The Priests Begin Their Ministry

9 On the eighth day^(A) Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders^(B) of Israel. ² He said to Aaron, “Take a bull calf for your sin offering^[a] and a ram for your burnt offering, both without defect, and present them before the Lord. ³ Then say to the Israelites: ‘Take a male goat^(C) for a sin offering,^(D) a calf^(E) and a lamb^(F)—both a year old and without defect—for a burnt offering, ⁴ and an ox^[b](G) and a ram for a fellowship offering^(H) to sacrifice before the Lord, together with a grain offering mixed with olive oil. For today the Lord will appear to you.^(I)’”

⁵ They took the things Moses commanded to the front of the tent of meeting, and the entire assembly came near and stood before the Lord. ⁶ Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord^(J) may appear to you.”

⁷ Moses said to Aaron, “Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and the people;^(K) sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, as the Lord has commanded.^(L)”

⁸ So Aaron came to the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering^(M) for himself. ⁹ His sons brought the blood to him,^(N) and he dipped his finger into the blood and put it on the horns of the altar; the rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar.^{(O) 10} On the altar he burned the fat, the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver from the sin offering, as the Lord commanded Moses; ¹¹ the flesh and the hide^(P) he burned up outside the camp.^(Q)

¹² Then he slaughtered the burnt offering.^(R) His sons handed him the blood,^(S) and he splashed it against the sides of the altar. ¹³ They handed him the burnt offering piece by piece, including the head, and he burned them on the altar.^{(T) 14} He washed the internal organs and the legs and burned them on top of the burnt offering on the altar.^(U)

¹⁵ Aaron then brought the offering that was for the people.^(V) He took the goat for the people’s sin offering and slaughtered it and offered it for a sin offering as he did with the first one.

¹⁶ He brought the burnt offering and offered it in the prescribed way.^{(W) 17} He also brought the grain offering, took a handful of it and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning’s burnt offering.^(X)

¹⁸ He slaughtered the ox and the ram as the fellowship offering for the people.^(Y) His sons handed him the blood, and he splashed it against the sides of the altar. ¹⁹ But the fat portions of the ox and the ram—the fat tail, the layer of fat, the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver— ²⁰ these they laid on the breasts, and then Aaron burned the fat on the altar. ²¹ Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh before the Lord as a wave offering,^(Z) as Moses commanded.

²² Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them.^(AA) And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down.

²³ Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting.^(AB) When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord^(AC) appeared to all the people. ²⁴ Fire^(AD) came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.^(AE)

The Day of Atonement^(A)

16 The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the Lord.^{(B) 2} The Lord said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses^(C) into the Most Holy Place^(D) behind the curtain^(E) in front of the atonement cover^(F) on the ark, or else he will die. For I will appear^(G) in the cloud^(H) over the atonement cover.

³ “This is how Aaron is to enter the Most Holy Place:^(I) He must first bring a young bull^(J) for a sin offering^[a] and a ram for a burnt offering.^{(K) 4} He is to put on the sacred linen tunic,^(L) with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban.^(M) These are sacred garments;^(N) so he must bathe himself with water^(O) before he puts them on.^{(P) 5} From the Israelite community^(Q) he is to take two male goats^(R) for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

⁶ “Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household.^{(S) 7} Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁸ He is to cast lots^(T) for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat.^{[b](U) 9} Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. ¹⁰ But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement^(V) by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.

¹¹ “Aaron shall bring the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household,^(W) and he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering. ¹² He is to take a censer full of burning coals^(X) from the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense^(Y) and take them behind the curtain. ¹³ He is to put the incense on the fire before the Lord, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover^(Z) above the tablets of the covenant law, so that he will not die.^{(AA) 14} He is to take some of the bull’s blood^(AB) and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover.^(AC)

¹⁵ “He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people^(AD) and take its blood behind the curtain^(AE) and do with it as he did with the bull’s blood: He shall sprinkle^(AF) it on the atonement cover and in front of it. ¹⁶ In this way he will make atonement^(AG) for the Most Holy Place^(AH) because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the tent of meeting,^(AI) which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness. ¹⁷ No one is to be in the tent of meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel.

¹⁸ “Then he shall come out to the altar^(AJ) that is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar.^{(AK) 19} He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.^(AL)

²⁰ “When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat.^{(AM) 21} He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat^(AN) and confess^(AO) over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. ²² The goat will carry on itself all their sins^(AP) to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness.

²³ “Then Aaron is to go into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments^(AQ) he put on before he entered the Most Holy Place, and he is to leave them there.^{(AR) 24} He shall bathe himself with water in the sanctuary area^(AS) and put on his regular garments.^(AT) Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people,^(AU) to make atonement for himself and for the people.^{(AV) 25} He shall also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar.

²⁶ “The man who releases the goat as a scapegoat^(AW) must wash his clothes^(AX) and bathe himself with water;^(AY) afterward he may come into the camp. ²⁷ The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp;^(AZ) their hides, flesh and intestines are to be burned up. ²⁸ The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp.^(BA)

²⁹ “This is to be a lasting ordinance^(BB) for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month^(BC) you must deny yourselves^[c](BD) and not do any work^(BE)—whether native-born^(BF) or a foreigner residing among you— ³⁰ because on this day atonement will be made^(BG) for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins.^{(BH) 31} It is a day of sabbath rest, and you must deny yourselves;^(BI) it is a lasting ordinance.^{(BJ) 32} The priest who is anointed and ordained^(BK) to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments^{(BL) 33} and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the tent of meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the members of the community.^(BM)

³⁴ “This is to be a lasting ordinance^(BN) for you: Atonement is to be made once a year^(BO) for all the sins of the Israelites.”

And it was done, as the Lord commanded Moses.