Leviticus 1:1-6:7
New Catholic Bible
A Ritual for Sacrifices[a]
Regulations for the Children of Israel
Chapter 1
Burnt Offerings.[b] 1 The Lord spoke to Moses from the meeting tent and said to him,[c] 2 “Speak to the children of Israel and tell them: When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your animal from the herd or the flock. 3 If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, let him offer a male without defect. He shall offer it at the entrance to the meeting tent, that it might be pleasing to the Lord. 4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted for atonement on his behalf. 5 He shall kill the young bull before the Lord, and the priests, the sons of Aaron, shall take its blood and sprinkle it on the altar that is at the entrance to the meeting tent.[d] 6 He shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. 7 The sons of Aaron, the priests shall set a fire on the altar and arrange the wood upon the fire. 8 Then the sons of Aaron, the priests shall place the pieces of the animal, and its head and its fat, on the burning wood upon the altar. 9 He shall wash the entrails and the legs with water. Then the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing fragrance to the Lord.
10 “If the burnt offering is from the flock, a sheep or a goat, he shall offer a male without defect. 11 He shall slay it on the northern side of the altar before the Lord. The priests, the sons of Aaron, shall sprinkle its blood around the altar. 12 He shall cut it into pieces, and the priest shall take them, together with its head and its fat, and lay them upon the wood which is burning upon the altar. 13 He shall wash the entrails and the legs with water, and then the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing fragrance to the Lord.
14 “If the burnt offering to the Lord consists of birds,[e] then let him bring his offering of turtledoves or young pigeons. 15 The priest shall bring them to the altar and wring off their heads. He shall burn them upon the altar, but their blood is to be drained out on the side of the altar. 16 He shall tear out their crops with their feathers and toss them to the east side of the altar, the place where the ashes are kept. 17 He shall split the birds into two halves holding on to their wings, but he shall not separate the pieces. Then the priest shall burn them on the burning wood upon the altar. It is a burnt offering, a pleasing fragrance to the Lord.
Chapter 2
Grain Offerings.[f] 1 “When anyone brings a grain offering as a sacrifice to the Lord, it is to be an offering of fine flour. He shall pour oil upon it and put incense on it 2 and bring it to the sons of Aaron, the priests. He shall take a handful of the flour and the oil and all of the incense. The priest shall burn it on the altar as a memorial portion, a burnt offering, a pleasing fragrance to the Lord.[g] 3 The rest of the grain offering will be for Aaron and his sons, the most holy part[h] of the burnt offering to the Lord.
4 “When someone brings a cereal offering that has been baked in the oven, it is to be unleavened cakes made of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers sprinkled with oil. 5 If your cereal offering was prepared on the griddle, it is to be made of fine flour that has been mixed with oil. 6 You shall break it into pieces and pour oil on it. It is a cereal offering. 7 If the cereal offering was prepared in a pan, it is to be made of fine flour with oil. 8 You shall bring your cereal offering made of these things to the priest who will bring it to the altar. 9 Then the priest shall take the memorial portion from the cereal offering and burn it on the altar. It will be a burnt offering, a pleasing fragrance to the Lord. 10 The rest of the cereal offering will be for Aaron and his sons. It is the most holy part of the burnt offering to the Lord.
11 “None of the cereal offerings that you offer to the Lord will be leavened, for you are not to make burnt offerings of leaven or honey[i] to the Lord. 12 As to the offering of firstfruits, you may bring them to the Lord, but you are not to bring them to the altar as a pleasing fragrance. 13 You are to season all of your cereal offerings with salt. You shall not permit your cereal offerings to be offered without the salt of your covenant.[j] You shall bring salt with all of your offerings.
14 “If you offer a cereal offering of firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer the cereal offering of firstfruits in the form of crushed grain from newly ripened heads of grain that have been parched with fire. 15 You shall pour oil on it, and place incense upon it. It is a cereal offering. 16 Then the priest shall burn a part of the grain and of the oil and all of the incense as the memorial portion of the offering. It is a burnt offering to the Lord.
Chapter 3
Peace Offerings.[k] 1 “If the offering is a peace offering, if someone offers a young cow, whether it be male or female, it is to be without defect. He shall offer it to the Lord. 2 He shall lay his hand on the head of the offering and slay it at the entrance to the meeting tent. The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall sprinkle its blood around the altar. 3 From the peace offering he shall offer up the following as a burnt offering to the Lord: the fat above and surrounding the entrails, 4 the two kidneys and their fat, the fat around the loins, and the lobe of the liver that he will detach along with the kidneys. 5 The sons of Aaron shall burn it on the altar, on the burnt offering[l] that is on the burning wood. It is a burnt offering, a pleasing fragrance to the Lord.
6 “If one’s peace offering to the Lord is from the flock, whether it be male or female, it is to be without defect. 7 If he presents a lamb as an offering, he shall offer it before the Lord. 8 He shall lay his hand on the head of the victim and slay it in front of the meeting tent. The sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood around the altar. 9 From the peace offering he shall offer up the following as a burnt offering to the Lord: the fat, the entire fat of the tail, cutting it away from the end of the backbone, the fat around the entrails and all that is above them, 10 the two kidneys with their fat and the fat around the loins, and the lobe of the liver that he will detach along with the kidneys. 11 Then the priest shall burn them on the altar as food offered up to the Lord by fire.
12 “If his offering is a goat, he shall offer it before the Lord. 13 He shall lay his hand on its head and slay it in front of the meeting tent. The sons of Aaron will sprinkle its blood around the altar. 14 From it he will offer up the following as a burnt offering to the Lord: the fat covering and above its entrails, 15 its two kidneys with their fat, the fat around the loins, and the lobe of the liver that he will detach along with the kidneys. 16 Then the priest shall burn them on the altar as food offered to the Lord by fire. All fat belongs to the Lord.
17 “It will be a perpetual statute throughout all your generations in all of your dwellings: you must not eat fat or blood.”
Chapter 4[m]
Sin Offerings.[n] 1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel and say: If anyone unknowingly sins against one of the commandments of the Lord, doing one of the things he was not supposed to do,
For an Anointed Priest. 3 “if it be an anointed priest who has sinned, thus bringing guilt upon the people, let him offer up a young bull without defect as a sin offering to the Lord. 4 He shall bring the young bull before the Lord at the entrance to the meeting tent, and will lay his hand on the head of the young bull and slay it before the Lord. 5 The priest who has been anointed shall take the blood of the young bull and carry it into the meeting tent. 6 He will dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord in front of the sanctuary veil. 7 The priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of incense which is before the Lord in the meeting tent. He shall pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar of burnt offerings which is at the entrance to the meeting tent. 8 He shall take all of the fat that is around the entrails and all the fat that is above, 9 the two kidneys and their fat, the fat around the loins, and the lobe of the liver that he will detach along with the kidneys. 10 He shall do just as he does with the ox of the sacrifice of a peace offering. He shall burn it all upon the altar of burnt offerings. 11 But as to the skin of the young bull, the meat with its head, the entrails, the legs and the dung, 12 that is, the young bull, he shall carry it outside of the camp to a pure place,[o] where they throw the ashes. He shall burn it upon a wood fire, in the place where they throw the ashes.
13 For the Whole Assembly.“If the whole assembly of Israel unknowingly commits a sin, for the thing was not clear to them, and they do one of the things that they were commanded by the Lord not to do and they incur guilt, 14 when they realize their sin, the assembly shall offer as a sin offering a young bull and bring it in front of the meeting tent. 15 The elders of the community shall lay their hands on the head of the young bull and they shall slay it before the Lord. 16 The priest who has been anointed shall take the blood of the young bull inside of the tent of meeting. 17 The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle the blood seven times before the Lord in front of the veil. 18 He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of incense which is before the Lord in the meeting tent. He will pour the rest of the blood at the base of the altar of burnt offerings which is at the entrance to the meeting tent. 19 He shall take all of its fat and burn it on the altar. 20 He shall perform the same ceremony with this young bull as with the offering of a sin offering: all done the same way. The priest shall make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven.[p] 21 Then he shall carry the young bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first young bull. It is a sin offering for the assembly.
22 For a Leader.“When a leader has sinned, unknowingly doing any one of the things that the Lord God has commanded not to do, and he is guilty, 23 when he comes to know of the sin that he has committed, he shall bring as an offering a kid he-goat without defect. 24 He shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and slay it in the place where they slay burnt offerings before the Lord. It is a sin offering. 25 The priest shall take the blood of the sin offering with his finger and he shall put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offerings. He shall pour the rest of the blood at the base of the altar of burnt offerings. 26 He shall then burn every fat part on the altar like the fat of a peace offering. The priest shall make atonement for his sin and he shall be forgiven.
27 For the Common People.“If any of the common people has unknowingly sinned, doing any one of the things that the Lord has commanded them not to do, and he is guilty, 28 when he comes to know of the sin that he has committed, he shall bring a she-goat as an offering, without defect, for the sin that he has committed. 29 He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slay it in the place of burnt offerings. 30 The priest shall take a bit of its blood with his finger and place it on the horns of the altar of burnt offerings. He shall then pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 31 He shall take out all of the fat parts, as one takes out all of the fat parts of a peace offering, and the priest shall burn them on the altar, a pleasing fragrance in honor of the Lord. The priest will make atonement for him and he shall be forgiven. 32 If he brings a lamb as a sin offering, he is to bring a female without defect. 33 He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and he shall slay it in the place of burnt offerings. 34 The priest shall take a bit of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and he shall place it on the horns of the altar of burnt offerings. He shall then pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 35 He shall take out all of the fat parts, as one takes out the fat parts of a lamb in a peace offering, and he shall burn them on the altar upon the burnt offerings in honor of the Lord. The priest shall make atonement for him and the sin that he committed and he shall be forgiven.
Chapter 5
Other Ways to Atone. 1 “If anyone sins in that he heard a call to testify and he is a witness, having seen or heard of the matter, and he does not make it known, then he shall bear his guilt. 2 Or if anyone touches any unclean thing, whether it be the carcass of an unclean animal or the carcass of unclean cattle or the carcass of any unclean creeping thing, even if he did not know it, he shall be unclean and be held guilty. 3 Or if he touches human uncleanness,[q] of whatever type of uncleanness one might touch and become unclean, and he did not know it, when he comes to know of it he shall be guilty. 4 Or if someone rashly lets an oath slip from his lips, to do evil or to do good, in anything by which a person who swears a rash oath, and he does not realize it, when he comes to know it, he shall be guilty for any one of these thing s. 5 Therefore, when someone is guilty of any one of these things, he shall confess the sin he has committed. 6 He shall bring a guilt offering to the Lord for the sin that he has committed: a female goat or sheep from the flock as a sin offering. The priest shall make atonement for him and for his sin.
7 “If someone cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring as his guilt offering to the Lord two turtledoves or two pigeons for the sin that he has committed. One will be for a sin offering and the other will be a burnt offering. 8 He shall bring them to the priest who shall offer the first for the sin offering. He will wring its head from its neck, but he will not rip it apart. 9 He shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the sides of the altar, while the rest he shall pour out at the base of the altar. This is a sin offering. 10 The other bird will be offered as a burnt offering, following the normal procedure. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, for the sin he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.
11 “But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, let him bring a tenth of an ephah[r] of fine flour for his sin offering, as the offering for the sin he has committed. He shall not put any oil or incense upon it, for it is a sin offering. 12 He shall bring the flour to the priest who will take a handful of it as a memorial portion, burning it upon the altar, on the burnt offerings to the Lord. It is a sin offering. 13 Thus the priest shall make atonement for the sin he has committed in any one of these things and he shall be forgiven. The rest of the offering will be for the priest, as with the cereal offering.”
14 Guilt Offerings.[s] And the Lord said to Moses, 15 “If anyone commits a trespass against God and unknowingly sins against any of the holy things of the Lord, then he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord. He shall bring a ram from the flock, without defect, for a guilt offering. It is to be worth a certain number of shekels of silver according to the measure of the shekel of the sanctuary. 16 He shall make amends for having sinned against the holy thing, and he shall add a fifth to its value and give it to the priest. The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he will be forgiven. 17 When someone sins and does any of the things that the Lord has forbidden, even if he does not realize he did it, he has still committed an offense and must bear his guilt. 18 He shall bring a ram without defect from the flock that is the value of the price of a guilt offering. The priest shall make atonement for the sin which he unknowingly committed and he shall be forgiven. 19 It is a guilt offering, for he was certainly guilty before the Lord.”
Chapter 6
Daily Sacrifices.[t] 1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “If anyone sins against the Lord by lying to a neighbor concerning a deposit or a security entrusted to him, or by robbery, or by defrauding a neighbor, 3 or by finding something that was lost and lying about it and swearing a false oath, in any of these things that men do, and thereby sin, 4 when someone sins this way and has become guilty, he shall restore the stolen property that he took, or what he obtained through violence, or the deposit that was entrusted to him, or the lost object that he found, 5 or anything about which he falsely swore an oath. He shall add a fifth to it and give it to the person to whom it belongs on the day of his guilt offering. 6 He shall bring a guilt offering to the priest, a ram without defect from the flock which is the value of the price of a guilt offering. 7 The priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord and he shall be forgiven of any of the things a person may do and thereby become guilty.”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 1:1 Different kinds of sacrifice were offered to the Lord in the Jerusalem temple. In them we find customs inherited from the period when the Hebrews lived a semi-nomadic way of life, as well as rites regularly practiced in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and especially in the land of Canaan. But the Israelite faith was able to purify the practices from all these influences and use them for the glory of the one true God (chs. 1–7).
- Leviticus 1:1 The burnt offering as the perfect form of homage to God: the victim, which was without blemish, was entirely consumed in fire, that is, removed from the material universe so as to enter the world of God. The owner of the victim offered it, through the mediation of priests, as a pleasing fragrance to the Lord, an ancient Eastern expression which the Bible uses to signify that God accepts the victim (Gen 8:21). The pouring of the blood expressed the offering of the life.
- Leviticus 1:1 Although these laws were composed long after Moses lived, the direct address form that is used throughout Leviticus implies that the laws embody the essence of what God taught him and wants the children of Israel to know.
- Leviticus 1:5 Meeting tent: the tabernacle or sacred place where God met with the children of Israel.
- Leviticus 1:14 Birds: for those who could not afford more costly sacrifices, doves or pigeons would suffice.
- Leviticus 2:1 This chapter deals with the offering no longer of animals but of food; in addition, one section is addressed to priests. No yeast was allowed because it would corrupt the food.
- Leviticus 2:2 The memorial portion was the part more suited to emitting a pleasing fragrance as it was burned; the ascent of the aroma was meant to make God mindful of the offerer.
- Leviticus 2:3 Most holy part: this was the part of the people’s offering reserved for the priests who were not to share it with family members and only eat it in the sanctuary.
- Leviticus 2:11 Honey: not to be used in sacrifice, as was anything leavened, because it fermented quickly and was used in cultic practice.
- Leviticus 2:13 Salt of your covenant: salt was required to be sprinkled by the priests on the offerings of the people, and was also used in making the incense for the sanctuary. Giving salt or consuming salt with others is a symbol of friendship, hence, the association with a covenant.
- Leviticus 3:1 The fat and the blood, which were connected with the mystery of life, were reserved for the Lord, the absolute master of life itself; the better morsels were reserved for the priests, and the remainder was taken by the offerer to be eaten by his family. By means of this sacred meal, the believer entered into a communion with the divinity; the sacrifice was therefore called a peace offering. It could be offered either in thanksgiving or in petition. This kind of sacrifice was celebrated on every sacred solemnity.
- Leviticus 3:5 On the burnt offering: the daily presentation of peace offerings was ritually prescribed to be placed on top of the burnt offerings signifying fellowship with God and the priest.
- Leviticus 4:1 Anyone who sinned unintentionally became unclean. To atone for the defect a sacrifice was offered; this rule held for everyone, but the offering varied according to the character of the guilty party. A sin of the high priest, who was leader of the people of God, especially after the Exile, rested on the entire community; consequently, the expiation for it was celebrated in a solemn fashion. The blood rite, the expiatory value of which will be seen further on (ch. 17), was the central point of the sacrifice; for the sins of the high priest as well as for the sins of the community, the blood was poured out inside the sanctuary. What remained of the victim was consumed by fire outside the encampment; the priests, being themselves sinners, had no right to eat of this sacred offering, since the sacrifice was for the entire community (v. 12). This type of sacrifice makes clear the ritual aspect of the fault, that is, it reflects a more primitive and less interior concept of sin.
- Leviticus 4:1 Whereas burnt offerings, cereal offerings, and peace offerings were voluntary acts of worship, atonement for sins committed unintentionally was mandatory and usually involved faults concerning worship. As soon as one became aware of such a fault, one was required to bring a sin offering to the Lord. For those who were unaware of a fault, an annual Day of Atonement provided reconciliation for sins that had not been atoned for.
- Leviticus 4:12 Pure place: this was a place that was considered to be ritually clean and was not concerned with dirt or physical cleanliness.
- Leviticus 4:20 Will be forgiven: this phrase, emphasizing God’s forgiveness, is repeated numerous times in this section and reinforces the repeated assurance of God’s mercy needed by all God’s children throughout the ages.
- Leviticus 5:3 Human uncleanness: a large part of Israelite ritual is based on the notions of pure and impure that affected the fitness of the person to enter the sanctuary for worship.
They are cultic rather than ethical determinations. In the New Testament, Jesus’ interpretation of cleanliness went beyond the rigidity imposed by the Pharisees on exterior performance to address the person’s interior disposition. - Leviticus 5:11 An ephah is a dry measure equal to approximately half a bushel.
- Leviticus 5:14 This section along with the priestly regulations detailed in chapter 7 concern the guilt offering. Although sometimes used interchangeably with “sin offering,” guilt offerings applied in those instances where restitution was required to be made.
- Leviticus 6:1 Sacrifices were offered twice a day in the Jerusalem temple, at sunrise and sunset. It was a duty of the priests to keep the fire going constantly, signifying that worship should never cease.
