17:1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 17:2 “Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites, and tell them: ‘This is the word that the Lord has commanded: 17:3 “Blood guilt1 will be accounted to any man2 from the house of Israel3 who slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat inside the camp or outside the camp,4 17:4 but has not brought it to the doorway of the Meeting Tent5 to present it as6 an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord. He has shed blood, so that man will be cut off from the midst of his people.7 17:5 This is so that8 the Israelites will bring their sacrifices that they are sacrificing in the open field9 to the Lord at the doorway of the Meeting Tent to the priest and sacrifice them there as peace offering sacrifices to the Lord. 17:6 The priest is to splash the blood on the altar10 of the Lord at the doorway of the Meeting Tent, and offer the fat up in smoke for a soothing aroma to the Lord. 17:7 So they must no longer offer11 their sacrifices to the goat-demons,12 acting like prostitutes by going after them.13 This is to be a perpetual statute for them throughout their generations.14
17:8 “You are to say to them: ‘Any man15 from the house of Israel or16 from the foreigners who reside17 in their18 midst, who offers19 a burnt offering or a sacrifice 17:9 but does not bring it to the doorway of the Meeting Tent to offer it20 to the Lord—that person will be cut off from his people.21
Prohibition Against Eating Blood
17:10 “‘Any man22 from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who reside23 in their24 midst who eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats the blood, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people,25 17:11 for the life of the flesh is in the blood.26 So I myself have assigned it to you27 on the altar to make atonement for your lives, for the blood makes atonement by means of the life.28 17:12 Therefore, I have said to the Israelites: No person among you is to eat blood,29 and no resident foreigner who lives among you is to eat blood.30
17:13 “‘Any man from the Israelites31 or from the foreigners who reside32 in their33 midst who hunts a wild animal34 or a bird that may be eaten35 must pour out its blood and cover it with soil, 17:14 for the life of all flesh is its blood.36 So I have said to the Israelites: You must not eat the blood of any living thing37 because the life of every living thing is its blood—all who eat it will be cut off.38
Regulations for Eating Carcasses
17:15 “‘Any person39 who eats a carcass40 or an animal torn by beasts, whether a native citizen or a foreigner,41 must wash his clothes, bathe in water, be unclean until evening, and then become clean. 17:16 But if he does not wash his clothes42 and does not bathe his body, he will bear his punishment for iniquity.’”43
Exhortation to Obedience and Life