Prohibitions on Eating Blood

1YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘This is the thing which YHWH has commanded: 3Whatever man there is of the house of Israel who kills a bull, or lamb, or goat in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp, 4and hasn’t brought it to the door of the Tent of Meeting to offer it as an offering to YHWH before YHWH’s tabernacle: blood must be imputed to that man. He has shed blood and must be cut off from among his people. 5This is to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to YHWH, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to the priest, and sacrifice them for sacrifices of peace offerings to YHWH. 6the priest is to sprinkle the blood on the altar of YHWH at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and burn the fat for a pleasant aroma to YHWH. 7They must no more sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat idols, after which they play the prostitute. This will be a permanent statute to them throughout their generations.’

8“You are to say to them, ‘Anyone from the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, 9and doesn’t bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to YHWH, that person must be cut off from their people.

10“‘Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who eats any kind of blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11For the life of the flesh is in the blood. I have given it to y’all on the altar to make atonement for y’all’s souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life. 12Therefore I have said to the children of Israel, “No person among y’all may eat blood, nor may any foreigner who lives among y’all eat blood.”

13“‘Anyone from the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who takes in hunting any animal or bird that may be eaten, must pour out its blood and cover it with dirt. 14For the life of all flesh is its blood. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, “Y’all are not eat the blood of any kind of flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it must be cut off.”

15“‘Every person, whether native-born or foreigner, anything found dead or torn by wild animals, must wash their clothes, and bathe in water, and be unclean until the evening. Then they will be clean. 16But if they don’t wash them, or bathe their flesh, then they will bear their iniquity.’”