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Guilt Offerings for Other Sins

The Lord told Moses these rules for the people: “You are guilty of sin against the Lord when you do any of these things: when you lie about what happened to something you were taking care of for someone else; when you lie about a deposit[a] you received; when you steal something; when you cheat someone; when you find something that was lost and lie about having it; when you fail to keep a promise; or when you do any other bad things like these. If you do any of these things, you are guilty of doing wrong. You must give back whatever you stole or whatever you took by cheating. You must return whatever you took that another person asked you to hold, or whatever you found and lied about having, or whatever you made a false promise about. You must pay the full price and then add one-fifth of that amount as a fine and give it all to the true owner. You must also bring a ram to the Lord that has nothing wrong with it (or the same amount in silver) to the priest. Then the priest will go to the Lord to make you pure, and God will forgive you for whichever of these things you did that made you guilty.”

Burnt Offerings

The Lord said to Moses, “Give this command to Aaron and his sons: This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering must stay on the hearth[b] of the altar all night until morning. The altar’s fire must be kept burning. 10 The priest must change clothes and put on the special linen underwear and linen robe. Then he must gather up the ashes from the fire and burnt offerings and set them down by the altar. 11 Then he must take off the special clothes and put on the other clothes and carry the ashes outside the camp to a special place that is pure. 12 The fire that was started on the altar must never be allowed to stop burning. Every morning the priests must put wood on the altar. They must arrange the burnt offerings on the wood, and they must burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. 13 That fire must always be kept burning on the altar. It must never be allowed to stop burning.

Grain Offerings

14 “This is the law for the grain offering: The sons of Aaron will bring it to the front of the altar as an offering to the Lord. 15 There must be some oil and frankincense on the grain offering. The priest will take a handful of fine flour from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as a sweet-smelling memorial offering to the Lord.

16 “Aaron and his sons will use the rest of that grain to make bread without yeast. This must be eaten in a holy place—in the courtyard around the Meeting Tent. 17 I have given this part of the grain offering as the priests’ share of the gifts offered to me. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy. It must not be baked with yeast. 18 Any male descendant of Aaron may eat from these gifts to the Lord. This is their share forever throughout your generations. Whatever touches these offerings will be made holy.[c]

The Priests’ Grain Offering

19 The Lord said to Moses, 20 “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons must bring to the Lord when Aaron is anointed to be the high priest. They must bring 8 cups[d] of fine flour for a grain offering. This will be offered at the times of the daily offering—half of it in the morning and half of it in the evening. 21 The fine flour must be mixed with oil and baked on a pan. After it is cooked, you must bring it in, break it into pieces, and offer it as a sweet-smelling gift to Lord.

22 “In the future, when Aaron’s descendants take their place as the anointed priests,[e] they will continue to make this grain offering to the Lord. This rule will continue forever. The grain offering must be completely burned for the Lord. 23 Every grain offering that a priest gives must be completely burned. It must not be eaten.”

The Law of the Sin Offering

24 The Lord said to Moses, 25 “Tell Aaron and his sons: This is the law of the sin offering. The sin offering must be killed in the place where the burnt offering is killed before the Lord. It is most holy. 26 The priest who offers the sin offering must eat it. But he must eat it in a holy place, in the courtyard around the Meeting Tent. 27 Touching the meat of the sin offering makes a person or a thing holy.

“If any of the sprinkled blood falls on a person’s clothes, you must wash the clothes in a holy place. 28 If the sin offering was boiled in a clay pot, the pot must be broken. If the sin offering was boiled in a bronze pot, the pot must be washed and rinsed in water.

29 “Any male in a priest’s family may eat the sin offering. It is very holy. 30 But if the blood of the sin offering was taken into the Meeting Tent and used in the Holy Place to make people pure, that sin offering must not be eaten. It must be completely burned in the fire.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 6:2 deposit Literally, “pledge” or “security.” This is something like a down payment given as proof that something more important will be done.
  2. Leviticus 6:9 hearth The place on an altar or in a fireplace where a fire is burned.
  3. Leviticus 6:18 Whatever … holy Or “Whoever touches these offerings will become holy.” This might mean that anyone but the priests must die for touching the sacred food.
  4. Leviticus 6:20 8 cups Literally, “1/10 of an ephah” (2.2 l).
  5. Leviticus 6:22 anointed priests Special oil was poured on the priest’s head to show that God chose him to serve. Here, this refers to the high priest.

[a]The Lord said to Moses: “If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord(A) by deceiving a neighbor(B) about something entrusted to them or left in their care(C) or about something stolen, or if they cheat(D) their neighbor, or if they find lost property and lie about it,(E) or if they swear falsely(F) about any such sin that people may commit— when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return(G) what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found, or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution(H) in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering.(I) And as a penalty they must bring to the priest, that is, to the Lord, their guilt offering,(J) a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value.(K) In this way the priest will make atonement(L) for them before the Lord, and they will be forgiven for any of the things they did that made them guilty.”

The Burnt Offering

The Lord said to Moses: “Give Aaron and his sons this command: ‘These are the regulations for the burnt offering(M): The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar.(N) 10 The priest shall then put on his linen clothes,(O) with linen undergarments next to his body,(P) and shall remove the ashes(Q) of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar. 11 Then he is to take off these clothes and put on others, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is ceremonially clean.(R) 12 The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood(S) and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat(T) of the fellowship offerings(U) on it. 13 The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.

The Grain Offering

14 “‘These are the regulations for the grain offering:(V) Aaron’s sons are to bring it before the Lord, in front of the altar. 15 The priest is to take a handful of the finest flour and some olive oil, together with all the incense(W) on the grain offering,(X) and burn the memorial[b] portion(Y) on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 16 Aaron and his sons(Z) shall eat the rest(AA) of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast(AB) in the sanctuary area;(AC) they are to eat it in the courtyard(AD) of the tent of meeting.(AE) 17 It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share(AF) of the food offerings presented to me.(AG) Like the sin offering[c] and the guilt offering, it is most holy.(AH) 18 Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it.(AI) For all generations to come(AJ) it is his perpetual share(AK) of the food offerings presented to the Lord. Whatever touches them will become holy.[d](AL)’”

19 The Lord also said to Moses, 20 “This is the offering Aaron and his sons are to bring to the Lord on the day he[e] is anointed:(AM) a tenth of an ephah[f](AN) of the finest flour(AO) as a regular grain offering,(AP) half of it in the morning and half in the evening. 21 It must be prepared with oil on a griddle;(AQ) bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken[g] in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 22 The son who is to succeed him as anointed priest(AR) shall prepare it. It is the Lord’s perpetual share and is to be burned completely.(AS) 23 Every grain offering of a priest shall be burned completely; it must not be eaten.”

The Sin Offering

24 The Lord said to Moses, 25 “Say to Aaron and his sons: ‘These are the regulations for the sin offering:(AT) The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the Lord(AU) in the place(AV) the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy. 26 The priest who offers it shall eat it; it is to be eaten in the sanctuary area,(AW) in the courtyard(AX) of the tent of meeting.(AY) 27 Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy,(AZ) and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in the sanctuary area. 28 The clay pot(BA) the meat is cooked in must be broken; but if it is cooked in a bronze pot, the pot is to be scoured and rinsed with water. 29 Any male in a priest’s family may eat it;(BB) it is most holy.(BC) 30 But any sin offering whose blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement(BD) in the Holy Place(BE) must not be eaten; it must be burned up.(BF)

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 6:1 In Hebrew texts 6:1-7 is numbered 5:20-26, and 6:8-30 is numbered 6:1-23.
  2. Leviticus 6:15 Or representative
  3. Leviticus 6:17 Or purification offering; also in verses 25 and 30
  4. Leviticus 6:18 Or Whoever touches them must be holy; similarly in verse 27
  5. Leviticus 6:20 Or each
  6. Leviticus 6:20 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
  7. Leviticus 6:21 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.