Study Desk

"‘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)

"‘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;

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;

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—

when anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess⁽ⁱ⁾ in what way they have sinned.

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.

"‘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.

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)

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.

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)

"‘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.

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.

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

The Lord said to Moses:

"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)

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.

"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)

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)

It is a guilt offering; they have been guilty of^[e] wrongdoing against the Lord ."^(ar)

^[a]The Lord said to Moses:

"If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord ^(a) by deceiving a neighbor^(b) about something entrusted to them or left in their care^(c) or about something stolen, or if they cheat^(d) their neighbor,

or if they find lost property and lie about it,^(e) or if they swear falsely^(f) about any such sin that people may commit—

when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return^(g) what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found,

or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution^(h) 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.⁽ⁱ⁾

And as a penalty they must bring to the priest, that is, to the Lord , their guilt offering,^(j) a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value.^(k)

In this way the priest will make atonement^(l) for them before the Lord , and they will be forgiven for any of the things they did that made them guilty."

The Burnt Offering

The Lord said to Moses:

"Give Aaron and his sons this command: ‘These are the regulations for the burnt offering^(m): 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.⁽ⁿ⁾

The priest shall then put on his linen clothes,^(o) with linen undergarments next to his body,^(p) and shall remove the ashes^(q) of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar.

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.^(r)

The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood^(s) and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat^(t) of the fellowship offerings^(u) on it.

The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.

"‘These are the regulations for the grain offering:^(v) Aaron's sons are to bring it before the Lord , in front of the altar.

The priest is to take a handful of the finest flour and some olive oil, together with all the incense^(w) on the grain offering,^(x) and burn the memorial^[b] portion^(y) on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord .

Aaron and his sons^(z) shall eat the rest^(aa) of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast^(ab) in the sanctuary area;^(ac) they are to eat it in the courtyard^(ad) of the tent of meeting.^(ae)

It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share^(af) of the food offerings presented to me.^(ag) Like the sin offering^[c] and the guilt offering, it is most holy.^(ah)

Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it.^(ai) For all generations to come^(aj) it is his perpetual share^(ak) of the food offerings presented to the Lord . Whatever touches them will become holy.^[d](al)'"

The Lord also said to Moses,

"This is the offering Aaron and his sons are to bring to the Lord on the day he^[e] is anointed:^(am) a tenth of an ephah^[f](an) of the finest flour^(ao) as a regular grain offering,^(ap) half of it in the morning and half in the evening.

It must be prepared with oil on a griddle;^(aq) bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken^[g] in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the Lord .

The son who is to succeed him as anointed priest^(ar) shall prepare it. It is the Lord 's perpetual share and is to be burned completely.^(as)

Every grain offering of a priest shall be burned completely; it must not be eaten."

The Lord said to Moses,

"Say to Aaron and his sons: ‘These are the regulations for the sin offering:^(at) The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the Lord ^(au) in the place^(av) the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy.

The priest who offers it shall eat it; it is to be eaten in the sanctuary area,^(aw) in the courtyard^(ax) of the tent of meeting.^(ay)

Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy,^(az) and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in the sanctuary area.

The clay pot^(ba) 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.

Any male in a priest's family may eat it;^(bb) it is most holy.^(bc)

But any sin offering whose blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement^(bd) in the Holy Place^(be) must not be eaten; it must be burned up.^(bf)