Leviticus 5
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Cases Requiring Sin Offerings
5 “When someone sins in any of these ways:
If he has seen, heard, or known about something he has witnessed, and did not respond to a public call to testify, he is responsible for his sin.(A)
2 Or if someone touches anything unclean(B)—a carcass of an unclean wild animal,(C) or unclean livestock, or an unclean swarming creature[a](D)—without being aware of it, he is unclean and guilty.(E)
3 Or if he touches human uncleanness(F)—any uncleanness by which one can become defiled(G)—without being aware of it, but later recognizes it, he is guilty.
4 Or if someone swears rashly(H) to do what is good or evil—concerning anything a person may speak rashly in an oath—without being aware of it, but later recognizes it, he incurs guilt in such an instance.[b]
5 If someone incurs guilt in one of these cases, he is to confess(I) he has committed that sin. 6 He must bring his restitution(J) for the sin he has committed to the Lord: a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement(K) on his behalf for his sin.
7 “But if he cannot afford an animal from the flock, then he may bring to the Lord two turtledoves or two young pigeons(L) as restitution for his sin—one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. 8 He is to bring them to the priest, who will first present the one for the sin offering. He must twist its head at the back of the neck without severing it.(M) 9 Then he will sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood is to be drained out at the base of the altar;(N) it is a sin offering. 10 He must prepare the second bird as a burnt offering according to the regulation.(O) In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.
11 “But if he cannot afford[c] two turtledoves or two young pigeons,(P) he may bring two quarts[d] of fine[e] flour[f](Q) as an offering for his sin. He must not put olive oil or frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12 He is to bring it to the priest, who will take a handful from it as its memorial portion(R) and burn it on the altar along with the fire offerings to the Lord; it is a sin offering. 13 In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf concerning the sin he has committed in any of these cases, and he will be forgiven. The rest will belong to the priest, like the grain offering.”(S)
The Restitution Offering
14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 15 “If someone offends(T) by sinning unintentionally(U) in regard to any of the Lord’s holy things,[g] he must bring his restitution offering to the Lord: an unblemished ram from the flock (based on your assessment of its value in silver shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel(V)) as a restitution offering. 16 He must make restitution(W) for his sin regarding any holy(X) thing, adding a fifth of its value to it,(Y) and give it to the priest. Then the priest will make atonement on his behalf with the ram of the restitution offering, and he will be forgiven.(Z)
17 “If someone sins and without knowing it violates any of the Lord’s commands concerning anything prohibited, he bears the consequences of his guilt. 18 He must bring an unblemished ram from the flock according to your assessment of its value as a restitution offering to the priest. Then the priest will make atonement on his behalf for the error he has committed unintentionally, and he will be forgiven. 19 It is a restitution offering; he is indeed guilty before the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 5:2 Perhaps a fish, insect, rodent, or reptile; Gn 1:20; Lv 11:20-23,29-31
- Leviticus 5:4 Lit in one of such things
- Leviticus 5:11 Lit if his hand is not sufficient for
- Leviticus 5:11 Lit one-tenth of an ephah
- Leviticus 5:11 Or wheat; Ex 29:2
- Leviticus 5:11 Lit flour as a sin offering
- Leviticus 5:15 Things dedicated to the Lord such as tabernacle furnishings, priestly portions of the sacrifices, tenths, firstfruits, and firstborn livestock
Leviticus 5
New Century Version
Special Types of Accidental Sins
5 “‘If a person is ordered to tell in court what he has seen or what he knows and he does not tell the court, he is guilty of sin.
2 “‘Or someone might touch something unclean, such as the dead body of an unclean wild animal or an unclean farm animal or an unclean crawling animal. Even if he does not know that he touched it, he will still be unclean and guilty of sin.
3 “‘Someone might touch human uncleanness—anything that makes someone unclean—and not know it. But when he learns about it, he will be guilty.
4 “‘Or someone might make a promise before the Lord without thinking. It might be a promise to do something bad or something good; it might be about anything. Even if he forgets about it, when he remembers, he will be guilty.
5 “‘When anyone is guilty of any of these things, he must tell how he sinned. 6 He must bring an offering to the Lord as a penalty for sin; it must be a female lamb or goat from the flock. The priest will perform the acts to remove that person’s sin so he will belong to the Lord.
7 “‘But if the person cannot afford a lamb, he must bring two doves or two young pigeons to the Lord as the penalty for his sin. One bird must be for a sin offering, and the other must be for a whole burnt offering. 8 He must bring them to the priest, who will first offer the one for the sin offering. He will pull the bird’s head from its neck, but he will not pull it completely off. 9 He must sprinkle the blood from the sin offering on the side of the altar, and then he must pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar; it is a sin offering. 10 Then the priest must offer the second bird as a whole burnt offering, as the law says. In this way the priest will remove the person’s sin so he will belong to the Lord, and the Lord will forgive him.
11 “‘If the person cannot afford two doves or two pigeons, he must bring about two quarts of fine flour as an offering for sin. He must not put oil or incense on the flour, because it is a sin offering. 12 He must bring the flour to the priest. The priest will take a handful of the flour as a memorial offering and burn it on the altar on top of the offerings made by fire to the Lord; it is a sin offering. 13 In this way the priest will remove the person’s sins so he will belong to the Lord, and the Lord will forgive him. What is left of the sin offering belongs to the priest, like the grain offering.’”
The Penalty Offering
14 The Lord said to Moses, 15 “If a person accidentally sins and does something against the holy things of the Lord, he must bring from the flock a male sheep that has nothing wrong with it. This will be his penalty offering to the Lord. Its value in silver must be correct as set by the Holy Place measure. It is a penalty offering. 16 That person must pay for the sin he did against the holy thing, adding one-fifth to its value. Then he must give it all to the priest. In this way the priest will remove the person’s sin so he will belong to the Lord, by using the male sheep as the penalty offering. And the Lord will forgive the person.
17 “If a person sins and does something the Lord has commanded not to be done, even if he does not know it, he is still guilty. He is responsible for his sin. 18 He must bring the priest a male sheep from the flock, one that has nothing wrong with it and that is worth the correct amount. It will be a penalty offering. Though the person sinned without knowing it, with this offering the priest will remove the sin so the person will belong to the Lord, and the Lord will forgive him. 19 The person is guilty of doing wrong, so he must give the penalty offering to the Lord.”
Leviticus 5
New King James Version
The Trespass Offering
5 ‘If a person sins in (A)hearing the utterance of an oath, and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter—if he does not tell it, he (B)bears [a]guilt.
2 ‘Or (C)if a person touches any unclean thing, whether it is the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and he is unaware of it, he also shall be unclean and (D)guilty. 3 Or if he touches (E)human uncleanness—whatever uncleanness with which a man may be defiled, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty.
4 ‘Or if a person [b]swears, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips (F)to do evil or (G)to do good, whatever it is that a man may pronounce by an oath, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty in any of these matters.
5 ‘And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall (H)confess that he has sinned in that thing; 6 and he shall bring his trespass offering to the Lord for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin.
7 (I)‘If he is not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring to the Lord, for his trespass which he has committed, two (J)turtledoves or two young pigeons: one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. 8 And he shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and (K)wring off its head from its neck, but shall not divide it [c]completely. 9 Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, and the (L)rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. 10 And he shall offer the second as a burnt offering according to the (M)prescribed manner. So (N)the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.
11 ‘But if he is (O)not able to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he who sinned shall bring for his offering one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. (P)He shall put no oil on it, nor shall he put frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12 Then he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it (Q)as a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar (R)according to the offerings made by fire to the Lord. It is a sin offering. 13 (S)The priest shall make atonement for him, [d]for his sin that he has committed in any of these matters; and it shall be forgiven him. (T)The rest shall be the priest’s as a grain offering.’ ”
Offerings with Restitution
14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 15 (U)“If a person commits a trespass, and sins unintentionally in regard to the holy things of the Lord, then (V)he shall bring to the Lord as his trespass offering a ram without blemish from the flocks, with your valuation in shekels of silver according to (W)the shekel of the sanctuary, as a trespass offering. 16 And he shall make restitution for the harm that he has done in regard to the holy thing, (X)and shall add one-fifth to it and give it to the priest. (Y)So the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.
17 “If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord, (Z)though he does not know it, yet he is (AA)guilty and shall bear his [e]iniquity. 18 (AB)And he shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him regarding his ignorance in which he erred and did not know it, and it shall be forgiven him. 19 It is a trespass offering; (AC)he has certainly trespassed against the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 5:1 his iniquity
- Leviticus 5:4 vows
- Leviticus 5:8 Lit. apart
- Leviticus 5:13 concerning his sin
- Leviticus 5:17 punishment
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.