Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14:3–20; Matthew 15:11; Mark 7:15; Mark 7:18; Acts 10:12–15; Acts 11:6–9; Romans 14:14; 1 Corinthians 8:8; Colossians 2:16; Colossians 2:21; Hebrews 9:10

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Leviticus 11

Clean and Unclean Animals

And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, Speak to the people of Israel, saying, yThese are the living things that you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. Nevertheless, among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: The camel, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. And the zrock badger, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, ais unclean to you. You shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.

These you may eat, of all that are in the waters. Everything in the waters that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. 10 But anything in the seas or the rivers that does not have fins and scales, of the swarming creatures in the waters and of the living creatures that are in the waters, is bdetestable to you. 11 You shall regard them as detestable; you shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. 12 Everything in the waters that does not have fins and scales is detestable to you.

13 And these you shall detest among the birds;1 they shall not be eaten; they are bdetestable: cthe eagle,2 the bearded vulture, the black vulture, 14 the kite, dthe falcon of any kind, 15 every raven of any kind, 16 the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the ehawk of any kind, 17 the flittle owl, the cormorant, the gshort-eared owl, 18 the barn owl, the htawny owl, the carrion vulture, 19 the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and ithe bat.

20 All winged insects that go on all fours are detestable to you. 21 Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs above their feet, with which to hop on the ground. 22 Of them you may eat: jthe locust of any kind, the bald locust of any kind, the cricket of any kind, and the grasshopper of any kind. 23 But all other winged insects that have four feet are detestable to you.

24 And by these you shall become unclean. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, 25 and whoever carries any part of their carcass kshall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. 26 Every animal that parts the hoof but is not cloven-footed or does not chew the cud is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean. 27 And all that walk on their paws, among the animals that go on all fours, are unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, 28 and he who carries their carcass kshall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; they are unclean to you.

29 And these are unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm on the ground: the mole rat, lthe mouse, the great lizard of any kind, 30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. 31 These are unclean to you among all that swarm. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening. 32 And anything on which any of them falls when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is an article of wood or a garment or a skin or a sack, any article that is used for any purpose. mIt must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; then it shall be clean. 33 And if any of them falls into any earthenware vessel, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you nshall break it. 34 Any food in it that could be eaten, on which water comes, shall be unclean. And all drink that could be drunk from every such vessel shall be unclean. 35 And everything on which any part of their carcass falls shall be unclean. Whether oven or stove, it shall be broken in pieces. They are unclean and shall remain unclean for you. 36 Nevertheless, a spring or a cistern holding water shall be clean, but whoever touches a carcass in them shall be unclean. 37 And if any part of their carcass falls upon any seed grain that is to be sown, it is clean, 38 but if water is put on the seed and any part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.

39 And if any animal which you may eat dies, whoever touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening, 40 and owhoever eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. And whoever carries the carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.

41 pEvery swarming thing that swarms on the ground is detestable; it shall not be eaten. 42 Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, any swarming thing that swarms on the ground, you shall not eat, for they are detestable. 43 qYou shall not make yourselves detestable with any swarming thing that swarms, and you shall not defile yourselves with them, and become unclean through them. 44 For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and rbe holy, for I am holy. qYou shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. 45 sFor I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. rYou shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

46 This is the law about beast and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms on the ground, 47 tto make a distinction between the unclean and the clean and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten.


Deuteronomy 14:3–20

tYou shall not eat any abomination. uThese are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex,1 the antelope, and the mountain sheep. Every animal that parts the hoof and has the hoof cloven in two and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. Yet of those that chew the cud or have the hoof cloven you shall not eat these: the camel, the hare, and the vrock badger, because they chew the cud but do not part the hoof, are unclean for you. And the pig, because it parts the hoof but does not chew the cud, is unclean for you. Their flesh you shall not eat, and wtheir carcasses you shall not touch.

Of all that are in the waters you may eat these: whatever has fins and scales you may eat. 10 And whatever does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you.

11 You may eat all clean birds. 12 But these are the ones that you shall not eat: the eagle,2 the bearded vulture, the black vulture, 13 the kite, the falcon of any kind; 14 every raven of any kind; 15 the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind; 16 the little owl and the short-eared owl, the barn owl 17 and the tawny owl, the carrion vulture and the cormorant, 18 the stork, the heron of any kind; the hoopoe and the bat. 19 And all winged insects are unclean for you; they shall not be eaten. 20 All clean winged things you may eat.


Matthew 15:11

11 rit is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.


Mark 7:15

15 fThere is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.1


Mark 7:18

18 And he said to them, Then iare you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him,


Acts 10:12–15

12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: Rise, Peter; kill and eat. 14 But Peter said, By no means, Lord; jfor I have never eaten anything that is kcommon or lunclean. 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, mWhat God has made clean, do not call common.


Acts 11:6–9

Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. And I heard a voice saying to me, Rise, Peter; kill and eat. But I said, By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth. But the voice answered a second time from heaven, What God has made clean, do not call common.


Romans 14:14

14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus cthat nothing is unclean in itself, dbut it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.


1 Corinthians 8:8

cFood will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.


Colossians 2:16

Let No One Disqualify You

16 Therefore let no one gpass judgment on you hin questions of food and drink, or with regard to ia festival or ja new moon or a Sabbath.


Colossians 2:21

21 wDo not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch


Hebrews 9:10

10 but deal only with efood and drink and fvarious washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.