Leviticus 11:1–23

Food That Is “Clean” and Food That Is Not

11The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said to them, ²“Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, ‘Many animals live on land. Here are the only ones you can eat. ³You can eat any animal that has hoofs that are separated completely in two. But it must also chew the cud.

⁴“ ‘Some animals only chew the cud. Some only have hoofs that are separated in two. You must not eat those animals.

“ ‘Camels chew the cud. But their hoofs are not separated in two. So they are not “clean” for you.

⁵“ ‘Rock badgers chew the cud. But their hoofs are not separated in two. So they are not “clean” for you.

⁶“ ‘Rabbits chew the cud. But their hoofs are not separated in two. So they are not “clean” for you.

⁷“ ‘Pigs have hoofs that are separated completely in two. But they do not chew the cud. So they are not “clean” for you.

⁸“ ‘You must not eat the meat of those animals. You must not even touch their dead bodies. They are not “clean” for you.

⁹“ ‘Many creatures live in the water of the oceans and streams. You can eat all of those that have fins and scales.

¹⁰“ ‘But be sure to avoid all of the creatures in the oceans or streams that do not have fins and scales. That includes all of those that move together in groups and all of those that do not. ¹¹Be sure to avoid them. Do not eat their meat. Do not even touch their dead bodies. ¹²Be sure to avoid everything that lives in the water that does not have fins and scales.

¹³“ ‘Here are the birds you must be sure to avoid. Do not eat them. Be sure to avoid them.

“ ‘They include eagles, vultures and black vultures. ¹⁴They include red kites and all kinds of black kites. ¹⁵They include all kinds of ravens. ¹⁶They include horned owls, screech owls, gulls and all kinds of hawks.

¹⁷“ ‘They include little owls, cormorants and great owls. ¹⁸They include white owls, desert owls and ospreys. ¹⁹They also include storks, hoopoes, bats and all kinds of herons.

²⁰“ ‘Be sure to avoid every flying insect that walks on all fours. ²¹But you can eat some creatures that have wings and walk on all fours. Their legs have joints so they can hop on the ground.

²²“ ‘Here are the insects you can eat. You can eat all kinds of locusts, katydids, crickets and grasshoppers. ²³But be sure to avoid every other creature that has wings and four legs.