1. The Lord said to Moses:
2. Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings which the Israelites consecrate to me; otherwise they will profane my holy name. I am the Lord.
3. Tell them: If any one of you, or of your descendants in any future generation, dares, while he is in a state of uncleanness, to draw near the sacred offerings which the Israelites consecrate to the Lord, such a one shall be cut off from my presence. I am the Lord.
4. No descendant of Aaron who is stricken with a scaly infection, or who suffers from a genital discharge, may eat of the sacred offerings, until he again becomes clean. Moreover, if anyone touches a person who has become unclean by contact with a corpse, or if anyone has had an emission of semen,
5. or if anyone touches any swarming creature whose uncleanness is contagious or any person whose uncleanness, of whatever kind it may be, is contagious—
6. the one who touches such as these shall be unclean until evening and may not eat of the sacred portions until he has first bathed his body in water.
7. Then, when the sun sets, he shall be clean. Only then may he eat of the sacred offerings, for they are his food.
8. He shall not make himself unclean by eating of any animal that has died of itself or has been killed by wild beasts. I am the Lord.
9. They shall keep my charge so that they will not bear the punishment in this matter and die for their profanation. I am the Lord who makes them holy.
10. Neither an unauthorized person nor a priest’s tenant or laborer may eat of any sacred offering.