Leviticus 17

Slaughter and the Tent of Meeting

1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites, and say to them: This is what the LORD has commanded. 3If anyone from the house of Israel slaughters an ox, lamb, or goat in the camp or slaughters it outside the camp, 4and does not bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD before the LORD’s tabernacle, bloodguilt shall be reckoned to that person. Blood has been shed, and that person shall be cut off from among the people. 5This is so that the Israelites may bring the sacrifices they are sacrificing in the open field and bring them to the LORD at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, to the priest, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of well-being to the LORD. 6The priest shall dash the blood against the LORD’s altar at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and turn the fat into smoke as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 7They shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to goat-demons, after whom they prostitute themselves. This shall be a perpetual statute for them throughout their generations.

8You shall say to them: If anyone from the house of Israel or from the resident aliens who live among them presents a burnt offering or sacrifice, 9and does not bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to prepare it for the LORD, that person shall be cut off from the people.

The Life Is in the Blood

10If anyone from the house of Israel or from the resident aliens who live among them eats any blood, I will set my face against the person who eats the blood and cut that person off from among the people. 11For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your lives, for the blood makes atonement by means of the life. 12Therefore I have said to the Israelites: No one among you shall eat blood, and no resident alien living among you shall eat blood.

Blood from Hunted Animals

13If anyone from the Israelites or from the resident aliens who live among them hunts an animal or bird that may be eaten, the person shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust. 14For the life of every flesh is its blood; its blood is its life. Therefore I said to the Israelites: You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of every flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.

Animals Found Dead or Torn

15Anyone, whether native-born or resident alien, who eats an animal that died by itself or was torn by animals shall wash their clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening; then that person shall be clean. 16But if the person does not wash the clothes and bathe the body, that person shall bear guilt.”