eating animals
What does the Bible say about eating animals? These are the passages readers found most helpful — tap any citation to read it in context.
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3And everything that moves and lives will be food for you. Just as with the edible plants, I have delivered them all to you,
1And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2Say to the sons of Israel: These are the animals that you ought to eat out of all the living things of the earth. 3All that has a divided hoof, and that chews over again, among the cattle, you shall eat. 4But whatever certainly chews over again, but has a hoof that is not divided, such as the camel and others, these you shall not eat, and you shall consider them to be among what is unclean. 5The rock rabbit which chews over again, and whose hoof is not divided, is unclean, 6and so also is the hare, for it too chews over again, yet its hoof is not divided,
1But accept those who are weak in faith, without disputing about ideas. 2For one person believes that he may eat all things, but if another is weak, let him eat plants. 3He who eats should not despise him who does not eat. And he who does not eat should not judge him who eats. For God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge the servant of another? He stands or falls by his own Lord. But he shall stand. For God is able to make him stand. 5For one person discerns one age from the next. But another discerns unto every age. Let each one increase according to his own mind. 6He who understands the age, understands for the Lord. And he who eats, eats for the Lord; for he gives thanks to God. And he who does not eat, does not eat for the Lord, and he gives thanks to God.
30and for all the animals of the land, and for all the flying things of the air, and for everything that moves upon the earth and in which there is a living soul, so that they may have these on which to feed.” And so it became.
1“Be sons of the Lord your God. You shall not cut yourselves, nor make yourselves bald, because of the dead. 2For you are a holy people, for the Lord your God. And he chose you, so that you may be a people particularly his, out of all the nations on earth. 3You shall not eat the things that are unclean. 4These are the animals which you ought to eat: the ox, and the sheep, and the goat, 5the stag and the roe deer, the gazelle, the wild goat, the addax, the antelope, the giraffe. 6Every beast which has a hoof divided into two parts and which also chews the cud, you shall eat.
9Then, on the following day, while they were making the journey and approaching the city, Peter ascended to the upper rooms, so that he might pray, at about the sixth hour. 10And since he was hungry, he wanted to enjoy some food. Then, as they were preparing it, an ecstasy of mind fell over him. 11And he saw heaven opened, and a certain container descending, as if a great linen sheet were let down, by its four corners, from heaven to earth, 12on which were all four-footed beasts, and the crawling things of the earth and the flying things of the air. 13And a voice came to him: “Rise up, Peter! Kill and eat.” 14But Peter said: “Far be it from me, lord. For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
2Say to the sons of Israel: These are the animals that you ought to eat out of all the living things of the earth.
19For it does not enter into his heart, but into the gut, and it exits into the sewer, purging all foods.”
29And God said: “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant upon the earth, and all the trees that have in themselves the ability to sow their own kind, to be food for you,
10The just one knows the lives of his beasts. But the inner most parts of the impious are cruel.