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
Numbers 15
Amplified Bible
Laws for Canaan
15 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them, ‘When you come into the land where you are to live, which I am giving you, 3 then make an offering by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow, or as a freewill offering or in your appointed feasts, to make a sweet and soothing aroma to the Lord, from the herd or from the flock. 4 The one who presents his offering shall present to the Lord a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a fourth of a [a]hin of oil, 5 and you shall prepare wine for the drink offering, a fourth of a hin, with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb. 6 Or for a ram you shall prepare as a grain offering two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a third of a hin of oil. 7 And for the drink offering you shall offer a third of a hin of wine, as a sweet and soothing aroma to the Lord. 8 When you prepare a bull as a burnt offering or as a sacrifice, in fulfilling a special vow or peace offering to the Lord, 9 then you shall offer with the bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil; 10 and you shall bring as the drink offering one-half a hin of wine as an offering by fire, as a sweet and soothing aroma to the Lord.
11 ‘Thus shall it be done for each bull, or for each ram, or for each of the male lambs, or of the goats. 12 According to the number that you prepare, so shall you do to everyone according to their number. 13 All who are native-born shall do these things in this way, in presenting an offering by fire, as a sweet and soothing aroma to the Lord.
Law of the Stranger
14 If a stranger lives as a resident alien with you, or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and he wishes to make an offering by fire, as a sweet and soothing aroma to the Lord, just as you do, so shall he do. 15 As for the assembly, there shall be one [and the same] statute for you [of the congregation] and for the stranger who is a resident alien with you, a permanent statute throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord. 16 There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the stranger who lives with you as a resident alien.’”
17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them, ‘When you enter the land to which I am bringing you, 19 then, when you eat the food of the land, you shall lift up an offering (heave offering) to the Lord. 20 You shall lift up a cake made of the first of your [ground grain which has been made into] dough as an offering [to the Lord]; as an offering from the threshing floor, so shall you lift it up. 21 From the first of your dough (ground grain) you shall give to the Lord an offering throughout your generations.
22 ‘But when you unintentionally fail and do not observe all these commandments, which the Lord has spoken to Moses, 23 even all that the Lord has commanded you [b]through Moses, from the day that the Lord gave commandments and onward throughout your generations, 24 then it shall be, if it was done unintentionally without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bull as a burnt offering, as a sweet and soothing aroma to the Lord, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat as a sin offering. 25 Then the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and they will be forgiven, for it was an error and they have brought their offering, an offering by fire to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord, for their error. 26 So all the congregation of the Israelites will be forgiven as well as the stranger who lives among them as a resident alien, because all the people were involved in the error.
27 ‘Also if one person sins unintentionally, then he shall offer a female goat one year old as a sin offering. 28 The priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the person who commits an error when he sins unintentionally, making atonement for him so that he may be forgiven. 29 You shall have one law for him who sins unintentionally, whether he is native-born among the Israelites or a stranger who is living among them as a resident alien. 30 But the person who does [anything wrong] [c]willfully and defiantly, whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one is blaspheming the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from among his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them]. 31 Because he has despised and rejected the word of the Lord, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; [the responsibility for] his wickedness and guilt will be upon him.’”
Sabbath-breaking Punished
32 Now while the Israelites were in the wilderness, they found a man who was gathering wood on the Sabbath day. 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation; 34 and they put him in custody, because it had not been explained [by God] what should be done to him. 35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall certainly be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 So all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
37 The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the sons of Israel and tell them to make for themselves tassels on the hems of their garments throughout their generations, and put a cord of blue on the tassel of each hem. 39 It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, so that you do not follow after [the desires of] your own heart and eyes, [desires] after which you used to follow and play the prostitute, 40 so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy (set apart) 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 15:4 I.e. approx one gal.
- Numbers 15:23 Lit by the hand of.
- Numbers 15:30 Lit with a high hand.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
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