Numbers 15
Good News Translation
Laws about Sacrifice
15 The Lord gave Moses 2 the following regulations for the people of Israel to observe in the land that he was going to give them. 3 A bull, a ram, a sheep, or a goat may be presented to the Lord as a burnt offering or as a sacrifice in fulfillment of a vow or as a freewill offering or as an offering at your regular religious festivals; the odor of these food offerings is pleasing to the Lord. 4-5 Whoever presents a sheep or a goat as a burnt offering to the Lord is to bring with each animal 2 pounds of flour mixed with 2 pints of olive oil as a grain offering, together with 2 pints of wine. 6 When a ram is offered, 4 pounds of flour mixed with 3 pints of olive oil are to be presented as a grain offering, 7 together with 3 pints of wine. The odor of these sacrifices is pleasing to the Lord. 8 When a bull is offered to the Lord as a burnt offering or as a sacrifice in fulfillment of a vow or as a fellowship offering, 9 a grain offering of 6 pounds of flour mixed with 4 pints of olive oil is to be presented, 10 together with 4 pints of wine. The odor of this sacrifice is pleasing to the Lord.
11 That is what shall be offered with each bull, ram, sheep, or goat. 12 When more than one animal is offered, the accompanying offering is to be increased proportionately. 13 All native Israelites are to do this when they present a food offering, an odor pleasing to the Lord. 14 And if at any time foreigners living among you, whether on a temporary or a permanent basis, make a food offering, an odor that pleases the Lord, they are to observe the same regulations. 15 For all time to come, the same[a] rules are binding on you and on the foreigners who live among you. You and they are alike in the Lord's sight; 16 (A)the same laws and regulations apply to you and to them.
17 The Lord gave Moses 18 the following regulations for the people of Israel to observe in the land that he was going to give them. 19 When any food produced there is eaten, some of it is to be set aside as a special contribution to the Lord. 20 When you bake bread, the first loaf of the first bread made from the new grain is to be presented as a special contribution to the Lord. This is to be presented in the same way as the special contribution you make from the grain you thresh. 21 For all time to come, this special gift is to be given to the Lord from the bread you bake.
22 But suppose someone unintentionally fails to keep some of these regulations which the Lord has given Moses. 23 And suppose that in the future the community fails to do everything that the Lord commanded through Moses. 24 If the mistake was made because of the ignorance of the community, they are to offer a bull as a burnt offering, an odor that pleases the Lord, with the proper grain offering and wine offering. In addition, they are to offer a male goat as a sin offering. 25 The priest shall perform the ritual of purification for the community, and they will be forgiven, because the mistake was unintentional and they brought their sin offering as a food offering to the Lord. 26 The whole community of Israel and the foreigners living among them will be forgiven, because everyone was involved in the mistake.
27 (B)If any of you sin unintentionally, you are to offer a one-year-old female goat as a sin offering. 28 At the altar the priest shall perform the ritual of purification to purify you from your sin, and you will be forgiven. 29 The same regulation applies to all who unintentionally commit a sin, whether they are native Israelites or resident foreigners.
30 But any who sin deliberately, whether they are natives or foreigners, are guilty of treating the Lord with contempt, and they shall be put to death, 31 because they have rejected what the Lord said and have deliberately broken one of his commands. They are responsible for their own death.
The Man Who Broke the Sabbath
32 Once, while the Israelites were still in the wilderness, a man was found gathering firewood on the Sabbath. 33 He was taken to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community, 34 and was put under guard, because it was not clear what should be done with him. 35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must be put to death; the whole community is to stone him to death outside the camp.” 36 So the whole community took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the Lord had commanded.
Rules about Tassels
37 The Lord commanded Moses 38 (C)to say to the people of Israel: “Make tassels on the corners of your garments and put a blue cord on each tassel. You are to do this for all time to come. 39 The tassels will serve as reminders, and each time you see them you will remember all my commands and obey them; then you will not turn away from me and follow your own wishes and desires. 40 The tassels will remind you to keep all my commands, and you will belong completely to me. 41 I am the Lord your God; I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Numbers 15:15 Some ancient translations the same; Hebrew the congregation the same.
Numbers 15
Common English Bible
Immigrants in the land of Canaan
15 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land where you will live, which I am giving you, 3 and you make a food gift[a] to the Lord as a soothing smell for the Lord from the herd or the flock—whether an entirely burned offering, or a sacrifice to fulfill a solemn promise, or a spontaneous gift, or at your sacred seasons— 4 the one presenting the offering to the Lord will bring a grain offering of one-tenth of a measure of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin[b] of oil. 5 You will also offer one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering with either the entirely burned offering or the sacrifice, for each lamb. 6 For a ram you will offer a grain offering of two-tenths of a measure of fine flour mixed with one-third of a hin of oil. 7 You will also present one-third of a hin of wine for a drink offering as a soothing smell for the Lord. 8 When you offer a bull for an entirely burned offering, or a sacrifice to fulfill a solemn promise, or a well-being sacrifice to the Lord, 9 you will present[c] with the bull a grain offering of three-tenths of a measure of fine flour mixed with a half hin of oil. 10 You will present a half hin of wine for a drink offering as a food gift that is a soothing smell to the Lord. 11 So will it be done with each ox, each ram, or for any sheep or goat. 12 However many you offer, you will do the same for each one.
13 Every citizen will perform these rituals in bringing a food gift that is a soothing smell to the Lord. 14 If an immigrant lives with you or has settled among you for many years and would also like to offer a food gift that is a soothing smell to the Lord, that person must do just as you do. 15 The assembly will have the same regulation for you and for the immigrant. The regulation will be permanent for all time. You and the immigrant will be the same in the Lord’s presence. 16 There will be one set of instructions and one legal norm for the immigrant and for you.
17 The Lord spoke to Moses: 18 Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land to which I’m bringing you, 19 whenever you eat the land’s food you will present a gift offering to the Lord. 20 You will present a gift offering from the first bread you bake just like you present a gift offering from the threshing floor. 21 You will give a gift offering from the first bread you bake for all time.
Offerings for accidental sin
22 If by accident you don’t obey all these commands that the Lord spoke to Moses, 23 or everything that the Lord commanded you through Moses from the day of the Lord’s command onward for all time, 24 then if it was done unintentionally without the knowledge of the community, the entire community must offer one bull from the herd as an entirely burned offering, a soothing smell to the Lord, with its grain and drink offering according to the specific instruction, and one male goat for a purification offering. 25 The priest will seek reconciliation for the entire Israelite community. They will be forgiven, because it was unintentional and because they brought their food gift to the Lord, along with their purification offering in the Lord’s presence for their accidental error. 26 The entire Israelite community and the immigrant residing among them will be forgiven, because all the people acted unintentionally.
27 If an individual sins unintentionally, that person must present a one-year-old female goat for a purification offering. 28 The priest will seek reconciliation in the Lord’s presence for the person who sinned unintentionally, when the sin is an accident, seeking reconciliation so that person will be forgiven. 29 There will be one set of instructions for the Israelite citizen and the immigrant residing with you for anyone who commits an unintentional sin.
Punishment for intentional sin
30 But the person who acts deliberately,[d] whether a citizen or an immigrant, and insults the Lord, that person will be cut off from the people 31 for despising the Lord’s word and breaking his commands. That person will be completely cut off and bear the guilt.
Instructions for Sabbath observance
32 When the Israelites were in the desert, they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day. 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses, Aaron, and the entire community. 34 They placed him in custody, because it wasn’t clear what should be done to him. 35 Then the Lord said to Moses: The man should be put to death. The entire community should stone him outside the camp. 36 The entire community took him outside the camp and stoned him. He died as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Fringes on garments
37 The Lord said to Moses: 38 Speak to the Israelites and say to them: Make fringes on the edges of your clothing for all time. Have them put blue cords on the fringe on the edges. 39 This will be your fringe. You will see it and remember all the Lord’s commands and do them. Then you won’t go exploring the lusts of your own heart or your eyes. 40 In this way you’ll remember to do all my commands. Then you will be holy to your God. 41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God.
Footnotes
- Numbers 15:3 Or offering by fire (cf Lev 3:11)
- Numbers 15:4 One hin is approximately one gallon.
- Numbers 15:9 Or he will present
- Numbers 15:30 Or with a high hand
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible