Leviticus 16:29-34

Amplified Bible

An Annual Atonement

²⁹“This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month (nearly October) on the tenth day of the month you shall ^[a]humble yourselves [by fasting] and not do any work, whether the native-born or the stranger who lives temporarily among you; ³⁰for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the Lord.^(A) ³¹It is a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall humble yourselves; it is a permanent statute. ³²So the priest who is anointed and ordained to serve and minister as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement: he shall wear the holy linen garments, ³³and make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the Tent of Meeting, and for the altar [of burnt offering in the court]. He shall also make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. ³⁴This shall be a permanent statute for you, so that atonement may be made for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year.” So he did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

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Footnotes

Leviticus 16:29 It is assumed by many that humbling oneself is a reference to fasting, but if so, there is no reason to limit the idea to that. The rabbis taught that it was forbidden to eat, drink, wash, anoint oneself (with oil for the hair), put on footwear, or have marital relations. Fasting was defined as eating less than the volume of a large date and drinking less than a mouthful of liquid.

Leviticus 23:26-32

Amplified Bible

The Day of Atonement

²⁶The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁷“Also the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall ^[a]humble yourselves [by fasting] and present an offering by fire to the Lord. ²⁸You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the Lord your God. ²⁹If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them]. ³⁰If there is any person who does any work on this same day, I will destroy that person from among his people. ³¹You shall do no work at all [on that day]. It is a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you may be. ³²It is to be to you a Sabbath of complete rest, and you shall humble yourselves. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening you shall keep your Sabbath.”