Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, "Tell the Israelites which of all living creatures among the beasts on earth are acceptable to eat.

These are the animals you may eat: whatever parteth the hoof, is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud. But do not eat of those that only chew their cud but don't divide their hooves, like camels or conies, because they're unclean to you.

The hare also chews its cud but doesn't divide its hooves, making it unclean to you. And although pigs have split hooves and are cloven-footed, they don't chew their cud; so they're unclean to you. You must not eat their flesh or touch their carcasses - they're unclean.

But you may eat all creatures in the water that have fins and scales, whether in the seas, rivers, or lakes. Any living thing without fins or scales is an abomination to you and should be regarded with disgust. Don't eat its flesh; regard its carcass as filthy.

All birds of prey are detestable to you - eagles, ossifrages, ospreys, vultures, kites, ravens, owls, night hawks, cuckoos, hawks, little owls, cormorants, great owls, swans, pelicans, gier eagles, storks, herons, lapwings, and bats. Any bird that creeps on all fours is also an abomination to you.

However, you may eat any flying creature with four legs that can jump on the ground, like locusts, bald locusts, beetles, or grasshoppers. But don't eat other creepy things with four feet - they're unclean.

If you touch a carcass of one of these creatures, you'll be unclean until evening; wash your clothes and wait until then to become clean again. If someone bears something from their carcass, he must wash his clothes and remain unclean until the evening as well.

The carcasses of animals that don't divide their hooves or chew their cud are unclean to you - anyone who touches them will be unclean. Anyone who goes on all fours among other beasts is also unclean; if someone touches their carcass, he'll be unclean until evening.

If someone bears the carcass of one of these creatures, he must wash his clothes and remain unclean until the evening because they're unclean to you. These include weasels, mice, tortoises, ferrets, chameleons, lizards, snails, and moles - anyone who touches anything that's come into contact with one of these creatures when it's dead will be unclean until the evening.

If any part of their carcass falls on a vessel or clothing made from skin or a sack, it must be put in water to become clean again after the evening. Any earthen vessel contaminated by them should be broken down and remain unclean.

Food that comes into contact with water used for cleaning these creatures will also be considered unclean; so will any vessel used to hold such food. Anything where their carcass falls, whether an oven or cooking ranges, must be broken down because it's unclean.

But if a fountain or pit has plenty of clean water and part of their carcass falls on sowing seed, the seed remains clean. However, if water is poured over the seed and something from one of these creatures falls onto it, the seed will become unclean to you.

If an animal that's acceptable to eat dies, anyone who touches its carcass will be unclean until the evening. Anyone who eats from its flesh must wash his clothes and remain unclean until then; if someone carries its carcass, he must also wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.

Every creature that creeps on the earth is an abomination to you - do not eat them. Any animal that walks on all fours or has many feet among creatures that creep on the earth are unclean to you.

You must not defile yourselves with any creepy thing that creeps on the earth, lest you become unclean and bear the guilt of abomination. I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves to me by being holy because I am holy. Don't defile yourselves with these creatures - they're an abomination.

I am the Lord who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. This is the law regarding land animals, birds, and every living creature that moves in water, as well as all creatures that creep on the earth: it's about distinguishing between what's unclean and clean, and between animals that may be eaten and those that must not.

This will help you know which are acceptable to eat and which should be considered abominable.