The Sin Offering

4 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Say to the Israelites: ‘When anyone sins unintentionally^(A) and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands^(B)—

³ “‘If the anointed priest^(C) sins,^(D) bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the Lord a young bull^(E) without defect^(F) as a sin offering^[a](G) for the sin he has committed.^{(H) 4} He is to present the bull at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord.^(I) He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it there before the Lord. ⁵ Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood^(J) and carry it into the tent of meeting. ⁶ He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle^(K) some of it seven times before the Lord,^(L) in front of the curtain of the sanctuary.^{(M) 7} The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns^(N) of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting. The rest of the bull’s blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar^(O) of burnt offering^(P) at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁸ He shall remove all the fat^(Q) from the bull of the sin offering—all the fat that is connected to the internal organs, ⁹ both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys^(R)— ¹⁰ just as the fat is removed from the ox^[b](S) sacrificed as a fellowship offering.^(T) Then the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering.^{(U) 11} But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, as well as the head and legs, the internal organs and the intestines^(V)— ¹² that is, all the rest of the bull—he must take outside the camp^(W) to a place ceremonially clean,^(X) where the ashes^(Y) are thrown, and burn it^(Z) there in a wood fire on the ash heap.^(AA)

¹³ “‘If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally^(AB) and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, when they realize their guilt ¹⁴ and the sin they committed becomes known, the assembly must bring a young bull^(AC) as a sin offering^(AD) and present it before the tent of meeting. ¹⁵ The elders^(AE) of the community are to lay their hands^(AF) on the bull’s head^(AG) before the Lord, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord.^{(AH) 16} Then the anointed priest is to take some of the bull’s blood^(AI) into the tent of meeting. ¹⁷ He shall dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle^(AJ) it before the Lord^(AK) seven times in front of the curtain. ¹⁸ He is to put some of the blood^(AL) on the horns of the altar that is before the Lord^(AM) in the tent of meeting. The rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar^(AN) of burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ¹⁹ He shall remove all the fat^(AO) from it and burn it on the altar,^{(AP) 20} and do with this bull just as he did with the bull for the sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement^(AQ) for the community, and they will be forgiven.^{(AR) 21} Then he shall take the bull outside the camp^(AS) and burn it as he burned the first bull. This is the sin offering for the community.^(AT)

²² “‘When a leader^(AU) sins unintentionally^(AV) and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the Lord his God, when he realizes his guilt ²³ and the sin he has committed becomes known, he must bring as his offering a male goat^(AW) without defect. ²⁴ He is to lay his hand on the goat’s head and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the Lord.^(AX) It is a sin offering.^{(AY) 25} Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar^(AZ) of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.^{(BA) 26} He shall burn all the fat on the altar as he burned the fat of the fellowship offering. In this way the priest will make atonement^(BB) for the leader’s sin, and he will be forgiven.^(BC)

²⁷ “‘If any member of the community sins unintentionally^(BD) and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, when they realize their guilt ²⁸ and the sin they have committed becomes known, they must bring as their offering^(BE) for the sin they committed a female goat^(BF) without defect. ²⁹ They are to lay their hand on the head^(BG) of the sin offering^(BH) and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering.^{(BI) 30} Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering^(BJ) and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. ³¹ They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar^(BK) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.^(BL) In this way the priest will make atonement^(BM) for them, and they will be forgiven.^(BN)

³² “‘If someone brings a lamb^(BO) as their sin offering, they are to bring a female without defect.^{(BP) 33} They are to lay their hand on its head and slaughter it^(BQ) for a sin offering^(BR) at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered.^{(BS) 34} Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.^{(BT) 35} They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the lamb of the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar^(BU) on top of the food offerings presented to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.

5 “‘If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify^(BV) regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible.^(BW)

² “‘If anyone becomes aware that they are guilty—if they unwittingly touch anything ceremonially unclean (whether the carcass of an unclean animal, wild or domestic, or of any unclean creature that moves along the ground)^(BX) and they are unaware that they have become unclean,^(BY) but then they come to realize their guilt; ³ or if they touch human uncleanness^(BZ) (anything that would make them unclean)^(CA) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt; ⁴ or if anyone thoughtlessly takes an oath^(CB) to do anything, whether good or evil^(CC) (in any matter one might carelessly swear about) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt— ⁵ when anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess^(CD) in what way they have sinned. ⁶ As a penalty for the sin they have committed, they must bring to the Lord a female lamb or goat^(CE) from the flock as a sin offering^[c];^(CF) and the priest shall make atonement^(CG) for them for their sin.

⁷ “‘Anyone who cannot afford^(CH) a lamb^(CI) is to bring two doves or two young pigeons^(CJ) to the Lord as a penalty for their sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. ⁸ They are to bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one for the sin offering. He is to wring its head from its neck,^(CK) not dividing it completely,^{(CL) 9} and is to splash^(CM) some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar;^(CN) the rest of the blood must be drained out at the base of the altar.^(CO) It is a sin offering. ¹⁰ The priest shall then offer the other as a burnt offering in the prescribed way^(CP) and make atonement^(CQ) for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.^(CR)

¹¹ “‘If, however, they cannot afford^(CS) two doves or two young pigeons,^(CT) they are to bring as an offering for their sin a tenth of an ephah^[d](CU) of the finest flour^(CV) for a sin offering. They must not put olive oil or incense on it, because it is a sin offering. ¹² They are to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it as a memorial^[e] portion^(CW) and burn it on the altar^(CX) on top of the food offerings presented to the Lord. It is a sin offering. ¹³ In this way the priest will make atonement^(CY) for them for any of these sins they have committed, and they will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest,^(CZ) as in the case of the grain offering.^(DA)’”

The Guilt Offering

¹⁴ The Lord said to Moses: ¹⁵ “When anyone is unfaithful to the Lord by sinning unintentionally^(DB) in regard to any of the Lord’s holy things, they are to bring to the Lord as a penalty^(DC) a ram^(DD) from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel.^[f](DE) It is a guilt offering.^{(DF) 16} They must make restitution^(DG) for what they have failed to do in regard to the holy things, pay an additional penalty of a fifth of its value^(DH) and give it all to the priest. The priest will make atonement for them with the ram as a guilt offering, and they will be forgiven.

¹⁷ “If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though they do not know it,^(DI) they are guilty and will be held responsible.^{(DJ) 18} They are to bring to the priest as a guilt offering^(DK) a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the wrong they have committed unintentionally, and they will be forgiven.^{(DL) 19} It is a guilt offering; they have been guilty of^[g] wrongdoing against the Lord.”^(DM)

6 ^[h]The Lord said to Moses: ² “If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord^(DN) by deceiving a neighbor^(DO) about something entrusted to them or left in their care^(DP) or about something stolen, or if they cheat^(DQ) their neighbor, ³ or if they find lost property and lie about it,^(DR) or if they swear falsely^(DS) about any such sin that people may commit— ⁴ when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return^(DT) what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found, ⁵ or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution^(DU) in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering.^{(DV) 6} And as a penalty they must bring to the priest, that is, to the Lord, their guilt offering,^(DW) a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value.^{(DX) 7} In this way the priest will make atonement^(DY) for them before the Lord, and they will be forgiven for any of the things they did that made them guilty.”

The Burnt Offering

⁸ The Lord said to Moses: ⁹ “Give Aaron and his sons this command: ‘These are the regulations for the burnt offering^(DZ): The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar.^{(EA) 10} The priest shall then put on his linen clothes,^(EB) with linen undergarments next to his body,^(EC) and shall remove the ashes^(ED) of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar. ¹¹ Then he is to take off these clothes and put on others, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is ceremonially clean.^{(EE) 12} The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood^(EF) and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat^(EG) of the fellowship offerings^(EH) on it. ¹³ The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.

The Grain Offering

¹⁴ “‘These are the regulations for the grain offering:^(EI) Aaron’s sons are to bring it before the Lord, in front of the altar. ¹⁵ The priest is to take a handful of the finest flour and some olive oil, together with all the incense^(EJ) on the grain offering,^(EK) and burn the memorial^[i] portion^(EL) on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. ¹⁶ Aaron and his sons^(EM) shall eat the rest^(EN) of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast^(EO) in the sanctuary area;^(EP) they are to eat it in the courtyard^(EQ) of the tent of meeting.^{(ER) 17} It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share^(ES) of the food offerings presented to me.^(ET) Like the sin offering^[j] and the guilt offering, it is most holy.^{(EU) 18} Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it.^(EV) For all generations to come^(EW) it is his perpetual share^(EX) of the food offerings presented to the Lord. Whatever touches them will become holy.^[k](EY)’”

¹⁹ The Lord also said to Moses, ²⁰ “This is the offering Aaron and his sons are to bring to the Lord on the day he^[l] is anointed:^(EZ) a tenth of an ephah^[m](FA) of the finest flour^(FB) as a regular grain offering,^(FC) half of it in the morning and half in the evening. ²¹ It must be prepared with oil on a griddle;^(FD) bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken^[n] in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. ²² The son who is to succeed him as anointed priest^(FE) shall prepare it. It is the Lord’s perpetual share and is to be burned completely.^{(FF) 23} Every grain offering of a priest shall be burned completely; it must not be eaten.”

The Sin Offering

²⁴ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁵ “Say to Aaron and his sons: ‘These are the regulations for the sin offering:^(FG) The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the Lord^(FH) in the place^(FI) the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy. ²⁶ The priest who offers it shall eat it; it is to be eaten in the sanctuary area,^(FJ) in the courtyard^(FK) of the tent of meeting.^{(FL) 27} Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy,^(FM) and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in the sanctuary area. ²⁸ The clay pot^(FN) the meat is cooked in must be broken; but if it is cooked in a bronze pot, the pot is to be scoured and rinsed with water. ²⁹ Any male in a priest’s family may eat it;^(FO) it is most holy.^{(FP) 30} But any sin offering whose blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement^(FQ) in the Holy Place^(FR) must not be eaten; it must be burned up.^(FS)

The Parable of the Sower^(A)(B)

4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake.^(C) The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. ² He taught them many things by parables,^(D) and in his teaching said: ³ “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.^{(E) 4} As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”^(F)

⁹ Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”^(G)

¹⁰ When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. ¹¹ He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God^(H) has been given to you. But to those on the outside^(I) everything is said in parables ¹² so that,

¹³ Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? ¹⁴ The farmer sows the word.^{(K) 15} Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan^(L) comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. ¹⁶ Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ¹⁸ Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; ¹⁹ but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth^(M) and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²⁰ Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

A Lamp on a Stand

²¹ He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?^{(N) 22} For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.^{(O) 23} If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”^(P)

²⁴ “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.^{(Q) 25} Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”^(R)

The Parable of the Growing Seed

²⁶ He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like.^(S) A man scatters seed on the ground. ²⁷ Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. ²⁸ All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. ²⁹ As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”^(T)

The Parable of the Mustard Seed^(U)

³⁰ Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like,^(V) or what parable shall we use to describe it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. ³² Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

³³ With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.^{(W) 34} He did not say anything to them without using a parable.^(X) But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

Jesus Calms the Storm^(Y)

³⁵ That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” ³⁶ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.^(Z) There were also other boats with him. ³⁷ A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸ Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”^(AA)

⁴¹ They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”