Bible in 90 Days
1 The Lord now spoke to Moses from the Tabernacle, 2-3 and commanded him to give the following instructions to the people of Israel: “When you sacrifice to the Lord, use animals from your herds and flocks.
“If your sacrifice is to be an ox given as a burnt offering, use only a bull with no physical defects. Bring the animal to the entrance of the Tabernacle where the priests will accept your gift for the Lord. 4 The person bringing it is to lay his hand upon its head, and it then becomes his substitute: the death of the animal will be accepted by God instead of the death of the man who brings it, as the penalty for his sins.[a] 5 The man shall then kill the animal there before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons, the priests, will present the blood before the Lord, sprinkling it upon all sides of the altar at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 6-7 Then the priests will skin[b] the animal and quarter it, and build a wood fire upon the altar, 8 and put the sections of the animal and its head and fat upon the wood. 9 The internal organs and the legs are to be washed, then the priests will burn them upon the altar, and they will be an acceptable burnt offering with which the Lord is pleased.[c]
10 “If the animal used as a burnt offering is a sheep or a goat, it too must be a male, and without any blemishes. 11 The man who brings it will kill it before the Lord on the north side of the altar, and Aaron’s sons, the priests, will sprinkle its blood back and forth upon the altar. 12 Then the man will quarter it, and the priests will lay the pieces, with the head and the fat, on top of the wood on the altar. 13 But the internal organs and the legs shall first be washed with water. Then the priests shall burn it all upon the altar as an offering to the Lord; for burnt offerings give much pleasure to the Lord.
14 “If anyone wishes to use a bird as his burnt offering, he may choose either turtledoves or young pigeons. 15-17 A priest will take the bird to the altar and wring off its head, and the blood shall be drained out at the side of the altar. Then the priest will remove the crop and the feathers and throw them on the east side of the altar with the ashes. Then, grasping it by the wings, he shall tear it apart, but not completely. And the priest shall burn it upon the altar, and the Lord will have pleasure in this sacrifice.[d]
2 “Anyone who wishes to sacrifice a grain offering to the Lord is to bring fine flour and is to pour olive oil and incense upon it. 2 Then he is to take a handful, representing the entire amount,[e] to one of the priests to burn, and the Lord will be fully pleased. 3 The remainder of the flour is to be given to Aaron and his sons as their food; but all of it is counted as a holy burnt offering to the Lord.
4 “If bread baked in the oven is brought as an offering to the Lord, it must be made from finely ground flour, baked with olive oil but without yeast. Wafers made without yeast and spread with olive oil may also be used as an offering. 5 If the offering is something from the griddle, it shall be made of finely ground flour without yeast, and mingled with olive oil. 6 Break it into pieces and pour oil upon it—it is a form of grain offering. 7 If your offering is cooked in a pan, it too shall be made of fine flour mixed with olive oil.
8 “However it is prepared—whether baked, fried, or grilled—you are to bring this grain offering to the priest and he shall take it to the altar to present it to the Lord.
9 “The priests are to burn only a representative portion[f] of the offering, but all of it will be fully appreciated by the Lord. 10 The remainder belongs to the priests for their own use, but it is all counted as a holy burnt offering to the Lord.
11 “Use no yeast with your offerings of flour; for no yeast or honey is permitted in burnt offerings to the Lord. 12 You may offer yeast bread and honey as thanksgiving offerings at harvest time, but not as burnt offerings.[g]
13 “Every offering must be seasoned with salt,[h] because the salt is a reminder of God’s covenant.
14 “If you are offering from the first of your harvest, remove the kernels from a fresh ear, crush and roast them, then offer them to the Lord. 15 Put olive oil and incense on the offering, for it is a grain offering. 16 Then the priests shall burn part of the bruised grain mixed with oil and all of the incense as a representative portion before the Lord.
3 “When anyone wants to give an offering of thanksgiving to the Lord, he may use either a bull or a cow, but the animal must be entirely without defect if it is to be offered to the Lord! 2 The man who brings the animal shall lay his hand upon its head and kill it at the door of the Tabernacle. Then Aaron’s sons shall throw the blood against the sides of the altar 3-5 and shall burn before the Lord the fat that covers the inward parts, the two kidneys and the loin fat on them, and the gall bladder. And it will give the Lord much pleasure.
6 “If a goat or sheep is used as a thank offering to the Lord, it must have no defect and may be either a male or female.
7-8 “If it is a lamb, the man who brings it shall lay his hand upon its head and kill it at the entrance of the Tabernacle; the priests shall throw the blood against the sides of the altar, 9-11 and shall offer upon the altar the fat, the tail removed close to the backbone, the fat covering the internal organs, the two kidneys with the loin fat on them, and the gall bladder, as a burnt offering to the Lord.
12 “If anyone brings a goat as his offering to the Lord, 13 he shall lay his hand upon its head and kill it at the entrance of the Tabernacle. The priest shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar, 14 and shall offer upon the altar, as a burnt offering to the Lord, the fat that covers the insides, 15-16 the two kidneys and the loin fat on them, and the gall bladder. This burnt offering is very pleasing to the Lord. All the fat is Jehovah’s. 17 This is a permanent law throughout your land, that you shall eat neither fat nor blood.”
4 Then the Lord gave these further instructions to Moses:
2 “Tell the people of Israel that these are the laws concerning anyone who unintentionally breaks any of my commandments. 3 If a priest sins unintentionally and so brings guilt upon the people, he must offer a young bull without defect as a sin offering to the Lord. 4 He shall bring it to the door of the Tabernacle, and shall lay his hand upon its head and kill it there before Jehovah. 5 Then the priest shall take the animal’s blood into the Tabernacle, 6 and shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the veil that bars the way to the Holy of Holies. 7 Then the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the incense altar before the Lord in the Tabernacle; the remainder of the blood shall be poured out at the base of the altar for burnt offerings, at the entrance to the Tabernacle. 8 Then he shall take all the fat on the entrails, 9 the two kidneys and the loin fat on them, and the gall bladder, 10 and shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering, just as in the case of a bull or cow sacrificed as a thank offering. 11-12 But the remainder of the young bull—the skin, meat, head, legs, internal organs, and intestines—shall be carried to a ceremonially clean place outside the camp—a place where the ashes are brought from the altar—and burned there on a wood fire.
13 “If the entire nation of Israel sins without realizing it and does something that Jehovah has said not to do, all the people are guilty. 14 When they realize it, they shall offer a young bull for a sin offering, bringing it to the Tabernacle 15 where the leaders[i] of the nation shall lay their hands upon the animal’s head and kill it before the Lord. 16 Then the priest shall bring its blood into the Tabernacle, 17 and shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil. 18 Then he shall put blood upon the horns of the altar there in the Tabernacle before the Lord, and all the remainder of the blood shall be poured out at the base of the burnt offering altar, at the entrance to the Tabernacle. 19 All the fat shall be removed and burned upon the altar. 20 He shall follow the same procedure as for a sin offering; in this way the priest shall make atonement for the nation, and everyone will be forgiven. 21 The priest shall then cart the young bull outside the camp and burn it there, just as though it were a sin offering for an individual, only this time it is a sin offering for the entire nation.
22 “If one of the leaders sins without realizing it and is guilty of disobeying one of God’s laws, 23 as soon as it is called to his attention he must bring as his sacrifice a male goat without any physical defect. 24 He shall lay his hand upon its head and kill it at the place where the burnt offerings are killed, and present it to the Lord. This is his sin offering. 25 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of this sin offering and place it with his finger upon the horns of the altar of burnt offerings, and the rest of the blood shall be poured out at the base of the altar. 26 All the fat shall be burned upon the altar, just as if it were the fat of the sacrifice of a thank offering;[j] thus the priest shall make atonement for the leader concerning his sin, and he shall be forgiven.
27 “If any one of the common people sins and doesn’t realize it, he is guilty. 28 But as soon as he does realize it, he is to bring as his sacrifice a female goat without defect to atone for his sin. 29 He shall bring it to the place where the animals for burnt offerings are killed, and there lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering and kill it. 30 And the priest shall take some of the blood with his finger and smear it upon the horns of the burnt offering altar. Then the priest shall pour out the remainder of the blood at the base of the altar. 31 All the fat shall be taken off, just as in the procedure for the thank offering sacrifice, and the priest shall burn it upon the altar; and the Lord will appreciate it. Thus the priest shall make atonement for that man, and he shall be forgiven.
32 “However, if he chooses to bring a lamb as his sin offering, it must be a female without physical defect. 33 He shall bring it to the place where the burnt offerings are killed, and lay his hand upon its head and kill it there as a sin offering. 34 The priest shall take some of the blood with his finger and smear it upon the horns of the burnt offering altar, and all the rest of the blood shall be poured out at the base of the altar. 35 The fat shall be used just as in the case of a thank offering lamb—the priest shall burn the fat on the altar as in any other sacrifice made to Jehovah by fire; and the priest shall make atonement for the man, and his sin shall be forgiven.
5 “Anyone refusing to give testimony concerning what he knows about a crime is guilty.
2 “Anyone touching anything ceremonially unclean—such as the dead body of an animal forbidden for food, wild or domesticated, or the dead body of some forbidden insect—is guilty, even though he wasn’t aware of touching it. 3 Or if he touches human discharge of any kind, he becomes guilty as soon as he realizes that he has touched it.
4 “If anyone makes a rash vow, whether the vow is good or bad, when he realizes what a foolish vow he has taken, he is guilty.
5 “In any of these cases, he shall confess his sin 6 and bring his guilt offering to the Lord, a female lamb or goat, and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be freed from his sin, and need not fulfill the vow.[k]
7 “If he is too poor to bring a lamb to the Lord, then he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons as his guilt offering; one of the birds shall be his sin offering and the other his burnt offering. 8 The priest shall offer as the sin sacrifice whichever bird is handed to him first, breaking its neck, but not severing its head from its body. 9 Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood at the side of the altar and the rest shall be drained out at the base of the altar; this is the sin offering. 10 He shall offer the second bird as a burnt offering, following the customary procedures that have been set forth; so the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin, and he shall be forgiven.
11 “If he is too poor to bring turtledoves or young pigeons as his sin offering, then he shall bring a tenth of a bushel of fine flour. He must not mix it with olive oil or put any incense on it because it is a sin offering. 12 He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take out a handful as a representative portion and burn it on the altar just as any other offering to Jehovah made by fire; this shall be his sin offering. 13 In this way the priest shall make atonement for him for any sin of this kind, and he shall be forgiven. The rest of the flour shall belong to the priest, just as was the case with the grain offering.”
14 And the Lord said to Moses, 15 “If anyone sins by unintentionally defiling what is holy, then he shall bring a ram without defect, worth whatever fine[l] you charge against him, as his guilt offering to the Lord. 16 And he shall make restitution for the holy thing he has defiled, or the tithe omitted,[m] by paying for the loss, plus a 20 percent penalty; he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.
17-18 “Anyone who disobeys some law of God without realizing it is guilty anyway, and must bring his sacrifice of a value determined by Moses. This sacrifice shall be a ram without blemish taken to the priest as a guilt offering; with it the priest shall make atonement for him, so that he will be forgiven for whatever it is he has done without realizing it. 19 It must be offered as a guilt offering, for he is certainly guilty before the Lord.”
6 And the Lord said to Moses, 2 “If anyone sins against me by refusing to return a deposit on something borrowed or rented, or by refusing to return something entrusted to him, or by robbery, or by oppressing his neighbor, 3 or by finding a lost article and lying about it, swearing that he doesn’t have it— 4-5 on the day he is found guilty of any such sin, he shall restore what he took, adding a 20 percent fine, and give it to the one he has harmed; and on the same day he shall bring his guilt offering to the Tabernacle. 6 His guilt offering shall be a ram without defect, and must be worth whatever value you demand. He shall bring it to the priest, 7 and the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord, and he shall be forgiven.”
8 Then the Lord said to Moses, 9 “Give Aaron and his sons these regulations concerning the burnt offering:
“The burnt offering shall be left upon the hearth of the altar all night, with the altar fire kept burning. 10 The next morning the priest shall put on his linen undergarments and his linen outer garments, and clean out the ashes of the burnt offering, and put them beside the altar. 11 Then he shall change his clothes and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is ceremonially clean. 12 Meanwhile, the fire on the altar must be kept burning—it must not go out. The priest shall put on fresh wood each morning, and lay the daily burnt offering on it, and burn the fat of the daily peace offering. 13 The fire must be kept burning upon the altar continually. It must never go out.
14 “These are the regulations concerning the grain offering:
“Aaron’s sons shall stand in front of the altar to offer it before the Lord. 15 The priest shall then take out a handful of the finely ground flour, with the olive oil and the incense mixed into it, and burn it upon the altar as a representative portion for the Lord; and it will be received with pleasure by the Lord. 16 After taking out this handful, the remainder of the flour will belong to Aaron and his sons for their food; it shall be eaten without yeast in the courtyard of the Tabernacle. 17 (Stress this instruction, that if it is baked, it must be without yeast.) I have given to the priests this part of the burnt offerings made to me. However, all of it is most holy, just as is the entire sin offering and the entire guilt offering. 18 It may be eaten by any male descendant of Aaron, any priest, generation after generation. But only the priests[n] may eat these offerings made by fire to the Lord.”
19-20 And Jehovah said to Moses, “On the day Aaron and his sons are anointed and inducted into the priesthood, they shall bring to the Lord a regular grain offering—a tenth of a bushel of fine flour, half to be offered in the morning and half in the evening. 21 It shall be cooked on a griddle, using olive oil, and should be well cooked, then brought to the Lord as an offering that pleases him very much. 22-23 As the sons of the priests replace their fathers, they shall be inducted into office by offering this same sacrifice on the day of their anointing. This is a perpetual law. These offerings shall be entirely burned up before the Lord; none of it shall be eaten.”
24 Then the Lord said to Moses, 25 “Tell Aaron and his sons that these are the instructions concerning the sin offering:
“This sacrifice is most holy, and shall be killed before the Lord at the place where the burnt offerings are killed. 26 The priest who performs the ceremony shall eat it in the courtyard of the Tabernacle. 27 Only those who are sanctified—the priests—may touch this meat; if any blood sprinkles onto their clothing, it must be washed in a holy place. 28 Then the clay pot in which the clothing is boiled shall be broken; or if a bronze kettle is used, it must be scoured and rinsed out thoroughly. 29 Every male among the priests may eat this offering, but only they, for it is most holy. 30 No sin offering may be eaten by the priests if any of its blood is taken into the Tabernacle to make atonement in the Holy Place. That carcass must be entirely burned with fire before the Lord.
7 “Here are the instructions concerning the most holy offering for guilt:
2 “The sacrificial animal shall be killed at the place where the burnt offering sacrifices are slain, and its blood shall be sprinkled back and forth upon the altar. 3 The priest will offer upon the altar all its fat, including the tail, the fat that covers the insides, 4 the two kidneys and the loin fat, and the gall bladder—all shall be set aside for sacrificing. 5 The priests will burn them upon the altar as a guilt offering to the Lord. 6 Only males among the priests may then eat the carcass, and it must be eaten in a holy place, for this is a most holy sacrifice.
7 “The same instructions apply to both the sin offering and the guilt offering—the carcass shall be given to the priest who is in charge of the atonement ceremony, for his food. 8 (When the offering is a burnt sacrifice, the priest who is in charge shall also be given the animal’s hide.) 9 The priests who present the people’s grain offerings to the Lord shall be given whatever remains of the sacrifice after the ceremony is completed. This rule applies whether the sacrifice is baked, fried, or grilled. 10 All other grain offerings, whether mixed with olive oil or dry, are the common property of all sons of Aaron.
11 “Here are the instructions concerning the sacrifices given to the Lord as special peace offerings:
12 “If it is an offering of thanksgiving, unleavened short bread[o] shall be included with the sacrifice, along with unleavened wafers spread with olive oil and loaves from a batter of flour mixed with olive oil. 13 This thanksgiving peace offering shall be accompanied with loaves of leavened bread. 14 Part of this sacrifice shall be presented to the Lord by a gesture of waving it before the altar, then it shall be given to the assisting priest, the one who sprinkles the blood of the animal presented for the sacrifice. 15 After the animal has been sacrificed and presented to the Lord as a peace offering to show special appreciation and thanksgiving to him, its meat is to be eaten that same day, and none left to be eaten the next day.
16 “However, if someone brings a sacrifice that is not for thanksgiving, but is because of a vow or is simply a voluntary offering to the Lord, any portion of the sacrifice that is not eaten the day it is sacrificed may be eaten the next day. 17-18 But anything left over until the third day shall be burned. For if any of it is eaten on the third day, the Lord will not accept it; it will have no value as a sacrifice, and there will be no credit to the one who brought it to be offered; and the priest who eats it shall be guilty, for it is detestable to the Lord, and the person who eats it must answer for his sin.
19 “Any meat that comes into contact with anything that is ceremonially unclean shall not be eaten, but burned; and as for the meat that may be eaten, it may be eaten only by a person who is ceremonially clean. 20 Any priest who is ceremonially unclean but eats the thanksgiving offering anyway, shall be cut off from his people, for he has defiled what is sacred.[p] 21 Anyone who touches anything that is ceremonially unclean, whether it is uncleanness from man or beast, and then eats the peace offering, shall be cut off from his people, for he has defiled what is holy.”
22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell the people of Israel never to eat fat, whether from oxen, sheep, or goats. 24 The fat of an animal that dies of disease, or is attacked and killed by wild animals, may be used for other purposes, but never eaten. 25 Anyone who eats fat from an offering sacrificed by fire to the Lord shall be outlawed from his people.
26-27 “Never eat blood, whether of birds or animals. Anyone who does shall be excommunicated from his people.”
28 And the Lord said to Moses, 29 “Tell the people of Israel that anyone bringing a thanksgiving offering to the Lord must bring it personally with his own hands. 30 He shall bring the offering of the fat and breast, which is to be presented to the Lord by waving it before the altar. 31 Then the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar, but the breast shall belong to Aaron and his sons, 32-33 while the right thigh shall be given to the officiating priest. 34 For I have designated the breast and thigh as donations from the people of Israel to the sons of Aaron. Aaron and his sons must always be given this portion of the sacrifice. 35 This is their pay! It is to be set apart from the burnt offerings, and given to all who have been appointed to minister to the Lord as priests—to Aaron and to his sons. 36 For on the day the Lord anointed them, he commanded that the people of Israel give these portions to them; it is their right forever throughout all their generations.”
37 These were the instructions concerning the burnt offering, grain offering, sin offering, and guilt offering, and concerning the consecration offering and the peace offering; 38 these instructions were given to Moses by the Lord on Mount Sinai, to be passed on to the people of Israel so that they would know how to offer their sacrifices to God in the Sinai Desert.
8 1-3 The Lord said to Moses, “Now bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tabernacle, together with their garments, the anointing oil, the young bull for the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of bread made without yeast; and summon all Israel to a meeting there.”
4 So all the people assembled, 5 and Moses said to them, “What I am now going to do has been commanded by Jehovah.”
6 Then he took Aaron and his sons and washed them with water, 7 and he clothed Aaron with the special coat, sash, robe, and the ephod-jacket with its beautifully woven belt. 8 Then he put on him the chestpiece and deposited the Urim and the Thummim[q] inside its pouch; 9 and placed on Aaron’s head the turban with the sacred gold plate at its front—the holy crown—as the Lord had commanded Moses.
10 Then Moses took the anointing oil and sprinkled it upon the Tabernacle itself and on each item in it, sanctifying them. 11 When he came to the altar he sprinkled it seven times, and also sprinkled the utensils of the altar and the washbasin and its pedestal, to sanctify them. 12 Then he poured the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head, thus setting him apart for his work. 13 Next Moses placed the robes on Aaron’s sons, with the belts and caps, as the Lord had commanded him.
14 Then he took the young bull for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon its head 15-16 as Moses killed it. He smeared some of the blood with his finger upon the four horns of the altar and upon the altar itself, to sanctify it, and poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar; thus he sanctified the altar, making atonement for it. He took all the fat covering the entrails, the fatty mass above the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat, and burned them all on the altar. 17 The carcass of the young bull, with its hide and dung, was burned outside the camp, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
18 Then he presented to the Lord the ram for the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon its head, 19 and Moses killed it and sprinkled the blood back and forth upon the altar. 20 Next he quartered the ram and burned the pieces, the head and the fat. 21 He then washed the insides and the legs with water, and burned them upon the altar, so that the entire ram was consumed before the Lord; it was a burnt offering that pleased the Lord very much, for Jehovah’s directions to Moses were followed in every detail.
22 Then Moses presented the other ram, the ram of consecration; Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon its head. 23 Moses killed it and took some of its blood and smeared it upon the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and the thumb of his right hand and upon the big toe of his right foot. 24 Next he smeared some of the blood upon Aaron’s sons—upon the lobes of their right ears, upon their right thumbs, and upon the big toes of their right feet. The rest of the blood he sprinkled back and forth upon the altar.[r]
25 Then he took the fat, the tail, the fat upon the inner organs, the gall bladder, the two kidneys with their fat, and the right shoulder, 26 and placed on top of these one unleavened wafer, one wafer spread with olive oil, and a slice of bread, all taken from the basket that had been placed there before the Lord. 27 All this was placed in the hands of Aaron and his sons to present to the Lord by a gesture of waving them before the altar. 28 Moses then took it all back from them and burned it upon the altar, along with the burnt offering[s] to the Lord; and Jehovah was pleased by the offering. 29 Now Moses took the breast and presented it to the Lord by waving it before the altar; this was Moses’ portion of the ram of consecration, just as the Lord had instructed him.
30 Next he took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that had been sprinkled upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron and upon his clothes and upon his sons and upon their clothes, thus consecrating to the Lord’s use Aaron and his sons and their clothes.
31 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and eat it along with the bread that is in the basket of consecration, just as I instructed you to do. 32 Anything left of the meat and bread must be burned.”
33 Next he told them not to leave the Tabernacle entrance for seven days, after which time their consecration would be completed—for it takes seven days. 34 Then Moses stated again that all he had done that day had been commanded by the Lord in order to make atonement for them. 35 And again he warned Aaron and his sons to stay at the entrance of the Tabernacle day and night for seven days. “If you leave,” he told them, “you will die—this is what the Lord has said.”
36 So Aaron and his sons did all that the Lord had commanded Moses.
9 On the eighth day of the consecration ceremonies, Moses summoned Aaron and Aaron’s sons and the elders of Israel, 2 and told Aaron to take a bull calf from the herd for a sin offering, and a ram without bodily defect for a burnt offering, and to offer them before the Lord.
3 “And tell the people of Israel,” Moses instructed, “to select a male goat for their sin offering, also a yearling calf and a yearling lamb, all without bodily defect, for their burnt offering. 4 In addition, the people are to bring to the Lord a peace offering sacrifice—an ox and a ram, and a grain offering—flour mingled with olive oil. For today,” Moses said, “Jehovah will appear to them.”
5 So they brought all these things to the entrance of the Tabernacle, as Moses had commanded, and the people came and stood there before the Lord.
6 Moses told them, “When you have followed the Lord’s instructions, his glory will appear to you.”
7 Moses then told Aaron to proceed to the altar and to offer the sin offering and the burnt offering, making atonement for himself first, and then for the people, as the Lord had commanded. 8 So Aaron went up to the altar and killed the calf as a sacrifice for his own sin; 9 his sons caught the blood for him, and he dipped his finger in it and smeared it upon the horns of the altar, and poured out the rest at the base of the altar. 10 Then he burned upon the altar the fat, kidneys, and gall bladder from this sin offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses, 11 but he burned the meat and hide outside the camp.
12 Next he killed the burnt offering animal, and his sons caught the blood, and he sprinkled it back and forth upon the altar; 13 they brought the animal to him piece by piece, including the head, and he burned each part upon the altar. 14 Then he washed the insides and the legs, and offered these also upon the altar as a burnt offering.
15 Next he sacrificed the people’s offering; he killed the goat and offered it in just the same way as he had the sin offering for himself.[t] 16 Thus he sacrificed their burnt offering to the Lord, in accordance with the instructions God had given.
17 Then he presented the grain offering, taking a handful and burning it upon the altar in addition to the regular morning offering.
18 Next he killed the ox and ram—the people’s peace offering sacrifice; and Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him, and he sprinkled it back and forth upon the altar. 19 Then he collected the fat of the ox and the ram—the fat from their tails and the fat covering the inner organs—and the kidneys and gall bladders. 20 The fat was placed upon the breasts of these animals, and Aaron burned it upon the altar; 21 but he waved the breasts and right shoulders slowly before the Lord as a gesture of offering it to him, just as Moses had commanded.
22 Then, with hands spread out toward the people, Aaron blessed them and came down from the altar. 23 Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle, and when they came out again they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole assembly. 24 Then fire came from the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and fat on the altar; and when the people saw it, they all shouted and fell flat upon the ground before the Lord.
10 But Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, placed unholy fire in their censers, laid incense on the fire, and offered the incense before the Lord[u]—contrary to what the Lord had just commanded them! 2 So fire blazed forth from the presence of the Lord and destroyed them.
3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when he said, ‘I will show myself holy among those who approach me, and I will be glorified before all the people.’” And Aaron was speechless.
4 Then Moses called for Mishael and Elzaphon, Aaron’s cousins, the sons of Uzziel, and told them, “Go and get the charred bodies from before the Tabernacle, and carry them outside the camp.”
5 So they went over and got them, and carried them out in their coats as Moses had told them to.
6 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not mourn—do not let your hair hang loose as a sign of your mourning, and do not tear your clothes. If you do, God will strike you dead too, and his wrath will come upon all the people of Israel. But the rest of the people of Israel may lament the death of Nadab and Abihu, and mourn because of the terrible fire the Lord has sent. 7 But you are not to leave the Tabernacle under penalty of death, for the anointing oil of Jehovah is upon you.” And they did as Moses commanded.
8-9 Now the Lord instructed Aaron, “Never drink wine or strong drink when you go into the Tabernacle, lest you die; and this rule applies to your sons and to all your descendants from generation to generation. 10 Your duties will be to arbitrate for the people, to teach them the difference between what is holy and what is ordinary, what is pure and what is impure; 11 and to teach them all the laws Jehovah has given through Moses.”
12 Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons who were left, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering—the food that remains after the handful has been offered to the Lord by burning it on the altar—make sure there is no leaven in it, and eat it beside the altar. The offering is most holy; 13 therefore, you must eat it in the sanctuary, in a holy place. It belongs to you and to your sons, from the offerings to Jehovah made by fire; for so I am commanded. 14 But the breast and the thigh, which have been offered to the Lord by the gesture of waving it before him, may be eaten in any holy place. It belongs to you and to your sons and daughters for your food. It is your portion of the peace offering sacrifices of the people of Israel.
15 “The people are to bring the thigh that was set aside, along with the breast that was offered when the fat was burned, and they shall be presented before the Lord by the gesture of waving them. And afterwards they shall belong to you and your family, for the Lord has commanded this.”
16 Then Moses searched everywhere for the goat of the sin offering and discovered that it had been burned! He was very angry about this with Eleazar and Ithamar, the remaining sons of Aaron.
17 “Why haven’t you eaten the sin offering in the sanctuary, since it is most holy, and God has given it to you to take away the iniquity and guilt of the people, to make atonement for them before the Lord?” he demanded. 18 “Since its blood was not taken inside the sanctuary, you should certainly have eaten it there, as I ordered you.”
19 But Aaron interceded with Moses. “They offered their sin offering and burnt offering before the Lord,” he said, “but if I had eaten the sin offering on such a day as this, would it have pleased the Lord?” 20 And when Moses heard that, he was satisfied.
11 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
2-3 “Tell the people of Israel that the animals which may be used for food include any animal with cloven hooves which chews its cud. 4-7 This means that the following may not be eaten:
The camel (it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves);
The coney, or rock badger (because although it chews the cud, it does not have cloven hooves);
The hare (because although it chews the cud, it does not have cloven hooves);
The swine (because although it has cloven hooves, it does not chew the cud).
8 You may not eat their meat or even touch their dead bodies; they are forbidden foods for you.
9 “As to fish, you may eat whatever has fins and scales, whether taken from rivers or from the sea; 10 but all other water creatures are strictly forbidden to you. 11 You mustn’t eat their meat or even touch their dead bodies. 12 I’ll repeat it again—any water creature that does not have fins or scales is forbidden to you.
13-19 “Among the birds, these are the ones you may not eat: the eagle, the metire, the osprey, the falcon (all kinds), the kite, the raven (all kinds), the ostrich, the nighthawk, the seagull, the hawk (all kinds), the owl, the cormorant, the ibis, the marsh hen, the pelican, the vulture, the stork, the heron (all kinds), the hoopoe, the bat.
20 “No insects may be eaten, 21-22 with the exception of those that jump; locusts of all varieties—ordinary locusts, bald locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers—may be eaten. 23 All insects that fly and walk or crawl are forbidden to you.
24 “Anyone touching their dead bodies shall be defiled until the evening 25 and must wash his clothes immediately. He must also quarantine himself until nightfall, as being ceremonially defiled.
26 “You are also defiled by touching any animal with only semiparted hoofs, or any animal that does not chew the cud. 27 Any animal that walks on paws is forbidden to you as food. Anyone touching the dead body of such an animal shall be defiled until evening. 28 Anyone carrying away the carcass shall wash his clothes and be ceremonially defiled until evening; for it is forbidden to you.
29-30 “These are the forbidden small animals which scurry about your feet or crawl upon the ground: the mole, the rat, the great lizard, the gecko, the mouse, the lizard, the snail, the chameleon. 31 Anyone touching their dead bodies shall be defiled until evening, 32 and anything upon which the carcass falls shall be defiled—any article of wood, or of clothing, a rug, or a sack; anything it touches must be put into water and is defiled until evening. After that it may be used again. 33 If it falls into a pottery bowl, anything in the bowl is defiled, and you shall smash the bowl. 34 If the water used to cleanse the defiled article touches any food, all of it is defiled. Any drink which is in the defiled bowl is also contaminated.
35 “If the dead body of such an animal touches any clay oven, it is defiled and must be smashed. 36 If the body falls into a spring or cistern where there is water, that water is not defiled; yet anyone who pulls out the carcass is defiled. 37 And if the carcass touches grain to be sown in the field, it is not contaminated; 38 but if the seeds are wet and the carcass falls upon it, the seed is defiled.
39 “If an animal which you are permitted to eat dies of disease, anyone touching the carcass shall be defiled until evening. 40 Also, anyone eating its meat or carrying away its carcass shall wash his clothes and be defiled until evening.
41-42 “Animals that crawl shall not be eaten. This includes all reptiles that slither along upon their bellies as well as those that have legs. No crawling thing with many feet may be eaten, for it is defiled. 43 Do not defile yourselves by touching it.
44 “I am the Lord your God. Keep yourselves pure concerning these things, and be holy, for I am holy; therefore do not defile yourselves by touching any of these things that crawl upon the earth. 45 For I am the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You must therefore be holy, for I am holy.” 46 These are the laws concerning animals, birds, and whatever swims in the water or crawls upon the ground. 47 These are the distinctions between what is ceremonially clean and may be eaten, and what is ceremonially defiled and may not be eaten, among all animal life upon the earth.
12 The Lord told Moses to give these instructions to the people of Israel:
2 “When a baby boy is born, the mother shall be ceremonially defiled for seven days, and under the same restrictions as during her monthly menstrual periods. 3 On the eighth day, her son must be circumcised. 4 Then, for the next thirty-three days, while she is recovering from her ceremonial impurity, she must not touch anything sacred nor enter the Tabernacle.
5 “When a baby girl is born, the mother’s ceremonial impurity shall last two weeks, during which time she will be under the same restrictions as during menstruation. Then for a further sixty-six days she shall continue her recovery.[v]
6 “When these days of purification are ended (the following instructions are applicable whether her baby is a boy or girl), she must bring a yearling lamb as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering.
She must take them to the door of the Tabernacle to the priest; 7 and the priest will offer them before the Lord and make atonement for her; then she will be ceremonially clean again after her bleeding at childbirth.
“These, then, are the procedures after childbirth. 8 But if she is too poor to bring a lamb, then she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One will be for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. The priest will make atonement for her with these, so that she will be ceremonially pure again.”
13 1-2 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “If anyone notices a swelling in his skin, or a scab or boil or pimple with transparent skin, leprosy is to be suspected. He must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons 3 for the spot to be examined. If the hair in this spot turns white, and if the spot looks to be more than skin-deep, it is leprosy, and the priest must declare him a leper.[w]
4 “But if the white spot in the skin does not seem to be deeper than the skin and the hair in the spot has not turned white, the priest shall quarantine him for seven days. 5 At the end of that time, on the seventh day, the priest will examine him again, and if the spot has not changed and has not spread in the skin, then the priest must quarantine him seven days more. 6 Again on the seventh day the priest will examine him, and if the marks of the disease have become fainter and have not spread, then the priest shall pronounce him cured; it was only a scab, and the man need only wash his clothes and everything will be normal again. 7 But if the spot spreads in the skin after he has come to the priest to be examined, he must come back to the priest again, 8 and the priest shall look again, and if the spot has spread, then the priest must pronounce him a leper.
9-10 “When anyone suspected of having leprosy is brought to the priest, the priest is to look to see if there is a white swelling in the skin with white hairs in the spot, and an ulcer developing. 11 If he finds these symptoms, it is an established case of leprosy, and the priest must pronounce him defiled. The man is not to be quarantined for further observation, for he is definitely diseased. 12 But if the priest sees that the leprosy has erupted and spread all over his body from head to foot wherever he looks, 13 then the priest shall pronounce him cured of leprosy, for it has all turned white; he is cured. 14-15 But if there is raw flesh anywhere, the man shall be declared a leper. It is proved by the raw flesh. 16-17 But if the raw flesh later changes to white, the leper will return to the priest to be examined again. If the spot has indeed turned completely white, then the priest will pronounce him cured.
18 “In the case of a man who has a boil in his skin which heals, 19 but which leaves a white swelling or a bright spot, sort of reddish white, the man must go to the priest for examination. 20 If the priest sees that the trouble seems to be down under the skin, and if the hair at the spot has turned white, then the priest shall declare him defiled, for leprosy has broken out from the boil. 21 But if the priest sees that there are no white hairs in this spot, and the spot does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and if the color is gray, then the priest shall quarantine him for seven days. 22 If during that time the spot spreads, the priest must declare him a leper. 23 But if the bright spot grows no larger and does not spread, it is merely the scar from the boil, and the priest shall declare that all is well.
24 “If a man is burned in some way, and the burned place becomes bright reddish white or white, 25 then the priest must examine the spot. If the hair in the bright spot turns white and the problem seems to be more than skin-deep, it is leprosy that has broken out from the burn, and the priest must pronounce him a leper.[x] 26 But if the priest sees that there are no white hairs in the bright spot and the brightness appears to be no deeper than the skin and is fading, the priest shall quarantine him for seven days 27 and examine him again the seventh day. If the spot spreads in the skin, the priest must pronounce him a leper. 28 But if the bright spot does not move or spread in the skin, and is fading, it is simply a scar from the burn, and the priest shall declare that he does not have leprosy.
29-30 “If a man or woman has a sore on the head or chin, the priest must examine him; if the infection seems to be below the skin and yellow hair is found in the sore, the priest must pronounce him a leper. 31 But if the priest’s examination reveals that the spot seems to be only in the skin but there is healthy hair in it, then he shall be quarantined for seven days, 32 and examined again on the seventh day. If the spot has not spread and no yellow hair has appeared, and if the infection does not seem to be deeper than the skin, 33 he shall shave off all the hair around the spot (but not on the spot itself) and the priest shall quarantine him for another seven days. 34 He shall be examined again on the seventh day, and if the spot has not spread, and it appears to be no deeper than the skin, the priest shall pronounce him well, and after washing his clothes, he is free.[y] 35 But if, later on, this spot begins to spread, 36 then the priest must examine him again and, without waiting to see if any yellow hair develops, declare him a leper. 37 But if it appears that the spreading has stopped and black hairs are found in the spot, then he is healed and is not a leper, and the priest shall declare him healed.
38 “If a man or a woman has white, transparent areas in the skin, 39 but these spots are growing dimmer, this is not leprosy, but an ordinary infection that has broken out in the skin.
40 “If a man’s hair is gone, this does not make him a leper even though he is bald! 41 If the hair is gone from the front part of his head, he simply has a bald forehead, but this is not leprosy. 42 However, if in the baldness there is a reddish white spot, it may be leprosy breaking out. 43 In that case the priest shall examine him, and if there is a reddish white lump that looks like leprosy, 44 then he is a leper, and the priest must pronounce him such.
45 “Anyone who is discovered to have leprosy must tear his clothes and let his hair grow in wild disarray, and cover his upper lip and call out as he goes, “I am a leper, I am a leper.”[z] 46 As long as the disease lasts, he is defiled and must live outside the camp.
47-48 “If leprosy is suspected in a woolen or linen garment or fabric, or in a piece of leather or leatherwork, 49 and there is a greenish or a reddish spot in it, it is probably leprosy, and must be taken to the priest to be examined. 50 The priest will put it away for seven days 51 and look at it again on the seventh day. If the spot has spread, it is a contagious leprosy, 52 and he must burn the clothing, fabric, linen or woolen covering, or leather article, for it is contagious and must be destroyed by fire.
53 “But if when he examines it again on the seventh day the spot has not spread, 54 the priest shall order the suspected article to be washed, then isolated for seven more days. 55 If after that time the spot has not changed its color, even though it has not spread, it is leprosy and shall be burned, for the article is infected through and through.[aa] 56 But if the priest sees that the spot has faded after the washing, then he shall cut it out from the garment or leather goods or whatever it is in. 57 However, if it then reappears, it is leprosy and he must burn it. 58 But if after washing it there is no further trouble, it can be put back into service after another washing.”
59 These are the regulations concerning leprosy in a garment or anything made of skin or leather, indicating whether to pronounce it leprous or not.
14 1-2 And the Lord gave Moses these regulations concerning a person whose leprosy disappears:
3 “The priest shall go out of the camp to examine him. If the priest sees that the leprosy is gone, 4 he shall require two living birds of a kind permitted for food, and shall take some cedar wood, a scarlet string, and some hyssop branches, to be used for the purification ceremony of the one who is healed. 5 The priest shall then order one of the birds killed in an earthenware pot held above running water. 6 The other bird, still living, shall be dipped in the blood, along with the cedar wood, the scarlet thread, and the hyssop branch. 7 Then the priest shall sprinkle the blood seven times upon the man cured of his leprosy, and the priest shall pronounce him cured, and shall let the living bird fly into the open field.
8 “Then the man who is cured shall wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe himself, and return to live inside the camp; however, he must stay outside his tent for seven days. 9 The seventh day he shall again shave all the hair from his head, beard, and eyebrows, and wash his clothes and bathe, and shall then be declared fully cured of his leprosy.
10 “The next day, the eighth day, he shall take two male lambs without physical defect, one yearling ewe-lamb without physical defect, ten quarts of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil, and a pint of olive oil; 11 then the priest who examines him shall place the man and his offerings before the Lord at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 12 The priest shall take one of the lambs and the pint of olive oil and offer them to the Lord as a guilt offering by the gesture of waving them before the altar. 13 Then he shall kill the lamb at the place where sin offerings and burnt offerings are killed, there at the Tabernacle; this guilt offering shall then be given to the priest for food, as in the case of a sin offering. It is a most holy offering. 14 The priest shall take the blood from this guilt offering and smear some of it upon the tip of the right ear of the man being cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the big toe of his right foot.
15 “Then the priest shall take the olive oil and pour it into the palm of his left hand, 16 and dip his right finger into it, and sprinkle it with his finger seven times before the Lord. 17 Some of the oil remaining in his left hand shall then be placed by the priest upon the tip of the man’s right ear and the thumb of his right hand and the big toe of his right foot—just as he did with the blood of the guilt offering. 18 The remainder of the oil in his hand shall be used to anoint the man’s head. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord.
19 “Then the priest must offer the sin offering and again[ab] perform the rite of atonement for the person being cleansed from his leprosy; and afterwards the priest shall kill the burnt offering, 20 and offer it along with the grain offering upon the altar, making atonement for the man, who shall then be pronounced finally cleansed.
21 “If he is so poor that he cannot afford two lambs, then he shall bring only one, a male lamb for the guilt offering, to be presented to the Lord in the rite of atonement by waving it before the altar; and only three quarts of fine white flour, mixed with olive oil, for a grain offering, and a pint of olive oil.
22 “He shall also bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons—whichever he is able to afford—and use one of the pair for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 23 He shall bring them to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle on the eighth day, for his ceremony of cleansing before the Lord. 24 The priest shall take the lamb for the guilt offering, and the pint of oil, and wave them before the altar as a gesture of offering to the Lord. 25 Then he shall kill the lamb for the guilt offering and smear some of its blood upon the tip of the man’s right ear—the man on whose behalf the ceremony is being performed—and upon the thumb of his right hand and upon the big toe of his right foot.
26 “The priest shall then pour the olive oil into the palm of his own left hand, 27 and with his right finger he is to sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lord. 28 Then he must put some of the olive oil from his hand upon the tip of the man’s right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the big toe of his right foot, just as he did with the blood of the guilt offering. 29 The remaining oil in his hand shall be placed upon the head of the man being cleansed, to make atonement for him before the Lord.
30 “Then he must offer the two turtledoves or two young pigeons (whichever pair he is able to afford). 31 One of the pair is for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, to be sacrificed along with the grain offering; and the priest shall make atonement for the man before the Lord.”
32 These, then, are the laws concerning those who are cleansed of leprosy but are not able to bring the sacrifices normally required for the ceremony of cleansing.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.