Leviticus 11:21–44

²¹But you may eat these kinds of all the winged insects that walk on all fours: those that have jointed legs above their feet for hopping on the ground. ²²You may eat these:

any kind of locust,^r katydid, cricket, and grasshopper.

²³All other winged insects that have four feet are to be abhorrent to you.

PURIFICATION AFTER TOUCHING DEAD ANIMALS

²⁴“These will make you unclean. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean^s until evening, ²⁵and whoever carries any of their carcasses is to wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening.^{a 26}All animals that have hooves but do not have a divided hoof and do not chew the cud are unclean for you. Whoever touches them becomes unclean. ²⁷All the four-footed animals^b that walk on their paws are unclean for you. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening, ²⁸and anyone who carries their carcasses is to wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening. They are unclean for you.

²⁹“These creatures that swarm^c on the ground are unclean for you:

weasels,^A mice,^d

any kind of large lizard,^B

³⁰geckos, monitor lizards,^C

common lizards,^D skinks,^E

and chameleons.^F

³¹These are unclean for you among all the swarming creatures. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean until evening. ³²When any one of them dies and falls on anything it becomes unclean—any item of wood, clothing, leather, sackcloth,^e or any implement used for work. It is to be rinsed with water and will remain unclean until evening; then it will be clean. ³³If any of them falls into any clay pot, everything in it will become unclean; you are to break it. ³⁴Any edible food^f coming into contact with that unclean water will become unclean, and any drinkable liquid in any container will become unclean. ³⁵Anything one of their carcasses falls on will become unclean. If it is an oven or stove, it is to be smashed; it is unclean and will remain unclean for you. ³⁶A spring or cistern containing water will remain clean, but someone who touches a carcass in it will become unclean. ³⁷If one of their carcasses falls on any seed that is to be sown, it is clean; ³⁸but if water has been put on the seed and one of their carcasses falls on it, it is unclean for you.

³⁹“If one of the animals that you use for food dies, anyone who touches its carcass will be unclean until evening. ⁴⁰Anyone who eats some of its carcass is to wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening. Anyone who carries its carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening.

UNCLEAN SWARMING CREATURES

⁴¹“All the creatures that swarm on the earth are abhorrent; they must not be eaten. ⁴²Do not eat any of the creatures that swarm on the earth, anything that moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet,^A for they are abhorrent. ⁴³Do not become contaminated by any creature that swarms; do not become unclean or defiled by them. ⁴⁴For I am the Lord your God,^g so you must consecrate yourselves^h and be holy because I am holy.ⁱ Do not defile yourselves by any swarming creature that crawls on the ground.