Clean and Unclean Animals
(Deuteronomy 14.3-21)1 The Lord told Moses and Aaron 2 to say to the community of Israel:
You may eat 3 any animal that has divided hoofs and chews the cud. 4-8 But 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.
9-12 You 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.
13-19 Eagles, vultures, buzzards, crows, ostriches, hawks, sea gulls, owls, pelicans, storks, herons, hoopoes, and bats are also disgusting, and you are forbidden to eat any of them.
20-23 The only winged insects you may eat are locusts, grasshoppers, and crickets. All other winged insects that crawl are too disgusting for you to eat.
24-28 Don't even touch the dead bodies of animals that have divided hoofs but don't chew the cud. And don't touch the dead bodies of animals that have paws. If you do, you must wash your clothes, but you are still unclean until evening.
29-30 Moles, rats, mice, and all kinds of lizards are unclean. 31 Anyone who touches their dead bodies or anything touched by their dead bodies becomes unclean until evening. 32 If something made of wood, cloth, or leather touches one of their dead bodies, it must be washed, but it is still unclean until evening. 33 If any of these animals is found dead in a clay pot, the pot must be broken to pieces, and everything in it becomes unclean. 34 If you pour water from this pot on any food, that food becomes unclean, and anything drinkable in the pot becomes unclean.
35 If the dead body of one of these animals touches anything else, including ovens and stoves, that thing becomes unclean and must be destroyed. 36 A spring or a cistern where one of these dead animals is found is still clean, but anyone who touches the animal becomes unclean. 37 If the dead body of one of these animals is found lying on seeds that have been set aside for planting, the seeds remain clean. 38 But seeds that are soaking in water become unclean, if the dead animal is found in the water.
39 If an animal that may be eaten happens to die, and you touch it, you become unclean until evening. 40 If you eat any of its meat or carry its body away, you must wash your clothes, but you are still unclean until evening.
41-42 Don't eat any of those disgusting little creatures that crawl or walk close to the ground. 43 If you eat any of them, you will become just as disgusting and unclean as they are. 44 I am the Lord your God, and you must dedicate yourselves to me and be holy, just as I am holy. Don't become disgusting by eating any of these unclean creatures. 45 I brought you out of Egypt so that I could be your God. Now you must become holy, because I am holy!
46-47 I have given these laws so that you will know what animals, birds, and fish are clean and may be eaten, and which ones are unclean and may not be eaten.
1 After, the Lord spake vnto Moses and to Aaron, saying vnto them, 2 Speake vnto the children of Israel, and say, These are the beastes which yee shall eate, among all the beasts that are on the earth. 3 Whatsoeuer parteth the hoofe, and is clouen footed, and cheweth the cudde, among the beastes, that shall ye eate. 4 But of them that chewe the cud, or deuide the hoofe onely, of them yee shall not eate: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, and deuideth not ye hoofe, he shall be vncleane vnto you. 5 Likewise the conie, because he cheweth the cud and deuideth not the hoofe, he shall bee vncleane to you. 6 Also the hare, because he cheweth the cud, and deuideth not the hoofe, he shalbe vncleane to you. 7 And the swine, because he parteth ye hoofe and is clouen footed, but cheweth not the cud, he shalbe vncleane to you. 8 Of their flesh shall yee not eate, and their carkeise shall yee not touch: for they shall bee vncleane to you. 9 These shall ye eate, of all that are in the waters: whatsoeuer hath finnes and skales in ye waters, in the seas, or in the riuers, them shall ye eate. 10 But all that haue not finnes nor skales in the seas, or in the riuers, of all that moueth in the waters, and of al liuing things that are in the waters, they shalbe an abomination vnto you. 11 They, I say, shalbe an abomination to you: ye shall not eate of their flesh, but shall abhorre their carkeis. 12 Whatsoeuer hath not fins nor skales in the waters, that shalbe abomination vnto you. 13 These shall ye haue also in abomination among the foules, they shall not be eaten: for they are an abomination, the eagle, and the goshauke, and the osprey: 14 Also the vultur, and the kite after his kinde, 15 And all rauens after their kinde: 16 The ostrich also, and the night crowe, and the seameaw, and the hauke after his kinde: 17 The litle owle also, and the connorant, and the great owle. 18 Also the redshanke and the pelicane, and the swanne: 19 The storke also, the heron after his kinde, and the lapwing, and the backe: 20 Also euery foule that creepeth and goeth vpon all foure, such shalbe an abomination vnto you. 21 Yet these shall ye eate: of euery foule that creepeth, and goeth vpon all foure which haue their feete and legs all of one to leape withal vpon the earth, 22 Of them ye shall eate these, the grashopper after his kinde, and the solean after his kinde, the hargol after his kinde, and the hagab after his kind. 23 But al other foules that creepe and haue foure feete, they shalbe abomination vnto you. 24 For by such ye shalbe polluted: whosoeuer toucheth their carkeis, shalbe vncleane vnto the euening. 25 Whosoeuer also beareth of their carkeis, shall wash his clothes, and be vncleane vntil euen. 26 Euery beast that hath clawes deuided, and is not clouen footed, nor cheweth the cud, such shalbe vncleane vnto you: euery one that toucheth them, shalbe vncleane. 27 And whatsoeuer goeth vpon his pawes among all maner beastes that goeth on all foure, such shalbe vncleane vnto you: who so doth touch their carkeis shalbe vncleane vntil the euen. 28 And he that beareth their carkeis, shall wash his clothes, and be vncleane vntill the euen: for such shalbe vncleane vnto you. 29 Also these shalbe vncleane to you amog the things that creepe and moue vpon the earth, the weasell, and the mouse, and the frog, after his kinde: 30 Also the rat, and the lizard, and the chameleon, and the stellio, and the molle. 31 These shall be vncleane to you among all that creepe: whosoeuer doeth touch them when they be dead, shalbe vncleane vntil the euen. 32 Also whatsoeuer any of the dead carkeises of them doth fall vpon, shalbe vncleane, whether it be vessel of wood, or rayment, or skinne, or sacke: whatsoeuer vessel it be that is occupied, it shalbe put in the water as vncleane vntil the euen, and so be purified. 33 But euery earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoeuer is within it shalbe vncleane, and ye shall breake it. 34 Al meate also that shalbe eaten, if any such water come vpon it, shalbe vncleane: and all drinke that shalbe drunke in al such vessels shalbe vncleane. 35 And euery thing that their carkeis fall vpon, shalbe vncleane: the fornais or the pot shalbe broken: for they are vncleane, and shalbe vncleane vnto you. 36 Yet the fountaines and welles where there is plentie of water shalbe cleane: but that which toucheth their carkeises shalbe vncleane. 37 And if there fal of their dead carkeis vpon any seede, which vseth to be sowe, it shalbe cleane. 38 But if any water be powred vpon ye seede, and there fal of their dead carkeis thereon, it shall be vncleane vnto you. 39 If also any beast, whereof ye may eate, die, he that toucheth the carkeis thereof shall be vncleane vntil the euen. 40 And he that eateth of the carkeis of it, shall wash his clothes and be vncleane vntil the euen: he also that beareth the carkeis of it, shall wash his clothes, and be vncleane vntil the euen. 41 Euery creeping thing therefore that creepeth vpon the earth shalbe an abomination, and not be eaten. 42 Whatsoeuer goeth vpon the breast, and whatsoeuer goeth vpon al foure, or that hath many feete among all creeping thinges that creepe vpon the earth, ye shall not eate of them, for they shalbe abomination. 43 Ye shall not pollute your selues with any thing that creepeth, neither make your selues vncleane with them, neither defile your selues thereby: ye shall not, I say, be defiled by them, 44 For I am the Lord your God: be sanctified therefore, and be holy, for I am holy, and defile not your selues with any creeping thing, that creepeth vpon the earth. 45 For I am the Lord that brought you out of the lande of Egypt, to be your God, and that you should be holy, for I am holy. 46 This is the law of beasts, and of foules, and of euery liuing thing that moueth in the waters, and of euery thing that creepeth vpon the earth: 47 That there may be a difference betweene the vncleane and cleane, and betweene the beast that may be eaten, and the beast that ought not to be eaten.