Leviticus 22

1 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said [to speak, communicate, or command] to Moses [the Israelite leader, God’s chosen servant], word study 2 “Tell Aaron [the first high priest] and his sons to treat with respect [be dedicated, separate themselves from] the sacred [holy, set-apart] offerings that the Israelites have consecrated [dedicated, set apart] to Me, so that they do not profane [desecrate, pollute] My holy [sacred, revered] name [identity, character]. I am the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 3 Tell them that for the generations [for all future time] to come, if any of their descendants [seed, offspring] in a state of uncleanness [impurity, being unclean] approaches [draws near, comes close to] the sacred [holy, set-apart] offerings that the Israelites [sons of Israel, God’s chosen people] consecrate [set apart, dedicate] to the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God], that person [soul, individual] must be cut off [removed, separated] from My presence [face, before Me]. I am the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God]. word study 4 If a descendant [offspring, seed] of Aaron [the first high priest] has a skin disease [leprosy, a contagious skin condition] or a discharge [a flow, an emission], he may not eat the sacred [holy, set-apart] offerings until he is clean [pure, ceremonially cleansed]. Whoever touches [comes into contact with] anything defiled [made unclean, contaminated] by a corpse [a dead body] or by a man who has an emission [a discharge, a flow] of semen [seed, the male reproductive fluid], word study 5 or whoever touches [comes into contact with] a crawling creature [swarm of small animals, unclean thing] or a person [man, individual] that makes him unclean [defiles, contaminates], whatever the uncleanness [impurity, moral or ceremonial] may be— word study 6 the man [soul, living being] who touches [comes into contact with] any of these will remain unclean [defiled, ceremonially impure] until evening [sunset, the end of the day]. He must not eat [partake, devour] from the sacred [holy, set-apart] offerings unless he has bathed [washed, cleansed] himself with water [a spring or watercourse]. word study 7 When the sun [the celestial body] has set, he will become clean [be pure, ceremonially cleansed], and then he may eat [consume, devour] from the sacred offerings [holy things, set-apart gifts], for they are his food [bread, sustenance] [his provision, what is allotted to him]. word study 8 He must not eat anything found dead [a carcass, dying of itself] or torn by wild animals [torn apart, attacked by beasts], which would make him unclean [defiled, contaminated, morally or ceremonially foul]. I [the Lord, the national name for God] am the LORD [the supreme God, Yehovah]. word study 9 The priests [who are set apart] must keep My charge [ordinance, divine instruction], lest they bear the guilt [sin, offense] and die [physically or spiritually] because they profane [desecrate, treat as common] it. I am the LORD [Yehovah, the sovereign God] who sanctifies [sets apart, consecrates] them. word study 10 No one [outside a priest’s household, a stranger] outside a priest’s [spiritual leader, mediator] family may eat the sacred [holy, set-apart] offering, nor may the guest [sojourner, resident alien] of a priest or his hired [paid worker, servant] hand eat it [partake of the holy thing, devour]. word study 11 But if a priest [one who serves God and leads others in worship] buys a slave [a person acquired by purchase, a soul] with his own money [silver, payment], or if a slave [one born into servitude] is born in his household [his house, family], that slave [acquisition, purchased one] may eat his food [bread, sustenance]. word study 12 If the priest’s [spiritual leader, one who serves God] daughter [female child, woman] is married [united in marriage, becomes one flesh] to a man [male person, individual] other than [not being, different from] a priest [one who serves God, leads in worship], she is not [lacking, without] to eat [consume, partake] of the sacred [set apart, holy] contributions [offerings, gifts given to God]. word study 13 But if a priest’s daughter [without children, childless] with no children becomes widowed [having lost her husband] or divorced [driven out] and returns [to her father’s house, as in her youth] to her father’s house, she may share [eat of, partake in] her father’s food [bread, sustenance] as in her youth [when she was young, in her early years]. But no [outside, foreign] outsider may share [eat of, partake in] it. word study 14 If anyone [a man, an individual] eats [consumes, devours] a sacred [holy, set-apart] offering [gift, consecrated thing] in error [unintentionally, unwittingly], he must add [increase, give more] a fifth [one-fifth, an additional portion] to its value [worth, amount] and give [offer, present] the sacred [holy, consecrated] offering [gift, thing] to the priest [spiritual leader, mediator]. word study 15 The priests [spiritual leaders, mediators] must not [in no way, never] profane [desecrate, treat as common] the sacred [holy, set-apart] offerings [gifts, sacrifices] that the Israelites [God’s chosen people, descendants of Jacob] present [offer, bring] to the LORD [Yehovah, the Almighty God] word study 16 by allowing the people to eat the sacred [holy] offerings and thus to bear the [iniquity, guilt] punishment for guilt. For I am the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] who [sets apart, consecrates] sanctifies them.” word study 17 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said [to speak, communicate, or command] to Moses [the Israelite leader, God’s chosen servant], word study 18 “Speak [communicate, declare] to Aaron [the first high priest] and his sons and all the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob] and tell them, ‘Any man [individual, person] of the house of Israel [the people of God] or any foreign resident [sojourner, stranger] who presents [offers, brings near] a gift [offering, sacrifice] for a burnt offering [a step of ascent, a complete sacrifice] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], whether to fulfill [complete, satisfy] a vow [promise, pledge] or as a freewill offering [voluntary gift, spontaneous sacrifice], word study 19 must offer [without defects, perfect] an unblemished [complete, having no flaw] male [a male animal, used for sacrifice] from the cattle [domesticated oxen, used for work or sacrifice], sheep [young sheep, like a lamb], or goats [female goats, often used for sacrifice] in order for it to be accepted [with delight, pleasing to God] on your behalf [for your benefit, in your place]. word study 20 You must not present [offer, bring near] anything with a defect [blemish, flaw, imperfection], because it will not be accepted [deemed pleasing, received with favor] on your behalf [for your benefit, in your place]. word study 21 When a man [male person, individual] presents [offers, brings near] a peace offering [sacrifice of thanksgiving, voluntary gift] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] from the herd [cattle, oxen] or flock [sheep, goats] to fulfill [complete, accomplish] a vow [promise, oath] or as a freewill offering [voluntary, spontaneous gift], it must be without blemish [defect, imperfection] or defect [flaw, imperfection] to be acceptable [pleasing, delightful]. word study 22 You are not to present [offer as a sacrifice] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] any animal that is blind [having no sight, physically or spiritually], injured [broken, shattered], or maimed [crippled, damaged], or anything with a running sore [open ulcer, severe skin condition], a festering rash [scab, skin sore], or a scab [rough patch on the skin]; you must not put any of these on the altar [place of sacrifice, where offerings are made] as an offering made by fire [food offering, sacrifice given to God] to the LORD. word study 23 You may present as a freewill offering [voluntary gift, spontaneous act of worship] an ox [cattle, bull] or sheep [young animal, goat] that has a deformed [enlarged or dwarfed, having excess or lacking parts] or stunted [crippled, imperfect] limb, but it is not acceptable [not pleasing, rejected] in fulfillment of a vow [promise made to God, solemn pledge]. word study 24 You are not [under any circumstances] to present [offer, bring near] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] an animal [beast, living creature] whose testicles are [suffering from] bruised [injured], crushed [beaten, shattered], torn [pulled apart, ripped], or cut [damaged, mutilated]; you are not [prohibited] to sacrifice [offer, slay] them in your land [territory, region]. word study 25 Neither you [as God’s people] nor a foreigner [stranger, non-Israelite] shall present [offer, bring near] food [bread, grain] to your God [Elohim, the supreme Lord] from any such animal [with blemishes, defects]. They will not be accepted [pleasing, received with favor] on your behalf, because they are deformed [corrupted, flawed] and flawed [have a blemish, imperfection].’” word study 26 Then the LORD [Yehovah] said [to speak, communicate] to Moses [the Israelite leader, God’s chosen servant], word study 27 “When an ox [cattle, like bulls or bullocks], a sheep [a young lamb or ram], or a goat [a female goat, or kid] is born, it must remain with its mother [female parent, or maternal figure] for seven days. From the eighth [following the seventh] day on, it will be acceptable [pleasing, or well-accepted] as an offering [sacrifice, or gift] made by fire [burnt, or consumed] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 28 But you must not [under any circumstances] slaughter [kill, sacrifice] an ox [cattle, bull] or a sheep [ewe, young animal] on the same day [one 24-hour period] as its young [son, offspring, descendant]. word study 29 When you sacrifice [at your own will, willingly] a thank offering [of praise, a sacrifice of thanksgiving] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], offer it [so that you may be accepted, to be favourable] so that it may be acceptable [with delight, for acceptance] on your behalf [for your sake, to your advantage]. word study 30 It must be eaten [on the same day, without delay] that same day [in its entirety, without leaving any remainder]. Do not leave [abandon, omit] any of it [even a portion, a remnant] until morning [the break of day, the next day]. I [the one true God] am the LORD [Yehovah]. word study 31 You are to keep [obey, guard, protect] My commandments [laws, rules, guidelines] and practice [do, make, carry out] them. I [emphatically, personally] am the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God]. word study 32 You must not [dishonor] profane My holy [set-apart, sacred] name [identity, character]. I must be acknowledged as holy [sanctified, revered] among the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob]. I am the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] who sanctifies [consecrates, sets apart] you, word study 33 who brought [led, rescued] you out of the land [country, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] to be your God [Elohim, the one supreme God]. I am the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God].” word study