Unacceptable Sacrifices

¹⁷ The Lord said 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^(A)—presents a gift^(B) for a burnt offering to the Lord, either to fulfill a vow^(C) or as a freewill offering,^{(D) 19} you must present a male without defect^(E) from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf.^{(F) 20} Do not bring anything with a defect,^(G) because it will not be accepted on your behalf.^{(H) 21} When anyone brings from the herd or flock^(I) a fellowship offering^(J) to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering,^(K) it must be without defect or blemish^(L) to be acceptable.^{(M) 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. ²³ You may, however, present as a freewill offering an ox^[a] or a sheep that is deformed or stunted, but it will not be accepted in fulfillment of a vow. ²⁴ You must not offer to the Lord an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut.^(N) You must not 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.^(O) They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.^(P)’”

¹⁶ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁷ “Say to Aaron: ‘For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect^(A) may come near to offer the food of his God.^{(B) 18} No man who has any defect^(C) may come near: no man who is blind^(D) or lame,^(E) disfigured or deformed; ¹⁹ no man with a crippled foot or hand, ²⁰ or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles.^{(F) 21} No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect^(G) is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord.^(H) He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God.^{(I) 22} He may eat the most holy food of his God,^(J) as well as the holy food; ²³ yet because of his defect,^(K) he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary.^(L) I am the Lord, who makes them holy.^(M)’”

²⁴ So Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.