All Sacrifice Belongs to Me
17 1 Our Father spoke to Moses, saying:
No More Offerings to Demons
2 "Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the people of Israel, and say to them: This is what I have commanded: 3 Any man of the house of Israel who slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or slaughters it outside the camp, 4 and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to me before my tabernacle, that man will be held guilty of bloodshed. He has shed blood, and that man will be cut off from his people. 5 This is so that the people of Israel may bring the sacrifices they have been offering in the open field — they shall bring them to me, to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and offer them as peace offerings to me. 6 The priest shall splash the blood on my altar at the entrance of the tent of meeting and burn the fat as a pleasing aroma to me. 7 They must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons, after whom they prostitute themselves. This is a permanent law for them for all generations to come.
8 And say to them: Any man of the house of Israel, or any foreigner who lives among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice 9 and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it to me — that man will be cut off from his people.
Life Is in the Blood
10 If anyone of the house of Israel, or any foreigner who lives among them, eats any blood, I will set my face against the person who eats blood, and I will cut him off from his people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement through the life in it. 1 1 v11 Our Father himself gave the blood as the means of atonement — and the blood of every sacrifice pointed forward to the blood of Jesus, poured out to cover his children once for all. 12 Therefore I have said to the people of Israel: None of you are to eat blood, nor is any foreigner who lives among you to eat blood.
13 Anyone of the people of Israel, or any foreigner who lives among them, who hunts down an animal or bird that may be eaten must pour out its blood and cover it with earth. 14 For the life of every creature is its blood — its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel: You must not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood; whoever eats it will be cut off.
15 And every person, whether native-born or foreigner, who eats an animal that died on its own or was torn by wild animals must wash his clothes and bathe in water, and he will be unclean until evening; then he will be clean. 16 But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, he will bear his guilt."