Leviticus 5
EasyEnglish Bible
Sins for which people must give an offering
5 A person may know about something that is wrong. He may not speak about it at a public meeting. That person is sinning.
2 God has said that some animals and insects are not clean. A person may touch a dead animal or an insect like that. If he does, he is doing something wrong. It is a sin even if he did not really want to touch it.
3 A person may touch something that another person has made bad. If he does, he is doing something wrong. He might not know that it is bad, but he is still doing a wrong thing.
4 A person is doing a wrong thing if he says any careless promise. The promise might be good or bad. People will tell him that he has not obeyed God's rules. Then he will know that he has sinned.
5 A person must tell the priest if he has done any of these things. 6 He must give a sheep or a goat for a sin offering. Then the Lord will not be angry with him. The priest will kill the animal as a sacrifice to atone for that sin.
What the people should do if they do not have much money
7 A person may not have money to buy a sheep or a goat. If he does not, he must buy two doves or two pigeons.[a] He must give them to the Lord. One bird will be a sin offering. The second bird will be a burnt offering.
8 The priest will bring one of the birds to the altar. It is the sin offering. He will break the neck of the bird, but he will not pull the head off. 9 He will shake some of the blood onto the side of the altar. He will pour the blood that he did not shake onto the floor. He must pour it in front of the altar. 10 The priest will burn the other bird. God will not be angry with the man when the priest does this.
11 A person may not have money to buy two doves or two pigeons. If he does not, he must give a tenth of an ephah (about two litres) of flour. He must not put oil or incense on the flour because it is a sin offering. 12 He must take it to the priest. The priest will burn some of the flour on the altar as a special part of the flour. It is a sin offering to the Lord. 13 He will forgive the person when the priest does this. The flour that he did not burn is like the grain offering. It belongs to the priests.” ’
The gift to the Lord when a person does wrong things
14 The Lord said to Moses, 15 ‘If a person does not obey the Lord's holy rules he is sinning. He must give a male sheep to the Lord. He must do this even if he did not know that he had sinned. It is a gift to the Lord to pay for his sins. It must be a perfect male animal. It must be worth the correct amount of money. 16 He must also give money worth one fifth more. The person must give the sheep and the money to the priest. The priest will sacrifice the sheep. It is an atonement for the wrong things that the person has done. God will forgive the person.
17 A person might do wrong things against the Lord. But the person might not know that they were wrong. He is sinning. 18 When he knows about it, he must bring a sheep to the priest. The animal must be a perfect male. The sheep must be worth the right amount of money. The priest will give the sheep to the Lord. It will be an atonement for the wrong things that the person has done. Then the Lord will forgive the person. 19 The sheep is an offering because the person did not obey the Lord.’
Footnotes
- 5:7 Doves and pigeons are birds that God let people eat.
Leviticus 5
New International Version
5 “‘If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify(A) regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible.(B)
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)(C) and they are unaware that they have become unclean,(D) but then they come to realize their guilt; 3 or if they touch human uncleanness(E) (anything that would make them unclean)(F) 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(G) to do anything, whether good or evil(H) (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(I) 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(J) from the flock as a sin offering[a];(K) and the priest shall make atonement(L) for them for their sin.
7 “‘Anyone who cannot afford(M) a lamb(N) is to bring two doves or two young pigeons(O) 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,(P) not dividing it completely,(Q) 9 and is to splash(R) some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar;(S) the rest of the blood must be drained out at the base of the altar.(T) It is a sin offering. 10 The priest shall then offer the other as a burnt offering in the prescribed way(U) and make atonement(V) for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.(W)
11 “‘If, however, they cannot afford(X) two doves or two young pigeons,(Y) they are to bring as an offering for their sin a tenth of an ephah[b](Z) of the finest flour(AA) 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[c] portion(AB) and burn it on the altar(AC) on top of the food offerings presented to the Lord. It is a sin offering. 13 In this way the priest will make atonement(AD) 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,(AE) as in the case of the grain offering.(AF)’”
The Guilt Offering
14 The Lord said to Moses: 15 “When anyone is unfaithful to the Lord by sinning unintentionally(AG) in regard to any of the Lord’s holy things, they are to bring to the Lord as a penalty(AH) a ram(AI) from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel.[d](AJ) It is a guilt offering.(AK) 16 They must make restitution(AL) for what they have failed to do in regard to the holy things, pay an additional penalty of a fifth of its value(AM) 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,(AN) they are guilty and will be held responsible.(AO) 18 They are to bring to the priest as a guilt offering(AP) 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.(AQ) 19 It is a guilt offering; they have been guilty of[e] wrongdoing against the Lord.”(AR)
Footnotes
- Leviticus 5:6 Or purification offering; here and throughout this chapter
- Leviticus 5:11 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
- Leviticus 5:12 Or representative
- Leviticus 5:15 That is, about 2/5 ounce or about 12 grams
- Leviticus 5:19 Or offering; atonement has been made for their
Leviticus 5
English Standard Version
5 “If anyone sins in that he hears a public (A)adjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall (B)bear his iniquity; 2 or (C)if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean wild animal or a carcass of unclean livestock or a carcass of unclean swarming things, and it is hidden from him and he has become unclean, and he realizes his guilt; 3 or if he touches (D)human uncleanness, of whatever sort the uncleanness may be with which one becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and realizes his guilt; 4 or if anyone utters with his lips a (E)rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people (F)swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these; 5 when he realizes his guilt in any of these and (G)confesses the sin he has committed, 6 he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation[a] for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.
7 “But (H)if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed two (I)turtledoves or two pigeons,[b] one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 8 He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first the one for the sin offering. He shall (J)wring its head from its neck (K)but shall not sever it completely, 9 and he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while (L)the rest of the blood shall be drained out (M)at the base of the altar; it is a sin offering. 10 Then he shall offer the second for a burnt offering according to the rule. (N)And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.
11 “But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a (O)tenth of an ephah[c] of fine flour for a sin offering. He (P)shall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12 And he shall bring it to (Q)the priest, and the priest shall take a handful of it as its memorial portion and (R)burn this on the altar, on the Lord's food offerings; it is a sin offering. 13 Thus (S)the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed in any one of these things, and he shall be forgiven. And the remainder[d] shall be for the priest, as in the grain offering.”
Laws for Guilt Offerings
14 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 15 (T)“If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the Lord, (U)he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued[e] in silver shekels,[f] according to the (V)shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. 16 He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and (W)shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. (X)And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.
17 (Y)“If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the Lord's commandments ought not to be done, (Z)though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity. 18 (AA)He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering, and (AB)the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven. 19 It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before[g] the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 5:6 Hebrew his guilt penalty; so throughout Leviticus
- Leviticus 5:7 Septuagint two young pigeons; also verse 11
- Leviticus 5:11 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters
- Leviticus 5:13 Septuagint; Hebrew it
- Leviticus 5:15 Or flock, or its equivalent
- Leviticus 5:15 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
- Leviticus 5:19 Or he has paid full compensation to
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