Clean and Unclean Animals

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

1And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, 2Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the living things which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. 3Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, 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 part the hoof: the camel, because he cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, he is unclean unto you. 5And the coney, because he cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, he is unclean unto you. 6And the hare, because she cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, she is unclean unto you. 7And the swine, because he parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, but cheweth not the cud, he is unclean unto you. 8Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcases ye shall not touch; they are unclean unto you.

9These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. 10And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are an abomination unto you, 11and they shall be an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, and their carcases ye shall have in abomination. 12Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that is an abomination unto you.

13And these ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the gier eagle, and the ospray; 14and the kite, and the falcon after its kind; 15every raven after its kind; 16and the ostrich, and the night hawk, and the seamew, and the hawk after its kind; 17and the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl; 18and the horned owl, and the pelican, and the vulture; 19and the stork, the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.

20All winged creeping things that go upon all four are an abomination unto you. 21Yet these may ye eat of all winged creeping things that go upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth; 22even these of them ye may eat; the locust after its kind, and the bald locust after its kind, and the cricket after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind. 23But all winged creeping things, which have four feet, are an abomination unto you.

24And by these ye shall become unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even: 25And whosoever beareth aught of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even. 26Every beast which parteth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, is unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean. 27And whatsoever goeth upon its paws, among all beasts that go on all four, they are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even. 28And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.

29And these are they which are unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the great lizard after its kind, 30and the gecko, and the land-crocodile, and the lizard, and the sand-lizard, and the chameleon. 31These are they which are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they are dead, shall be unclean until the even. 32And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherewith any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; then shall it be clean. 33And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean, and it ye shall break. 34All food therein which may be eaten, that on which water cometh, shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean. 35And every thing whereupon any part of their carcase falleth shall be unclean; whether oven, or range for pots, it shall be broken in pieces: they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you. 36Nevertheless a fountain or a pit wherein is a gathering of water shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean. 37And if aught of their carcase fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean. 38But if water be put upon the seed, and aught of their carcase fall thereon, it is unclean unto you.

39And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even. 40And he that eateth of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

41And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth is an abomination; it shall not be eaten. 42Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath many feet, even all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination. 43Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby. 44For I am the LORD your God: sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that moveth upon the earth. 45For I am the LORD that brought you up 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 beast, 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 living thing that may be eaten and the living thing that may not be eaten.