The Burnt Offering

⁸ The Lord said to Moses: ⁹ “Give Aaron and his sons this command: ‘These are the regulations for the burnt offering^(A): 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.^{(B) 10} The priest shall then put on his linen clothes,^(C) with linen undergarments next to his body,^(D) and shall remove the ashes^(E) 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.^{(F) 12} The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood^(G) and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat^(H) of the fellowship offerings^(I) 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:^(J) 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^(K) on the grain offering,^(L) and burn the memorial^[a] portion^(M) on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. ¹⁶ Aaron and his sons^(N) shall eat the rest^(O) of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast^(P) in the sanctuary area;^(Q) they are to eat it in the courtyard^(R) of the tent of meeting.^{(S) 17} It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share^(T) of the food offerings presented to me.^(U) Like the sin offering^[b] and the guilt offering, it is most holy.^{(V) 18} Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it.^(W) For all generations to come^(X) it is his perpetual share^(Y) of the food offerings presented to the Lord. Whatever touches them will become holy.^[c](Z)’”

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^[d] is anointed:^(AA) a tenth of an ephah^[e](AB) of the finest flour^(AC) as a regular grain offering,^(AD) half of it in the morning and half in the evening. ²¹ It must be prepared with oil on a griddle;^(AE) bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken^[f] in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. ²² The son who is to succeed him as anointed priest^(AF) shall prepare it. It is the Lord’s perpetual share and is to be burned completely.^{(AG) 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:^(AH) The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the Lord^(AI) in the place^(AJ) 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,^(AK) in the courtyard^(AL) of the tent of meeting.^{(AM) 27} Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy,^(AN) and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in the sanctuary area. ²⁸ The clay pot^(AO) 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;^(AP) it is most holy.^{(AQ) 30} But any sin offering whose blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement^(AR) in the Holy Place^(AS) must not be eaten; it must be burned up.^(AT)

The Guilt Offering

7 “‘These are the regulations for the guilt offering,^(AU) which is most holy: ² The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be splashed against the sides of the altar. ³ All its fat^(AV) shall be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the internal organs, ⁴ both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys.^{(AW) 5} The priest shall burn them on the altar^(AX) as a food offering presented to the Lord. It is a guilt offering. ⁶ Any male in a priest’s family may eat it,^(AY) but it must be eaten in the sanctuary area; it is most holy.^(AZ)

⁷ “‘The same law applies to both the sin offering^[g](BA) and the guilt offering:^(BB) They belong to the priest^(BC) who makes atonement with them.^{(BD) 8} The priest who offers a burnt offering for anyone may keep its hide^(BE) for himself. ⁹ Every grain offering baked in an oven^(BF) or cooked in a pan^(BG) or on a griddle^(BH) belongs to the priest who offers it, ¹⁰ and every grain offering, whether mixed with olive oil or dry, belongs equally to all the sons of Aaron.

The Council at Jerusalem

15 Certain people^(A) came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers:^(B) “Unless you are circumcised,^(C) according to the custom taught by Moses,^(D) you cannot be saved.” ² This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem^(E) to see the apostles and elders^(F) about this question. ³ The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia^(G) and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted.^(H) This news made all the believers very glad. ⁴ When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.^(I)

⁵ Then some of the believers who belonged to the party^(J) of the Pharisees^(K) stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”^(L)

⁶ The apostles and elders met to consider this question. ⁷ After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.^{(M) 8} God, who knows the heart,^(N) showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them,^(O) just as he did to us. ⁹ He did not discriminate between us and them,^(P) for he purified their hearts by faith.^{(Q) 10} Now then, why do you try to test God^(R) by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke^(S) that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace^(T) of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

¹² The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders^(U) God had done among the Gentiles through them.^{(V) 13} When they finished, James^(W) spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. ¹⁴ Simon^[a] has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles.^{(X) 15} The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

¹⁹ “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. ²⁰ Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols,^(AA) from sexual immorality,^(AB) from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.^{(AC) 21} For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”^(AD)