Lord.
19 “‘Keep my decrees.(DH)
“‘Do not mate different kinds of animals.
“‘Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.(DI)
“‘Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.(DJ)
20 “‘If a man sleeps with a female slave who is promised to another man(DK) but who has not been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment.[d] Yet they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed. 21 The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the tent of meeting for a guilt offering to the Lord.(DL) 22 With the ram of the guilt offering the priest is to make atonement for him before the Lord for the sin he has committed, and his sin will be forgiven.(DM)
23 “‘When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden.[e] For three years you are to consider it forbidden[f]; it must not be eaten. 24 In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy,(DN) an offering of praise to the Lord. 25 But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the Lord your God.
26 “‘Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it.(DO)
“‘Do not practice divination(DP) or seek omens.(DQ)
27 “‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.(DR)
28 “‘Do not cut(DS) your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.
29 “‘Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute,(DT) or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.(DU)
30 “‘Observe my Sabbaths(DV) and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord.(DW)
31 “‘Do not turn to mediums(DX) or seek out spiritists,(DY) for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.
32 “‘Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect(DZ) for the elderly(EA) and revere your God.(EB) I am the Lord.(EC)
33 “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born.(ED) Love them as yourself,(EE) for you were foreigners(EF) in Egypt.(EG) I am the Lord your God.
35 “‘Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity.(EH) 36 Use honest scales(EI) and honest weights, an honest ephah[g](EJ) and an honest hin.[h](EK) I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.(EL)
37 “‘Keep all my decrees(EM) and all my laws(EN) and follow them. I am the Lord.’”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 17:3 The Hebrew word can refer to either male or female.
- Leviticus 17:7 Or the demons
- Leviticus 17:11 Or atonement by the life in the blood
- Leviticus 19:20 Or be an inquiry
- Leviticus 19:23 Hebrew uncircumcised
- Leviticus 19:23 Hebrew uncircumcised
- Leviticus 19:36 An ephah was a dry measure having the capacity of about 3/5 of a bushel or about 22 liters.
- Leviticus 19:36 A hin was a liquid measure having the capacity of about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New International Version (NIV) 
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