The Fellowship Sacrifice

11 “Now this is the law of the fellowship sacrifice(A) that someone may present to the Lord: 12 If he presents it for thanksgiving, in addition to the thanksgiving sacrifice,[a](B) he is to present unleavened cakes(C) mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers(D) coated with oil, and well-kneaded cakes of fine flour mixed with oil. 13 He is to present as his offering cakes of leavened bread[b] with his thanksgiving sacrifice of fellowship. 14 From the cakes he must present one portion of each offering as a contribution(E) to the Lord. It will belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the fellowship offering; it is his. 15 The meat of his thanksgiving sacrifice of fellowship must be eaten on the day he offers it;(F) he may not leave any of it until morning.(G)

16 “If the sacrifice he offers is a vow[c](H) or a freewill offering,[d](I) it is to be eaten on the day he presents his sacrifice, and what is left over may be eaten on the next day. 17 But what remains of the sacrificial meat by the third day must be burned up.(J) 18 If any of the meat of his fellowship sacrifice is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted.(K) It will not be credited to the one who presents it; it is repulsive.(L) The person who eats any of it will be responsible for his sin.[e]

19 “Meat that touches anything unclean must not be eaten; it is to be burned up. Everyone who is clean may eat any other meat. 20 But the one who eats meat from the Lord’s fellowship sacrifice while he is unclean,[f] that person must be cut off from his people.(M) 21 If someone touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness, an unclean animal, or any unclean, detestable[g](N) creature, and eats meat from the Lord’s fellowship sacrifice, that person must be cut off from his people.”

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 7:12 The thanksgiving sacrifice is the first of three kinds of fellowship sacrifices. It was given to express gratitude to God (Jr 33:11) in circumstances such as answered prayer (Ps 50:14-15) or safe travel (Ps 107:22-25).
  2. Leviticus 7:13 Although yeast was prohibited from being burned on the altar (Lv 2:11), leavened bread could still be an offering (Lv 23:17-20) to be eaten by the priests and their families.
  3. Leviticus 7:16 The vow offering, the second category of fellowship sacrifice, was brought as an expression of gratitude to fulfill a vow; Gn 28:20; 2Sm 15:7-8; Pr 7:14.
  4. Leviticus 7:16 The freewill offering, the third category of fellowship sacrifice, was a voluntary expression of gratitude toward God for any reason; Dt 16:10; Ps 54:6.
  5. Leviticus 7:18 Or will bear his guilt
  6. Leviticus 7:20 Lit while his uncleanness is upon him
  7. Leviticus 7:21 Some Hb mss, Sam, Syr, Tg read swarming

Further Instructions for the Peace Offering

11 “These are the instructions regarding the different kinds of peace offerings that may be presented to the Lord. 12 If you present your peace offering as an expression of thanksgiving, the usual animal sacrifice must be accompanied by various kinds of bread made without yeast—thin cakes mixed with olive oil, wafers spread with oil, and cakes made of choice flour mixed with olive oil. 13 This peace offering of thanksgiving must also be accompanied by loaves of bread made with yeast. 14 One of each kind of bread must be presented as a gift to the Lord. It will then belong to the priest who splatters the blood of the peace offering against the altar. 15 The meat of the peace offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the same day it is offered. None of it may be saved for the next morning.

16 “If you bring an offering to fulfill a vow or as a voluntary offering, the meat must be eaten on the same day the sacrifice is offered, but whatever is left over may be eaten on the second day. 17 Any meat left over until the third day must be completely burned up. 18 If any of the meat from the peace offering is eaten on the third day, the person who presented it will not be accepted by the Lord. You will receive no credit for offering it. By then the meat will be contaminated; if you eat it, you will be punished for your sin.

19 “Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean may not be eaten; it must be completely burned up. The rest of the meat may be eaten, but only by people who are ceremonially clean. 20 If you are ceremonially unclean and you eat meat from a peace offering that was presented to the Lord, you will be cut off from the community. 21 If you touch anything that is unclean (whether it is human defilement or an unclean animal or any other unclean, detestable thing) and then eat meat from a peace offering presented to the Lord, you will be cut off from the community.”

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