Bible in 90 Days

1 The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, ² “Tell the Israelites: If any of you bring a sacrifice to the Lord, you must offer an animal from your cattle, sheep, or goats.

Burnt Offerings of Cattle

³ “If you bring a burnt offering from your cattle, you must offer a male that has no defects. Offer it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that the Lord will accept you. ⁴ Place your hand on the animal’s head. The burnt offering will be accepted to make peace with the Lord. ⁵ Then slaughter the bull in the Lord’s presence. Aaron’s sons, the priests, will offer the blood. They will throw it against all sides of the altar that is at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁶ Skin the burnt offering, and cut it into pieces. ⁷ Then the sons of the priest Aaron will start a fire on the altar and lay the wood on the fire. ⁸ Aaron’s sons, the priests, will also lay the pieces, the head, and the fat on top of the wood burning on the altar. ⁹ Wash the internal organs and legs. Then the priest will burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord.

Burnt Offerings of Sheep or Goats

¹⁰ “If your offering is a sheep or goat, you must bring a male that has no defects. ¹¹ Slaughter it in the Lord’s presence on the north side of the altar. Aaron’s sons, the priests, will throw the blood against the altar on all sides. ¹² Then cut it into pieces. The priest will lay the head and the fat on the wood burning on the altar. ¹³ Wash the internal organs and legs. Then the priest will burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord.

Burnt Offerings of Birds

¹⁴ “If your offering to the Lord is a bird, you must sacrifice a mourning dove or pigeon. ¹⁵ The priest must bring it to the altar. He will break its neck and burn the bird on the altar. First, he will drain the blood against the side of the altar. ¹⁶ Remove the gizzard with its filth and throw it on the east side of the altar on the place for the ashes. ¹⁷ Then pull on the bird’s wings to tear the bird open, but don’t pull the wings off. Then the priest will lay the bird on the wood burning on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord.”

Uncooked Grain Offerings

2 ⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Now, if any of you bring a grain offering to the Lord, your offering must be flour. Pour olive oil on it, and put incense on it. ² Then bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests. Take from this a handful of flour with olive oil, and all the incense. The priest will burn it on the altar as a reminder. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord. ³ The rest of the grain offering will belong to Aaron and his sons. It is very holy, set apart from the Lord’s offering by fire.

Cooked Grain Offerings

⁴ “If you bring a grain offering which 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 olive oil. ⁵ If your grain offering is prepared in a frying pan, it, too, will be unleavened bread made of flour mixed with olive oil. ⁶ Break it into pieces and pour olive oil over it. It is a grain offering. ⁷ If your grain offering is prepared in a skillet, it will be made of flour with olive oil.

⁸ “Bring the Lord the grain offering prepared in any of these ways. Offer it to the priest who will bring it to the altar. ⁹ The priest will remove part of the grain offering and burn it as a reminder on the altar. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord. ¹⁰ The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons. It is very holy, set apart from the Lord’s offering by fire.

Other Ingredients

¹¹ “Every grain offering that you bring to the Lord must be prepared without yeast. Never burn yeast or honey as an offering to the Lord. ¹² You may bring them to the Lord as offerings of your first products. But they must never be placed on the altar to make a soothing aroma. ¹³ Also put salt on each of your grain offerings. The salt of God’s promise ^[a] must never be left out of your grain offerings. Put salt on all your offerings.

Offering the First Grain Harvested

¹⁴ “If you bring a grain offering to the Lord from the first grain you harvest, roast the cracked grain over fire. ¹⁵ Put olive oil on it, and place incense on it. It is a grain offering. ¹⁶ The priest will burn the flour, olive oil, and all the incense as a reminder. It is an offering by fire to the Lord.”

Fellowship Offerings of Cattle

3 ⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “If your sacrifice is a fellowship offering of cattle in the Lord’s presence, it must be a male or female animal that has no defects. ² Place your hand on the animal’s head. Then slaughter it at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then Aaron’s sons, the priests, will throw the blood against the altar on all sides. ³ From your offering remove the fat that covers the internal organs ⁴ and the two kidneys with the fat on them and offer them by fire to the Lord. Also cut off the lobe of the liver along with the kidneys. ⁵ Then Aaron’s sons will lay them on top of the burnt offering on the burning wood. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord.

Fellowship Offerings of Sheep

⁶ “If your sacrifice is a fellowship offering of sheep to the Lord, you must bring a male or female animal that has no defects. ⁷ If your offering is a lamb, you must bring it to the Lord. ⁸ Place your hand on the animal’s head. Slaughter it in front of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron’s sons will throw the blood against the altar on all sides. ⁹ Then take the fat from the fellowship offering and offer it by fire to the Lord. Remove all the fat from the tail and the fat that covers the internal organs. ¹⁰ Also remove the two kidneys with the fat on them along with the lobe of the liver. ¹¹ Then the priest will burn the fellowship offering on the altar. It is food, an offering by fire to the Lord.

Fellowship Offerings of Goats

¹² “If your offering is a goat, you must bring it to the Lord. ¹³ Place your hand on its head. Slaughter it in front of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron’s sons will throw the blood against the altar on all sides. ¹⁴ Then bring the fat that covers the internal organs ¹⁵ and the two kidneys with the fat on them as an offering by fire to the Lord. Also remove the lobe of the liver along with the kidneys. ¹⁶ Then the priest will burn them on the altar. It is food, an offering by fire to the Lord. It is a soothing aroma. All the fat belongs to the Lord. ¹⁷ This is a permanent law for generations to come wherever you live: Never eat any fat or blood.”

Offerings for Unintentional Wrongdoing

4 The Lord spoke to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites: If a person unintentionally does something wrong—even one thing that is forbidden by any of the Lord’s commands—this is what he must do.

Offerings for Wrongdoing by the Chief Priest

³ “If the anointed priest does something wrong and brings guilt on the people, he must bring a bull that has no defects as an offering for sin to the Lord. ⁴ He must bring the bull into the Lord’s presence at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He will place his hand on the bull’s head. He will then slaughter the bull in the Lord’s presence. ⁵ Then the anointed priest will take some of the bull’s blood and bring it into the tent of meeting. ⁶ The priest will dip his finger in it and sprinkle some of the blood seven times in the Lord’s presence facing the canopy in the holy place. ⁷ Then the priest will put some of the blood on the horns of the altar for sweet-smelling incense in the Lord’s presence in the tent of meeting. He will pour the rest of the bull’s blood at the bottom of the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁸ He will remove all of the fat from the bull that is the offering for sin, the fat that covers the internal organs, ⁹ and the two kidneys with the fat on them. He will also remove the lobe of the liver and the kidneys ¹⁰ the same way they were removed from the bull used for the fellowship offering. The priest will lay them on the altar for burnt offerings. ¹¹ Then he will take the entire bull (the skin, meat, head, legs, internal organs, and excrement) ¹² to a clean ^[b] place outside the camp where the ashes are dumped. He will burn it there on a wood fire.

Offerings for Wrongdoing by the Whole Congregation

¹³ “If the whole congregation of Israel unintentionally does something wrong, without the assembly being aware of it, if they do even one thing that is forbidden by any of the Lord’s commands, they will be guilty. ¹⁴ When the wrong they have done becomes known, the congregation must sacrifice a bull as an offering for sin. They must bring it in front of the tent of meeting. ¹⁵ The leaders of the congregation will place their hands on the bull’s head in the Lord’s presence. One of them will slaughter it in the Lord’s presence. ¹⁶ Then the anointed priest will bring some of the bull’s blood into the tent of meeting. ¹⁷ The priest will dip his finger in some of the blood and sprinkle it seven times in the Lord’s presence facing the canopy. ¹⁸ He will also put some blood on the horns of the altar in the Lord’s presence in the tent of meeting. He will pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ¹⁹ He will remove all the fat and burn it on the altar. ²⁰ He will do the same thing with this bull that he did with the bull used as the offering for sin. So the priest will make peace with the Lord for the people, and they will be forgiven. ²¹ Then he will take the bull outside the camp and will burn it the same way he burned the first bull. It is an offering for sin for the community.

Offerings for Wrongdoing by a Leader

²² “When a leader unintentionally does something wrong—even one thing that is forbidden by any of the commands of the Lord his God—he will be guilty. ²³ When he is told about what he has done wrong, he must bring a male goat that has no defects as his offering. ²⁴ He will place his hand on the goat’s head and slaughter it in the Lord’s presence where he slaughters animals for burnt offerings. It is an offering for sin. ²⁵ Then the priest will take some of the blood of the offering for sin with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. He will pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar for burnt offerings. ²⁶ He will burn all the fat on the altar the same way the fat of the fellowship offering is burned. So the priest will make peace with the Lord for what the leader did wrong, and the leader will be forgiven.

Offerings for Wrongdoing by a Common Person—Goats

²⁷ “If a common person unintentionally does something wrong—even one thing forbidden by the Lord’s commands—he will be guilty. ²⁸ When he is told about what he has done wrong, he must bring a female goat that has no defects as his offering for what he has done wrong. ²⁹ He will place his hand on the animal’s head and slaughter it where animals for burnt offerings are slaughtered. ³⁰ The priest will take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. He will pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. ³¹ He will remove all the fat the same way it is removed from the fellowship offering. The priest will burn it on the altar for a soothing aroma to the Lord. So the priest will make peace with the Lord for that person, and that person will be forgiven.

Offerings for Wrongdoing by a Common Person—Lambs

³² “If someone brings a lamb as his offering for sin, he must bring a female that has no defects. ³³ He will place his hand on the animal’s head and slaughter it where he slaughters animals for burnt offerings. ³⁴ Then the priest will take some of the blood from the offering for sin with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. He will pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. ³⁵ He will remove all the fat the same way the fat of the lamb is removed from the fellowship offerings. Then the priest will burn it on the altar with the offering by fire to the Lord. So the priest will make peace with the Lord for what that person did wrong, and that person will be forgiven.”

Sins Which Require an Offering for Sin

5 ⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Now, if you are a witness under oath and won’t tell what you saw or what you know, you are sinning and will be punished.

² “If you touch anything unclean ^[c]—the unclean dead body of a wild or tame animal or the body of an unclean, swarming creature—and then ignore what you did, you are unclean and will be guilty.

³ “If you become unclean by touching human uncleanness of any kind and then ignore it (although you know what you did), you will be guilty.

⁴ “If you hastily take a vow about what you will or will not do (as some people do) and then ignore it (although you know what you said), you will be guilty.

⁵ “So if you are guilty of any of these sins, you must confess it. ⁶ Bring your guilt offering to the Lord for the sin you committed. It must be a female sheep or goat as an offering for sin. Then the priest will make peace with the Lord for what you did wrong.

If You Cannot Afford a Sheep

⁷ “Now, if you cannot afford a sheep, you must bring to the Lord two mourning doves or two pigeons as a guilt offering for the sin you committed. One will be an offering for sin, the other a burnt offering. ⁸ Bring them to the priest, and he will sacrifice the offering for sin first. He will break the bird’s neck without pulling its head off. ⁹ He will sprinkle some of the blood from the offering for sin on the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood will be drained at the bottom of the altar. It is an offering for sin. ¹⁰ Then, following the proper procedures, he will sacrifice the second bird as a burnt offering. So the priest will make peace with the Lord for what you did wrong.

If You Cannot Afford Two Mourning Doves

¹¹ “But if you cannot afford two mourning doves or two pigeons, then bring eight cups of flour as an offering for the sin you committed. Never put olive oil on it or add incense to it, because it is an offering for sin. ¹² Bring it to the priest. The priest will take a handful of it. He will burn it as a reminder on top of the offering by fire to the Lord on the altar. It is an offering for sin. ¹³ So the priest will make peace with the Lord for what you did wrong, and you will be forgiven. The offering will belong to the priest like the grain offering.”

For Unintentional Wrongdoing against the Lord’s Property

¹⁴ The Lord spoke to Moses, ¹⁵ “If any of you fail to do your duty by unintentionally doing something wrong with any of the Lord’s holy things, bring a guilt offering to the Lord. It must be a ram that has no defects or its value in silver weighed according to the official standards of the holy place. ¹⁶ Pay for whatever holy things you used plus one-fifth more. Give it to the priest. So the priest will use the ram sacrificed for the guilt offering to make peace with the Lord for what you did wrong, and you will be forgiven.

For Unintentionally Disobeying the Lord’s Commands

¹⁷ “If any of you do wrong—even one thing forbidden by any of the Lord’s commands, but you didn’t know it—when you realize your guilt, you must be punished. ¹⁸ You must bring the priest a ram that has no defects from the flock or its value in money for a guilt offering. The priest will make peace with the Lord for the wrong you did unintentionally (although you didn’t know what you did), and you will be forgiven. ¹⁹ It is a guilt offering because you are certainly guilty as far as the Lord is concerned.”

For Sins against the Lord’s People

6 ^[d]The Lord spoke to Moses, ² “If any of you sin against the Lord by failing to do your duty, if you lie to your neighbor about something you were supposed to take care of or if you lie about something stolen or seized from your neighbor, you are sinning and will be guilty. ³ If you find something that someone lost and lie about it under oath, or commit any other sin like this, ⁴ you are sinning and will be guilty. Return what you stole or seized, what you were supposed to take care of, the lost item you found, ⁵ or whatever it was that you swore falsely about. Pay it back in full plus one-fifth more. Give it back to its owner on the day you bring your guilt offering. ⁶ Then bring the Lord your guilt offering, a ram that has no defects or its value in money. Bring it to the priest. ⁷ So the priest will make peace with the Lord. Then you will be forgiven for whatever you did that made you guilty.”

Instructions for Taking Care of the Fire

⁸ The Lord spoke to Moses, ⁹ “Command Aaron and his sons: These are the instructions for the burnt offering that stays on the altar overnight while the altar fire is kept burning.

¹⁰ “The priest must put on his linen clothes, including his linen undergarments. Then he will remove the ashes left on the altar from the fire that consumed the burnt offering and will put them next to the altar. ¹¹ Then he will take off these clothes and put on some others. He will take the ashes to a clean place outside the camp. ¹² The fire must always be burning on the altar. It must never go out. The priest will burn wood on it every morning. He will lay the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offering. ¹³ The fire must always be burning on the altar. It must never go out.

The Grain Offering from the People

¹⁴ “These are the instructions for the grain offering. Aaron’s sons must bring it into the Lord’s presence in front of the altar. ¹⁵ One of them will remove a handful of flour from the grain offering, together with the olive oil and all the incense. He will burn it on the altar as a reminder. It is a soothing aroma to the Lord. ¹⁶ Aaron and his sons will eat the rest of it. They will eat unleavened bread in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. ¹⁷ Don’t use yeast in baking the bread. I have given it to them as their share from the offerings by fire made to me. It is very holy like the offering for sin and the guilt offering. ¹⁸ Every male descendant of Aaron may eat it. It is a permanent law for generations to come regarding the offering by fire to the Lord. Everyone who touches it will become holy.”

Special Grain Offerings from the Priests

¹⁹ The Lord spoke to Moses, ²⁰ “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons must bring to the Lord on the day he is anointed—eight cups of flour. They must do this every day. He must offer half of it in the morning and half in the evening. ²¹ Prepare it in a frying pan with olive oil, mixing it well. Offer baked pieces of the grain offering as a soothing aroma to the Lord. ²² Aaron’s son who is anointed to take his place as priest will prepare it. This is a permanent law of the Lord: It must be completely burned. ²³ Every grain offering made by a priest must be completely burned. It must not be eaten.”

Instructions for the Offering for Sin

²⁴ The Lord spoke to Moses, ²⁵ “Tell Aaron and his sons: These are the instructions for the offering for sin. The offering for sin must be slaughtered in the Lord’s presence in the same place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. It is very holy. ²⁶ The priest who makes the offering for sin will eat it in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. ²⁷ Anything that touches its meat will be holy. If blood gets on someone’s clothes, he must wash them in a holy place. ²⁸ Any piece of pottery in which the offering for sin is cooked must be broken into pieces. Any copper kettle in which the offering for sin is cooked must be scoured and rinsed with water. ²⁹ Any male among the priests may eat the offering for sin. It is very holy. ³⁰ Any offering for sin must not be eaten if some of the blood was brought into the holy place in the tent of meeting to make peace with the Lord. It must be burned.”

Instructions for the Guilt Offering

7 ⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “These are the instructions for the guilt offering. It is very holy. ² It must be slaughtered in the same place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. ⌞A priest⌟ will throw the blood against the altar on all sides. ³ He will offer all the fat, the fat from the tail, the fat covering the internal organs, ⁴ and the two kidneys with the fat on them. He will also remove the lobe of the liver along with the kidneys. ⁵ The priest will burn them on the altar. It is a guilt offering by fire to the Lord. ⁶ Any male among the priests may eat it. It will be eaten in a holy place. It is very holy.

⁷ “The same instructions apply to the offering for sin and the guilt offering. Both offerings belong to the priest to make peace with the Lord. ⁸ The skin of the burnt offering belongs to the priest who sacrifices it. ⁹ Every grain offering, whether baked in an oven or prepared in a skillet or a frying pan, belongs to the priest who offers it. ¹⁰ Every grain offering, whether mixed with olive oil or dry, will be shared equally by all of Aaron’s sons.

Instructions for the Fellowship Offering of Thanksgiving

¹¹ “These are the instructions for the fellowship offering that you must bring to the Lord. ¹² If you offer it as a thank offering, you must also bring rings of unleavened bread mixed with olive oil, wafers of unleavened bread brushed with olive oil, and loaves made from flour mixed well with olive oil. ¹³ In addition to these rings of bread, you must bring bread with yeast along with your fellowship offering of thanksgiving. ¹⁴ From every offering you must bring one loaf to the Lord as a ⌞special⌟ contribution. It will belong to the priest who throws the blood of the fellowship offering.

¹⁵ “The meat from your fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered. Never leave any of it until morning.

Instructions for Other Fellowship Offerings

¹⁶ “If your sacrificial offering is something you vowed or a freewill offering, it must be eaten the day you offer it or the next day. ¹⁷ However, on the third day any meat left over from the sacrifice must be burned. ¹⁸ You will not be accepted if any meat from the fellowship offering is eaten on the third day. You will not receive credit for it. It is repulsive to God. The person who eats any of it must be punished.

¹⁹ “Meat that touches anything unclean must not be eaten. It must be burned. Anyone who is clean may eat from these sacrifices. ²⁰ Those who eat meat from the Lord’s fellowship offering while unclean must be excluded from the people. ²¹ Those who touch anything unclean, human or animal, or any other disgusting uncleanness and still eat the Lord’s fellowship offering must be excluded from the people.”

No Fat or Blood May Be Eaten

²² The Lord spoke to Moses, ²³ “Tell the Israelites: Never eat any fat from bulls, sheep, or goats. ²⁴ The fat from an animal that dies naturally or is killed by wild animals you may use for any other purpose, but you must never eat it. ²⁵ Those who eat the fat from an animal which they sacrificed by fire to the Lord must be excluded from the people.

²⁶ “Never eat the blood of any bird or animal no matter where you live. ²⁷ Those who eat any blood must be excluded from the people.”

Dividing the Fellowship Offering between the People and the Priests

²⁸ The Lord spoke to Moses, ²⁹ “Tell the Israelites: Anyone who offers the Lord a fellowship offering must bring a part of that sacrifice as a gift to the Lord. ³⁰ Bring the sacrifices by fire made to the Lord yourself. Bring the fat with the breast. Take the breast and present it to the Lord.

³¹ “The priest will burn the fat on the altar. However, the breast will belong to Aaron and his sons. ³² You will also give the priest the right thigh as a contribution. ³³ When any of Aaron’s sons offer the blood and fat of the fellowship offering, the right thigh will belong to him as his share. ³⁴ From the fellowship offerings of the Israelites, I have taken the breast that was presented ⌞to me⌟ and the thigh from the contribution offering. I have given them to the priest Aaron and his sons. This is a permanent law for generations to come.

³⁵ “This is the share for Aaron and his sons from the sacrifices by fire made to the Lord. It was given to them on the day Moses ordained them to serve the Lord as priests. ³⁶ The Lord commanded the Israelites to give it to them on the day he anointed them. This is a permanent law for generations to come.”

Summary of Offerings

³⁷ These are the instructions for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the offering for sin, the guilt offering, the ordination offering, and the fellowship offering. ³⁸ On Mount Sinai the Lord gave Moses commands about these offerings at the same time that he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to him in the Sinai Desert.

Aaron and His Sons Made Priests^(A)

8 The Lord spoke to Moses, ² “Take Aaron and his sons, the priests’ clothes, the anointing oil, the bull that will be the offering for sin, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread. ³ Gather the whole congregation at the entrance to the tent of meeting.”

⁴ Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the congregation gathered at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁵ Moses told the congregation, “The Lord has commanded that this is what you must do.”

⁶ Moses had Aaron and his sons come forward, and he washed them. ⁷ He put the linen robe on Aaron and fastened the belt around him. He also dressed him in the robe that is worn with the ephod.^[e] He fastened the ephod to it. ⁸ Then he put the breastplate on him, and into it he placed the Urim and Thummim.^{[f] 9} He put the turban on him and fastened the gold medallion (the holy crown) to the front of the turban as the Lord had commanded Moses.

¹⁰ Moses took the anointing oil to anoint the tent and everything in it and dedicate them. ¹¹ He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times and anointed the altar, all the utensils, and the basin with its stand to dedicate them.

¹² He also poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to set him apart for his holy duties.

¹³ Moses had Aaron’s sons come forward. He put linen robes on them, fastened their belts around them, and put turbans on them as the Lord had commanded Moses.

¹⁴ He brought the bull that was the offering for sin. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. ¹⁵ When it was slaughtered, Moses took the blood and put it on the horns of the altar all around with his finger and cleansed the altar from sins. He poured the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar and declared it holy so that priests could use it to make peace with the Lord. ¹⁶ Moses took all the fat that was on the internal organs, the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and he burned them on the altar. ¹⁷ He burned the rest of the bull, its skin, meat, and excrement outside the camp, as the Lord commanded him.

¹⁸ He brought forward the ram for the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on the ram’s head. ¹⁹ Moses slaughtered it and threw the blood against the altar on all sides. ²⁰ When the ram was cut into pieces, Moses burned the head with the other pieces and the fat. ²¹ He washed the internal organs and the legs. Then Moses burned the whole ram on the altar as the Lord commanded him. It was a burnt offering, a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.

²² He brought forward the second ram for the ordination offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on the ram’s head. ²³ Moses slaughtered it, took some of the blood, and put it on Aaron’s right ear lobe, on his right thumb, and on the big toe of his right foot. ²⁴ Moses also brought Aaron’s sons forward. He put some of the blood on their right ear lobes, on their right thumbs, and on the big toes of their right feet. Moses threw the rest of the blood against all the sides of the altar. ²⁵ He took the fat, the fat from the tail, all the fat on the internal organs, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys with their fat, and the right thigh. ²⁶ He took a loaf of unleavened bread, a ring of bread made with olive oil, and a wafer from the basket of unleavened bread which was in the Lord’s presence. He put them on the fat and the right thigh. ²⁷ Then he placed all these things in the hands of Aaron and his sons. Moses presented all these things to the Lord as an offering. ²⁸ Then he took them from their hands and burned them on top of the burnt offering on the altar. These were ordination offerings, offerings by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord. ²⁹ Moses also took the breast from the ram of the ordination offering and presented it to the Lord. It was Moses’ share, as the Lord had commanded.

³⁰ Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar, sprinkled it on Aaron and his clothes and on his sons and their clothes. In this way he dedicated Aaron, his clothes, his sons, and their clothes.

³¹ Moses told Aaron and his sons: “Cook the meat at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Take the meat and the bread in the basket of the ordination offering. Eat them there as I commanded when I said, ‘Aaron and his sons will eat it.’ ³² You must burn any meat or bread that is left over. ³³ You will not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, not until the last day of your ordination is over. It will take seven days to ordain you. ³⁴ I did today what the Lord commanded me to make peace with the Lord for you. ³⁵ You will stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and serve as the Lord tells you. Then you will not die. This is what I was commanded.”

³⁶ So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded through Moses.

Aaron’s First Sacrifices

9 On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the leaders of Israel. ² He told Aaron, “Take a calf that has no defects for yourself as an offering for sin and a ram that has no defects as a burnt offering. Sacrifice them in the Lord’s presence. ³ Also tell the Israelites: ‘Take a male goat as an offering for sin, a calf and a lamb (each one year old and without defects) as a burnt offering, ⁴ a bull and a ram as a fellowship offering, and a grain offering mixed with olive oil to sacrifice in the Lord’s presence. The Lord will appear to you today.’ ”

⁵ So they took the things Moses commanded and brought them in front of the tent of meeting. The whole congregation came and stood in the Lord’s presence.

⁶ Moses said, “The Lord has commanded you to offer these sacrifices so that you may see the Lord’s glory.”

⁷ Moses told Aaron, “Come to the altar and sacrifice an offering for sin and a burnt offering to make peace with the Lord for your sins and the sins of the people. Also make an offering for the people, to make peace with the Lord for them as the Lord commanded.”

⁸ Aaron came to the altar and slaughtered the calf as his own offering for sin. ⁹ Aaron’s sons brought him the blood. He dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar. Then he poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar. ¹⁰ On the altar he burned the fat, kidneys, and lobe of the liver from the offering for sin as the Lord had commanded Moses. ¹¹ He burned the meat and the skin outside the camp.

¹² He slaughtered the animal for the burnt offering. Aaron’s sons gave him the blood, and he threw it against the altar on all sides. ¹³ They also gave him the burnt offering, which was cut in pieces and included the head. He burned it on the altar. ¹⁴ He washed the internal organs and the legs and laid them on top of the burnt offering on the altar.

¹⁵ He brought the people’s offerings. He took the male goat for the people’s offering for sin and slaughtered it. He sacrificed it to take away sins as he had done before. ¹⁶ Following the proper procedures, he brought forward the burnt offering and sacrificed it. ¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ He slaughtered the bull and the ram for the people’s fellowship offering. Aaron’s sons gave him the blood, which he threw against the altar on all sides. ¹⁹ However, the fat from the bull and the ram (the fat from the tail, the layer of fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver) ²⁰ they placed on the breasts. Aaron burned them all on the altar. ²¹ However, he first took the breasts and the right thighs and presented them to the Lord as Moses commanded.

²² Then Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them. He sacrificed the offering for sin, the burnt offering, and the fellowship offering. Then he came down ⌞from the altar⌟. ²³ Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people. Then the Lord’s glory appeared to all the people. ²⁴ Fire came out from the Lord’s presence and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar. When all the people saw this, they shouted and bowed with their faces touching the ground.

Improper Conduct for Priests

10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took an incense burner and put burning coals and incense in it. Then in the Lord’s presence they offered this unauthorized fire. ² A fire flashed from the Lord and burned them, and they died in the presence of the Lord.

³ Moses said to Aaron, “This is exactly what the Lord said:

Aaron was speechless.

⁴ Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle, Uzziel. He told them, “Come and take your relatives away from in front of the holy place. Take them outside the camp.” ⁵ So they came and took them away to a place outside the camp, as Moses told them. The dead men were still in their linen robes.

⁶ Moses told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar: “Do not mourn by leaving your hair uncombed or tearing your clothes. If you do, you will die and the Lord will become angry with the whole congregation. All the other Israelites may cry over the fire the Lord sent, but you may not. ⁷ You must not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting or else you, too, will die, because the Lord has anointed you with his oil.” They obeyed Moses.

Proper Conduct for Priests

⁸ The Lord spoke to Aaron, ⁹ “You and your sons must not drink any wine or liquor when you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a permanent law for generations to come. ¹⁰ Teach them the difference between what is holy and what is unholy, what is clean and what is unclean.^{[g] 11} Also teach the Israelites all the laws that I gave them through Moses.”

¹² Moses told Aaron and his surviving sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering left over from the offering by fire to the Lord. Make unleavened bread, and eat it next to the altar because it is very holy. ¹³ Eat it in a holy place because it is the part of the offering by fire to the Lord that belongs to you and your children. That is the command I received. ¹⁴ Also eat the breast presented ⌞to the Lord⌟ and the thigh that was given as a contribution. You and your sons and daughters may eat them in a clean place because they are your part of the fellowship offerings from the Israelites. ¹⁵ They will bring the thigh given as a contribution, the breast presented ⌞to the Lord⌟, and the fat that is to be burned and present them to the Lord. These parts will belong to you and your children. This will be a permanent law, as the Lord has commanded.”

Eleazar and Ithamar Sacrifice the Offering for Sin

¹⁶ Moses tried to find out what had happened to the male goat that was supposed to be the offering for sin. To his surprise, it had already been burned. So he became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s surviving sons. ¹⁷ He asked them, “Why didn’t you eat the offering for sin in the holy place? It is very holy and was given to you to take away the sins of the congregation and to make peace with the Lord for them. ¹⁸ Since its blood was not brought inside the holy place, you certainly should have eaten it there, as I commanded.”

¹⁹ Aaron answered Moses, “Today they sacrificed their offering for sin and their burnt offering in the Lord’s presence, and look what happened to me. If I had eaten the offering for sin today, would the Lord have approved?”

²⁰ When Moses heard this, he was satisfied.

Laws about Animals the Israelites May and May Not Eat^(B)

11 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, ² “Tell the Israelites: Here are the kinds of land animals you may eat: ³ all animals that have completely divided hoofs and that also chew their cud. ⁴ However, from 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.) ⁵ You must never eat rock badgers. (Rock badgers are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.) ⁶ You must never eat rabbits. (Rabbits are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.) ⁷ You must never eat pigs. (Because pigs have completely divided hoofs but do not chew their cud, they are also unclean.) ⁸ Never eat the meat of these animals or touch their dead bodies. They are unclean for you.

⁹ “Here are the kinds of creatures that live in the water which you may eat—anything in the seas and streams that has fins and scales. ¹⁰ However, you must consider all swarming creatures living in the seas or the streams that have no fins or scales disgusting. ¹¹ They must remain disgusting to you. Never eat their meat. Consider their dead bodies disgusting. ¹² Every creature in the water without fins or scales is disgusting to you.

¹³ “Here are the kinds of birds you must consider disgusting and must not eat. They are eagles, bearded vultures, black vultures, ¹⁴ kites, all types of buzzards, ¹⁵ all types of crows, ¹⁶ ostriches, nighthawks, seagulls, all types of falcons, ¹⁷ little owls, cormorants, great owls, ¹⁸ barn owls, pelicans, ospreys, ¹⁹ storks, all types of herons, hoopoes, and bats.

²⁰ “Every swarming, winged insect that walks across the ground like a four-legged animal is disgusting to you. ²¹ However, you may eat winged insects that swarm if they use their legs to hop on the ground. ²² You may eat any kind of locust, cricket, katydid, or grasshopper. ²³ Every kind of winged insect that walks across the ground like a four-legged animal is disgusting to you.

²⁴ “Regarding the creatures mentioned above, this is how you would become unclean: Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. ²⁵ Whoever carries any part of their dead bodies must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening. ²⁶ All animals whose hoofs are not completely divided or that don’t chew their cud are unclean for you. Whoever touches them is unclean. ²⁷ All four-legged animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you. Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. ²⁸ 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.

²⁹ “The following swarming creatures that move on the ground are unclean for you—moles, mice, and all types of lizards: ³⁰ geckos, monitors, lizards, skinks, and chameleons. ³¹ Among all the swarming creatures that move on the ground, these are unclean for you. Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. ³² 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. Then it will be clean ⌞again⌟.

³³ “If any of these creatures falls into a piece of pottery, break the pottery because everything in it is unclean. ³⁴ If water ⌞from that pottery⌟ touches any food, the food is unclean. Any liquid that you drink from that pottery is unclean. ³⁵ 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. ³⁶ However, a spring or a cistern holding water will remain clean. But anyone who touches their dead bodies will be unclean. ³⁷ If their dead bodies fall on seed that is to be planted, the seed is clean. ³⁸ But if water is poured on the seed and their dead bodies fall on it, the seed is unclean for you.

³⁹ “When any animal that you are allowed to eat dies, whoever touches its dead body will be unclean until evening. ⁴⁰ Those who eat any of its dead body must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening. Those who carry its dead body away will wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening.

⁴¹ “Any creature that swarms on the ground is disgusting and must not be eaten. ⁴² Don’t 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. ⁴³ Don’t become disgusting by eating anything that swarms on the ground. Never allow yourselves to become unclean because of them.

⁴⁴ “Here is the reason: I am the Lord your God. You must live holy lives. Be holy because I am holy. Never become unclean by touching anything that swarms or crawls on the ground. ⁴⁵ Here is the reason ⌞again⌟: I am the Lord. I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. Be holy because I am holy.

⁴⁶ “These are the instructions about animals, birds, and every living creature that swims in the water and every creature that swarms on the ground. ⁴⁷ These instructions help you distinguish between clean and unclean, the animals you may eat and those you may not eat.”

Instructions for Women after Childbirth

12 The Lord spoke to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites: When a woman gives birth to a boy, she will be unclean for seven days. This is the same number of days she is unclean for her monthly period. ³ The boy must be circumcised when he is eight days old. ⁴ Then she must stay at home for 33 days in order to be made clean from her bleeding. She must not touch anything holy or go into the holy place until the days needed to make her clean are over.

⁵ “When a woman gives birth to a girl, she will be unclean as in her monthly period. However, she will be unclean for two weeks. Then she must stay at home for 66 days in order to be made clean from her bleeding.

⁶ “When the days needed to make her clean are over, she must bring a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or a mourning dove as an offering for sin. She must bring them to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁷ The priest will offer them in the Lord’s presence to make peace with the Lord for her. Then she will be clean from her flow of blood.

“These are the instructions for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. ⁸ If she cannot afford a lamb, she must use two mourning doves or two pigeons. One will be the burnt offering and the other the offering for sin. So the priest will make peace with the Lord for her, and she will be clean.”

Skin Diseases

13 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, ² “If anyone has a sore, a rash, or an irritated area on his skin that turns into an infectious skin disease, he must be taken to the priest Aaron or to one of his sons who are also priests. ³ The priest will examine the disease. If the hair in the diseased area has turned white, and the diseased area looks deeper than the rest of his skin, it is an infectious skin disease. When the priest has examined him, he must declare him unclean. ⁴ But if the irritated area is white and does not look deeper than the rest of the skin, and the hair has not turned white, the priest must put him in isolation for seven days. ⁵ On the seventh day the priest will examine him again. If the disease looks the same and has not spread, the priest must put him in isolation for another seven days. ⁶ On the seventh day the priest will examine him again. If the diseased area has faded and not spread, the priest must declare him clean. It is only a rash. The person must wash his clothes and will be clean. ⁷ But if the rash has spread after he has shown himself to the priest to be declared clean, he must show himself to the priest again. ⁸ The priest will examine him one more time, and if the rash has spread, the priest must declare him unclean. It is an infectious skin disease.

⁹ “If anyone has an infectious skin disease, he must be taken to the priest. ¹⁰ The priest will examine him. If there is a white sore that has turned the hair white, and if there is raw flesh in the sore, ¹¹ he has a chronic skin disease. Without putting him in isolation, the priest must declare him unclean because he is unclean. ¹² If skin disease develops and covers the whole person from head to foot (so far as the priest can see), ¹³ the priest will examine him. If the disease does cover his whole body, the priest must declare the diseased person clean. His body has turned white. The person is clean. ¹⁴ But if raw flesh appears, he will be unclean. ¹⁵ The priest will examine the raw flesh and declare him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean. It is an infectious skin disease. ¹⁶ But if the raw flesh turns white again, he must go to the priest. ¹⁷ The priest will examine him again, and if the diseased area has turned white, the priest must declare the diseased person clean. He is clean.

¹⁸ “If a boil on the skin has healed ¹⁹ and in its place there is a white sore or a pink area, it must be shown to the priest. ²⁰ The priest will examine it. If it looks deeper than the rest of the skin and its hair has turned white, the priest must declare the person unclean. An infectious skin disease has developed in the boil. ²¹ But if the priest examines the affected area and the hair in it is not white or the affected area is not deeper than the rest of the skin but has faded, the priest must put him in isolation for seven days. ²² If the area has spread, the priest must declare him unclean. It is a skin disease. ²³ But if the irritated area has not spread, it is a scar caused by the boil. The priest must declare him clean.

²⁴ “If anyone has a burn on his skin and the raw flesh of the burn turns into a pink or bright white area, ²⁵ the priest will examine it. If the hair on the affected area has turned white and the affected area looks deeper than the rest of the skin, an infectious skin disease has developed in the burn. The priest must declare him unclean. It is an infectious skin disease. ²⁶ But if the priest examines it and the hair in it is not white and the affected area is not deeper than the rest of the skin but has faded, the priest must put him in isolation for seven days. ²⁷ On the seventh day the priest will examine him again. If the area has spread, the priest must declare him unclean. It is an infectious skin disease. ²⁸ If the irritated area does not spread but has faded, it is only a sore caused by the burn. The priest must declare him clean, because it is a scar caused by the burn.

²⁹ “If a man or a woman has some disease on the head or chin, ³⁰ the priest will examine the disease. If it looks deeper than the rest of the skin and there is thin yellow hair on it, the priest must declare the person unclean. It is a scab, a disease on the head or the chin. ³¹ But if the priest examines the scabby disease and it does not look deeper than the rest of the skin and there is no black hair in it, the priest must put the person with the scabby disease in isolation for seven days. ³² On the seventh day the priest will examine the disease. If the scab has not spread, there is no yellow hair on it, and the scab does not look deeper than the rest of the skin, ³³ the person will shave everything except the scab. The priest will put the person with the scab in isolation for another seven days. ³⁴ On the seventh day the priest will examine the scab again. If the scab has not spread on the skin and does not look deeper than the rest of the skin, the priest must declare him clean. When he has washed his clothes, he will be clean. ³⁵ But if the scab spreads after the person has been declared clean, ³⁶ the priest will make another examination. If the scab has spread on the skin, the priest does not have to look for yellow hair. The person is unclean. ³⁷ But if he sees that the scab hasn’t spread and black hair grows on it, the scab is healed. The person is clean, so the priest must declare him clean.

³⁸ “If a man or a woman has white irritated areas of skin, ³⁹ the priest will make an examination. If the irritated areas on the skin are pale white, a rash has developed on the skin. The person is clean.

⁴⁰ “If a man loses his hair, he is clean, even though he is bald. ⁴¹ If he loses the hair on the front of his head, he is clean, even though he is bald on the forehead. ⁴² But if there is a pink patch on the bald places in back or in front, a skin disease is developing in those places. ⁴³ The priest will examine him. If the sore from the disease in the bald places in back or in front is pink like a skin disease somewhere else on the body, ⁴⁴ the man has come down with an infectious skin disease. He is unclean. The priest must declare him unclean because of the skin disease on his head.

⁴⁵ “People who come down with a skin disease must wear torn clothes and leave their hair uncombed. They must cover their upper lips and call out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ ⁴⁶ As long as they have the skin disease, they are unclean. They must live outside the camp.

Mildew in Clothing or Leather Articles

⁴⁷ “Now about clothing—if there is a green or red area on a piece of clothing ⁴⁸ that is woven or knitted from linen or wool or on any leather article, ⁴⁹ it is mildew. It must be shown to the priest. ⁵⁰ The priest will examine the mildew and will put the clothing in a separate place for seven days. ⁵¹ On the seventh day he will examine the area again. If the spot is spreading, it is unclean. ⁵² He must burn the piece of clothing or the leather article because the mildew is growing. ⁵³ But if the priest sees that the area has not spread, ⁵⁴ he must order the area to be washed and put the clothing in a separate place for seven more days. ⁵⁵ The priest will examine the area again after it is washed. If it doesn’t look any different and the mildew has not spread, it is still unclean. It must be burned, whether the area is on the outside or the inside. ⁵⁶ If the priest sees that the area is pale after washing, he will tear it out of the clothing or the leather. ⁵⁷ However, if it shows up again, you must burn the clothing or the leather article. ⁵⁸ But if the area disappears from the woven or knitted clothing or any leather article when it is washed, wash it again, and it will be clean.

⁵⁹ “These are the instructions for deciding whether mildew in clothing that is woven or knitted from linen or wool or in any leather article is clean or unclean.”

Cleansing after Skin Diseases

14 The Lord spoke to Moses, ² “These are the instructions for making a person clean after a skin disease. He must be taken to the priest. ³ The priest will go outside the camp and examine him. If the person is healed, ⁴ the priest will order someone to get two living, clean birds, some cedar wood, red yarn, and a hyssop sprig to use for the cleansing. ⁵ Then the priest will order someone to kill one bird over a clay bowl containing fresh water. ⁶ The priest will take the living bird, the cedar wood, the red yarn, and the hyssop sprig and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. ⁷ He will sprinkle the blood seven times on the one to be cleansed and will declare that person clean. Then he will let the living bird fly away into the open country.

⁸ “The one to be cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and wash. Then he will be clean. After that he may go into the camp. However, for seven days he will live outside his tent. ⁹ On the seventh day he must shave off all the hair on his head, his beard, and his eyebrows, and he must wash his clothes and body. Then he will be clean.

¹⁰ “On the eighth day he must take two male lambs that have no defects and a one-year-old female lamb that has no defects. He must also take eight cups of flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering along with a quart of olive oil. ¹¹ The priest who will declare him clean must bring the person and his offerings into the Lord’s presence at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ¹² The priest will take one of the male lambs and the quart of olive oil and present them to the Lord as a guilt offering. ¹³ He will slaughter the lamb in the holy place where he slaughters the offering for sin and the burnt offering. He will do this because the guilt offering, like the offering for sin, belongs to the priest. It is very holy. ¹⁴ Then the priest will take some of the blood from the guilt offering and put it on the right ear lobe, on the right thumb, and on the big toe of the right foot of the one to be cleansed. ¹⁵ The priest will also take some of the olive oil and pour it into his own left hand. ¹⁶ He will dip his right finger in the oil in his left hand, and with his finger sprinkle some of the oil seven times in the Lord’s presence. ¹⁷ The priest will put some of the oil that is still in his hand on the right ear lobe, on the right thumb, and on the big toe of the right foot of the one to be cleansed. These are the same places he had put the blood of the guilt offering. ¹⁸ The priest will put the rest of the oil in his hand on the head of the one to be cleansed. So he will make peace with the Lord for that person in the Lord’s presence. ¹⁹ The priest will also sacrifice the offering for sin to make peace with the Lord for the one who is being cleansed from his impurity. After that, he will slaughter the burnt offering. ²⁰ The priest will sacrifice the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. So the priest will make peace with the Lord for that person, and the person who had the skin disease will be clean.

Cleansing for a Poor Person after a Skin Disease

²¹ “But if the one to be cleansed is poor and cannot afford that much, he must take one male lamb, present it to make peace with the Lord for himself, and use it for his guilt offering. He will take only eight cups of flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering, a quart of olive oil, ²² and two mourning doves or two pigeons (whatever he can afford). The one will be an offering for sin and the other a burnt offering. ²³ On the eighth day he will take them to the priest for his cleansing at the entrance to the tent of meeting in the Lord’s presence. ²⁴ The priest will take the lamb for the guilt offering and the quart of olive oil and present them to the Lord. ²⁵ He will slaughter the lamb as a guilt offering. Then the priest will take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the right ear lobe, on the right thumb, and on the big toe of the right foot of the one to be cleansed. ²⁶ The priest will pour some of the olive oil into his own left hand. ²⁷ With his right finger he will sprinkle some of the oil seven times in the Lord’s presence. ²⁸ The priest will put some of the oil that is in his hand on the right ear lobe, on the right thumb, and on the big toe of the right foot of the one to be cleansed. These are the same places he had put the blood of the guilt offering. ²⁹ In the Lord’s presence, the priest will pour the rest of the oil in his hand on the head of the one to be cleansed in order to make a payment for him. ³⁰ Then the one to be cleansed must take one of the mourning doves or pigeons (whichever he can afford),^{[h] 31} and sacrifice it as an offering for sin. He will take the other and sacrifice it as a burnt offering together with the grain offering. So in the Lord’s presence the priest will make peace with the Lord for the one who is being cleansed. ³² These are the instructions for one who has an infectious skin disease but cannot afford what is needed for his cleansing.”