Leviticus 1
New Catholic Bible
A Ritual for Sacrifices[a]
Regulations for the Children of Israel
Chapter 1
Burnt Offerings.[b] 1 The Lord spoke to Moses from the meeting tent and said to him,[c] 2 “Speak to the children of Israel and tell them: When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your animal from the herd or the flock. 3 If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, let him offer a male without defect. He shall offer it at the entrance to the meeting tent, that it might be pleasing to the Lord. 4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted for atonement on his behalf. 5 He shall kill the young bull before the Lord, and the priests, the sons of Aaron, shall take its blood and sprinkle it on the altar that is at the entrance to the meeting tent.[d] 6 He shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. 7 The sons of Aaron, the priests shall set a fire on the altar and arrange the wood upon the fire. 8 Then the sons of Aaron, the priests shall place the pieces of the animal, and its head and its fat, on the burning wood upon the altar. 9 He shall wash the entrails and the legs with water. Then the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing fragrance to the Lord.
10 “If the burnt offering is from the flock, a sheep or a goat, he shall offer a male without defect. 11 He shall slay it on the northern side of the altar before the Lord. The priests, the sons of Aaron, shall sprinkle its blood around the altar. 12 He shall cut it into pieces, and the priest shall take them, together with its head and its fat, and lay them upon the wood which is burning upon the altar. 13 He shall wash the entrails and the legs with water, and then the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing fragrance to the Lord.
14 “If the burnt offering to the Lord consists of birds,[e] then let him bring his offering of turtledoves or young pigeons. 15 The priest shall bring them to the altar and wring off their heads. He shall burn them upon the altar, but their blood is to be drained out on the side of the altar. 16 He shall tear out their crops with their feathers and toss them to the east side of the altar, the place where the ashes are kept. 17 He shall split the birds into two halves holding on to their wings, but he shall not separate the pieces. Then the priest shall burn them on the burning wood upon the altar. It is a burnt offering, a pleasing fragrance to the Lord.
Footnotes
- Leviticus 1:1 Different kinds of sacrifice were offered to the Lord in the Jerusalem temple. In them we find customs inherited from the period when the Hebrews lived a semi-nomadic way of life, as well as rites regularly practiced in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and especially in the land of Canaan. But the Israelite faith was able to purify the practices from all these influences and use them for the glory of the one true God (chs. 1–7).
- Leviticus 1:1 The burnt offering as the perfect form of homage to God: the victim, which was without blemish, was entirely consumed in fire, that is, removed from the material universe so as to enter the world of God. The owner of the victim offered it, through the mediation of priests, as a pleasing fragrance to the Lord, an ancient Eastern expression which the Bible uses to signify that God accepts the victim (Gen 8:21). The pouring of the blood expressed the offering of the life.
- Leviticus 1:1 Although these laws were composed long after Moses lived, the direct address form that is used throughout Leviticus implies that the laws embody the essence of what God taught him and wants the children of Israel to know.
- Leviticus 1:5 Meeting tent: the tabernacle or sacred place where God met with the children of Israel.
- Leviticus 1:14 Birds: for those who could not afford more costly sacrifices, doves or pigeons would suffice.
Leviticus 1
English Standard Version
Laws for Burnt Offerings
1 (A)The Lord called Moses and spoke to him (B)from the tent of meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, (C)When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.
3 “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer (D)a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. 4 (E)He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be (F)accepted for him (G)to make atonement for him. 5 Then he shall kill the bull before the Lord, and Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood (H)and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 6 Then he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces, 7 and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and (I)arrange wood on the fire. 8 And Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar; 9 but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as (J)a burnt offering, a food offering[a] with a (K)pleasing aroma to the Lord.
10 “If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish, 11 (L)and he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the Lord, and Aaron's sons the priests shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. 12 And he shall cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar, 13 but the entrails and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is (M)a burnt offering, a food offering with (N)a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
14 “If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering of (O)turtledoves or pigeons. 15 And the priest shall bring it to the altar and wring off its head and burn it on the altar. Its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. 16 He shall remove its crop with its contents[b] and cast it (P)beside the altar on the east side, in the place for ashes. 17 He shall tear it open by its wings, but (Q)shall not sever it completely. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
Footnotes
- Leviticus 1:9 Or an offering by fire; so throughout Leviticus
- Leviticus 1:16 Or feathers
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.