The Place of Sacrifice
1. Then the LORD said to Moses,
2. “Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the Israelites and tell them that this is what the LORD has commanded:
3. Any Israelite who slaughters an ox, a lamb, or a goat in the camp or outside of it
4. without bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD—that man shall be considered guilty of bloodshed. He has shed blood and must be cut off from his people.
5. This is so that the Israelites will bring to the LORD the sacrifices they have been offering in the open fields. They are to bring them to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and offer them as peace offerings to the LORD.
6. The priest is to sprinkle the blood on the altar of the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat as a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
7. They must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons to which they have prostituted themselves. This will be a permanent statute for them throughout their generations.
8. “Then say to them: Any Israelite or foreigner living among them who offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice
9. but does not bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people.
Laws against Eating Blood
10. “If any Israelite or foreigner living among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from among his people.
11. For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.
12. Therefore I say to the Israelites: None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner living among you eat blood.
13. Any Israelite or foreigner living among you who hunts and catches game must drain out the blood and cover it with earth,
14. because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites: You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; whoever eats it must be cut off.
15. “Any person, whether a native or foreigner, who eats an animal found dead or mauled by wild beasts must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening; then he will be clean.
16. But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, he will bear his punishment for guilt.”