Leviticus 17

¹ Yahweh spoke to Moses; he said:

² Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the sons of Israel and say to them: “This is the word of Yahweh, his command:

³ Any man of the House of Israel who immolates an ox, lamb or goat, whether inside the camp or outside it,

⁴ must first bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to make an offering of it to Yahweh before his tabernacle; and anyone who fails to do this must answer for the blood that is spilt; he shall be outlawed from his people.

⁵ Thus, the sacrifices that the sons of Israel wish to make in the open country will be brought to the priest, for Yahweh, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, and with them they will make communion sacrifices for Yahweh.

⁶ The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of Yahweh that stands at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, and he shall burn the fat, and its fragrance will appease Yahweh.

⁷ They must no longer offer their sacrifices to the satyrs[*a] in whose service they once prostituted themselves.[*b] This is a perpetual law for them and for their descendants.”

⁸ You will also say to them, “Any man of the House of Israel or stranger living among you who offers a holocaust or sacrifice

⁹ without bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to offer it to Yahweh shall be outlawed from his people.

¹⁰ If any man of the House of Israel or stranger living among you eats blood of any kind, I will set my face against the man who has eaten the blood and will outlaw him from his people.

¹¹ The life of the flesh is in the blood. This blood I myself have given you to perform the rite of atonement for your lives at the altar; for it is blood that atones for a life.

¹² That is why I have said to the sons of Israel: None of you nor any stranger living among you shall eat blood.

¹³ If any son of Israel or any stranger living among you catches game or bird that it is lawful to eat, he must pour out its blood and cover it with earth.

¹⁴ For the life of all flesh is its blood, and I have said to the sons of Israel: You must not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is in its blood, and anyone who eats it shall be outlawed from his people.

¹⁵ Anyone, native or stranger, who eats an animal that has died a natural death or been savaged by beasts must wash his clothing and wash himself; he shall be unclean until evening, then he will be clean.

¹⁶ But if he does not wash his clothing and wash his body, he must bear the consequences of his fault.”‘