Bible in 90 Days

Rules for Burnt Offerings

1 The Lord called out to Moses. He spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, ² “Speak to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘Suppose anyone among you brings an offering to the Lord. They must bring an animal from their herd or flock.

³ “ ‘If someone brings a burnt offering from the herd, they must offer a male animal. It must not have any flaws. They must bring it to the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then the Lord will accept it. ⁴ They must place their hand on the head of the burnt offering. Then the Lord will accept it in place of them. It will pay for their sin. ⁵ The young bull must be killed there in the sight of the Lord. Then the priests in Aaron’s family line must bring its blood to the altar. They must splash it against the sides of the altar. The altar stands at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁶ The skin must be removed from the animal brought for the burnt offering. Then the animal must be cut into pieces. ⁷ The priests in Aaron’s family line must build a fire on the altar. They must place wood on the fire. ⁸ Then they must place the pieces of the animal on the burning wood on the altar. The pieces include the head and the fat. ⁹ The inside parts of the animal must be washed with water. The legs must also be washed. The priest must burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering. It is a food offering. Its smell pleases the Lord.

¹⁰ “ ‘If someone offers a burnt offering from the flock, it must be a male animal. It can be a sheep or a goat. It must not have any flaws. ¹¹ They must kill it at the north side of the altar in the sight of the Lord. The priests in Aaron’s family line must splash its blood against the sides of the altar. ¹² They must cut the animal into pieces. The priest must place the pieces on the burning wood on the altar. The pieces include the head and the fat. ¹³ They must wash the inside parts with water. The legs must also be washed. The priest must bring all the parts to the altar. He must burn them there. It is a burnt offering. It is a food offering. Its smell pleases the Lord.

¹⁴ “ ‘If someone offers to the Lord a burnt offering of birds, it must be a dove or a young pigeon. ¹⁵ The priest must bring it to the altar. He must twist its head off. Then he must burn the rest of the bird on the altar. Its blood must be emptied out on the side of the altar. ¹⁶ The priest must remove the small bag inside the bird’s throat. He must also remove the feathers. Then he must throw them to the east side of the altar. That is where the ashes are. ¹⁷ He must take hold of the wings of the bird and tear it open. But he must not tear it in two. Then the priest will burn it on the wood burning on the altar. It is a burnt offering. It is a food offering. Its smell pleases the Lord.

Rules for Grain Offerings

2 “ ‘Suppose anyone brings a grain offering to the Lord. Then their offering must be made out of the finest flour. They must pour olive oil on it. They must also put incense on it. ² They must take it to the priests in Aaron’s family line. A priest must take a handful of the flour and oil. He must mix them with all the incense. Then he must burn that part on the altar. It will be a reminder that all good things come from the Lord. It is a food offering. Its smell pleases the Lord. ³ The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and to the priests in his family line. It is a very holy part of the food offerings presented to the Lord.

⁴ “ ‘If you bring a grain offering baked in an oven, make it out of the finest flour. It can be thick loaves of bread made without yeast. Mix them with olive oil. Or it can be thin loaves of bread that are made without yeast. Spread olive oil on them. ⁵ If your grain offering is cooked on a metal plate, make your offering out of the finest flour. Mix it with oil. Make it without yeast. ⁶ Break it into pieces. Pour oil on it. It is a grain offering. ⁷ If your grain offering is cooked in a pan, make your offering out of the finest flour and some olive oil. ⁸ Bring to the Lord your grain offering made out of all these things. Give it to the priest. He must take it to the altar. ⁹ All good things come from the Lord. The priest must take out the part of the grain offering that reminds you of this. He must burn it on the altar. It is a food offering. Its smell pleases the Lord. ¹⁰ The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and the priests in his family line. It is a very holy part of the food offerings presented to the Lord.

¹¹ “ ‘Every grain offering you bring to the Lord must be made without yeast. You must not add any yeast or honey to a food offering presented to the Lord. ¹² You can bring them to the Lord as an offering of the first share of food you gather or produce. But they must not be offered on the altar as a pleasant smell. ¹³ Put salt on all your grain offerings. Salt stands for the lasting covenant between you and your God. So do not leave it out of your grain offerings. Add salt to all your offerings.

¹⁴ “ ‘Suppose you bring to the Lord a grain offering of the first share of your food. Then offer crushed heads of your first grain that have been cooked in fire. ¹⁵ Put olive oil and incense on the grain. It is a grain offering. ¹⁶ The priest must burn part of the crushed grain and the oil. It will remind you that all good things come from the Lord. The priest must burn it together with all the incense. It is a food offering presented to the Lord.

Rules for Friendship Offerings

3 “ ‘Suppose someone brings a friendship offering. If they offer an animal from the herd, it can be either male or female. It must not have any flaws. They must offer it in the sight of the Lord. ² They must place their hand on the animal’s head. It must be killed at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then the priests in Aaron’s family line must splash the blood against the sides of the altar. ³ Part of the friendship offering must be given to the Lord as a food offering. It must include all the fat that is connected to them. ⁴ It must include both kidneys with the fat on them next to the lower back muscles. It must also include the long part of the liver. All of it must be removed together with the kidneys. ⁵ Then the priests in Aaron’s family line must burn it on the altar. They must burn it on top of the burnt offering that is lying on the burning wood. It is a food offering. Its smell pleases the Lord.

⁶ “ ‘Suppose someone brings an animal from the flock as a friendship offering to the Lord. It can be either male or female. It must not have any flaws. ⁷ If they bring a lamb, they must offer it in the sight of the Lord. ⁸ They must place their hand on the lamb’s head. It must be killed there in front of the tent of meeting. Then the priests in Aaron’s family line must splash its blood against the sides of the altar. ⁹ Part of the offering must be brought as a sacrifice presented to the Lord. It must include the lamb’s fat and the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone. It must include all the fat that is connected to them. ¹⁰ It must include both kidneys with the fat on them next to the lower back muscles. The offering must also include the long part of the liver. That must be removed together with the kidneys. ¹¹ Then the priest must burn the offering on the altar as food. It is a food offering presented to the Lord.

¹² “ ‘If someone brings a goat, they must offer it in the sight of the Lord. ¹³ They must place their hand on its head. It must be killed there in front of the tent of meeting. Then the priests in Aaron’s family line must splash its blood against the sides of the altar. ¹⁴ Part of the offering must be brought as a food offering presented to the Lord. It must include all the fat that is connected to them. ¹⁵ It must include both kidneys with the fat on them next to the lower back muscles. It must also include the long part of the liver. That must be removed together with the kidneys. ¹⁶ Then the priest must burn the offering on the altar as food. It is a food offering. It has a pleasant smell. All the fat belongs to the Lord.

¹⁷ “ ‘You must not eat any fat or any blood. That is a law that will last for all time to come. It applies no matter where you live.’ ”

Rules for Sin Offerings

4 The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, ² “Speak to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘Suppose someone sins without meaning to. And that person does something the Lord commands us not to do.

³ “ ‘Suppose it is the anointed priest who sins. And suppose he brings guilt on the people. Then he must bring a young bull to the Lord. It must not have any flaws. He must bring it as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. ⁴ He must bring the bull to the entrance to the tent of meeting in the sight of the Lord. He must place his hand on its head. He must kill it there in the sight of the Lord. ⁵ Then the anointed priest must take some of the bull’s blood. He must carry it into the tent of meeting. ⁶ He must dip his finger into the blood. He must sprinkle some of it seven times in the sight of the Lord. He must do it in front of the curtain of the Most Holy Room. ⁷ Then the priest must put some of the blood on the horns of the altar for burning incense. The horns stick out from the upper four corners of the altar. The incense burned on that altar has a sweet smell. The altar stands in front of the Lord in the tent of meeting. The priest must pour out the rest of the bull’s blood at the bottom of the altar for burnt offerings. That altar stands at the entrance to the tent. ⁸ He must remove all the fat from the bull for the sin offering. It includes the fat that is connected to the inside parts. ⁹ It includes both kidneys with the fat on them next to the lower back muscles. It also includes the long part of the liver. He must remove all of it together with the kidneys. ¹⁰ He must remove it in the same way the fat is removed from an ox sacrificed as a friendship offering. Then the priest must burn all of it on the altar for burnt offerings. ¹¹ But the bull’s hide must be taken away. So must all its meat. So must its head and legs. And so must its inside parts and guts. ¹² In other words, all the rest of the bull must be taken away. The priest must take it outside the camp. He must take it to a “clean” place. He must take it to the place where the ashes are thrown. Then he must burn it there in a wood fire on a pile of ashes.

¹³ “ ‘Or suppose the whole community of Israel sins without meaning to. They do something the Lord commands us not to do. Suppose they realize their guilt. ¹⁴ And suppose their sin becomes known. Then they must bring a young bull as a sin offering. They must offer it in front of the tent of meeting. ¹⁵ The elders of the community must place their hands on the bull’s head in the sight of the Lord. The bull must be killed in the sight of the Lord. ¹⁶ Then the anointed priest must take some of the bull’s blood into the tent of meeting. ¹⁷ He must dip his finger into the blood. He must sprinkle it seven times in the sight of the Lord. He must do it in front of the curtain. ¹⁸ He must put some of the blood on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar. The altar stands in front of the Lord in the tent of meeting. The priest must pour out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar for burnt offerings. That altar stands at the entrance to the tent. ¹⁹ He must remove all the fat from the bull. He must burn it on the altar. ²⁰ He must do the same thing with that bull as he did with the bull for the sin offering. When he does, he will pay for the sin of the community. And they will be forgiven. ²¹ Then he must take the bull outside the camp. He must burn it just as he burned the first bull. It is the sin offering for the whole community.

²² “ ‘Or suppose a leader sins without meaning to. He disobeys any of the commands of the Lord his God. ²³ And suppose he realizes his guilt and his sin becomes known. Then he must bring an offering. It must be a male goat. It must not have any flaws. ²⁴ He must place his hand on the goat’s head. He must kill it. He must do it at the place where the animals for burnt offerings are killed in the sight of the Lord. His offering is a sin offering. ²⁵ Then the priest must dip his finger into some of the blood of the sin offering. He must put it on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar for burnt offerings. He must pour out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. ²⁶ He must burn all the fat on the altar. He must burn it in the same way he burned the fat of the friendship offering. When he does, he will pay for the sin of the leader. And the leader will be forgiven.

²⁷ “ ‘Or suppose someone in the community sins without meaning to. They disobey any of the Lord’s commands. ²⁸ And suppose they realize their guilt and their sin becomes known. Then they must bring an offering for the sin they have committed. It must be a female goat. It must not have any flaws. ²⁹ They must place their hand on the head of the animal for the sin offering. It must be killed at the place where the animals for burnt offerings are killed. ³⁰ Then the priest must dip his finger into some of the blood. He must put it on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar for burnt offerings. He must pour out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. ³¹ They must remove all the fat in the same way the fat is removed from the friendship offering. The priest must burn it on the altar. Its smell pleases the Lord. When the priest burns the offering, he will pay for their sin. And they will be forgiven.

³² “ ‘Suppose someone brings a lamb as their sin offering. Then they must bring a female animal. It must not have any flaws. ³³ They must place their hand on its head. They must kill it as a sin offering. They must do it at the place where the animals for burnt offerings are killed. ³⁴ Then the priest must dip his finger into some of the blood of the sin offering. He must put it on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar for burnt offerings. He must pour out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. ³⁵ They must remove all the fat in the same way the fat is removed from the lamb for the friendship offering. The priest must burn it on the altar on top of the food offerings presented to the Lord. When he does, he will pay for the sin they have committed. And they will be forgiven.

5 “ ‘Suppose someone has been called as a witness to something they have seen or learned about. Then if they do not tell what they know, they have sinned. And they will be held responsible for it.

² “ ‘Or suppose someone touches something not “clean.” It could be the dead bodies of wild animals or of livestock. Or it could be the dead bodies of creatures that move along the ground. Even though those people are not aware that they touched them, they have become “unclean.” And they are guilty. ³ Or suppose they touch something “unclean” that comes from a human being. It could be anything that would make them “unclean.” Suppose they are not aware that they touched it. When they find out about it, they will be guilty. ⁴ Or suppose someone makes a promise to do something without thinking it through. It does not matter what they promised. It does not matter whether they made the promise without thinking about it carefully. And suppose they are not aware that they did not think it through. When they find out about it, they will be guilty. ⁵ When someone is guilty in any of those ways, they must admit they have sinned. ⁶ They must bring a sin offering to pay for the sin they have committed. They must bring to the Lord a female lamb or goat from the flock. The priest will sacrifice the animal. That will pay for the person’s sin.

⁷ “ ‘Suppose they can’t afford a lamb. Then they must get two doves or two young pigeons. They must bring them to the Lord to pay for their sin. One of them is for a sin offering. The other is for a burnt offering. ⁸ They must bring them to the priest. The priest will offer the one for the sin offering first. He must twist its head. But he must not twist it off completely. ⁹ Then he must splash some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar. He must empty out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. It is a sin offering. ¹⁰ Then the priest will offer the other bird as a burnt offering. He must do it in the way the law requires. That will pay for the sin they have committed. And they will be forgiven.

¹¹ “ ‘But suppose they can’t afford two doves or two young pigeons. Then they must bring three and a half pounds of the finest flour as an offering for their sin. It is a sin offering. They must not put olive oil or incense on it. That is because it is a sin offering. ¹² They must bring it to the priest. The priest must take a handful of it. He must burn that part on the altar. It will be a reminder that all good things come from the Lord. The priest must burn it on top of the food offerings presented to the Lord. It is a sin offering. ¹³ In that way the priest will pay for any of the sins they have committed. And they will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest. It is the same as in the case of the grain offering.’ ”

Rules for Guilt Offerings

¹⁴ The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, ¹⁵ “Suppose someone is unfaithful to me and sins. And they do it without meaning to. Here is how they sin against me or my priests. They refuse to give the priests one of the holy things set apart for them. Then they must bring me a ram from the flock. It must not have any flaws. It must be worth the required amount of silver. The silver must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. The ram is a guilt offering. It will pay for their sin. ¹⁶ They must also pay for the holy thing they refused to give. They must add a fifth of its value to it. They must give all of it to the priest. The priest will pay for their sin with the ram. It is a guilt offering. And they will be forgiven.

¹⁷ “Suppose someone sins by doing something I command them not to do. Even though they do not know it, they are guilty. They will be held responsible for it. ¹⁸ They must bring to the priest a ram from the flock as a guilt offering. It must not have any flaws. And it must be worth the required amount of money. The priest will sacrifice the animal. That will pay for what they have done wrong without meaning to. And they will be forgiven. ¹⁹ It is a guilt offering. They have been guilty of doing wrong against me.”

6 The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, ² “Suppose someone sins by not being faithful to me. They do it by tricking their neighbors. They trick them in connection with something their neighbors have placed in their care. They steal from their neighbors. Or they cheat them. ³ Or they find something their neighbors have lost and then tell a lie about it. Or they go to court. They promise to tell the truth. But instead they tell a lie when they are a witness about it. Or they lie when they are witnesses about any other sin like those sins. ⁴ When they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return what they stole. They must give back what they took by cheating their neighbors. They must return what their neighbors placed in their care. They must return the lost property they found. ⁵ They must return anything they told a lie about when they were witnesses in court. They must pay back everything in full. They must add a fifth of its value to it. They must give all of it to the owner on the day they bring their guilt offering. ⁶ He must bring their guilt offering to the priest to pay for their sin. It is an offering to me. They must bring a ram from the flock. It must not have any flaws. It must be worth the required amount of money. ⁷ The priest will sacrifice the ram to pay for their sin. He will do it in my sight. And they will be forgiven for any of the things they did that made them guilty.”

More Rules for Burnt Offerings

⁸ The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, ⁹ “Give Aaron and the priests in his family line a command. Tell them, ‘Here are some more rules for burnt offerings. The burnt offering must remain on the altar through the whole night. The fire on the altar must be kept burning until morning. ¹⁰ The priest must put on his linen clothes. He must put on linen underwear next to his body. He must remove the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has burned up on the altar. He must place them beside the altar. ¹¹ Then he must take his clothes off and put others on. He must carry the ashes outside the camp to a “clean” place. ¹² The fire on the altar must be kept burning. It must not go out. Every morning the priest must add more wood to the fire. He must place the burnt offering on the fire. He must burn the fat of the friendship offerings on it. ¹³ The fire must be kept burning on the altar all the time. It must not go out.

More Rules for Grain Offerings

¹⁴ “ ‘Here are some more rules for grain offerings. The priests in Aaron’s family line must bring the grain offering to the Lord in front of the altar. ¹⁵ The priest must take a handful of the finest flour and olive oil. He must add to it all the incense on the grain offering. He must burn that part on the altar. It will remind him that all good things come from the Lord. Its smell pleases the Lord. ¹⁶ Aaron and the priests in his family line will eat the rest of it. But they must eat it without yeast in the holy area. They must eat it in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. ¹⁷ It must not be baked with yeast added to it. The Lord has given it to the priests as their share of the food offerings presented to him. It is very holy, just like the sin offering and the guilt offering. ¹⁸ Any priests in Aaron’s family line can eat it. It is their share of the food offerings presented to the Lord. It is their share for all time to come. Anyone who touches these offerings will become holy.’ ”

¹⁹ The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, ²⁰ “On the day each high priest in Aaron’s family line is anointed, he must bring an offering to me. He must bring three and a half pounds of the finest flour as a regular grain offering. He must bring half of it in the morning. He must bring the other half in the evening. ²¹ Mix it with olive oil. Cook it on a metal plate. Break it in pieces. Bring it as a grain offering. Its smell pleases the Lord. ²² The son of Aaron who will become the next high priest after him will prepare the grain offering. It is the share that must be given to the Lord for all time to come. It must be completely burned up. ²³ Every grain offering a high priest offers must be completely burned up. It must not be eaten.”

More Rules for Sin Offerings

²⁴ The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, ²⁵ “Speak to Aaron and the priests in his family line. Tell them, ‘Here are some more rules for sin offerings. You must kill the animal for the sin offering in the sight of the Lord. Kill it in the place where the burnt offering is killed. It is very holy. ²⁶ The priest who offers it will eat it. He must eat it in the holy area. He must eat it in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. ²⁷ Anyone who touches any of its meat will become holy. Suppose some of the blood is spilled on someone’s clothes. Then you must wash them in the holy area. ²⁸ Break the clay pot the meat is cooked in. But suppose you cook it in a bronze pot. Then you must scrub the pot and rinse it with water. ²⁹ Any male in a priest’s family may eat the meat. It is very holy. ³⁰ But suppose some of the blood of a sin offering is brought into the tent of meeting. And that blood is brought into the Holy Room to pay for sin. Then that sin offering must not be eaten. It must be burned up.

More Rules for Guilt Offerings

7 “ ‘Here are some more rules for guilt offerings. The guilt offering is very holy. ² You must kill the animal for the guilt offering where you kill the animal for the burnt offering. Splash its blood against the sides of the altar. ³ Offer all its fat. It must include the fat tail and the fat that covers the inside parts. ⁴ It must include both kidneys with the fat on them next to the lower back muscles. It must also include the long part of the liver. Remove all of it together with the kidneys. ⁵ The priest must burn all of it on the altar. It is a food offering presented to the Lord. It is a guilt offering. ⁶ Any male in a priest’s family can eat it. But he must eat it in the holy area. It is very holy.

⁷ “ ‘The same law applies to the sin offering and the guilt offering. Both of them belong to the priest who offers them to pay for sin. ⁸ The priest who offers a burnt offering for anyone can keep its hide for himself. ⁹ Every grain offering baked in an oven belongs to the priest who offers it. So does every grain offering cooked in a pan or on a metal plate. ¹⁰ Every grain offering belongs equally to all the priests in Aaron’s family line. That is true whether it is mixed with olive oil or it is dry.

More Rules for Friendship Offerings

¹¹ “ ‘Here are some more rules for friendship offerings anyone may bring to the Lord.

¹² “ ‘Suppose they offer a friendship offering to show they are thankful. Then together with the thank offering they must offer thick loaves of bread. They must make them without yeast. They must mix them with olive oil. Or they must offer thin loaves of bread made without yeast. They must spread olive oil on them. Or they must offer thick loaves of bread made out of the finest flour. They must add olive oil to it. They must work the flour and prepare it well. ¹³ They must bring another friendship offering along with their thank offering. It should be thick loaves of bread made with yeast. ¹⁴ They must bring one of each kind of bread as an offering. One kind is made with yeast. The other is not. Both of them are a gift to the Lord. They belong to the priest who splashes the blood of the friendship offering against the altar. ¹⁵ The person must eat the meat from their thank offering on the day they offer it. They must not leave any of it until morning.

¹⁶ “ ‘But suppose they bring a friendship offering to keep a promise they have made. Or suppose they bring an offering they choose to give. Then they must eat the sacrifice on the day they offer it. But if anything is left over, they may eat it the next day. ¹⁷ They must burn up any meat from the sacrifice left over until the third day. ¹⁸ Suppose they eat any meat from the friendship offering on the third day. Then the Lord will not accept the offering. He will not accept it as a gift from them. It is not pure. If they eat any of it, they will be held responsible for it.

¹⁹ “ ‘They must not eat meat that touches anything “unclean.” They must burn it up. Anyone “clean” may eat any other meat. ²⁰ But suppose an “unclean” person eats any meat from the friendship offering that belongs to the Lord. Then they will be separated from their people. ²¹ Suppose someone touches something “unclean.” It does not matter whether it comes from a human being who is not “clean.” It does not matter whether it comes from an “unclean” animal. It does not matter whether it comes from something hated and “unclean.” And suppose they eat any of the meat from the friendship offering that belongs to the Lord. Then they will be separated from their people.’ ”

Israel Must Not Eat Fat or Blood

²² The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, ²³ “Speak to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats. ²⁴ Do not eat the fat of any animal found dead. Do not eat the fat of an animal that wild animals have torn apart. But you can use the fat for any other purpose. ²⁵ Suppose an animal has been sacrificed as a food offering to the Lord. No one may eat its fat. If they do, they will be separated from their people. ²⁶ No matter where you live, do not eat the blood of any bird or animal. ²⁷ Anyone who eats blood must be separated from their people.’ ”

The Share That Belongs to the Priests

²⁸ The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, ²⁹ “Speak to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘Suppose someone brings a friendship offering to the Lord. Then they must bring part of it as their special gift to the Lord. ³⁰ They must bring it with their own hands. It is a food offering presented to the Lord. They must bring the fat together with the breast. They must lift the breast up and wave it in front of the Lord as a wave offering. ³¹ The priest will burn the fat on the altar. But the breast belongs to Aaron and the priests in his family line. ³² Give the right thigh from your friendship offerings to the priest as a gift. ³³ The priest who offers the blood and fat from the friendship offering must be given the right thigh. It is his share. ³⁴ I, the Lord, have taken the breast that is waved and the thigh that is given. I have taken them from the friendship offerings of the Israelites. And I have given them to Aaron the priest and the priests in his family line. The offerings will be their share from the Israelites for all time to come.’ ”

³⁵ That is the part of the food offerings presented to the Lord. It is given to Aaron and the priests in his family line. It was given to Aaron and his sons on the day they were set apart to serve the Lord as priests. ³⁶ On the day they were anointed, the Lord commanded the Israelites to give that part to them. For all time to come, it will be the share of Aaron and the priests in his family line.

³⁷ These are the rules for burnt offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings and friendship offerings. They are also the rules for the offerings that are given when priests are being prepared to serve the Lord. ³⁸ They are the rules the Lord gave Moses on Mount Sinai. He gave them on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the Lord. That took place in the Sinai Desert.

Preparing the Priests to Serve the Lord

8 The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, ² “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting. Bring their clothes and the anointing oil. Bring the bull for the sin offering. Also bring two rams. And bring the basket with the bread made without yeast. ³ Then gather the whole community at the entrance to the tent of meeting.” ⁴ Moses did just as the Lord had commanded him. All the people gathered together at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

⁵ Moses said to the people, “Here is what the Lord has commanded us to do.” ⁶ Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons to the people. He washed Aaron and his sons with water. ⁷ He put the inner robe on Aaron. He tied the belt around him. He dressed him in the outer robe. He put the linen apron on him. He took the skillfully made waistband and tied the apron on him with it. He wanted to make sure it was securely tied to him. ⁸ Moses placed the chest cloth on Aaron. He put the Urim and Thummim in the chest cloth. ⁹ Then he placed the turban on Aaron’s head. On the front of the turban he put the gold plate. It was a sacred crown. Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.

¹⁰ Then Moses took the anointing oil and poured it on the holy tent. He also poured it on everything in it. That’s how he set apart those things for the Lord. ¹¹ He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times. He poured oil on the altar and all its tools. He poured it on the large bowl and its stand. He did it to set them apart. ¹² He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head. He anointed him to set him apart to serve the Lord. ¹³ Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons to the people. He put the inner robes on them. He tied belts around them. He put caps on their heads. He did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.

¹⁴ Then he brought the bull for the sin offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. ¹⁵ Moses killed the bull. He dipped his finger into some of the blood. He put it on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar. He did it to make the altar pure. He poured out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. So he set it apart to make it pure. ¹⁶ Moses also removed all the fat around the inside parts of the bull. He removed the long part of the liver. He took both kidneys and their fat. Then he burned all of it on the altar. ¹⁷ But he burned the rest of the bull outside the camp. He burned up its hide, its meat and its guts. He did it just as the Lord had commanded him.

¹⁸ Then Moses brought the ram for the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. ¹⁹ Moses killed the ram. He splashed the blood against the sides of the altar. ²⁰ He cut the ram into pieces. He burned the head, the other pieces and the fat. ²¹ He washed the inside parts and the legs with water. He burned the whole ram on the altar as a burnt offering. It had a pleasant smell. It was a food offering presented to the Lord. Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.

²² Then he brought the other ram. It was sacrificed to prepare the priests for serving the Lord. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. ²³ Moses killed the ram. He put some of its blood on Aaron’s right earlobe. He put some on the thumb of Aaron’s right hand. He also put some on the big toe of Aaron’s right foot. ²⁴ Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons to the people. He put some of the blood on their right earlobes. He put some on the thumbs of their right hands. He also put some on the big toes of their right feet. Then he splashed the rest of the blood against the sides of the altar. ²⁵ He removed the fat, the fat tail and all the fat around the inside parts. He removed the long part of the liver. He removed both kidneys and their fat. And he removed the right thigh. ²⁶ Then he took a thick loaf of bread from the basket of bread made without yeast. The basket was in front of the Lord. Moses took a thick loaf of bread made with olive oil. He also took a thin loaf of bread. He put all of it on the fat parts of the ram and on its right thigh. ²⁷ He put everything in the hands of Aaron and his sons. He told them to lift it up and wave it in front of the Lord as a wave offering. ²⁸ Then Moses took it from their hands. He burned it on the altar on top of the burnt offering. It was the offering that was sacrificed to prepare the priests for serving the Lord. It had a pleasant smell. It was a food offering presented to the Lord. ²⁹ Moses also lifted up the ram’s breast and waved it in front of the Lord as a wave offering. The breast was Moses’ share of the ram that was sacrificed to prepare the priests for serving the Lord. Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.

³⁰ Then Moses took some of the anointing oil. He also took some of the blood from the altar. He sprinkled some of the oil and blood on Aaron and his clothes. He also sprinkled some on Aaron’s sons and their clothes. That’s how he set apart Aaron and his clothes. And that’s how he set apart Aaron’s sons and their clothes.

³¹ Then Moses spoke to Aaron and his sons. He said, “Cook the meat at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Eat it there along with the bread from the basket of the offerings that are brought to prepare the priests for serving the Lord. Do it just as I was commanded. I was told, ‘Aaron and his sons must eat it.’ ³² Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread. ³³ Don’t leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days. Don’t leave until the days that are required to prepare you for serving the Lord have been completed. Stay here for the full seven days. ³⁴ The Lord commanded what has been done here today. It was done to pay for your sin. ³⁵ Stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days. Stay here day and night. Do what the Lord requires. Then you won’t die. That’s the command the Lord gave me.”

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

The Priests Offer Sacrifices

9 On the eighth day Moses sent for Aaron, his sons and the elders of Israel. ² He said to Aaron, “Bring a bull calf for your sin offering. Bring a ram for your burnt offering. They must not have any flaws. Offer them to the Lord. ³ Then speak to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘Bring a male goat for a sin offering. Bring a calf and a lamb for a burnt offering. Both of them must be a year old. They must not have any flaws. ⁴ Bring an ox and a ram for a friendship offering. Sacrifice all of them to the Lord. Also bring a grain offering. Mix it with olive oil. Today the Lord will appear to you.’ ”

⁵ The people got the things Moses commanded them to get. They took them to the front of the tent of meeting. The whole community came up close to the tent. They stood there in front of the Lord. ⁶ Then Moses said, “You have done what the Lord has commanded. So the glory of the Lord will appear to you.”

⁷ Moses said to Aaron, “Come to the altar. Sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering. Pay for your sin and the sin of the people. Sacrifice the people’s offering. Pay for their sin. Do just as the Lord has commanded.”

⁸ So Aaron came to the altar. He killed the calf as a sin offering for himself. ⁹ His sons brought its blood to him. He dipped his finger into the blood. He put some on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. ¹⁰ He burned the fat and the kidneys on the altar. He also burned the long part of the liver. All these parts were from the sin offering. Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ¹¹ He burned up the meat and the hide outside the camp.

¹² Then he killed the animal for the burnt offering. His sons handed him its blood. He splashed it against the sides of the altar. ¹³ They handed him the burnt offering piece by piece. It included the animal’s head. Aaron burned everything on the altar. ¹⁴ He washed the inside parts and the legs. He burned them on top of the burnt offering on the altar.

¹⁵ Then Aaron brought the people’s offering. He took the goat for their sin offering and killed it. He offered it for a sin offering. He did just as he had done with his own sin offering.

¹⁶ He brought the animal for the burnt offering. He offered it in the way the law requires. ¹⁷ He also brought the grain offering. He took a handful of it and burned it on the altar. It was in addition to that morning’s burnt offering.

¹⁸ Aaron killed the ox and the ram as the friendship offering for the people. His sons handed him the blood. He splashed it against the sides of the altar. ¹⁹ His sons also brought the fat parts of the ox and the ram. They included the fat tail and the layer of fat. They also included the kidneys and the long part of the liver. ²⁰ Aaron’s sons placed everything on the breasts of the animals. Aaron burned the fat on the altar. ²¹ He lifted up the breasts and the right thigh and waved them in front of the Lord as a wave offering. He did it just as Moses had commanded.

²² Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people. He gave them a blessing. He had already sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the friendship offering. So he stepped down from the altar.

²³ Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they gave the people a blessing. The glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. ²⁴ The Lord sent fire on the altar. The fire burned up the burnt offering along with the fat parts. All the people saw it. Then they shouted for joy. They fell with their faces to the ground.

The Lord Kills Nadab and Abihu

10 Nadab and Abihu were two of Aaron’s sons. They got their shallow cups for burning incense. They put fire in them. They added incense to it. They made an offering to the Lord by using fire that wasn’t allowed. They did it against his command. ² So the Lord sent fire on them. It burned them up. They died in front of the Lord. ³ Then Moses spoke to Aaron. He said, “That’s what the Lord was talking about when he said,

So Aaron remained silent.

⁴ Moses sent for Mishael and Elzaphan. They were sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel. Moses said to them, “Come here. Carry the bodies of your cousins outside the camp. Take them away from in front of the Holy Room.” ⁵ So they came and carried them outside the camp. It was just as Moses had ordered. The bodies of Nadab and Abihu still had their inner robes on them.

⁶ Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar. They were Aaron’s sons. Moses said, “Don’t let your hair hang loose. Don’t tear your clothes. If you do, you will die. And the Lord will be angry with the whole community. But all the Israelites are allowed to show they are sad. They are your relatives. They may mourn for those the Lord has destroyed with fire. ⁷ Don’t leave the entrance to the tent of meeting. If you do, you will die. That’s because the Lord’s anointing oil has made you holy.” So they did what Moses told them to do.

⁸ Then the Lord spoke to Aaron. He said, ⁹ “You and your sons will go into the tent of meeting. When you do, you must not drink any kind of wine. If you do, you will die. This is a law that will last for all time to come. ¹⁰ This is so that you can tell the difference between what is holy and what is not. You must be able to tell the difference between what is ‘clean’ and what is not. ¹¹ Then you will be able to teach the Israelites all the rules I have given them through Moses.”

¹² Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar. They were Aaron’s two remaining sons. Moses said, “Take the grain offering left over from the food offerings presented to the Lord. It is very holy. Make bread without yeast from it. Eat it beside the altar. ¹³ Eat it in the holy area. It’s your share and your sons’ share of the food offerings presented to the Lord. These rules are in keeping with the command the Lord gave me. ¹⁴ But you and your sons and your daughters can eat the breast that was waved. You can also eat the thigh that was offered. Eat them in a ‘clean’ place. They have been given to you and your children. They are your share of the friendship offerings the Israelites bring. ¹⁵ The thigh that was offered must be brought together with the fat parts of the food offerings. The breast that was waved must be brought in the same way. All of it must be lifted up and waved in front of the Lord as a wave offering. It will be the share for you and your children for all time to come. That’s what the Lord has commanded.”

¹⁶ Moses asked about the goat that was brought as the sin offering. He found out that it had been burned up. So he became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar. They were Aaron’s two remaining sons. Moses asked them, ¹⁷ “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in a place near the Holy Room? The offering is very holy. It was given to you to take the people’s guilt away. It paid for their sin in the sight of the Lord. ¹⁸ The blood of the offering wasn’t taken into the Holy Room. So you should have eaten the goat in a place near the Holy Room. That’s what I commanded.”

¹⁹ Aaron replied to Moses, “Today the people sacrificed their sin offering to the Lord. They also sacrificed their burnt offerings to him. But a terrible thing has happened to me. Two of my sons have died. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?” ²⁰ When Moses heard that, he was satisfied.

“Clean” and “Unclean” Food

11 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said to them, ² “Speak to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘Many animals live on land. Here are the only ones you can eat. ³ You can eat any animal that has hooves that are separated completely in two. But it must also chew the cud.

⁴ “ ‘Some animals only chew the cud. Some only have hooves that are separated in two. You must not eat those animals. Camels chew the cud. But their hooves are not separated in two. So they are “unclean” for you. ⁵ Rock badgers chew the cud. But their hooves are not separated in two. So they are “unclean” for you. ⁶ Rabbits chew the cud. But their hooves are not separated in two. So they are “unclean” for you. ⁷ Pigs have hooves that are separated completely in two. But they do not chew the cud. So they are “unclean” for you. ⁸ You must not eat the meat of those animals. You must not even touch their dead bodies. They are “unclean” for you.

⁹ “ ‘Many creatures live in the water of the oceans and streams. You can eat all those that have fins and scales. ¹⁰ Treat as “unclean” all the creatures in the oceans or streams that do not have fins and scales. That includes all those that move together in groups and all those that do not. ¹¹ Treat them as “unclean.” Do not eat their meat. Treat their dead bodies as “unclean.” ¹² Regard as “unclean” everything that lives in the water that does not have fins and scales.

¹³ “ ‘Here are the birds you must treat as “unclean.” Do not eat them because they are “unclean.” The birds include eagles, vultures and black vultures. ¹⁴ They include red kites and all kinds of black kites. ¹⁵ They include all kinds of ravens. ¹⁶ They include horned owls, screech owls, gulls and all kinds of hawks. ¹⁷ They include little owls, cormorants and great owls. ¹⁸ They include white owls, desert owls and ospreys. ¹⁹ They also include storks, hoopoes, bats and all kinds of herons.

²⁰ “ ‘Treat as “unclean” every flying insect that walks on all fours. ²¹ But you can eat some flying insects that walk on all fours. Their legs have joints so they can hop on the ground. ²² Here are the insects you can eat. You can eat all kinds of locusts, katydids, crickets and grasshoppers. ²³ Treat as “unclean” every other creature with wings and four legs.

²⁴ “ ‘You will make yourselves “unclean” if you eat these things. If you touch their dead bodies, you will be “unclean” until evening. ²⁵ If a person picks up one of their dead bodies, that person must wash their clothes. They will be “unclean” until evening.

²⁶ “ ‘Suppose an animal has hooves that are not separated completely in two. Or suppose an animal does not chew the cud. Then these animals are “unclean” for you. If you touch the dead body of any of them, you will be “unclean.” ²⁷ Many animals walk on all fours. But those that walk on their paws are “unclean” for you. Anyone who touches their dead bodies will be “unclean” until evening. ²⁸ If a person picks up their dead bodies, that person must wash their clothes. They will be “unclean” until evening. These animals are “unclean” for you.

²⁹ “ ‘Many animals move along the ground. Here are the ones that are “unclean” for you. They include weasels, rats and all kinds of large lizards. ³⁰ They also include geckos, monitor lizards, wall lizards, skinks and chameleons. ³¹ These are the animals that move around on the ground that are “unclean” for you. If you touch their dead bodies, you will be “unclean” until evening. ³² Suppose one of them dies and falls on something. Then that thing will be “unclean.” It does not matter what it is used for. It does not matter whether it is made out of wood, cloth, hide or rough cloth. Put it in water. It will be “unclean” until evening. After that, it will be “clean.” ³³ Suppose one of these animals falls into a clay pot. Then everything in the pot will be “unclean.” You must break the pot. ³⁴ Any food that could be eaten but has water on it that came from that pot is “unclean.” And any liquid that could be drunk from it is “unclean.” ³⁵ Anything that the dead body of one of these animals falls on becomes “unclean.” If it is an oven or cooking pot, break it. It is “unclean.” And you must consider it “unclean.” ³⁶ But a spring or a well for collecting water remains “clean.” That is true even if the dead body of one of these animals falls into it. But anyone who touches the dead body is not “clean.” ³⁷ If the dead body falls on any seeds that have not been planted yet, the seeds remain “clean.” ³⁸ But suppose water has already been put on the seeds. And suppose the dead body falls on them. Then they are “unclean” for you.

³⁹ “ ‘Suppose an animal you are allowed to eat dies. If anyone touches its dead body, they will be “unclean” until evening. ⁴⁰ If they eat part of the dead body, they must wash their clothes. They will be “unclean” until evening. If they pick up the dead body, they must wash their clothes. They will be “unclean” until evening.

⁴¹ “ ‘Treat as “unclean” every creature that moves along the ground. Do not eat it. ⁴² Do not eat any of these creatures. It does not matter whether they move on their bellies. It does not matter whether they walk on all fours or on many feet. It is “unclean.” ⁴³ Do not make yourselves “unclean” by eating any of these animals. Do not make yourselves “unclean” because of them. Do not let them make you “unclean.” ⁴⁴ I am the Lord your God. Set yourselves apart. Be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves “unclean” by eating any creatures that move around on the ground. ⁴⁵ I am the Lord. I brought you up out of Egypt to be your God. So be holy, because I am holy.

⁴⁶ “ ‘These are the rules about animals and birds. These are the rules about every living thing that moves around in the water. And these are the rules about every creature that moves along the ground. ⁴⁷ You must be able to tell the difference between what is “clean” and what is not. You must also be able to tell the difference between living creatures that can be eaten and those that can’t.’ ”

Becoming “Clean” After Having a Baby

12 The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, ² “Speak to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘Suppose a woman becomes pregnant and has a baby boy. Then she will be “unclean” for seven days. It is the same as when she is “unclean” during her monthly period. ³ On the eighth day the boy must be circumcised. ⁴ After that, the woman must wait for 33 days to be made pure from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred until the 33 days are over. During that time she must not go to the sacred tent. ⁵ But suppose she has a baby girl. Then she will be “unclean” for two weeks. It is the same as during her period. After the two weeks, she must wait for 66 days to be made pure from her bleeding.

⁶ “ ‘After she has waited the required number of days to be made pure, she must bring two offerings. She must take them to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting. She must bring a lamb a year old for a burnt offering. She must also bring a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering. ⁷ The priest must offer them to the Lord. They will pay for her sin. Then she will be “clean” from her bleeding.

“ ‘These are the rules for a woman who has a baby boy or girl. ⁸ But suppose she can’t afford a lamb. Then she must bring two doves or two young pigeons. One is for a burnt offering. The other is for a sin offering. The priest will sacrifice those offerings. That will pay for her sin. And she will be “clean.” ’ ”

Rules About Skin Diseases

13 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He told them to say to the people, ² “Suppose someone’s skin has a swelling or a rash or a shiny spot. And suppose it could become a skin disease. Then they must be brought to the priest Aaron. Or they must be brought to a priest in Aaron’s family line. ³ The priest must look carefully at the sore on the person’s skin. He must see whether the hair in the sore has turned white. He must also see whether the sore seems to be under the skin. If the sore is white and is under the skin, it is a skin disease. When the priest looks that person over carefully, he must announce that the person is ‘unclean.’ ⁴ Suppose the shiny spot on the skin is white but does not seem to be under the skin. And suppose the hair in the spot has not turned white. Then the priest must make the person stay away from everyone else for seven days. ⁵ On the seventh day the priest must look carefully at the sore again. Suppose it has not changed and has not spread in the skin. Then the priest must make the person stay away from everyone else for another seven days. ⁶ On the seventh day the priest must look carefully at the sore again. If it has faded and has not spread, he must announce that the person is ‘clean.’ It is only a rash. That person must wash their clothes. They will be ‘clean.’ ⁷ But suppose the rash spreads in the skin after they have shown themselves to the priest a second time. Then they must appear in front of the priest again. ⁸ The priest must look carefully at the sore. If the rash has spread, he must announce that the person is ‘unclean.’ They have a skin disease.

⁹ “When anyone has a skin disease, they must be brought to the priest. ¹⁰ The priest must look them over carefully. Suppose there is a white swelling in the skin. Suppose it has turned the hair white. And suppose there are open sores in the swelling. ¹¹ Then the person has a skin disease that will never go away. The priest must announce that they are ‘unclean.’ The priest must not make them stay away from everyone else. They are already ‘unclean.’

¹² “Suppose the disease breaks out all over their skin. And suppose it covers them from head to foot, as far as the priest can tell. ¹³ Then the priest must look them over carefully. If the disease has covered their whole body, the priest must announce that they are ‘clean.’ All their skin has turned white. So they are ‘clean.’ ¹⁴ But when open sores appear on their skin, they will not be ‘clean.’ ¹⁵ When the priest sees the open sores, he must announce that they are ‘unclean.’ The open sores are not ‘clean.’ They have a skin disease. ¹⁶ But if the open sores change and turn white, they must go to the priest. ¹⁷ The priest must look them over carefully. If the sores have turned white, the priest must announce that the person is ‘clean.’ Then they will be ‘clean.’

¹⁸ “Suppose someone has a boil on their skin and it heals. ¹⁹ And suppose a white swelling or shiny pink spot appears where the boil was. Then they must show themselves to the priest. ²⁰ The priest must look at the boil carefully. Suppose it seems to be under the skin. And suppose the hair in it has turned white. Then the priest must announce that the person is ‘unclean.’ A skin disease has broken out where the boil was. ²¹ But suppose that when the priest looks at the boil carefully, there is no white hair in it. The boil is not under the skin. And it has faded. Then the priest must make the person stay away from everyone else for seven days. ²² If the boil is spreading in the skin, the priest must announce that the person is ‘unclean.’ They have a skin disease. ²³ But suppose the spot has not changed. And suppose it has not spread. Then it is only a scar from the boil. And the priest must announce that the person is ‘clean.’

²⁴ “Suppose someone has a burn on their skin. And suppose a white or shiny pink spot shows up in the open sores of the burn. ²⁵ Then the priest must look at the spot carefully. Suppose the hair in it has turned white. And suppose the spot seems to be under the skin. Then the person has a skin disease. It has broken out where they were burned. The priest must announce that the person is ‘unclean.’ They have a skin disease. ²⁶ But suppose the priest looks at the spot carefully. Suppose there is no white hair in it. Suppose the spot is not under the skin. And suppose it has faded. Then the priest must make the person stay away from everyone else for seven days. ²⁷ On the seventh day the priest must look them over carefully. If the spot is spreading in the skin, the priest must announce that the person is ‘unclean.’ They have a skin disease. ²⁸ But suppose the spot has not changed. It has not spread in the skin. And it has faded. Then the burn has caused it to swell. The priest must announce that the person is ‘clean.’ It is only a scar from the burn.

²⁹ “Suppose a man or woman has a sore on their head or chin. ³⁰ Then the priest must look at the sore carefully. Suppose it seems to be under the skin. And suppose the hair in the sore is yellow and thin. Then the priest must announce that the person is ‘unclean.’ The sore is a skin disease on the head or chin. ³¹ But suppose the priest looks carefully at the sore. It does not seem to be under the skin. And there is no black hair in it. Then the priest must make the person stay away from everyone else for seven days. ³² On the seventh day the priest must look at the sore carefully. Suppose it has not spread in the skin. It does not have any yellow hair in it. And it does not seem to be under the skin. ³³ Then the man or woman must shave their head. But they must not shave the area where the disease is. And the priest must make them stay away from everyone else for another seven days. ³⁴ On the seventh day the priest must look at the sore carefully. Suppose it has not spread in the skin. And suppose it does not seem to be under the skin. Then the priest must announce that the person is ‘clean.’ They must wash their clothes. They will be ‘clean.’ ³⁵ But suppose the sore spreads in the skin after the priest announces that the person is ‘clean.’ ³⁶ Then the priest must look them over carefully. Suppose the sore has spread. Then the priest does not have to look for yellow hair. The person is ‘unclean.’ ³⁷ But suppose the sore has stopped and black hair has grown there, as far as the priest can tell. Then the person is healed and is ‘clean.’ The priest must announce that they are ‘clean.’

³⁸ “Suppose a man or woman has white spots on the skin. ³⁹ Then the priest must look at them carefully. Suppose he sees that the spots are dull white. Then a harmless rash has broken out on the skin. That person is ‘clean.’

⁴⁰ “Suppose a man loses all the hair on his head. Then he is ‘clean.’ ⁴¹ Suppose he loses only the hair on the front of his head. Then he is ‘clean.’ ⁴² But suppose he has a shiny pink sore on his head where his hair was. Then he has a skin disease. It is breaking out on his whole head or on the front of his head. ⁴³ The priest must look him over carefully. Suppose the swollen sore on his head or on the front of it is pink and shiny. And suppose it looks like a skin disease. ⁴⁴ Then he has a skin disease. He is ‘unclean.’ The priest must announce that the man is ‘unclean.’ That’s because he has a sore on his head.

⁴⁵ “Suppose someone has a skin disease that makes them ‘unclean.’ Then they must wear torn clothes. They must let their hair hang loose. They must cover the lower part of their face. They must cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ ⁴⁶ As long as they have the disease, they remain ‘unclean.’ They must live alone. They must live outside the camp.

Rules About Mold

⁴⁷ “Suppose some clothes have mold on them. The clothes could be made out of wool or linen. ⁴⁸ Or there could be cloth woven or knitted out of linen or wool. There could be pieces of leather. Or there could be things that are made out of leather. ⁴⁹ And suppose the mold on the clothes or on the woven or knitted cloth looks green or red. Or suppose the green or red mold is on the pieces of leather or the leather goods. Then it is mold that spreads. It must be shown to the priest. ⁵⁰ The priest must look at it carefully. He must keep the thing with the mold on it away from everything else for seven days. ⁵¹ On the seventh day he must look at it carefully. Suppose the mold has spread in the clothes or in the woven or knitted cloth. Or suppose it has spread on the pieces of leather or on the leather goods. Then it is mold that destroys. The thing is ‘unclean.’ ⁵² The priest must burn everything with the mold in it. He must burn the clothes or the woven or knitted cloth made out of wool or linen. He must burn the leather goods. The mold destroys. So everything must be burned.

⁵³ “But suppose the priest looks at the thing carefully. The mold has not spread in the clothes. And it has not spread in the woven or knitted cloth or in the leather goods. ⁵⁴ Then he will order someone to wash the thing with the mold on it. After that, the priest must keep that thing away from everything else for another seven days. ⁵⁵ After the thing with the mold on it has been washed, the priest must look at it again carefully. Suppose the way the mold looks has not changed. Then even though the mold has not spread, it is ‘unclean.’ Burn it. It does not matter which side of the thing the mold is on. ⁵⁶ But suppose the priest looks at it carefully. And suppose the mold has faded after the thing has been washed. Then the priest must tear out the part with mold on it. He must tear it out of the clothes or leather. He must tear it out of the woven or knitted cloth. ⁵⁷ But suppose it shows up again in the clothes. Or suppose it shows up again in the woven or knitted cloth or in the leather goods. Then it is spreading. Everything with the mold on it must be burned. ⁵⁸ The clothes that have been washed and do not have any more mold on them must be washed again. So must the woven or knitted cloth or the leather goods. Then they will be ‘clean.’ ”

⁵⁹ These are the rules about what to do with anything with mold on it. They apply to clothes that are made out of wool or linen. They apply to woven and knitted cloth and to leather goods. They give a priest directions about when to announce whether something is “clean” or “unclean.”

Making People “Clean” From Skin Diseases

14 The Lord spoke to Moses. He told him to say to the people, ² “Here are the rules for making anyone ‘clean’ who has had a skin disease. They apply when the person is brought to the priest. ³ The priest must go outside the camp. He must look the person over carefully. Suppose they have been healed of their skin disease. ⁴ Then the priest will order someone to bring him two live ‘clean’ birds. He will also order someone to bring him some cedar wood, bright red yarn and branches of a hyssop plant. All these things will be used to make the person ‘clean.’ ⁵ The priest will order someone to kill one of the birds. It must be killed over fresh water in a clay pot. ⁶ Then the priest must take the live bird. He must dip it into the blood of the bird killed over the fresh water. He must dip it into the blood together with the cedar wood, the bright red yarn and the hyssop plant. ⁷ The priest will sprinkle the blood on the person who had the skin disease. That will make them ‘clean.’ The priest must sprinkle them seven times. Then the priest must announce that they are ‘clean.’ After that, the priest must let the live bird go free in the open fields.

⁸ “The person must also wash their clothes to be made ‘clean.’ They must shave off all their hair. They must take a bath. Then they will be ‘clean.’ After that, they may come into the camp. But they must stay outside their tent for seven days. ⁹ On the seventh day they must shave off all their hair. They must shave their head. They must shave off their beard. They must also shave off their eyebrows and the rest of their hair. They must wash their clothes. They must take a bath. Then they will be ‘clean.’

¹⁰ “On the eighth day they must bring two male lambs and one female lamb as an offering. The female must be a year old. The lambs must not have any flaws. They must also bring 11 pounds of the finest flour as a grain offering. They must mix it with olive oil. They must also bring 11 ounces of oil. ¹¹ The priest who announces that the person is ‘clean’ must bring them and their offerings to me. He must do it at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

¹² “Then the priest must take one of the male lambs. He must offer it as a guilt offering. He must offer it along with 11 ounces of oil. He must lift all of it up and wave it in front of me as a wave offering. ¹³ He must kill the lamb in the holy area where sin offerings and burnt offerings are killed. The guilt offering belongs to the priest, just as the sin offering does. The guilt offering is very holy. ¹⁴ The priest must take some of the blood from the guilt offering and put it on the person’s right earlobe. He must put some on the thumb of their right hand. He must also put some on the big toe of their right foot. ¹⁵ Then the priest must take some of the oil and pour it into his own left hand. ¹⁶ He must dip his right forefinger into the oil in his hand. He must use his finger to sprinkle some of the oil in front of me seven times. ¹⁷ The priest must put some of the oil in his hand on the same places he put the blood of the guilt offering. He must put some on the person’s right earlobe. He must put some on the thumb of their right hand. He must put some on the big toe of their right foot. ¹⁸ He must put on their head the rest of the oil in his hand. It will pay for the person’s sin in my sight.

¹⁹ “Then the priest must sacrifice the sin offering. It will pay for the person’s sin. They will be made ‘clean’ after being ‘unclean.’ After that, the priest will kill the burnt offering. ²⁰ He will offer it on the altar. He will offer it together with the grain offering. It will pay for the person’s sin. Then they will be ‘clean.’

²¹ “But suppose they are poor. Suppose they can’t afford all these offerings. Then they must bring one male lamb as a guilt offering. It must be lifted up and waved in front of me to pay for their sin. They must also bring three and a half pounds of the finest flour along with the lamb. They must mix the flour with olive oil. It is a grain offering. They must offer it along with 11 ounces of oil. ²² They must also bring two doves or two young pigeons that they can afford. One is for a sin offering. The other is for a burnt offering.

²³ “On the eighth day they must bring them to the priest so they can be made ‘clean.’ They must bring them to the entrance to the tent of meeting. They must do it in my sight. ²⁴ The priest must take the lamb for the guilt offering. He must take it together with the 11 ounces of oil. He must lift all of it up and wave it in front of me as a wave offering. ²⁵ He must kill the lamb for the guilt offering. He must take some of its blood and put it on the person’s right earlobe. He must put some on the thumb of their right hand. He must also put some on the big toe of their right foot. ²⁶ The priest must pour some of the oil into his own left hand. ²⁷ He must dip his right forefinger into the oil in his hand. He must use his finger to sprinkle some of it seven times in front of me. ²⁸ Here is what he must do with some of the oil in his hand. He must put it on the same places where he put the blood of the guilt offering. He must put some on the person’s right earlobe. He must put some on the thumb of their right hand. He must also put some on the big toe of their right foot. ²⁹ He must put on their head the rest of the oil in his hand. It will pay for the person’s sin in my sight. ³⁰ The priest will sacrifice the doves or the young pigeons that the person can afford. ³¹ One is for a sin offering. The other is for a burnt offering. The priest must offer them together with the grain offering. In that way he will pay for the person’s sin in my sight. He will do it to make them ‘clean.’ ”

³² These are the rules for anyone who has a skin disease. They are for people who can’t afford the regular offerings that are required to make them “clean.”