Leviticus

And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,

1The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He told them what to say.

2Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.

2"Tell the people of Israel this. Of all the animals on the earth, here are the ones you may eat.

3Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.

3You may eat any animal with a split hoof that also chews the cud.

NoteChewing the cud means the animal brings food back up from its stomach and chews it again. Cows and sheep do this.

4Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

4Some animals do only one of those two things. Do not eat those. The camel chews the cud, but its hoof is not split. It is unclean for you. That means you must not eat it.

5And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

5The rock badger is a small animal that lives among rocks. It chews the cud, but its hoof is not split. It is unclean for you.

6And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

6The rabbit chews the cud, but its hoof is not split. It is unclean for you.

7And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.

7The pig has a hoof that is fully split. But it does not chew the cud. It is unclean for you.

8Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

8Do not eat the meat of these animals. Do not touch their dead bodies. They are unclean for you.

9These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.

9Here is what you may eat from the water. You may eat anything in the seas or rivers that has fins and scales.

10And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:

10But look at all the other things that live and move in the water. Anything in the seas or rivers without fins and scales is not for you.

11They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.

11You must not eat their meat. Stay away from their dead bodies too.

12Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

12Anything in the water without fins and scales is not to be eaten.

13And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,

13Here are the birds you must not eat. They are not food for you. The eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,

NoteNobody today knows for sure what some of these old Hebrew bird and animal names meant. Different Bibles use different names for them.

14And the vulture, and the kite after his kind;

14the kite, and every kind of falcon,

15Every raven after his kind;

15every kind of raven,

16And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,

16the ostrich, the screech owl, the seagull, and every kind of hawk,

17And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,

17the little owl, the cormorant, and the great owl,

18And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,

18the white owl, the desert owl, and the osprey,

19And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

19the stork, every kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.

20All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.

20Flying insects that crawl along the ground are not food for you.

21Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;

21But some of them you may eat. You may eat the ones with jointed legs for hopping on the ground.

22Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.

22You may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket, or grasshopper.

23But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.

23All other flying insects that crawl are not food for you.

24And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even.

24Touching these dead animals will make you unclean. If you touch one, you stay unclean until evening.

25And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

25If you pick up one of their dead bodies, wash your clothes. You stay unclean until evening.

26The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.

26Some animals have hooves that are not fully split. Some do not chew the cud. Their dead bodies are unclean for you. Whoever touches them becomes unclean.

27And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even.

27Some four-legged animals walk on paws. They are unclean for you. Whoever touches one that is dead stays unclean until evening.

28And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.

28If you pick up one of their dead bodies, wash your clothes. You stay unclean until evening. These animals are unclean for you.

29These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind,

29Here are the small animals on the ground that are unclean for you. The mole, the mouse, every kind of large lizard,

30And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.

30the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink, and the chameleon.

31These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.

31Of all the small crawling animals, these are unclean for you. Whoever touches one that is dead stays unclean until evening.

32And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed.

32One of them may die and fall on something. That thing becomes unclean. It might be made of wood, cloth, leather, or sackcloth. Any tool used for work must be put in water. It stays unclean until evening. Then it is clean again.

33And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it.

33One of them may fall into a clay pot. Then everything inside the pot is unclean. You must break the pot.

34Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.

34Any food touched by water from that pot is unclean. Any drink in such a pot is unclean too.

NoteThe King James Bible says "meat" here. In 1611 that word meant food of any kind, not just animal meat.

35And every thing whereupon any part of their carcase falleth shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you.

35Anything one of their dead bodies falls on becomes unclean. If it is an oven or a cooking stove, break it apart. It is unclean, and it stays unclean for you.

36Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean.

36But a spring or a well full of water stays clean. Still, whoever touches the dead body in it becomes unclean.

37And if any part of their carcase fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean.

37One of their dead bodies may fall on seed you plan to plant. That seed is still clean.

38But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcase fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.

38But water may have been put on the seed first. If a dead body then falls on it, the seed is unclean for you.

39And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.

39An animal you are allowed to eat may die on its own. Whoever touches its body stays unclean until evening.

40And he that eateth of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

40Whoever eats from that body must wash his clothes. He stays unclean until evening. Whoever picks up the body must wash his clothes too. He also stays unclean until evening.

41And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.

41Every small animal that crawls on the ground is not food. You must not eat it.

42Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.

42Some crawl on their bellies. Some walk on four feet or many feet. Do not eat any of them. They are not food for you.

43Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.

43Do not make yourselves dirty with any crawling animal. Do not let them make you unclean.

44For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

44I am the LORD your God. So set yourselves apart for me, and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean with any crawling animal.

45For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

45I am the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God. So be holy, because I am holy.

46This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:

46This is the law about animals, birds, water creatures, and crawling creatures.

47To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.

47It shows the difference between what is clean and what is unclean. It shows which animals may be eaten and which may not."