Clean and Unclean Animals

(Deuteronomy 14:1-21; Acts 10:9-16)

1And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them. 2Speak to the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye may eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. 3Whatever parteth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that shall ye eat. 4Nevertheless, these shall ye not eat, of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean to you. 5And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean to you. 6And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof: he is unclean to you. 7And the swine, though he divideth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. 8Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

9These shall ye eat, of all that are in the waters: whatever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. 10And all that have not fins nor scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living animal which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination to you: 11They shall be even an abomination to you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcasses in abomination. 12Whatever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination to you.

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, 14And the vultur, and the kite after his kind; 15Every raven after his kind; 16And the owl, and the night-hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, 17And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, 18And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier-eagle, 19And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

20All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination to you. 21Yet these may ye eat, of every flying creeping animal that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap with upon the earth; 22Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after its kind, and the bald locust after its kind, and the beetle after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind. 23But all other flying creeping animals, which have four feet, shall be an abomination to you.

24And for these ye shall be unclean: whoever toucheth the carcass of them shall be unclean until the evening. 25And whoever beareth aught of the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. 26The carcasses of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not cloven-footed, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean to you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean. 27And whatever goeth upon its paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean to you: whoever toucheth their carcass shall be unclean until the evening. 28And he that beareth the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening: they are unclean to you.

29These also shall be unclean to you among the creeping animals that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise, after its kind, 30And the ferret and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole. 31These are unclean to you among all that creep: whoever doth touch them, when they are dead, shall be unclean until the evening. 32And upon whatever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it is any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatever vessel it is, in which any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; so it shall be cleansed. 33And every earthen vessel, into which any of them falleth, whatever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it. 34Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drank in every such vessel, shall be unclean. 35And every thing on which any part of their carcass falleth, shall be unclean; whether an oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean to you. 36Nevertheless, a fountain or pit, in which there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcass shall be unclean. 37And if any part of their carcass shall fall upon any sowing-seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean. 38But if any water shall be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcass shall fall on it, it shall be unclean to you.

39And if any beast, of which ye may eat, shall die; he that toucheth its carcass shall be unclean until the evening. 40And he that eateth of its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening; he also that beareth its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.

41And every creeping animal that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten. 42Whatever goeth upon the belly, and whatever goeth upon all four, or whatever hath more feet among all creeping animals that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination. 43Ye shall not make your selves abominable with any creeping animal that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled by them. 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 animal that creepeth upon the earth. 45For I am the LORD that bringeth you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for 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; 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.