Deuteronomy
Chapter 14
Moses tells the people how to live as God's own people. They must not hurt their bodies to mourn the dead. He lists which animals, fish, and birds they may eat and which they may not. Then he tells them to bring a tenth of their crops and animals to God's chosen place, and to share food with the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
1You are the children of the LORD your God. So do not cut your bodies. Do not shave the front of your head to show you are sad about someone who died.
2For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.
2You belong to the LORD your God in a special way. He picked you out of all the people on earth to be his very own.
3Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.
3Do not eat anything God says is wrong to eat.
4These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,
4Here are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat.
5The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.
5You may also eat the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.
6And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.
6You may eat any animal whose hoof is split in two and that chews the cud.
"Chews the cud" means the animal brings food back up to chew it again. Cows and sheep do this.
7Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.
7But do not eat these, even though they chew the cud or have a split hoof. Do not eat the camel, the rabbit, or the rock badger. They chew the cud, but their hooves are not split. So they are unclean for you.
"Unclean" here does not mean dirty. It means God told the people not to eat it or use it in worship.
8And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase.
8Do not eat the pig either. Its hoof is split, but it does not chew the cud. It is unclean for you. Do not eat its meat or touch its dead body.
9These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:
9Here is what you may eat from the water. You may eat anything that has fins and scales.
10And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.
10But do not eat anything without fins and scales. It is unclean for you.
11Of all clean birds ye shall eat.
11You may eat any clean bird.
12But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,
12But do not eat these birds: the eagle, the bearded vulture, and the black vulture.
13And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind,
13Do not eat the red kite, the falcon, or any kind of kite.
14And every raven after his kind,
14Do not eat any kind of raven.
15And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,
15Do not eat the ostrich, the screech owl, the gull, or any kind of hawk.
16The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan,
16Do not eat the little owl, the great owl, or the white owl.
17And the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant,
17Do not eat the desert owl, the osprey, or the cormorant.
18And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
18Do not eat the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, or the bat.
19And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.
19All flying bugs are unclean for you. Do not eat them.
20But of all clean fowls ye may eat.
20But you may eat any clean bird.
21Ye shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.
21Do not eat an animal that died on its own. You may give it to a foreigner living in your town. He may eat it. Or you may sell it to someone from another land. You are a people who belong to the LORD your God. Do not cook a baby goat in its mother's milk.
22Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.
22Each year, set aside a tenth of everything your fields grow.
23And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
23Take that tenth of your grain, new wine, and oil to the place God chooses. Bring the first animals born to your cows, sheep, and goats too. Eat it there with the LORD your God. This will teach you to honor him always.
24And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:
24God will bless you with much. But the place he chooses may be too far away. You may not be able to carry all of it that far.
25Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:
25If so, sell it and take the money with you. Then go to the place the LORD your God chooses.
26And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,
26There you may spend the money on whatever you want. Buy cattle, sheep, wine, strong drink, or anything you like. Eat it there with the LORD your God. Be glad, you and everyone in your house.
The old King James says "whatsoever thy soul lusteth after." In 1611 that just meant whatever you wanted, not something bad.
27And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.
27Do not forget the Levites in your town. Levites help with worship, and they own no land of their own.
28At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:
28Every third year, bring a tenth of all your crops from that year. Store it inside your town.
29And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.
29Then the Levites, who own no land, may come and eat. So may foreigners, children with no father, and widows in your town. They will all eat until they are full. And the LORD your God will bless all the work you do.
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