Leviticus 1

Contemporary English Version

1 ^1-3The Lord spoke to Moses from the sacred tent and gave him instructions for the community of Israel to follow when they offered sacrifices.

Sacrifices To Please the Lord

The Lord said:

Sacrifices to please me^[a] must be completely burned on the bronze altar.^[b]

Bulls or rams or goats^[c] are the animals to be used for these sacrifices. If the animal is a bull, it must not have anything wrong with it. Lead it to the entrance of the sacred tent, and I will let you know if it is^[d] acceptable to me. ⁴Lay your hand on its head, and I will accept the animal as a sacrifice for taking away your sins.

⁵After the bull is killed in my presence, some priests from Aaron's family will offer its blood to me by splattering it against the four sides of the altar.

⁶Skin the bull and cut it up, ⁷while the priests pile wood on the altar fire to make it start blazing. ^8-9Wash the bull's insides and hind legs, so the priests can lay them on the altar with the head, the fat, and the rest of the animal. A priest will then send all of it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.

¹⁰If you sacrifice a ram or a goat, it must not have anything wrong with it. ¹¹Lead the animal to the north side of the altar, where it is to be killed in my presence. Then some of the priests will splatter its blood against the four sides of the altar.

^12-13Cut up the animal and wash its insides and hind legs. A priest will put these parts on the altar with the head, the fat, and the rest of the animal. Then he will send all of it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.

¹⁴If you offer a bird for this kind of sacrifice, it must be a dove or a pigeon. ¹⁵A priest will take the bird to the bronze altar, where he will wring its neck and put its head on the fire. Then he will drain out its blood on one side of the altar, ¹⁶remove the bird's craw with what is in it,^[e] and throw them on the ash heap at the east side of the altar.^[f] ¹⁷Finally, he will take the bird by its wings, tear it partially open,^[g] and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.

Footnotes

1.1-3 Sacrifices to please me: These sacrifices have traditionally been called “whole burnt offerings” because the whole animal was burned on the altar. A main purpose of such sacrifices was to please the Lord with the smell of the sacrifice, and so in the CEV they are often called “sacrifices to please the Lord.”
1.1-3 bronze altar: This altar for offering sacrifices was in front of the entrance to the sacred tent; it was made of acacia wood covered with bronze. A smaller altar for offering incense was inside the tent; it was made of acacia wood covered with gold.
1.1-3 goats: Hebrew “male goats.”
1.1-3 if it is: Or “if you are.”
1.16 with what is in it: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
1.16 ash heap at the east side of the altar: Ashes were piled here, then once a day they were taken to the ash heap outside the camp (see 4.11,12; 6.10,11).
1.17 tear it partially open: Or “tear it open without pulling off the wings.”