"Give the following instructions to the Israelites: The animals you may use for food
include those that have completely divided hooves and chew the cud.
You may not, however, eat the animals named here because they either have split hooves or chew the cud, but not both. The camel may not be eaten, for though it chews the cud, it does not have split hooves.
The same is true of the rock badger
and the hare, so they also may never be eaten.
And the pig may not be eaten, for though it has split hooves, it does not chew the cud.
You may not eat the meat of these animals or touch their dead bodies. They are ceremonially unclean for you.
"As for marine animals, you may eat whatever has both fins and scales, whether taken from fresh water or salt water.
You may not, however, eat marine animals that do not have both fins and scales. You are to detest them,
and they will always be forbidden to you. You must never eat their meat or even touch their dead bodies.
I repeat, any marine animal that does not have both fins and scales is strictly forbidden to you.
"These are the birds you must never eat because they are detestable for you: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey,
the buzzard, kites of all kinds,
ravens of all kinds,
the ostrich, the nighthawk, the seagull, hawks of all kinds,
the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,
the white owl, the pelican, the carrion vulture,
the stork, herons of all kinds, the hoopoe, and the bat.
"You are to consider detestable all swarming insects that walk along the ground.
However, there are some exceptions that you may eat. These include insects that jump with their hind legs:
locusts of all varieties, crickets, bald locusts, and grasshoppers. All these may be eaten.
But you are to consider detestable all other swarming insects that walk or crawl.
"The following creatures make you ceremonially unclean. If you touch any of their dead bodies, you will be defiled until evening.
If you move the dead body of an unclean animal, you must immediately wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening.
"Any animal that has divided but unsplit hooves or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you. If you touch the dead body of such an animal, you will be defiled until evening.
Of the animals that walk on all fours, those that have paws are unclean for you. If you touch the dead body of such an animal, you will be defiled until evening.
If you pick up and move its carcass, you must immediately wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening.
"Of the small animals that scurry or creep on the ground, these are unclean for you: the mole, the mouse, the great lizard of all varieties,
the gecko, the monitor lizard, the common lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon.
All these small animals are unclean for you. If you touch the dead body of such an animal, you will be defiled until evening.
If such an animal dies and falls on something, that object, whatever its use, will be unclean. This is true whether the object is made of wood, cloth, leather, or sackcloth. It must be put into water, and it will remain defiled until evening. After that, it will be ceremonially clean and may be used again.
"If such an animal dies and falls into a clay pot, everything in the pot will be defiled, and the pot must be smashed.
If the water used to cleanse an unclean object touches any food, all of that food will be defiled. And any beverage that is in such an unclean container will be defiled.
Any object on which the dead body of such an animal falls will be defiled. If it is a clay oven or cooking pot, it must be smashed to pieces. It has become defiled, and it will remain that way.
"However, if the dead body of such an animal falls into a spring or a cistern, the water will still be clean. But anyone who removes the dead body will be defiled.
If the dead body falls on seed grain to be planted in the field, the seed will still be considered clean.
But if the seed is wet when the dead body falls on it, the seed will be defiled.
"If an animal that is permitted for eating dies and you touch its carcass, you will be defiled until evening.
If you eat any of its meat or carry away its carcass, you must wash your clothes. Then you will remain defiled until evening.
"Consider detestable any animal that scurries along the ground; such animals may never be eaten.
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 are to be considered detestable.
Never defile yourselves by touching such animals.
After all, I, the LORD, am your God. You must be holy because I am holy. So do not defile yourselves by touching any of these animals that scurry along the ground.
I, the LORD, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God. You must therefore be holy because I am holy.
"These are the instructions regarding the land animals, the birds, and all the living things that move through the water or swarm over the earth,
so you can distinguish between what is unclean and may not be eaten and what is clean and may be eaten."