« | Leviticus 11 | » |
1 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
2 "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel."Of all the land animals, these are the ones you may use for food.
3 You may eat any animal that has completely split hooves and chews the cud.
4 You may not, however, eat the following animals that have split hooves or that chew the cud, but not both. The camel chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is ceremonially unclean for you.
5 The hyrax chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is unclean.
6 The hare chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is unclean.
7 The pig has evenly split hooves but does not chew the cud, so it is unclean.
8 You may not eat the meat of these animals or even touch their carcasses. They are ceremonially unclean for you.
9 "Of all the marine animals, these are ones you may use for food. You may eat anything from the water if it has both fins and scales, whether taken from salt water or from streams.
10 But you must never eat animals from the sea or from rivers that do not have both fins and scales. They are detestable to you. This applies both to little creatures that live in shallow water and to all creatures that live in deep water.
11 They will always be detestable to you. You must never eat their meat or even touch their dead bodies.
12 Any marine animal that does not have both fins and scales is detestable to you.
13 "These are the birds that are detestable to you. You must never eat them: the griffon vulture, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,
14 the kite, falcons of all kinds,
15 ravens of all kinds,
16 the eagle owl, the short-eared owl, the seagull, hawks of all kinds,
17 the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,
18 the barn owl, the desert owl, the Egyptian vulture,
19 the stork, herons of all kinds, the hoopoe, and the bat.
20 "You must not eat winged insects that walk along the ground; they are detestable to you.
21 You may, however, eat winged insects that walk along the ground and have jointed legs so they can jump.
22 The insects you are permitted to eat include all kinds of locusts, bald locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers.
23 All other winged insects that walk along the ground are detestable to you.
24 "The following creatures will make you ceremonially unclean. If any of you touch their carcasses, you will be defiled until evening.
25 If you pick up their carcasses, you must wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening.
26 "Any animal that has split hooves that are not evenly divided or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you. If you touch the carcass of such an animal, you will be defiled.
27 Of the animals that walk on all fours, those that have paws are unclean. If you touch the carcass of such an animal, you will be defiled until evening.
28 If you pick up its carcass, you must wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening. These animals are unclean for you.
29 "Of the small animals that scurry along the ground, these are unclean for you: the mole rat, the rat, large lizards of all kinds,
30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, the common lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon.
31 All these small animals are unclean for you. If any of you touch the dead body of such an animal, you will be defiled until evening.
32 If such an animal dies and falls on something, that object will be unclean. This is true whether the object is made of wood, cloth, leather, or burlap. Whatever its use, you must dip it in water, and it will remain defiled until evening. After that, it will be ceremonially clean and may be used again.
33 "If such an animal falls into a clay pot, everything in the pot will be defiled, and the pot must be smashed.
34 If the water from such a container spills on any food, the food will be defiled. And any beverage in such a container will be defiled.
35 Any object on which the carcass of such an animal falls will be defiled. If it is an oven or hearth, it must be destroyed, for it is defiled, and you must treat it accordingly.
36 "However, if the carcass of such an animal falls into a spring or a cistern, the water will still be clean. But anyone who touches the carcass will be defiled.
37 If the carcass falls on seed grain to be planted in the field, the seed will still be considered clean.
38 But if the seed is wet when the carcass falls on it, the seed will be defiled.
39 "If an animal you are permitted to eat dies and you touch its carcass, you will be defiled until evening.
40 If you eat any of its meat or carry away its carcass, you must wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening.
41 "All small animals that scurry along the ground are detestable, and you must never eat them.
42 This includes all animals that slither along on their bellies, as well as those with four legs and those with many feet. All such animals that scurry along the ground are detestable, and you must never eat them.
43 Do not defile yourselves by touching them. You must not make yourselves ceremonially unclean because of them.
44 For I am the LORD your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. So do not defile yourselves with any of these small animals that scurry along the ground.
45 For I, the LORD, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy.
46 "These are the instructions regarding land animals, birds, marine creatures, and animals that scurry along the ground.
47 By these instructions you will know what is unclean and clean, and which animals may be eaten and which may not be eaten."
The New Living Translation (NLT)
The New Living Translation (NLT) is a modern English translation of the Bible that aims to make the Scriptures accessible and engaging for contemporary readers. First published in 1996 by Tyndale House Publishers, the NLT was conceived as an effort to create a translation that combines both accuracy and readability. Unlike many other translations that focus on a word-for-word rendering of the original texts, the NLT employs a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, also known as dynamic equivalence. This approach prioritizes conveying the meaning and message of the original texts in a way that is natural and understandable in modern English.
One of the defining features of the NLT is its commitment to clarity and simplicity. The translators, a team of over 90 evangelical scholars, aimed to create a text that would be approachable for a wide audience, including those who may find traditional translations challenging to read. The NLT’s language is contemporary and conversational, making it particularly effective for public reading, teaching, and personal study. This emphasis on readability helps ensure that the profound messages of the Bible are easily grasped and retained by readers from various backgrounds and levels of biblical knowledge.
The NLT also incorporates a rich array of study aids designed to enhance the reader’s understanding of the biblical text. These include book introductions, footnotes, cross-references, and explanatory notes that provide historical, cultural, and theological context. These features are particularly useful for readers who seek a deeper comprehension of the Scriptures and their application to modern life. The translation also includes clear and concise headings that help guide readers through the narrative and thematic structure of each book, making it easier to follow and comprehend the overall message.
Despite its many strengths, the New Living Translation has faced some criticism, particularly from those who favor more literal translations. Critics argue that the dynamic equivalence approach, while making the text more readable, can sometimes result in a loss of the precise nuances and literary qualities of the original languages. Some scholars believe that certain theological concepts might be oversimplified in the process of making the text more accessible. Nevertheless, the NLT remains one of the most popular and widely used translations today, valued for its readability, clarity, and ability to convey the timeless truths of the Bible in a way that resonates with contemporary readers.