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Sins Requiring a Guilt Offering

[a]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Suppose one of you sins against your associate and is unfaithful to the Lord. Suppose you cheat in a deal involving a security deposit, or you steal or commit fraud, or you find lost property and lie about it, or you lie while swearing to tell the truth, or you commit any other such sin. If you have sinned in any of these ways, you are guilty. You must give back whatever you stole, or the money you took by extortion, or the security deposit, or the lost property you found, or anything obtained by swearing falsely. You must make restitution by paying the full price plus an additional 20 percent to the person you have harmed. On the same day you must present a guilt offering. As a guilt offering to the Lord, you must bring to the priest your own ram with no defects, or you may buy one of equal value. Through this process, the priest will purify you before the Lord, making you right with him,[b] and you will be forgiven for any of these sins you have committed.”

Further Instructions for the Burnt Offering

[c]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Give Aaron and his sons the following instructions regarding the burnt offering. The burnt offering must be left on top of the altar until the next morning, and the fire on the altar must be kept burning all night. 10 In the morning, after the priest on duty has put on his official linen clothing and linen undergarments, he must clean out the ashes of the burnt offering and put them beside the altar. 11 Then he must take off these garments, change back into his regular 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 never go out. Each morning the priest will add fresh wood to the fire and arrange the burnt offering on it. He will then burn the fat of the peace offerings on it. 13 Remember, the fire must be kept burning on the altar at all times. It must never go out.

Further Instructions for the Grain Offering

14 “These are the instructions regarding the grain offering. Aaron’s sons must present this offering to the Lord in front of the altar. 15 The priest on duty will take from the grain offering a handful of the choice flour moistened with olive oil, together with all the frankincense. He will burn this representative portion on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 16 Aaron and his sons may eat the rest of the flour, but it must be baked without yeast and eaten in a sacred place within the courtyard of the Tabernacle.[d] 17 Remember, it must never be prepared with yeast. I have given it to the priests as their share of the special gifts presented to me. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy. 18 Any of Aaron’s male descendants may eat from the special gifts presented to the Lord. This is their permanent right from generation to generation. Anyone or anything that touches these offerings will become holy.”

Procedures for the Ordination Offering

19 Then the Lord said to Moses, 20 “On the day Aaron and his sons are anointed, they must present to the Lord the standard grain offering of two quarts[e] of choice flour, half to be offered in the morning and half to be offered in the evening. 21 It must be carefully mixed with olive oil and cooked on a griddle. Then slice[f] this grain offering and present it as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 22 In each generation, the high priest[g] who succeeds Aaron must prepare this same offering. It belongs to the Lord and must be burned up completely. This is a permanent law. 23 All such grain offerings of a priest must be burned up entirely. None of it may be eaten.”

Further Instructions for the Sin Offering

24 Then the Lord said to Moses, 25 “Give Aaron and his sons the following instructions regarding the sin offering. The animal given as an offering for sin is a most holy offering, and it must be slaughtered in the Lord’s presence at the place where the burnt offerings are slaughtered. 26 The priest who offers the sacrifice as a sin offering must eat his portion in a sacred place within the courtyard of the Tabernacle. 27 Anyone or anything that touches the sacrificial meat will become holy. If any of the sacrificial blood spatters on a person’s clothing, the soiled garment must be washed in a sacred place. 28 If a clay pot is used to boil the sacrificial meat, it must then be broken. If a bronze pot is used, it must be scoured and thoroughly rinsed with water. 29 Any male from a priest’s family may eat from this offering; it is most holy. 30 But the offering for sin may not be eaten if its blood was brought into the Tabernacle as an offering for purification[h] in the Holy Place. It must be completely burned with fire.

Footnotes

  1. 6:1 Verses 6:1-7 are numbered 5:20-26 in Hebrew text.
  2. 6:7 Or will make atonement for you before the Lord.
  3. 6:8 Verses 6:8-30 are numbered 6:1-23 in Hebrew text.
  4. 6:16 Hebrew Tent of Meeting; also in 6:26, 30.
  5. 6:20 Hebrew 1⁄10 of an ephah [2.2 liters].
  6. 6:21 The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain.
  7. 6:22 Hebrew the anointed priest.
  8. 6:30 Or an offering to make atonement.

For Sins against the Lord’s People

[a]The Lord spoke to Moses, “If any of you sin against the Lord by failing to do your duty, if you lie to your neighbor about something you were supposed to take care of or if you lie about something stolen or seized from your neighbor, you are sinning and will be guilty. If you find something that someone lost and lie about it under oath, or commit any other sin like this, you are sinning and will be guilty. Return what you stole or seized, what you were supposed to take care of, the lost item you found, or whatever it was that you swore falsely about. Pay it back in full plus one-fifth more. Give it back to its owner on the day you bring your guilt offering. Then bring the Lord your guilt offering, a ram that has no defects or its value in money. Bring it to the priest. So the priest will make peace with the Lord. Then you will be forgiven for whatever you did that made you guilty.”

Instructions for Taking Care of the Fire

The Lord spoke to Moses, “Command Aaron and his sons: These are the instructions for the burnt offering that stays on the altar overnight while the altar fire is kept burning.

10 “The priest must put on his linen clothes, including his linen undergarments. Then he will remove the ashes left on the altar from the fire that consumed the burnt offering and will put them next to the altar. 11 Then he will take off these clothes and put on some others. He will take the ashes to a clean place outside the camp. 12 The fire must always be burning on the altar. It must never go out. The priest will burn wood on it every morning. He will lay the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offering. 13 The fire must always be burning on the altar. It must never go out.

The Grain Offering from the People

14 “These are the instructions for the grain offering. Aaron’s sons must bring it into the Lord’s presence in front of the altar. 15 One of them will remove a handful of flour from the grain offering, together with the olive oil and all the incense. He will burn it on the altar as a reminder. It is a soothing aroma to the Lord. 16 Aaron and his sons will eat the rest of it. They will eat unleavened bread in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. 17 Don’t use yeast in baking the bread. I have given it to them as their share from the offerings by fire made to me. It is very holy like the offering for sin and the guilt offering. 18 Every male descendant of Aaron may eat it. It is a permanent law for generations to come regarding the offering by fire to the Lord. Everyone who touches it will become holy.”

Special Grain Offerings from the Priests

19 The Lord spoke to Moses, 20 “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons must bring to the Lord on the day he is anointed—eight cups of flour. They must do this every day. He must offer half of it in the morning and half in the evening. 21 Prepare it in a frying pan with olive oil, mixing it well. Offer baked pieces of the grain offering as a soothing aroma to the Lord. 22 Aaron’s son who is anointed to take his place as priest will prepare it. This is a permanent law of the Lord: It must be completely burned. 23 Every grain offering made by a priest must be completely burned. It must not be eaten.”

Instructions for the Offering for Sin

24 The Lord spoke to Moses, 25 “Tell Aaron and his sons: These are the instructions for the offering for sin. The offering for sin must be slaughtered in the Lord’s presence in the same place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. It is very holy. 26 The priest who makes the offering for sin will eat it in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. 27 Anything that touches its meat will be holy. If blood gets on someone’s clothes, he must wash them in a holy place. 28 Any piece of pottery in which the offering for sin is cooked must be broken into pieces. Any copper kettle in which the offering for sin is cooked must be scoured and rinsed with water. 29 Any male among the priests may eat the offering for sin. It is very holy. 30 Any offering for sin must not be eaten if some of the blood was brought into the holy place in the tent of meeting to make peace with the Lord. It must be burned.”

Footnotes

  1. 6:1 Leviticus 6:1–30 in English Bibles is Leviticus 5:20–6:23 in the Hebrew Bible.