Offerings that God will not accept
17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 ‘Speak to Aaron, to his sons and to all Israel's people. Tell them, “This is the rule about burnt offerings from the people of Israel or from the foreign people who live among them. It may be an offering that they have promised to give to the Lord. Or it may be an offering that they choose to give. 19 I will only accept your gift if it is a perfect male animal. It can be a bull, a sheep or a goat. 20 You must not offer to me any animal that has something wrong with it. If it is not perfect, I will not accept it as a gift from you.
21 This is also the rule if someone brings an animal as a sacrifice for a friendship offering. He may do that because of a special promise. Or he may do it because he chooses to give it. It may be a bull, a sheep or a goat. I will only accept it if the animal is perfect. It must not have anything wrong with it.
22 You must not offer to the Lord an animal that is blind. It must not have a broken bone or a body that has become spoiled. It must not have sores or any other disease on its skin. You must not offer on the altar any animal like that as a gift to the Lord.
23 You may bring a bull or a sheep that has a leg which is longer or shorter than the other legs. I will accept that animal as a gift that you choose to bring to me. I will not accept that animal as an offering that you make because of a promise.
24 You must not offer to the Lord an animal that has something wrong with its testicles. I will not accept the animal if anyone has hurt its testicles or removed them. You must never hurt the testicles of any animal in your land. 25 You must not offer to me animals like that which you have bought from a foreign person. I will not accept them as a gift of food from you. Those animals have bodies which are spoiled. They are not perfect.” ’
22:24Testicles are the sex parts of a male animal that give it the power to create babies.
26 The Lord said to Moses, 27 ‘When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it must stay with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day, you may offer it as a gift to the Lord. I will accept it. 28 You must not kill a cow or a sheep on the same day that you kill its baby.
29 When you bring an animal as a sacrifice to thank the Lord for something, offer it in the proper way. Then I will accept it as your gift. 30 You must eat the animal's meat on the same day that you offer it. None of the meat may remain until the next morning. I am the Lord.
31 You must be careful to obey my commands. I am the Lord. 32 You must not bring shame to my holy name. You people of Israel must know that I am holy as I live among you. I am the Lord and I cause you to be holy. 33 I am the one who brought you out of Egypt, so that I would be your God. I am the Lord.’
