The Law of Burnt Offerings

Now (A)the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When anyone of you brings an (B)offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from (C)the herd or the flock. If his offering is a (D)burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male (E)without defect; he shall offer it (F)at the doorway of the tent of meeting, so that he may be accepted before the Lord. And (G)he shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, so that it may be accepted for him to make (H)atonement on his behalf. Then (I)he shall [a]slaughter the [b]bull before the Lord; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall offer up (J)the blood and (K)sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. (L)He shall then skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. And (M)the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, with the head and the (N)suet, on the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. Its (O)entrails, however, and its legs he shall wash with water. And (P)the priest shall offer all of it up in smoke on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering by fire as (Q)a soothing aroma to the Lord.

10 ‘But if his offering is from the flock, either from the sheep or from the goats, as a burnt offering, he shall offer a (R)male without defect. 11 And (S)he shall slaughter it on the side of the altar northward before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 12 He shall then cut it into its pieces with its head and its (T)suet, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. 13 The entrails, however, and the legs he shall wash with water. And (U)the priest shall offer all of it, and offer it up in smoke on the altar; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord.

14 ‘But if his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering from the (V)turtledoves or from young doves. 15 The priest shall bring it to the altar, and pinch off its head, and offer it up in smoke on the altar; and its blood is to be drained out (W)on the side of the altar. 16 He shall also remove its craw with its feathers and throw it beside the altar eastward, to the place of the (X)fatty ashes. 17 Then he shall tear it by its wings, but (Y)shall not sever it. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar, on the wood which is on the fire; (Z)it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 1:5 I.e., following a prescribed ritual, and so through ch 22
  2. Leviticus 1:5 Lit son of the herd

Procedures for the Burnt Offering

The Lord called to Moses from the Tabernacle[a] and said to him, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you present an animal as an offering to the Lord, you may take it from your herd of cattle or your flock of sheep and goats.

“If the animal you present as a burnt offering is from the herd, it must be a male with no defects. Bring it to the entrance of the Tabernacle so you[b] may be accepted by the Lord. Lay your hand on the animal’s head, and the Lord will accept its death in your place to purify you, making you right with him.[c] Then slaughter the young bull in the Lord’s presence, and Aaron’s sons, the priests, will present the animal’s blood by splattering it against all sides of the altar that stands at the entrance to the Tabernacle. Then skin the animal and cut it into pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest will build a wood fire on the altar. They will arrange the pieces of the offering, including the head and fat, on the wood burning on the altar. But the internal organs and the legs must first be washed with water. Then the priest will burn the entire sacrifice on the altar as a burnt offering. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

10 “If the animal you present as a burnt offering is from the flock, it may be either a sheep or a goat, but it must be a male with no defects. 11 Slaughter the animal on the north side of the altar in the Lord’s presence, and Aaron’s sons, the priests, will splatter its blood against all sides of the altar. 12 Then cut the animal in pieces, and the priests will arrange the pieces of the offering, including the head and fat, on the wood burning on the altar. 13 But the internal organs and the legs must first be washed with water. Then the priest will burn the entire sacrifice on the altar as a burnt offering. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

14 “If you present a bird as a burnt offering to the Lord, choose either a turtledove or a young pigeon. 15 The priest will take the bird to the altar, wring off its head, and burn it on the altar. But first he must drain its blood against the side of the altar. 16 The priest must also remove the crop and the feathers[d] and throw them in the ashes on the east side of the altar. 17 Then, grasping the bird by its wings, the priest will tear the bird open, but without tearing it apart. Then he will burn it as a burnt offering on the wood burning on the altar. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 Hebrew Tent of Meeting; also in 1:3, 5.
  2. 1:3 Or it.
  3. 1:4 Or to make atonement for you.
  4. 1:16 Or the crop and its contents. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.