Leviticus 15-18
New American Standard Bible
Cleansing Unhealthiness
15 The Lord also spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, ‘(A)When any man has a discharge from his [a]body, [b]his discharge is unclean. 3 This, moreover, shall be his uncleanness in his discharge: it is his uncleanness whether his body allows its discharge to flow or whether his body obstructs its discharge. 4 Every bed on which the man with the discharge lies becomes unclean, and everything on which he sits becomes unclean. 5 Anyone, moreover, who touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening; 6 and whoever sits on the thing on which the man with the discharge has been sitting, shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 7 Also whoever touches the [c]man with the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 8 Or if the man with the discharge spits on one who is clean, he too shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 9 Every saddle on which the man with the discharge rides becomes unclean. 10 Whoever then touches any of the things which were under him shall be unclean until evening, and the one who carries them shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 11 Likewise, whomever the man with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 12 However, an (B)earthenware vessel which the man with the discharge touches shall be broken, and every wooden vessel shall be rinsed in water.
13 ‘Now when the man with the discharge becomes cleansed from his discharge, then he (C)shall count off for himself seven days for his cleansing; he shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in [d]running water and will become clean. 14 Then on the eighth day he shall take for himself (D)two turtledoves or two young doves, and come before the Lord to the doorway of the tent of meeting and give them to the priest; 15 and the priest shall offer them, (E)one as a [e]sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. So (F)the priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the Lord because of his discharge.
16 ‘(G)Now if a [f]man has a seminal emission, he shall bathe all his body in water and be unclean until evening. 17 As for any garment or any leather on which there is a seminal emission, it shall be washed with water and be unclean until evening. 18 If a man sleeps with a woman so that there is a seminal emission, they shall both bathe in water and be (H)unclean until evening.
19 ‘(I)When a woman has a discharge, if her discharge in her body is blood, she shall continue in her menstrual impurity for seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. 20 Everything also on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean, and everything on which she sits shall be unclean. 21 Anyone who touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 22 Whoever touches any object on which she sits shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 23 Whether it be on the bed or on the thing on which she is sitting, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening. 24 (J)If a man actually sleeps with her so that her menstrual impurity is on him, he shall be unclean seven days, and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.
25 ‘(K)Now if a woman has a discharge of her blood for many days, not at the period of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond [g]that period, for all the days of her impure discharge she shall continue as though [h]in her menstrual impurity; she is unclean. 26 Any bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her like [i]her bed at menstruation; and every object on which she sits shall be unclean, like [j]her uncleanness at that time. 27 Likewise, whoever touches them shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 28 When she becomes clean from her discharge, she shall count off for herself seven days; and afterward she will be clean. 29 Then on the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young doves, and bring them to the priest, to the doorway of the tent of meeting. 30 And the priest shall offer the (L)one as a [k]sin offering, and the other as a burnt offering. So the priest shall make atonement on her behalf before the Lord because of her impure discharge.’
31 “And so you shall keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, so that they will not die in their uncleanness by their (M)defiling My [l]tabernacle that is among them.” 32 This is the law for the one with a discharge, and for the man [m]who has a seminal emission so that he is unclean by it, 33 and for the woman who is ill because of menstrual impurity, and for the one who has a discharge, whether a male or a female, or a man who sleeps with an unclean woman.
Law of Atonement
16 Now the Lord spoke to Moses after (N)the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they had approached the presence of the Lord and died. 2 The Lord said to Moses:
“Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter (O)at [n]any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the [o]atoning cover which is on the ark, or he will die; for (P)I will appear in the cloud over the [p]atoning cover. 3 Aaron shall enter the Holy Place with this: with a [q]bull as a [r](Q)sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering. 4 He shall put on the (R)holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his [s]body, and he shall be wrapped about the waist with the linen sash and the linen turban wound around his forehead (these are holy garments). He shall (S)bathe his [t]body in water and put them on. 5 And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel (T)two male goats as a [u]sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering. 6 Then (U)Aaron shall offer the bull as the [v]sin offering, which is for himself, so that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. 7 He shall then take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 8 Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for [w]the [x]scapegoat. 9 Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell, and make it a [y]sin offering. 10 But the goat on which the lot for [z]the [aa]scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make (V)atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness [ab]as the [ac]scapegoat.
11 “Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the [ad]sin offering (W)which is for himself and make atonement for himself and (X)for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the [ae]sin offering which is for himself. 12 He shall take a (Y)firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before the Lord and [af]two handfuls of finely ground (Z)sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil. 13 He shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, so that the cloud of incense may cover the (AA)atoning cover that is on the ark of the testimony, (AB)otherwise he will die. 14 Moreover, (AC)he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it (AD)with his finger on the atoning cover on the east side; also in front of the atoning cover he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
15 “Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering, (AE)which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the atoning cover and in front of the atoning cover. 16 (AF)He shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their unlawful acts regarding all their sins; and he shall do so for the tent of meeting which remains with them in the midst of their impurities. 17 When he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, so that he may make atonement for himself and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel. 18 Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it; he shall take some of the blood from the bull and some of the blood from the goat, and (AG)put it on the horns of the altar on all sides. 19 (AH)With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it, and consecrate it from the impurities of the sons of Israel.
20 “When he finishes atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat. 21 Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and (AI)confess over it all the wrongdoings of the sons of Israel and all their unlawful acts regarding all their sins; and he shall place them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands ready. 22 Then the goat shall carry on itself all their wrongdoings to an [ag]isolated territory; he shall release the goat in the wilderness.
23 “Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and take off (AJ)the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there. 24 And (AK)he shall bathe his [ah]body with water in a holy place and put on (AL)his clothes, and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people. 25 Then he shall offer up in smoke the fat of the sin offering on the altar. 26 The one who released the goat [ai]as the [aj]scapegoat (AM)shall wash his clothes and bathe his [ak]body with water; then afterward he shall come into the camp. 27 But the bull of the [al]sin offering and the goat of the [am]sin offering, (AN)whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be taken outside the camp, and they shall burn their hides, their flesh, and their refuse in the fire. 28 Then the (AO)one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water; and afterward he shall come into the camp.
An Annual Atonement
29 “This shall be a permanent statute for you: (AP)in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble [an]yourselves and not (AQ)do any work, whether the native, or the stranger who resides among you; 30 for it is on this day that [ao]atonement shall be made for you to (AR)cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the Lord. 31 It is to be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, so that you may (AS)humble [ap]yourselves; it is a permanent statute. 32 So the priest who is anointed and [aq]ordained to serve as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement: he shall put on (AT)the linen garments, the holy garments, 33 and make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for (AU)the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34 Now you shall have this as a (AV)permanent statute, to (AW)make atonement for the sons of Israel for all their sins once every year.” And just as the Lord had commanded Moses, so he did.
Blood for Atonement
17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel, and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded, saying, 3 “Anyone from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox, a lamb, or a goat in the camp, or slaughters it outside the camp, 4 and (AX)has not brought it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to the Lord in front of the [ar]tabernacle of the Lord, bloodshed is to be counted against that person. He has shed blood, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. 5 This shall be done so that the sons of Israel will bring their sacrifices which they were sacrificing [as]in the open field—so that they will bring them to the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting to the priest, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the Lord. 6 The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and (AY)offer up the fat in smoke as a soothing aroma to the Lord. 7 And (AZ)they shall no longer offer their sacrifices to the [at]goat demons with which they play the prostitute. This shall be a permanent statute to them throughout their generations.”’
8 “Then you shall say to them, ‘Anyone from the house of Israel, or from the strangers who reside among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, 9 and (BA)does not bring it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to [au]offer it to the Lord, that person also shall be cut off from his people.
10 ‘(BB)And anyone from the house of Israel, or from the strangers who reside among them, who eats any blood, (BC)I will set My face against that person who eats the blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11 For (BD)the [av]life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for (BE)it is the blood by reason of the [aw]life that makes atonement.’ 12 Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘No person among you may eat blood, nor may any stranger who resides among you eat blood.’ 13 So when anyone from the sons of Israel, or from the strangers who reside among them, [ax]while hunting catches an animal or a bird which may be eaten, (BF)he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dirt.
14 “(BG)For as for the [ay]life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its [az]life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the [ba]life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.’ 15 And (BH)any person who eats an animal which dies or is torn by animals, whether he is a native or a stranger, shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening; then he will become clean. 16 But if he does not wash his clothes and bathe his body, then (BI)he shall bear the responsibility for his [bb]guilt.”
Laws on Immoral Relations
18 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘(BJ)I am the Lord your God. 3 You shall not do [bc]what is (BK)done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do [bd]what is (BL)done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. 4 You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, [be]to live in accord with them; (BM)I am the Lord your God. 5 So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, (BN)which, if [bf]a person [bg]follows them, then he will live by them; I am the Lord.
6 ‘None of you shall approach any blood relative [bh]of his to uncover nakedness; I am the Lord. 7 (BO)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you are not to uncover her nakedness. 8 (BP)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness. 9 As for (BQ)the nakedness of your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether born in the household or born outside the household, you shall not uncover their nakedness. 10 The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for [bi]their nakedness is yours. 11 The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, born to your father, she is your sister; you shall not uncover her nakedness. 12 (BR)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s blood relative. 13 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s blood relative. 14 (BS)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. 15 (BT)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; you shall not uncover her nakedness. 16 (BU)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness. 17 (BV)You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; they are blood relatives. It is an outrageous sin. 18 And you shall not [bj]marry a woman in addition to her sister [bk]as a second wife while she is alive, to uncover her nakedness.
19 ‘(BW)Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness during her (BX)menstrual impurity. 20 And (BY)you shall not have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, to be defiled with her. 21 You shall not give any of your children (BZ)to [bl]offer them to Molech, nor shall you (CA)profane the name of your God; I am the Lord. 22 (CB)You shall not sleep with a male as [bm]one sleeps with a female; it is an abomination. 23 (CC)Also you shall not have sexual intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor shall any woman stand before an animal to [bn]mate with it; it is a perversion.
24 ‘Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these things (CD)the nations which I am driving out from you have become defiled. 25 For the land has become defiled, (CE)therefore I have brought its punishment upon it, so the land (CF)has vomited out its inhabitants. 26 But as for you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments, and you shall not do any of these abominations, neither the native, nor the stranger who resides among you 27 (for the people of the land who were there before you did all these abominations, and the land has become defiled), 28 so that the land will not vomit you out should you defile it, as it has vomited out the nation which was there before you. 29 For whoever does any of these abominations, those persons who do so shall be cut off from among their people. 30 So you are to keep (CG)your [bo]commitment to Me not to practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so that you do not defile yourselves with them; (CH)I am the Lord your God.’”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 15:2 Lit flesh, and so throughout the ch
- Leviticus 15:2 Or by his discharge, he is unclean
- Leviticus 15:7 Lit flesh
- Leviticus 15:13 Lit living
- Leviticus 15:15 Or purification offering
- Leviticus 15:16 Lit man’s...goes out from him
- Leviticus 15:25 Lit her menstrual impurity
- Leviticus 15:25 Lit in the days of
- Leviticus 15:26 Lit the bed of her menstrual impurity
- Leviticus 15:26 Lit the uncleanness of her menstrual impurity
- Leviticus 15:30 Or purification offering
- Leviticus 15:31 Or dwelling place
- Leviticus 15:32 Lit whose seminal emission goes out from him
- Leviticus 16:2 I.e., of his own choosing
- Leviticus 16:2 Also called mercy seat, and so throughout the ch; i.e., where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement
- Leviticus 16:2 Also called mercy seat, and so throughout the ch; i.e., where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement
- Leviticus 16:3 Or bull of the herd
- Leviticus 16:3 Or purification offering
- Leviticus 16:4 Lit flesh
- Leviticus 16:4 Lit flesh
- Leviticus 16:5 Or purification offering
- Leviticus 16:6 Or purification offering
- Leviticus 16:8 Or possibly, Azazel (a name)
- Leviticus 16:8 I.e., the goat that leaves (escapes); or goat of removal of sins
- Leviticus 16:9 Or purification offering
- Leviticus 16:10 Or possibly, Azazel (a name)
- Leviticus 16:10 I.e., the goat that leaves (escapes); or goat of removal of sins
- Leviticus 16:10 Or possibly, for Azazel
- Leviticus 16:10 I.e., the goat that leaves (escapes); or goat of removal of sins
- Leviticus 16:11 Or purification offering
- Leviticus 16:11 Or purification offering
- Leviticus 16:12 Lit the filling of the hollow of his hands
- Leviticus 16:22 Or infertile
- Leviticus 16:24 Lit flesh
- Leviticus 16:26 Or possibly, for Azazel (a name)
- Leviticus 16:26 I.e., the goat that leaves (escapes); or goat of removal of sins
- Leviticus 16:26 Lit flesh
- Leviticus 16:27 Or purification offering
- Leviticus 16:27 Or purification offering
- Leviticus 16:29 Lit your souls
- Leviticus 16:30 Lit he shall make atonement
- Leviticus 16:31 Lit your souls
- Leviticus 16:32 Lit whose hand is filled
- Leviticus 17:4 Lit dwelling place
- Leviticus 17:5 Lit on the face of the field
- Leviticus 17:7 Or goat idols
- Leviticus 17:9 Lit do
- Leviticus 17:11 Lit soul
- Leviticus 17:11 Lit soul
- Leviticus 17:13 Lit who hunts game, animal
- Leviticus 17:14 Lit soul
- Leviticus 17:14 Lit soul
- Leviticus 17:14 Lit soul
- Leviticus 17:16 Or wrongdoing
- Leviticus 18:3 Lit according to the deed of
- Leviticus 18:3 Lit according to the deed of
- Leviticus 18:4 Lit to walk in them
- Leviticus 18:5 Lit the person
- Leviticus 18:5 Lit does them
- Leviticus 18:6 Lit of his flesh
- Leviticus 18:10 Lit they are your nakedness
- Leviticus 18:18 Lit take
- Leviticus 18:18 Lit to be
- Leviticus 18:21 Lit make them pass over
- Leviticus 18:22 Lit a woman’s bed
- Leviticus 18:23 Or lie
- Leviticus 18:30 Lit obligation
Leviticus 15-18
New King James Version
The Law Concerning Bodily Discharges
15 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: (A)‘When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. 3 And this shall be his uncleanness in regard to his discharge—whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body is stopped up by his discharge, it is his uncleanness. 4 Every bed is [a]unclean on which he who has the discharge lies, and everything on which he sits shall be unclean. 5 And whoever (B)touches his bed shall (C)wash his clothes and (D)bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 6 He who sits on anything on which he who has the (E)discharge sat shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 7 And he who touches the body of him who has the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 8 If he who has the discharge (F)spits on him who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 9 Any saddle on which he who has the discharge rides shall be unclean. 10 Whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until evening. He who carries any of those things shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 11 And whomever the one who has the discharge touches, and has not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 12 The (G)vessel of earth that he who has the discharge touches shall be broken, and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.
13 ‘And when he who has a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then (H)he shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, wash his clothes, and bathe his body in running water; then he shall be clean. 14 On the eighth day he shall take for himself (I)two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and come before the Lord, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and give them to the priest. 15 Then the priest shall offer them, (J)the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. (K)So the priest shall make [b]atonement for him before the Lord because of his discharge.
16 (L)‘If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall wash all his body in water, and be unclean until evening. 17 And any garment and any leather on which there is semen, it shall be washed with water, and be unclean until evening. 18 Also, when a woman lies with a man, and there is an emission of semen, they shall bathe in water, and (M)be unclean until evening.
19 (N)‘If a woman has a discharge, and the discharge from her body is blood, she shall be [c]set apart seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. 20 Everything that she lies on during her impurity shall be unclean; also everything that she sits on shall be unclean. 21 Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 22 And whoever touches anything that she sat on shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 23 If anything is on her bed or on anything on which she sits, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening. 24 And (O)if any man lies with her at all, so that her impurity is on him, he shall be [d]unclean seven days; and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.
25 ‘If (P)a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean. 26 Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her impurity. 27 Whoever touches those things shall be unclean; he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.
28 ‘But (Q)if she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. 29 And on the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 30 Then the priest shall offer the one as a sin offering and the other as a (R)burnt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for her before the Lord for the discharge of her uncleanness.
31 ‘Thus you shall (S)separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness when they (T)defile My tabernacle that is among them. 32 (U)This is the law for one who has a discharge, (V)and for him who emits semen and is unclean thereby, 33 (W)and for her who is indisposed because of her customary impurity, and for one who has a discharge, either man (X)or woman, (Y)and for him who lies with her who is unclean.’ ”
The Day of Atonement
16 Now the Lord spoke to Moses after (Z)the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the Lord, and died; 2 and the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother (AA)not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for (AB)I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.
3 [e]“Thus Aaron shall (AC)come into the Holy Place: (AD)with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering. 4 He shall put the (AE)holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore (AF)he shall wash his body in water, and put them on. 5 And he shall take from (AG)the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering.
6 “Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself, and (AH)make atonement for himself and for his house. 7 He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 8 Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. 10 But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make (AI)atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness.
11 “And Aaron shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for (AJ)himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull as the sin offering which is for himself. 12 Then he shall take (AK)a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, with his hands full of (AL)sweet incense beaten fine, and bring it inside the veil. 13 (AM)And he shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense may cover the (AN)mercy seat that is on the Testimony, lest he (AO)die. 14 (AP)He shall take some of the blood of the bull and (AQ)sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
15 (AR)“Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood (AS)inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. 16 So he shall (AT)make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness. 17 There shall be (AU)no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel. 18 And he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord, and make atonement for (AV)it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. 19 Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and (AW)consecrate[f] it from the [g]uncleanness of the children of Israel.
20 “And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. 21 Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, (AX)confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, (AY)putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. 22 The goat [h]shall (AZ)bear on itself all their iniquities to an [i]uninhabited land; and he shall (BA)release the goat in the wilderness.
23 “Then Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of meeting, (BB)shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there. 24 And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place, put on his garments, come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make [j]atonement for himself and for the people. 25 (BC)The fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar. 26 And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes (BD)and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. 27 (BE)The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. And they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their offal. 28 Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.
29 “This shall be a statute forever for you: (BF)In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall [k]afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who [l]dwells among you. 30 For on that day the priest shall make [m]atonement for you, to (BG)cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. 31 (BH)It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever. 32 (BI)And the priest, who is anointed and (BJ)consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments; 33 then he shall make [n]atonement for [o]the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34 (BK)This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, (BL)once a year.” And he did as the Lord commanded Moses.
The Sanctity of Blood
17 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron, to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, saying: 3 “Whatever man of the house of Israel who (BM)kills an ox or lamb or goat in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp, 4 and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting to offer an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, the guilt of bloodshed shall be (BN)imputed to that man. He has shed blood; and that man shall be [p]cut off from among his people, 5 to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices (BO)which they offer in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to the priest, and offer them as peace offerings to the Lord. 6 And the priest (BP)shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and (BQ)burn the fat for a sweet aroma to the Lord. 7 They shall no more offer their sacrifices (BR)to [q]demons, after whom they (BS)have played the harlot. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.” ’
8 “Also you shall say to them: ‘Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, (BT)who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, 9 and does not (BU)bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to offer it to the Lord, that man shall be [r]cut off from among his people.
10 (BV)‘And whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who eats any blood, (BW)I will set My face against that person who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11 For the (BX)life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar (BY)to make atonement for your souls; for (BZ)it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’ 12 Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘No one among you shall eat blood, nor shall any stranger who dwells among you eat blood.’
13 “Whatever man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who (CA)hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall (CB)pour out its blood and (CC)cover it with dust; 14 (CD)for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.’
15 (CE)“And every person who eats what died naturally or what was torn by beasts, whether he is a native of your own country or a stranger, (CF)he shall both wash his clothes and (CG)bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. Then he shall be clean. 16 But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, then (CH)he shall bear his [s]guilt.”
Laws of Sexual Morality
18 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: (CI)‘I am the Lord your God. 3 (CJ)According to [t]the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and (CK)according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their [u]ordinances. 4 (CL)You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the Lord your God. 5 You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.
6 ‘None of you shall approach anyone who is near of kin to him, to uncover his nakedness: I am the Lord. 7 The nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness. 8 The nakedness of your (CM)father’s wife you shall not uncover; it is your father’s nakedness. 9 (CN)The nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or elsewhere, their nakedness you shall not uncover. 10 The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for theirs is your own nakedness. 11 The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, begotten by your father—she is your sister—you shall not uncover her nakedness. 12 (CO)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is near of kin to your father. 13 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is near of kin to your mother. 14 (CP)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. 15 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law—she is your son’s wife—you shall not uncover her nakedness. 16 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness. 17 You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her (CQ)daughter, nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are near of kin to her. It is wickedness. 18 Nor shall you take a woman (CR)as a rival to her sister, to uncover her nakedness while the other is alive.
19 ‘Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness as (CS)long as she is in her (CT)customary impurity. 20 (CU)Moreover you shall not lie carnally with your (CV)neighbor’s wife, to defile yourself with her. 21 And you shall not let any of your descendants (CW)pass through (CX)the fire to (CY)Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. 22 You shall not lie with (CZ)a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. 23 Nor shall you mate with any (DA)animal, to defile yourself with it. Nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it. It is perversion.
24 (DB)‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; (DC)for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. 25 For (DD)the land is defiled; therefore I (DE)visit[v] the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land (DF)vomits out its inhabitants. 26 (DG)You shall therefore [w]keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you 27 (for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), 28 lest (DH)the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you. 29 For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be [x]cut off from among their people.
30 ‘Therefore you shall keep My [y]ordinance, so (DI)that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: (DJ)I am the Lord your God.’ ”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 15:4 defiled
- Leviticus 15:15 Lit. covering
- Leviticus 15:19 Lit. in her impurity
- Leviticus 15:24 defiled
- Leviticus 16:3 Lit. With this
- Leviticus 16:19 set it apart
- Leviticus 16:19 impurity
- Leviticus 16:22 shall carry
- Leviticus 16:22 solitary land
- Leviticus 16:24 Lit. covering
- Leviticus 16:29 humble yourselves
- Leviticus 16:29 As a resident alien
- Leviticus 16:30 Lit. covering
- Leviticus 16:33 Lit. covering
- Leviticus 16:33 The Most Holy Place
- Leviticus 17:4 Put to death
- Leviticus 17:7 Having the form of a goat or satyr
- Leviticus 17:9 Put to death
- Leviticus 17:16 iniquity
- Leviticus 18:3 what is done in
- Leviticus 18:3 statutes
- Leviticus 18:25 bring judgment for
- Leviticus 18:26 obey
- Leviticus 18:29 Put to death
- Leviticus 18:30 charge
Hebrews 6
New American Standard Bible
The Danger of Falling Away
6 Therefore (A)leaving (B)the [a]elementary teaching about the [b]Christ, let us press on to [c](C)maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from (D)dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of (E)instruction about [d]washings and (F)laying on of hands, and about the (G)resurrection of the dead and (H)eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do, (I)if God permits. 4 For it is (J)impossible, in the case of those who have once been (K)enlightened and have tasted of (L)the heavenly gift and have been made (M)partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and (N)have tasted the good (O)word of God and the powers of (P)the age to come, 6 and then have [e]fallen away, to (Q)restore them again to repentance, [f](R)since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. 7 For ground that drinks the rain which often [g]falls on it and produces vegetation useful to those (S)for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and [h](T)close to being cursed, and [i]it ends up being burned.
Better Things for You
9 But, (U)beloved, we are convinced of better things regarding you, and things that [j]accompany salvation, even though we are speaking in this way. 10 For (V)God is not unjust so as to forget (W)your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, by having (X)served and by still serving the [k]saints. 11 And we desire that each one of you demonstrate the same diligence [l]so as to realize the (Y)full assurance of (Z)hope until the end, 12 so that you will not be sluggish, but (AA)imitators of those who through (AB)faith and endurance (AC)inherit the promises.
13 For (AD)when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear an oath by no one greater, He (AE)swore by Himself, 14 saying, “(AF)indeed I will greatly bless you and I will greatly multiply you.” 15 And so, (AG)having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. 16 (AH)For people swear an oath by [m]one greater than themselves, and with them (AI)an oath serving as confirmation is an end of every dispute. 17 [n]In the same way God, desiring even more to demonstrate to (AJ)the heirs of the promise [o](AK)the fact that His purpose is unchangeable, [p]confirmed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things in which (AL)it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to hold firmly to (AM)the hope set before us. 19 [q]This (AN)hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which (AO)enters [r]within the veil, 20 (AP)where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a (AQ)high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 6:1 Lit word of the beginning
- Hebrews 6:1 I.e., Messiah
- Hebrews 6:1 Or perfection
- Hebrews 6:2 Or baptisms
- Hebrews 6:6 Or committed apostasy; i.e., renounced the faith
- Hebrews 6:6 Or while
- Hebrews 6:7 Lit comes
- Hebrews 6:8 Lit near to a curse
- Hebrews 6:8 Lit whose end is for burning
- Hebrews 6:9 Or belong to
- Hebrews 6:10 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Hebrews 6:11 Lit to the full
- Hebrews 6:16 Or Him who is greater
- Hebrews 6:17 Lit In which
- Hebrews 6:17 Lit the unchangeableness of His
- Hebrews 6:17 Or mediated
- Hebrews 6:19 Lit Which hope we have
- Hebrews 6:19 Or inside
Hebrews 6
New King James Version
The Peril of Not Progressing
6 Therefore, (A)leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to [a]perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from (B)dead works and of faith toward God, 2 (C)of the doctrine of baptisms, (D)of laying on of hands, (E)of resurrection of the dead, (F)and of eternal judgment. 3 And this [b]we will do if God permits.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted (G)the heavenly gift, and (H)have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 [c]if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, (I)since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, (J)receives blessing from God; 8 (K)but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
A Better Estimate
9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. 10 For (L)God is not unjust to forget (M)your work and [d]labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have (N)ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence (O)to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become [e]sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience (P)inherit the promises.
God’s Infallible Purpose in Christ
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, (Q)He swore by Himself, 14 saying, (R)“Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the (S)promise. 16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and (T)an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. 17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to (U)the heirs of promise (V)the [f]immutability of His counsel, [g]confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two [h]immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to (W)lie, we [i]might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope (X)set before us.
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, (Y)and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20 (Z)where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, (AA)having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 6:1 maturity
- Hebrews 6:3 M let us do
- Hebrews 6:6 Or and have fallen away
- Hebrews 6:10 NU omits labor of
- Hebrews 6:12 lazy
- Hebrews 6:17 unchangeableness of His purpose
- Hebrews 6:17 guaranteed
- Hebrews 6:18 unchangeable
- Hebrews 6:18 M omits might
Psalm 31
New American Standard Bible
A Psalm of Complaint and of Praise.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
31 (A)In You, Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never (B)be [a]put to shame;
(C)In Your righteousness rescue me.
2 (D)Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be a (E)rock of [b]strength for me,
A [c]stronghold to save me.
3 For You are my rock and (F)my fortress;
For the (G)sake of Your name You will lead me and guide me.
4 You will (H)pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my (I)strength.
5 (J)Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;
You have (K)redeemed me, Lord, (L)God of [d]truth.
6 I hate those who (M)devote themselves to worthless [e]idols,
But I (N)trust in the Lord.
7 I will (O)rejoice and be glad in Your faithfulness,
Because You have (P)seen my misery;
You have known the troubles of my soul,
8 And You have not (Q)handed me over to the enemy;
You have set my feet in a large place.
9 Be gracious to me, Lord, for (R)I am in distress;
My (S)eye is wasted away from grief, (T)my soul and my body too.
10 For my life is spent with (U)sorrow
And my years with sighing;
My (V)strength has failed because of my guilt,
And (W)my [f]body has wasted away.
11 Because of all my adversaries, I have become a (X)disgrace,
Especially to my (Y)neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I am (Z)forgotten like a dead person, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I have heard the [g](AA)slander of many,
(AB)Terror is on every side;
While they (AC)took counsel together against me,
They (AD)schemed to take away my life.
14 But as for me, I trust in You, Lord,
I say, “(AE)You are my God.”
15 My (AF)times are in Your hand;
(AG)Rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.
16 Make Your (AH)face shine upon Your servant;
(AI)Save me in Your faithfulness.
17 Let me not be (AJ)put to shame, Lord, for I call upon You;
Let the (AK)wicked be put to shame, let them (AL)be silent in [h]Sheol.
18 Let the (AM)lying lips be speechless,
Which (AN)speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt.
19 How great is Your (AO)goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have performed for those who (AP)take refuge in You,
(AQ)Before the sons of mankind!
20 You hide them in the (AR)secret place of Your presence from the (AS)conspiracies of mankind;
You keep them secretly in a [i]shelter from the (AT)strife of tongues.
21 (AU)Blessed be the Lord,
For He has shown His (AV)marvelous faithfulness to me in a besieged (AW)city.
22 As for me, (AX)I said in my alarm,
“I am (AY)cut off from Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You (AZ)heard the sound of my pleadings
When I called to You for help.
23 Love the Lord, all (BA)His godly ones!
The Lord (BB)watches over the faithful
But fully (BC)repays the one who acts arrogantly.
24 (BD)Be strong and let your heart take courage,
All you who wait for the Lord.
Footnotes
- Psalm 31:1 Or ashamed;
- Psalm 31:2 Or refuge, protection
- Psalm 31:2 Lit house of a stronghold
- Psalm 31:5 Or faithfulness
- Psalm 31:6 Lit futilities
- Psalm 31:10 Or bones, substance
- Psalm 31:13 Lit whispering
- Psalm 31:17 I.e., the netherworld
- Psalm 31:20 Or pavilion
Psalm 31
New King James Version
The Lord a Fortress in Adversity
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
31 In (A)You, O Lord, I [a]put my trust;
Let me never be ashamed;
Deliver me in Your righteousness.
2 (B)Bow down Your ear to me,
Deliver me speedily;
Be my rock of [b]refuge,
A [c]fortress of defense to save me.
3 (C)For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, (D)for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me.
4 Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.
5 (E)Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O Lord God of (F)truth.
6 I have hated those (G)who regard useless idols;
But I trust in the Lord.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy,
For You have considered my trouble;
You have (H)known my soul in [d]adversities,
8 And have not (I)shut[e] me up into the hand of the enemy;
(J)You have set my feet in a wide place.
9 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble;
(K)My eye wastes away with grief,
Yes, my soul and my [f]body!
10 For my life is spent with grief,
And my years with sighing;
My strength fails because of my iniquity,
And my bones waste away.
11 (L)I am a [g]reproach among all my enemies,
But (M)especially among my neighbors,
And am repulsive to my acquaintances;
(N)Those who see me outside flee from me.
12 (O)I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a [h]broken vessel.
13 (P)For I hear the slander of many;
(Q)Fear is on every side;
While they (R)take counsel together against me,
They scheme to take away my life.
14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in Your (S)hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
And from those who persecute me.
16 (T)Make Your face shine upon Your servant;
Save me for Your mercies’ sake.
17 (U)Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You;
Let the wicked be ashamed;
(V)Let them be silent in the grave.
18 (W)Let the lying lips be put to silence,
Which (X)speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
19 (Y)Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!
20 (Z)You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
(AA)You shall keep them secretly in a [i]pavilion
From the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the Lord,
For (AB)He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a [j]strong city!
22 For I said in my haste,
“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried out to You.
23 Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
24 (AC)Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.
Footnotes
- Psalm 31:1 have taken refuge
- Psalm 31:2 strength
- Psalm 31:2 Lit. house of fortresses
- Psalm 31:7 troubles
- Psalm 31:8 given me over
- Psalm 31:9 Lit. belly
- Psalm 31:11 despised thing
- Psalm 31:12 Lit. perishing
- Psalm 31:20 shelter
- Psalm 31:21 fortified
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
