20 Bible Verses about Meat

Daniel determined in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's special food and wine. He requested permission from the officer in charge that he might not defile himself.

When you present an offering of grain to Jehovah, you must first grind it into flour. You must put oil and incense on it.

This is the law of the grain offering: the sons of Aaron shall present it in the presence of Jehovah in front of the altar.

He also brought the grain offering. He took a handful of grain and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning burnt offering.

Moses spoke to Aaron and his two remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar. He said: Take the grain offering that is left over from the food offered to Jehovah. Bake unleavened bread with it and eat it beside the altar. This is because this offering is very holy.

Using the bread the community is to present seven one-year-old lambs, one bull, and two rams, none of which may have any defects. They should be offered as a burnt offering to Jehovah, along with a grain offering and a wine offering. The odor of this offering is pleasing to Jehovah.

If you treat me like this have pity on me and kill me. That way I will not have to endure my shame any longer.

He also distributed to all the people, to the whole crowd of Israelites, men and women, one loaf of bread, one date cake, and one raisin cake. Then all the people went home.

She prepared her food and mixed her wine. She furnished her table.

For the kingdom of God is not food and drink; but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

That is why you must make a difference between animals and birds that I have said are clean and unclean. This will keep you from becoming disgusting to me.

You are to be my holy people. Do not eat any flesh torn to bits in the field. Throw it to the dogs.

Tell the Israelites: 'Here are the kinds of land animals you may eat: You may eat all animals that have completely divided hoofs and that also chew their cud. You must not eat those that either chew their cud or have divided hoofs. These are the kinds you must never eat: You must never eat camels. Camels are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs. read more.
Never eat rock badgers. Rock badgers are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs. You must never eat rabbits. Rabbits are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs. Never eat pigs. Pigs have completely divided hoofs but do not chew their cud. They are also unclean. Never eat the meat of these animals or touch their dead bodies. They are unclean for you. Here are the kinds of creatures that live in the water that you may eat. You may eat anything in the seas and streams that have fins and scales. On the other hand, you must consider all swarming creatures living in the seas or the streams that have no fins or scales disgusting. They must remain disgusting to you. Never eat their meat. Consider their dead bodies repulsive. Every creature in the water without fins or scales is offensive to you. Here are the kinds of birds you must consider disgusting and must not eat. They are eagles, bearded vultures, black vultures, kites, all types of buzzards, all types of crows, ostriches, nighthawks, seagulls, all types of falcons, little owls, cormorants, great owls, swans, pelicans, ospreys, storks, all types of herons, hoopoes, and bats. Every swarming, winged insect that walks across the ground like a four-legged animal is disgusting to you. However, you may eat winged insects that swarm if they use their legs to hop on the ground. You may eat any kind of locust, cricket, katydid, or grasshopper. Every kind of winged insect that walks across the ground like a four-legged animal is disgusting to you. Regarding the creatures mentioned above, this is how you would become unclean: When you touch their dead bodies you will be unclean until evening. When you carry any part of their dead bodies you must wash your clothes. You will be unclean until evening. All animals whose hoofs are not completely divided or that do not chew their cud are unclean for you. Whoever touches them is unclean. All four-legged animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you. Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. Those who carry the dead body of any of these animals must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening. These animals are unclean for you. The following swarming creatures that move on the ground are unclean for you: the weasels, mole rats, mice, and all types of lizards, geckos, monitors, lizards, skinks, and chameleons. Of all the swarming creatures that move on the ground, these are unclean for you. He who touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. When the dead body of one of these creatures falls on something, that thing will be unclean. It may be a wooden article, clothing, leather, a sack, or anything used for any purpose. It should be put in water and will be unclean until evening. It will then be clean again. If any of these creatures falls into a piece of pottery, break the pottery because everything in it is unclean. If water from that pottery touches any food, the food is unclean. Any liquid that you drink from that pottery is unclean. Anything on which their dead bodies fall is unclean. If it is an oven or a stove, smash it. It is unclean and will remain unclean for you. A spring or a cistern holding water will remain clean. But anyone who touches their dead bodies will be unclean. If their dead bodies fall on seed that is to be planted, the seed is clean. If water is poured on the seed and their dead bodies fall on it, the seed is unclean for you. When any animal that you are allowed to eat dies, whoever touches its dead body will be unclean until evening. Those who eat any of its dead body must wash their clothes. They will be unclean until evening. Those who carry its dead body away will wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening. Any creature that swarms on the ground is disgusting and must not be eaten. Do not eat any creature with many legs that goes on its belly or on the ground like a four-legged animal, or any creature that swarms on the ground. Consider them disgusting. Do not become disgusting by eating anything that swarms on the ground. Do not allow yourselves to become unclean because of them. The reason is because I am Jehovah your God. You must live holy lives. Consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy. Never become unclean by touching anything that swarms or crawls on the ground. I am Jehovah! I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. Be holy because I am holy. This is the law about animals, birds, and every living creature that swims in the water and every creature that swarms on the ground. This law helps you distinguish between clean and unclean, the animals you may eat and those you may not eat.'

Do not eat any detestable thing. These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope (chamois) and the mountain sheep. read more.
You may eat any animal that divides the hoof and has the hoof split in two and chews the cud. Do not eat of these that chew the cud, or among those that divide the hoof in two: the camel and the rabbit and the shaphan. Even though they chew the cud, they do not divide the hoof. They are unclean for you. The pig, because it divides the hoof but does not chew the cud, it is unclean for you. Do not eat any of their flesh nor touch their carcasses. These you may eat of all that are in water: anything that has fins and scales you may eat. Do not eat anything that does not have fins and scales. It is unclean for you. You may eat any clean bird. These are the ones you should not eat: the eagle and the vulture and the buzzard, and the red kite, the falcon, and the kite in their kinds, and every raven in its kind, and the ostrich, the owl, the sea gull, and the hawk in their kinds, the swan, the great owl, the white owl, the pelican, the carrion vulture, the cormorant, the stork, and the heron in their kinds, and the hoopoe and the bat. And all the teeming life with wings is unclean to you. Do not eat them. You may eat any clean bird. Do not eat anything that dies by itself. You may give it to the alien who is in your town, so that he may eat it. You may sell it to a foreigner, for you are a holy people to Jehovah your God. Do not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean in itself. If someone thinks something is unclean it is unclean to him. If because of your food your brother is grieved, you do not walk in love. Do not allow what you eat to destroy the one for whom Christ died. Do not let the good you do be spoken of as evil. read more.
For the kingdom of God is not food and drink; but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he that serves Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of by men. Let us follow after the things that make for peace, and things that are encouraging to one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eats with offense. It is good neither to eat food, nor to drink wine, nor any thing that causes your brother to stumble or be offended and weakened. Do you have faith? Have it for yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in that thing that he allows. He that doubts is damned if he eats, because he eats not by faith. Whatever is not by faith is sin!

Concerning things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If any man thinks he knows any thing, he really knows nothing, according to what he ought to know. But if any man loves God, God knows him. read more.
Concerning the eating of food offered in sacrifice to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. There are those called gods in heaven or on earth. There are many gods and many lords. But to us there is but one God, the Father. All things come from him and we live for him. And there is one Lord Jesus Christ. All things were made through him and we were made through him. Not all people know this. Some eat food offered to idols and their conscience being weak is defiled. But food will not recommend us to God. If we do not eat we are not worse. If we eat we are not better. Be careful that this freedom does not become a stumbling block to those who are weak. If any man with knowledge sees you having a meal from an idol's temple, will the conscience of the weak one be emboldened (encouraged) to eat food offered to idols? And because of your knowledge the weak brother will perish. Christ died for him! When you sin against your brothers and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. If food makes my brother stumble I will eat no food at all so I do not make my brother stumble.

My dearly beloved, flee (run away) from idolatry. I speak as to wise men. You judge what I say. The cup of blessing we bless, is it not the sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread we break, is it not the sharing of the body of Christ? read more.
For we being many are one-bread and one-body. We are all partakers of that one bread. Is physical Israel the ones who eat the sacrifices, the partakers of the altar? What do I mean? That the idol is anything, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything? But I say, that the things that the nations sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God. I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of Jehovah and the cup of demons. You cannot be partakers of the Jehovah's Table and of the table of demons. (Malachi 1:12) Do we provoke Jehovah to rivalry (indignation) (anger)? Are we stronger than he? All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient (profitable). All things are lawful for me, but all things do not build up (confirm) (strengthen). Let no one seek his own advantage, but that of the other [person]. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without asking questions for the sake of conscience. For the earth and that which fills it is Jehovah's. (Psalm 24:1) If a nonbeliever invites you to a feast and you feel you must go eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience sake. But if any man says to you: This is offered in sacrifice to idols, do not eat for the sake of the one who said it and for conscience sake. Conscience, I say, not your own, but of the other: Yet why is my freedom judged by another man's conscience? For if I by grace am a partaker, why is evil spoken about me concerning that for which I give thanks? Whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do everything to the glory of God. Do not stumble or offend (do not lead into sin), neither to the Jews, nor to the nations, nor to the congregation of God. Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved.

God blessed Noah and his sons. He said: Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. All the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air will be filled with fear and dread of you. Every creature that moves along the ground and all the fish of the sea are placed under your control. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. read more.
You must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.

When you present an offering of grain to Jehovah, you must first grind it into flour. You must put oil and incense on it.

This is the law of the grain offering: the sons of Aaron shall present it in the presence of Jehovah in front of the altar.

He also brought the grain offering. He took a handful of grain and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning burnt offering.

Moses spoke to Aaron and his two remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar. He said: Take the grain offering that is left over from the food offered to Jehovah. Bake unleavened bread with it and eat it beside the altar. This is because this offering is very holy.

Using the bread the community is to present seven one-year-old lambs, one bull, and two rams, none of which may have any defects. They should be offered as a burnt offering to Jehovah, along with a grain offering and a wine offering. The odor of this offering is pleasing to Jehovah.

If your grain offering has been baked in an oven, it must be rings of unleavened bread made of flour mixed with olive oil or wafers of unleavened bread brushed with oil.

Every grain offering you bring to Jehovah must be made without yeast. Do not use yeast or honey in food offered to Jehovah.

He will sacrifice the ram as a fellowship offering to Jehovah. He will offer the basket of unleavened bread along with it, and make the grain offerings and wine offerings.

This is the law of the grain offering: the sons of Aaron shall present it in the presence of Jehovah in front of the altar. One of them will lift up from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering. Using its oil and all the incense that is on the grain offering, and he will offer it up in smoke on the altar. It will be a soothing aroma and a memorial offering to Jehovah. Any thing left is for Aaron and his sons to eat. It will be eaten as unleavened cakes in a holy place. They must eat it in the court of the Tent of Meeting. read more.
It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their share from my offerings by fire. It is most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. Every male among the sons of Aaron may eat it. It is a long lasting ordinance throughout your generations, from the offerings by fire to Jehovah. Whoever touches them will become consecrated.'

Moses spoke to Aaron and his two remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar. He said: Take the grain offering that is left over from the food offered to Jehovah. Bake unleavened bread with it and eat it beside the altar. This is because this offering is very holy. Eat it in a holy place. It is the part that belongs to you and your sons from the food offered to Jehovah. That is what Jehovah commanded me.

Whoever presents the offering must also give Jehovah a grain offering of eight cups of flour mixed with one quart of oil.

That part of the most holy offerings that is not burned belongs to you. It may come from a grain offering, an offering for sin, or a guilt offering. Whatever is brought to me, as a most holy offering will belong to you and your sons. Eat it in a most holy place. Any male may eat it. You must consider it holy.

Eat it in a holy place. It is the part that belongs to you and your sons from the food offered to Jehovah. That is what Jehovah commanded me.

Men were stationed over the houses where the contributions and the first fruits and the tenths were stored. They were to take into them the amounts, from the fields of every town. The law fixed this for the priests and the Levites: Judah was glad on account of the priests and the Levites who were in their places.

Had made a great room ready for him. This is where they once kept the meal offerings, the perfume, the vessels and the tenths of the grain and wine and oil. They were given by order to the Levites and the music-makers and the gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. I was not at Jerusalem all this time in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon. I went to the king; and after some days, I got the king to let me go.

you must bring offerings by fire to Jehovah. They may be burnt offerings or any other kind of sacrifice. They may be offered to fulfill a vow, as a freewill offering, or as one of your festival offerings. They may be cattle, sheep, or goats. These are offerings that are a soothing (pleasant) (restful) aroma to Jehovah. Whoever presents the offering must also give Jehovah a grain offering of eight cups of flour mixed with one quart of oil. With each sheep or goat for the burnt offering or any other sacrifice, also give an offering of one quart of wine. read more.
With a ram, give a grain offering of sixteen cups of flour mixed with one and one quarter quarts of oil and an offering of one and one quarter quarts of wine. Offer them as a soothing aroma to Jehovah. When you sacrifice a young bull as a burnt offering to Jehovah or make any other kind of sacrifice to keep a vow or as a fellowship offering. Offer with the young bull a grain offering of twenty-four cups of flour mixed with two quarts of oil. Also give an offering of two quarts of wine. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to Jehovah. Do this for each bull, each ram, and each sheep or goat. Do it for each animal, however many you sacrifice. All native-born Israelites must do it this way when they bring an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to Jehovah. Make a food offering, an odor that pleases Jehovah. If foreigners live among you, whether on a temporary or a permanent basis, they are to observe the same regulations. For all time to come, the same rules are binding on you and on the foreigners who live among you. You and they are alike in Jehovah's sight. The same laws and regulations apply to you and to them.

The man said: The northern and southern side rooms that face the open area are holy rooms. These rooms are where the priests who come near Jehovah eat the holiest offerings. Because these rooms are holy, the priests keep the holiest offerings there: the grain offerings, the offerings for sin, and the guilt offerings.

So he asked: Jehovah, why have you brought me this trouble? How have I displeased you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Am I their mother? Did I give birth to them? Are you really asking me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries a baby, all the way to the land you promised their ancestors with an oath? Where can I get meat for all these people? They continually cry for me to give them meat to eat. read more.
I am not able to take care of all these people by myself. This is too much work for me! If you treat me like this have pity on me and kill me. That way I will not have to endure my shame any longer. Jehovah replied to Moses: Assemble seventy respected men who are recognized as elders of the people. Bring them to me at the tent of my presence, and tell them to stand there beside you. I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the spirit I have given and give it to them. Then they can help you bear the responsibility for these people. You will not have to bear it alone. Tell the people: 'Purify yourselves for tomorrow. You will have meat to eat! Jehovah has heard you whining and saying that you wished you had some meat and that you were better off in Egypt. Jehovah will now give you meat, and you will have to eat it. You will have to eat it not just for one or two days, or five, or ten, or even twenty days. You will eat it for a whole month, until it comes out of your nose, until you are sick of it. This will happen because you have rejected Jehovah who is here among you and have complained to him that you should not have left Egypt.' Moses said to Jehovah: Here I am leading six hundred thousand people, and you say that you will give them enough meat for a month? Could enough cattle and sheep even be killed to satisfy them? Are all the fish in the sea enough for them? Is there a limit to my power? Jehovah answered. You will soon see whether what I have said will happen or not! Thus Moses went out and told the people what Jehovah said. He assembled seventy of the leaders and placed them around the tent. Jehovah came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit he had given to Moses and gave it to the seventy elders. When the Spirit came on them, they began to shout like prophets, but not for long. Two of the seventy elders, Eldad and Medad, stayed in the camp and did not go out to the tent. There in the camp the Spirit came on them, and they too began to shout like prophets. A young man ran out to tell Moses what Eldad and Medad were doing. Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' helper since he was a young man, spoke up and said to Moses: Stop them, sir! Moses asked him: Do you think you need to stand up for me? I wish all Jehovah's people were prophets and that Jehovah would put his Spirit on them! Then Moses and the elders of Israel went back to the camp. Jehovah sent a wind from the sea that brought quails and dropped them all around the camp. There were quails on the ground about three feet deep as far as you could walk in a day in any direction. All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered the quails. No one gathered less than sixty bushels. Then they spread the quails out all around the camp. While the meat was still in their mouths, before they had even had a chance to chew it, Jehovah became angry with the people and struck them with a severe plague. That place was called Kibroth Hattaavah (Graves of Those Who Craved Meat) because they buried the people who had a strong craving for meat there. From Kibroth Hattaavah the people moved to Hazeroth, where they stayed.

I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean in itself. If someone thinks something is unclean it is unclean to him. If because of your food your brother is grieved, you do not walk in love. Do not allow what you eat to destroy the one for whom Christ died. Do not let the good you do be spoken of as evil. read more.
For the kingdom of God is not food and drink; but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he that serves Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of by men. Let us follow after the things that make for peace, and things that are encouraging to one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eats with offense. It is good neither to eat food, nor to drink wine, nor any thing that causes your brother to stumble or be offended and weakened. Do you have faith? Have it for yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in that thing that he allows. He that doubts is damned if he eats, because he eats not by faith. Whatever is not by faith is sin!

Concerning things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If any man thinks he knows any thing, he really knows nothing, according to what he ought to know. But if any man loves God, God knows him. read more.
Concerning the eating of food offered in sacrifice to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. There are those called gods in heaven or on earth. There are many gods and many lords. But to us there is but one God, the Father. All things come from him and we live for him. And there is one Lord Jesus Christ. All things were made through him and we were made through him. Not all people know this. Some eat food offered to idols and their conscience being weak is defiled. But food will not recommend us to God. If we do not eat we are not worse. If we eat we are not better. Be careful that this freedom does not become a stumbling block to those who are weak. If any man with knowledge sees you having a meal from an idol's temple, will the conscience of the weak one be emboldened (encouraged) to eat food offered to idols? And because of your knowledge the weak brother will perish. Christ died for him! When you sin against your brothers and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. If food makes my brother stumble I will eat no food at all so I do not make my brother stumble.

My dearly beloved, flee (run away) from idolatry. I speak as to wise men. You judge what I say. The cup of blessing we bless, is it not the sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread we break, is it not the sharing of the body of Christ? read more.
For we being many are one-bread and one-body. We are all partakers of that one bread. Is physical Israel the ones who eat the sacrifices, the partakers of the altar? What do I mean? That the idol is anything, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything? But I say, that the things that the nations sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God. I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of Jehovah and the cup of demons. You cannot be partakers of the Jehovah's Table and of the table of demons. (Malachi 1:12) Do we provoke Jehovah to rivalry (indignation) (anger)? Are we stronger than he? All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient (profitable). All things are lawful for me, but all things do not build up (confirm) (strengthen). Let no one seek his own advantage, but that of the other [person]. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without asking questions for the sake of conscience. For the earth and that which fills it is Jehovah's. (Psalm 24:1) If a nonbeliever invites you to a feast and you feel you must go eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience sake. But if any man says to you: This is offered in sacrifice to idols, do not eat for the sake of the one who said it and for conscience sake. Conscience, I say, not your own, but of the other: Yet why is my freedom judged by another man's conscience? For if I by grace am a partaker, why is evil spoken about me concerning that for which I give thanks? Whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do everything to the glory of God. Do not stumble or offend (do not lead into sin), neither to the Jews, nor to the nations, nor to the congregation of God. Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved.

Do not eat anything that dies by itself. You may give it to the alien who is in your town, so that he may eat it. You may sell it to a foreigner, for you are a holy people to Jehovah your God. Do not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.