Clean and Unclean Animal Food
Leviticus 11YHWH spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, “Y’all are to tell to the children of Israel, ‘These are the living things which y’all may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. Y’all may eat any animal with a divided hoof (completely split hoof) and that chews the cud.
“‘However y’all must not eat from those that only chew the cud, or only have a divided hoof. The camel is unclean to y’all because it chews the cud but doesn’t have a divided hoof. The hyrax is unclean to y’all because it chews the cud but doesn’t have a divided hoof. The rabbit is unclean to y’all, because it chews the cud but doesn’t have a divided hoof. The pig is unclean to y’all, because it has a divided hoof (completely split hoof), but doesn’t chew the cud. Y’all must not eat their meat, and y’all must not touch their carcasses. They are unclean to y’all.
“‘These are what y’all may eat from all that is the waters: whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, that y’all may eat. But all that do not have fins and scales in the seas and rivers, all that move in the waters, and all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are an abomination to y’all. They are to be detestable to y’all. Y’all must not eat their meat, and y’all are to detest their carcasses. Whatever has no fins or scales in the waters is an detestable to y’all.
“‘Y’all must detest these birds and not eat them because they are detestable: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, the red kite, any kind of black kite, any kind of raven, the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.
“‘All flying insects that walk on all fours are detestable to y’all. But y’all may eat these from all winged insects that walk on all fours: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the land. Of these y’all may eat any kind of locust, any kind of katydid, any kind of cricket, and any kind of grasshopper. But all winged creeping things which have four feet are detestable to y’all.
“‘These will make y’all unclean. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until the evening. Whoever carries any part of their carcass is to wash their clothes and be unclean until the evening.
“‘Every animal which has a split hoof that isn’t completely divided, or doesn’t chew the cud, is unclean to y’all. Everyone who touches them becomes unclean. All the creatures that walk on four paws are unclean for y’all. Whoever touches their carcass becomes unclean until the evening, and anyone who carries their carcass must wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. They are unclean for y’all.
“‘These are the ones that are unclean for y’all among the swarming things that swarm on the earth: the weasel, the rat, any kind of large lizard, the gecko, and crocodile, the wall lizard, the skink, and the chameleon. These are unclean for y’all among all the swarming creatures. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean until the evening. Anything they fall on when they are dead will be unclean, whether it is any vessel of wood, or clothing, or skin, or sack, whatever vessel it is, with which any work is done, it must be put into water, and it will be unclean until the evening. Then it will be clean. Every earthen vessel into which any of them falls and all that is in it will be unclean. Y’all must break it. All food that may be eaten that is soaked in water will be unclean. All drink that may be drunk in every such vessel will be unclean. Everything on which part of their carcass falls will be unclean, whether oven, or range for pots, it is to be broken in pieces. They are unclean, and will be unclean to y’all. Nevertheless a spring or a cistern in which water is gathered will be clean, but that which touches their carcass will be unclean. If part of their carcass falls on any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean. But if water is put on the seed, and part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean for y’all.
“‘If any animal that y’all use for food dies, anyone who touches its carcass will be unclean until the evening. He who eats of its carcass must wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. The one who carries its carcass must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.
“‘Every swarming thing that swarms on the land is an detestable. It must not be eaten. Y’all must not eat any creature that goes on its belly, or goes on all fours, or has many feet, or the swarming things that swarm on the land, for they are an detestable. Y’all must not make yourselves* detestable with any swarming thing that swarms. Y’all must not make yourselves* unclean with them, that be made unclean by them. For I am YHWH y’all’s God. Y’all are to sanctify yourselves* and be holy, because I am holy. Y’all must not defile yourselves* with any kind of swarming thing that moves on the land. For I am YHWH who brought y’all up out of the land of Egypt to be y’all’s God. Therefore y’all are to be holy, because I am holy.
“‘This is the law of the animal, and of the bird, and of every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living thing that may be eaten and the living thing that may not be eaten.’”