Explore the Bible
Read
Up Next
Leviticus 11:1-12
Clean and Unclean Animals
(Deuteronomy 14.3-21)
1 The Lord told Moses and Aaron 2to say to the community of Israel:
You may eat 3any animal that has divided hoofs and chews the cud. 4-8But you must not eat animals such as camels, rock badgers, and rabbits that chew the cud but don't have divided hoofs. And you must not eat pigs—they have divided hoofs, but don't chew the cud. All of these animals are unclean, and you are forbidden even to touch their dead bodies.
9-12You may eat anything that lives in water and has fins and scales. But it would be disgusting for you to eat anything else that lives in water, and you must not even touch their dead bodies.
Leviticus 11:1-12
Clean and unclean food
1The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2‘Say to the Israelites: “Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: 3you may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud.
4‘ “There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. 5The hyrax, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. 6The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. 7And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. 8You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.
9‘ “Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams you may eat any that have fins and scales. 10But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales – whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water – you are to regard as unclean. 11And since you are to regard them as unclean, you must not eat their meat; you must regard their carcasses as unclean. 12Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be regarded as unclean by you.
