Offerings inspected with care

Holy Food and Acceptable Offerings · Leviticus 22

Story guide: A white-linen priest compassionately examines living animals: one sound animal is accepted for a vow, an ox with an uneven limb is directed only toward a freewill gift, and covered animals with disqualifying conditions are gently returned to their owners, including a foreign trader.

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21And if a man presents a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh, to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, from the herd or from the flock, it shall be without blemish to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it.

22Anything blind, broken, mutilated, or with a wart, scab, or skin disease, these you shall not present to Yahweh; and you shall not place any of them on the altar as a food offering to Yahweh.

23But an ox or a sheep that has a limb too long or too short—you may make it a freewill offering, but for a vow it will not be accepted.

24You shall not present to Yahweh anything with bruised, crushed, torn, or cut testicles, and in your land you shall not do this.

25And from the hand of a foreigner you shall not present any of these as the food of your God, because their corruption is in them; a defect is in them. They shall not be accepted for you.

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