22 1 Then our Father said to Moses,
2 Tell Aaron and his sons to be careful with the holy offerings Israel's people dedicate to me, so they don't desecrate my holy name. I am your Father.
3 Tell them: In every generation, any descendant of yours who is unclean and approaches the holy offerings Israel's people dedicate to me will be cut off from my presence. I am your Father.
4 No descendant of Aaron with a skin disease or discharge may eat the holy offerings until clean. Whoever touches something unclean from a corpse, or a man who has a semen emission, 5 or touches any swarming creature that makes him unclean, or a person who makes him unclean, whatever his uncleanness 6 Whoever touches it is unclean until evening and must not eat the holy offerings unless he has washed his body in water. 7 At sunset he is clean; then he may eat the holy offerings, for it is his food. 8 He must not eat anything dead or torn by wild animals, for that makes him unclean. I am your Father. 9 Priests must keep my instructions, or bear guilt and die for treating them with contempt. I am your Father, who makes them holy.
10 No outsider may eat the holy offering; no guest or hired worker of a priest may eat it. 11 But if a priest buys a slave with his own money, that slave may eat it; those born in the priest's house may eat his food. 12 If a priest's daughter marries a non-priest, she may not eat the holy contributions. 13 But if a priest's daughter is widowed or divorced, has no child, and returns to her father's house as in her youth, she may eat her father's food. No outsider may eat it.
14 Anyone who eats a holy offering by mistake must add a fifth of its value and give it to the priest. 15 Priests must not desecrate the holy offerings Israel's people present to me, 16 and bring guilt requiring payment on them by their eating their holy offerings. For I am your Father, who makes the offerings holy.
Offerings Worthy of the Father
17 Then our Father said to Moses,
18 Tell Aaron, his sons, and all Israelites: When any of you—native-born or a foreigner living in Israel—brings a burnt offering to me, to fulfill a vow or as a voluntary gift, 19 Present a male without defect from cattle, sheep, or goats, so it's accepted for you. 20 Do not present anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf. 21 When anyone brings a peace offering to me from herd or flock to fulfill an extraordinary vow or as a freewill offering, it must be flawless to be accepted — no defect in it. 22 Do not offer me anything blind, broken, maimed, wart-covered, scabbed, or oozing. Do not put any of these on the altar as a food offering to me. 23 You may present an ox or sheep that's deformed or stunted as a voluntary offering, but it won't be accepted for a vow. 24 Don't offer me an animal with testicles bruised, crushed, torn, or cut. Don't do this in your own land. 25 You must not accept such animals from a foreigner to offer as your Father's food, since they are deformed and defective—they will not be accepted for you.” a a v25 The offerings are called God's "food" as a figure of speech — our Father needs nothing, but he receives the worship the gift expresses.
26 Then our Father said to Moses,
27 When a calf, lamb, or goat is born, it stays with its mother seven days; from the eighth day on, it is acceptable as a food offering to me. 28 Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day.
29 When you sacrifice a thank offering to me, sacrifice it so you'll be accepted. 30 It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it until morning. I am your Father.
31 Keep my commands and follow them. I am your Father. 32 Do not desecrate my holy name; I must be honored as holy among the Israelites. I am your Father, who makes you holy. 33 and who brought you out of Egypt to be your Father. I am your Father."
