Laws about Offerings

15 The Lord instructed Moses: “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you enter the land I am giving you to settle in, and you make a fire offering to the Lord from the herd or flock—either a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow,(A) or as a freewill offering, or at your appointed festivals—to produce a pleasing aroma for the Lord, the one presenting his offering to the Lord must also present a grain offering of two quarts[a] of fine flour mixed with a quart[b] of oil. Prepare a quart[c] of wine as a drink offering with the burnt offering or sacrifice of each lamb.

“If you prepare a grain offering with a ram, it must be four quarts[d] of fine flour mixed with a third of a gallon[e] of oil. Also present a third of a gallon[f] of wine for a drink offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

“If you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or as a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow, or as a fellowship offering to the Lord, a grain offering of six quarts[g] of fine flour mixed with two quarts[h] of oil must be presented with the bull. 10 Also present two quarts[i] of wine as a drink offering. It is a fire offering of pleasing aroma to the Lord. 11 This is to be done for each ox, ram, lamb, or goat. 12 This is how you must prepare each of them, no matter how many.

13 “Every Israelite is to prepare these things in this way when he presents a fire offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 14 When a foreigner resides with you or someone else is among you and wants to prepare a fire offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, he is to do exactly as you do throughout your generations. 15 The assembly is to have the same statute for[j] both you and the foreign resident as a permanent statute throughout your generations. You and the foreigner will be alike before the Lord. 16 The same law and the same ordinance will apply to both you and the foreigner who resides with you.”(B)

17 The Lord instructed Moses: 18 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: After you enter the land where I am bringing you, 19 you are to offer a contribution to the Lord when you eat from the food of the land. 20 You are to offer a loaf from your first batch of dough(C) as a contribution; offer it just like a contribution from the threshing floor.(D) 21 Throughout your generations, you are to give the Lord a contribution from the first batch of your dough.

22 “When you sin unintentionally and do not obey all these commands that the Lord spoke to Moses(E) 23 all that the Lord has commanded you through Moses, from the day the Lord issued the commands and onward throughout your generations— 24 and if it was done unintentionally without the community’s awareness, the entire community is to prepare one young bull for a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, with its grain offering and drink offering according to the regulation, and one male goat as a sin offering. 25 The priest must then make atonement for the entire Israelite community so that they may be forgiven, for the sin was unintentional. They are to bring their offering, one made by fire to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord for their unintentional sin. 26 The entire Israelite community and the foreigner who resides among them will be forgiven, since it happened to all the people unintentionally.

27 “If one person sins unintentionally,(F) he is to present a year-old female goat as a sin offering. 28 The priest must then make atonement before the Lord on behalf of the person who acts in error sinning unintentionally, and when he makes atonement for him, he will be forgiven. 29 You are to have the same law for the person who acts in error, whether he is an Israelite or a foreigner who lives among you.

30 “But the person who acts defiantly,[k] whether native or foreign resident, blasphemes the Lord.(G) That person is to be cut off from his people. 31 He will certainly be cut off, because he has despised the Lord’s word and broken His command; his guilt remains on him.”

Sabbath Violation

32 While the Israelites were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day.(H) 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses, Aaron, and the entire community. 34 They placed him in custody because it had not been decided what should be done to him. 35 Then the Lord told Moses, “The man is to be put to death. The entire community is to stone him outside the camp.” 36 So the entire community brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Tassels for Remembrance

37 The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them that throughout their generations they are to make tassels(I) for the corners of their garments, and put a blue cord on the tassel at each corner. 39 These will serve as tassels for you to look at, so that you may remember all the Lord’s commands and obey them and not become unfaithful by following your own heart and your own eyes. 40 This way you will remember and obey all My commands and be holy to your God. 41 I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am Yahweh your God.”(J)

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 15:4 Lit a tenth (of an ephah)
  2. Numbers 15:4 Lit a fourth hin
  3. Numbers 15:5 Lit a fourth hin
  4. Numbers 15:6 Lit two-tenths (of an ephah)
  5. Numbers 15:6 Lit a third hin
  6. Numbers 15:7 Lit a third hin
  7. Numbers 15:9 Lit three-tenths (of an ephah)
  8. Numbers 15:9 Lit a half hin
  9. Numbers 15:10 Lit a half hin
  10. Numbers 15:15 Sam, LXX read 14 . . . the Lord, the assembly must do exactly as you do. 15 The same statute will apply to . . .
  11. Numbers 15:30 Lit with a high hand

Various Sacrifices and Offerings

15 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the Israelites[a] and say to them, ‘When you come into the land of your dwellings that I am about to give to you, you will make an offering by fire for Yahweh from the cattle or from the flock, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a vow, or as a freewill offering or at your feasts, to make a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh. And the one who presents an offering[b] for Yahweh, he will present a grain offering of finely milled flour; a tenth will be mixed with a fourth of the liquid measure of oil; and you will add a fourth of wine for the libation upon the burnt offering, or to the sacrifice for each ram-lamb. Or for the ram you will make a grain offering of two-tenths of finely milled flour mixed into a third of a liquid measure of oil. You will present a third of the liquid measure of wine for the libation, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh. When you prepare a bull[c] as a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a vow or a fellowship offering for Yahweh, you will present with the bull[d] a grain offering of three-tenths of finely milled flour mixed with half a liquid measure of oil, 10 and you will present half a liquid measure of wine as a libation, as an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh.

11 “‘This is how it should be done for each bull, or for the each ram, or for the small four-footed mammal, or ram-lambs, or goats. 12 According to the number that you prepare, so should you do to each according to their number. 13 Every native must do these things to present an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh. 14 If an alien dwells among you, or whoever is in your midst throughout your generations,[e] and prepares an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh, he should do as you do. 15 For the assembly, there will be one decree for you and for the alien who dwells among you; it is an eternal decree for all your generations. You as well as the alien[f] will be before Yahweh.[g] 16 There will be one law and one stipulation for you and for the alien dwelling among you.’”

17 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to the Israelites[h] and say to them, ‘When you come into the land to which I am about to bring you, 19 whenever you eat from the food of the land, you will lift up a contribution to Yahweh. 20 You must lift up a contribution of the first batch of your ring-shaped dough bread; you must lift it up as a contribution of the threshing floor. 21 You will give to Yahweh a contribution from the first of your dough throughout your generations.[i]

22 “‘But if you go astray and you do not follow[j] all these commandments that Yahweh commanded to Moses, 23 all that Yahweh commanded you by the hand of Moses[k] from the day that Yahweh commanded and beyond, throughout your generations,[l] 24 and if it was done unintentionally without the knowledge[m] of the community, then the entire community must prepare one young bull[n] as a burnt offering, as a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh, and its grain offering and its libation, according to the stipulation, and one male goat as a sin offering. 25 The priest will make atonement for all of the community of the Israelites,[o] and they will be forgiven[p] because it was unintentional; they will bring their offering, an offering made by fire for Yahweh, their sin offering before Yahweh[q] for their unintentional sin. 26 All of the community of the Israelites[r] will be forgiven, as well as the alien that dwells in their midst, because the whole community was involved in the unintentional wrong.

27 “‘If one person sins unintentionally, that person will present a female goat in its first year[s] as a sin offering. 28 And the priest will make atonement for the person who sinned unintentionally[t] before Yahweh,[u] to make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven. 29 For the native among the Israelites[v] and the alien that dwells in their midst, there will be one law for anyone who commits an unintentional wrong. 30 But the one who acts presumptuously[w] from among the native or alien blasphemes against Yahweh, and that person must be cut off from the midst of the people. 31 Because he despised the word of Yahweh and broke his command, that person will be surely cut off and bear the guilt.’”

Violation of the Sabbath

32 When the Israelites[x] were in the desert, they found a man who was gathering wood on the day of the Sabbath. 33 The ones who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses, Aaron, and to all the community. 34 And they put him under watch because it was not made clear what should be done to him. 35 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Surely the man must be put to death by stoning him; all the community must stone him with stones from outside the camp.” 36 So the entire community brought him out to a place outside the camp, and they stoned him to death[y] just as Yahweh commanded Moses.

Garment Fringes

37 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 38 “Speak to the Israelites,[z] and tell them to make for themselves tassels[aa] on the hems of their garments throughout their generations[ab] and to put a blue cord on the tassel of the hem. 39 You will have a tassel for you to look at[ac] and remember all the commands of Yahweh and do them, and not follow after the unfaithfulness of your own heart and eyes,[ad] 40 so that you will remember and do all my commandments, and you will be holy for your God. 41 I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; I am Yahweh your God.”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 15:2 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  2. Numbers 15:4 Hebrew “his offering”
  3. Numbers 15:8 Literally “a son of cattle”
  4. Numbers 15:9 Literally “the son of the cattle”
  5. Numbers 15:14 Hebrew “for your generations”
  6. Numbers 15:15 Literally “like you like the alien”
  7. Numbers 15:15 Literally “in the presence of Yahweh”
  8. Numbers 15:18 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  9. Numbers 15:21 Hebrew “for your generations”
  10. Numbers 15:22 Or “do”
  11. Numbers 15:23 Or “through Moses”
  12. Numbers 15:23 Hebrew “for your generations”
  13. Numbers 15:24 Literally “from the eyes”
  14. Numbers 15:24 Literally “a bull a son of cattle”
  15. Numbers 15:25 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  16. Numbers 15:25 Literally “it will be forgiven to them”
  17. Numbers 15:25 Literally “in the presence of Yahweh”
  18. Numbers 15:26 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  19. Numbers 15:27 Literally “a daughter of a year”
  20. Numbers 15:28 Literally “sinned unintentionally when sinning an unintentional wrong”
  21. Numbers 15:28 Literally “in the presence of Yahweh”
  22. Numbers 15:29 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  23. Numbers 15:30 Literally “who acts with a high hand”
  24. Numbers 15:32 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  25. Numbers 15:36 Literally “they stoned him with stones and he died”
  26. Numbers 15:38 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  27. Numbers 15:38 Hebrew “tassel”
  28. Numbers 15:38 Hebrew “for their generations”
  29. Numbers 15:39 Literally “and you will look at it”
  30. Numbers 15:39 Literally “after your heart and after your eyes, which you are unfaithful after them”

Supplementary Offerings

15 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘After you enter the land I am giving you(A) as a home and you present to the Lord food offerings from the herd or the flock,(B) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord(C)—whether burnt offerings(D) or sacrifices, for special vows or freewill offerings(E) or festival offerings(F) then the person who brings an offering shall present to the Lord a grain offering(G) of a tenth of an ephah[a] of the finest flour(H) mixed with a quarter of a hin[b] of olive oil. With each lamb(I) for the burnt offering or the sacrifice, prepare a quarter of a hin of wine(J) as a drink offering.(K)

“‘With a ram(L) prepare a grain offering(M) of two-tenths of an ephah[c](N) of the finest flour mixed with a third of a hin[d] of olive oil,(O) and a third of a hin of wine(P) as a drink offering.(Q) Offer it as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(R)

“‘When you prepare a young bull(S) as a burnt offering or sacrifice, for a special vow(T) or a fellowship offering(U) to the Lord, bring with the bull a grain offering(V) of three-tenths of an ephah[e](W) of the finest flour mixed with half a hin[f] of olive oil, 10 and also bring half a hin of wine(X) as a drink offering.(Y) This will be a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(Z) 11 Each bull or ram, each lamb or young goat, is to be prepared in this manner. 12 Do this for each one, for as many as you prepare.(AA)

13 “‘Everyone who is native-born(AB) must do these things in this way when they present a food offering as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(AC) 14 For the generations to come,(AD) whenever a foreigner(AE) or anyone else living among you presents a food(AF) offering(AG) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord, they must do exactly as you do. 15 The community is to have the same rules for you and for the foreigner residing among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.(AH) You and the foreigner shall be the same before the Lord: 16 The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the foreigner residing among you.(AI)’”

17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land to which I am taking you(AJ) 19 and you eat the food of the land,(AK) present a portion as an offering to the Lord.(AL) 20 Present a loaf from the first of your ground meal(AM) and present it as an offering from the threshing floor.(AN) 21 Throughout the generations to come(AO) you are to give this offering to the Lord from the first of your ground meal.(AP)

Offerings for Unintentional Sins

22 “‘Now if you as a community unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands the Lord gave Moses(AQ) 23 any of the Lord’s commands to you through him, from the day the Lord gave them and continuing through the generations to come(AR) 24 and if this is done unintentionally(AS) without the community being aware of it,(AT) then the whole community is to offer a young bull for a burnt offering(AU) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord,(AV) along with its prescribed grain offering(AW) and drink offering,(AX) and a male goat for a sin offering.[g](AY) 25 The priest is to make atonement for the whole Israelite community, and they will be forgiven,(AZ) for it was not intentional(BA) and they have presented to the Lord for their wrong a food offering(BB) and a sin offering.(BC) 26 The whole Israelite community and the foreigners residing among them will be forgiven, because all the people were involved in the unintentional wrong.(BD)

27 “‘But if just one person sins unintentionally,(BE) that person must bring a year-old female goat for a sin offering.(BF) 28 The priest is to make atonement(BG) before the Lord for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made, that person will be forgiven.(BH) 29 One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner residing among you.(BI)

30 “‘But anyone who sins defiantly,(BJ) whether native-born or foreigner,(BK) blasphemes the Lord(BL) and must be cut off from the people of Israel.(BM) 31 Because they have despised(BN) the Lord’s word and broken his commands,(BO) they must surely be cut off; their guilt remains on them.(BP)’”

The Sabbath-Breaker Put to Death

32 While the Israelites were in the wilderness,(BQ) a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day.(BR) 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, 34 and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him.(BS) 35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must die.(BT) The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.(BU) 36 So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him(BV) to death,(BW) as the Lord commanded Moses.(BX)

Tassels on Garments

37 The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come(BY) you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments,(BZ) with a blue cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember(CA) all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves(CB) by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts(CC) and eyes. 40 Then you will remember to obey all my commands(CD) and will be consecrated to your God.(CE) 41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God.(CF) I am the Lord your God.(CG)’”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 15:4 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
  2. Numbers 15:4 That is, about 1 quart or about 1 liter; also in verse 5
  3. Numbers 15:6 That is, probably about 7 pounds or about 3.2 kilograms
  4. Numbers 15:6 That is, about 1 1/3 quarts or about 1.3 liters; also in verse 7
  5. Numbers 15:9 That is, probably about 11 pounds or about 5 kilograms
  6. Numbers 15:9 That is, about 2 quarts or about 1.9 liters; also in verse 10
  7. Numbers 15:24 Or purification offering; also in verses 25 and 27