Leviticus 17

1 The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, 2 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the children of Israel, and say to them: This is the word the Lord has commanded. 3 Any man of the children of Israel, or of the newcomers living among you, who kills a young bull or a sheep or a goat in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp, 4 and does not bring it to the door of the tent of witness so as to make it a whole burnt offering or an offering of well-being to the Lord, acceptable, for a pleasing smell — anyone who kills it outside and does not bring it to the door of the tent of witness so as to bring it as a gift to the Lord in front of the Lord’s tent — blood will be counted against that man. He has shed blood. That soul will be destroyed from among his people. [a] 5 This is so that the children of Israel will bring their sacrifices — everything they kill out in the fields — and bring them to the Lord, to the doors of the tent of witness, to the priest, and sacrifice them to the Lord as a sacrifice of well-being. 6 And the priest is to pour the blood all around the altar before the Lord, by the doors of the tent of witness, and bring the fat up for a pleasing smell to the Lord. 7 And they are no longer to sacrifice their sacrifices to the empty things, which they go whoring after. This will be a lasting practice for you through your generations. [b]

8 And you are to say to them: Any man of the children of Israel, or of the sons of the newcomers living among you, who makes a whole burnt offering or a sacrifice 9 and does not bring it to the door of the tent of witness to make it to the Lord — that man will be destroyed from among his people.

10 And any man of the children of Israel, or of the newcomers living among you, who eats any blood — I will set my face against that soul who eats the blood, and I will destroy it from among its people. 11 For the life of all flesh is its blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for its blood makes atonement in place of the life. [c] 12 That is why I said to the children of Israel: No soul among you is to eat blood, and the newcomer living among you is not to eat blood. 13 And any man of the children of Israel, or of the newcomers living among you, who hunts and takes an animal or a bird that may be eaten, is to pour out its blood and cover it with earth. 14 For the life of all flesh is its blood. And I said to the children of Israel: You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, because the life of all flesh is its blood. Anyone who eats it will be destroyed.

15 And every soul who eats an animal that died on its own or was torn by wild animals — whether among the native-born or among the newcomers — is to wash his clothes and bathe in water, and he will be unclean until evening, and then he will be clean. 16 But if he does not wash his clothes and does not bathe his body in water, he will bear his own lawlessness.”