The Sin Offering

4 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ^(A)‘If a person sins ^[a]unintentionally against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them, ^3 (B)if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the Lord for his sin which he has sinned ^(C)a young bull without blemish as a ^(D)sin offering. ⁴ He shall bring the bull ^(E)to the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and kill the bull before the Lord. ⁵ Then the anointed priest ^(F)shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it to the tabernacle of meeting. ⁶ The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord, in front of the ^(G)veil of the sanctuary. ⁷ And the priest shall ^(H)put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour ^(I)the remaining blood of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. ⁸ He shall take from it all the fat of the bull as the sin offering. The fat that covers the entrails and all the fat which is on the entrails, ⁹ the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove, ^10 (J)as it was taken from the bull of the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn them on the altar of the burnt offering. ^11 (K)But the bull’s hide and all its flesh, with its head and legs, its entrails and offal— ¹² the whole bull he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, ^(L)where the ashes are poured out, and ^(M)burn it on wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.

¹³ ‘Now ^(N)if the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally, ^(O)and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done something against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which should not be done, and are guilty; ¹⁴ when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the assembly shall offer a young bull for the sin, and bring it before the tabernacle of meeting. ¹⁵ And the elders of the congregation ^(P)shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord. Then the bull shall be killed before the Lord. ^16 (Q)The anointed priest shall bring some of the bull’s blood to the tabernacle of meeting. ¹⁷ Then the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil. ¹⁸ And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. ¹⁹ He shall take all the fat from it and burn it on the altar. ²⁰ And he shall do ^(R)with the bull as he did with the bull as a sin offering; thus he shall do with it. ^(S)So the priest shall make ^[b]atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them. ²¹ Then he shall carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is a sin offering for the assembly.

²² ‘When a ^[c]ruler has sinned, and ^(T)done something unintentionally against any of the commandments of the Lord his God in anything which should not be done, and is guilty, ²³ or ^(U)if his sin which he has committed ^[d]comes to his knowledge, he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a male without blemish. ²⁴ And ^(V)he shall lay his hand on the head of the goat, and kill it at the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord. It is a sin offering. ^25 (W)The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering. ²⁶ And he shall burn all its fat on the altar, like ^(X)the fat of the sacrifice of the peace offering. ^(Y)So the priest shall make ^[e]atonement for him concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.

^27 (Z)‘If ^[f]anyone of the ^[g]common people sins unintentionally by doing something against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and is guilty, ²⁸ or ^(AA)if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, then he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. ^29 (AB)And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering. ³⁰ Then the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour all the remaining blood at the base of the altar. ^31 (AC)He shall remove all its fat, ^(AD)as fat is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a ^(AE)sweet aroma to the Lord. ^(AF)So the priest shall make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.

³² ‘If he brings a lamb as his sin offering, ^(AG)he shall bring a female without blemish. ³³ Then he shall ^(AH)lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill it as a sin offering at the place where they kill the burnt offering. ³⁴ The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour all the remaining blood at the base of the altar. ³⁵ He shall remove all its fat, as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering. Then the priest shall burn it on the altar, ^(AI)according to the offerings made by fire to the Lord. ^(AJ)So the priest shall make atonement for his sin that he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

Greeting

1 Paul, ^(A)Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the ^(B)Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace ^[a]from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Their Good Example

^2 (C)We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, ³ remembering without ceasing ^(D)your work of faith, ^(E)labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, ⁴ knowing, beloved brethren, ^(F)your election by God. ⁵ For ^(G)our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, ^(H)and in the Holy Spirit ^(I)and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

⁶ And ^(J)you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, ^(K)with joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷ so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. ⁸ For from you the word of the Lord ^(L)has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also ^(M)in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. ⁹ For they themselves declare concerning us ^(N)what manner of entry we had to you, ^(O)and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and ^(P)to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us ^(Q)from the wrath to come.

Paul’s Conduct^(R)

2 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. ² But ^[b]even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at ^(S)Philippi, as you know, we were ^(T)bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. ^3 (U)For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit.

⁴ But as ^(V)we have been approved by God ^(W)to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, ^(X)not as pleasing men, but God ^(Y)who tests our hearts. ⁵ For ^(Z)neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a ^[c]cloak for covetousness—^(AA)God is witness. ^6 (AB)Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when ^(AC)we might have ^(AD)made demands ^(AE)as apostles of Christ. ⁷ But ^(AF)we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. ⁸ So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased ^(AG)to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also ^(AH)our own lives, because you had become dear to us. ⁹ For you remember, brethren, our ^(AI)labor and toil; for laboring night and day, ^(AJ)that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

^10 (AK)You are witnesses, and God also, ^(AL)how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; ¹¹ as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and ^[d]charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, ^12 (AM)that you would walk worthy of God ^(AN)who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

Their Conversion

¹³ For this reason we also thank God ^(AO)without ceasing, because when you ^(AP)received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it ^(AQ)not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively ^(AR)works in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brethren, became imitators ^(AS)of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For ^(AT)you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, ^15 (AU)who killed both the Lord Jesus and ^(AV)their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God ^(AW)and are ^[e]contrary to all men, ^16 (AX)forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always ^(AY)to fill up the measure of their sins; ^(AZ)but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

Longing to See Them

¹⁷ But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time ^(BA)in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. ¹⁸ Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but ^(BB)Satan hindered us. ¹⁹ For ^(BC)what is our hope, or joy, or ^(BD)crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the ^(BE)presence of our Lord Jesus Christ ^(BF)at His coming? ²⁰ For you are our glory and joy.