Numbers 15
Easy-to-Read Version
Rules About Sacrifices
15 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: I am giving you a land to be your home. When you enter that land, 3 you must give special gifts to the Lord. Their smell will please the Lord. You will use your cattle, sheep, and goats for burnt offerings, sacrifices, special promises, special gifts, fellowship offerings, or at your special festivals.
4 “At the time someone brings their offering, they must also give a grain offering to the Lord. The grain offering will be 8 cups[a] of fine flour mixed with 1 quart[b] of olive oil. 5 Each time you offer a lamb as a burnt offering or sacrifice, you must also prepare a quart of wine as a drink offering.
6 “If you are giving a ram, you must also prepare a grain offering. This grain offering should be 16 cups[c] of fine flour mixed with 1 1/4 quarts[d] of olive oil. 7 And you must prepare 1 1/4 quarts of wine as a drink offering. Its smell will please the Lord.
8 “You might prepare a young bull as a burnt offering, a sacrifice, a fellowship offering, or to keep a special promise to the Lord. 9 At that time you must also bring a grain offering with the bull. That grain offering should be 24 cups[e] of fine flour mixed with 2 quarts[f] of olive oil. 10 Also bring 2 quarts of wine as a drink offering as a sweet-smelling gift to the Lord. 11 Each bull or ram, or lamb or young goat that you give must be prepared in this way. 12 Do this for every one of these animals that you give.
13 “This is the way every citizen of Israel must give gifts to please the Lord. 14 Foreigners will live among you. If they give gifts to please the Lord, they must offer them the same way you do. 15 The same rules will be for everyone—the Israelites and the foreigners living among you. This law will continue forever. You and the people living among you will be the same before the Lord. 16 This means that you must follow the same laws and the same rules. These laws and rules are for you Israelites and for the other people who are living among you.”
17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “Tell the Israelites this: I am taking you to another land. 19 When you eat the food that grows in that land, you must give part of that food as an offering to the Lord. 20 You will gather grain and grind it into flour to make dough for bread. You must give the first bread from that flour as a gift to the Lord. It will be like the grain offering that comes from the threshing floor. 21 You and all your descendants must give part of the first dough you make from that flour as a gift to the Lord.
22 “As you try to obey all the commands that the Lord gave Moses, you might fail and make a mistake. 23 The Lord gave you those commands through Moses, and they have been in effect from the day they were given throughout the generations until today. 24 If you made this mistake where everyone could see it, the whole community must offer a young bull as a burnt offering, as a sweet-smelling gift to the Lord. You must also offer the grain offering and the drink offering with the bull. And you must also give a male goat as a sin offering.
25 “So the priest will make the whole community of Israel pure, and they will be forgiven for the mistake they made. Since they made the mistake, they must bring a gift and a sin offering to the Lord. 26 Then the whole community of Israel and any foreigners among them will be forgiven for the mistake.
27 “But if only one person makes a mistake and sins, that person must bring a female goat that is one year old. That goat will be the sin offering. 28 The priest will make purification before the Lord for the one who sinned, and that person will be forgiven. 29 This law is for everyone who makes a mistake and sins. The same law is for the people born in the family of Israel and for the foreigners living among you.
30 “If someone sins and knows they are doing wrong, they are rebelling against the Lord. They must be separated from their people. The same law applies to citizens of Israel and to foreigners living among you. 31 They thought the Lord’s word was not important, so they broke his commands. That is why they must be separated from their people—they must bear the responsibility for their guilt.”
A Man Works on the Day of Rest
32 While the Israelites were in the desert, some of them saw a man gathering firewood on the Sabbath day. 33 The people who saw him gathering the wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole community of Israel. 34 They guarded the man carefully because they did not know how they should punish him.
35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must die. All the people must throw stones at him outside the camp.” 36 So the people took him outside the camp and killed him with stones. They did this just as the Lord commanded Moses.
A Way to Remember God’s Commands
37 The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the Israelites. Tell them this: Tie several pieces of thread together and tie them in the corner of your clothes. Put a piece of blue thread in each one of these tassels. You must wear these things now and forever. 39 You will be able to look at these tassels and remember all the commands that the Lord has given you. Then you will obey the commands. You will not do wrong by forgetting about the commands and doing the things that your own bodies and eyes want. 40 You will remember to obey all my commands. Then you will be God’s special people. 41 I am the Lord your God. I am the one who brought you out of Egypt. I did this to be your God. I am the Lord your God.”
Footnotes
- Numbers 15:4 8 cups Literally, “1/10 of an ephah” (2.2 l).
- Numbers 15:4 1 quart Literally, “1/4 hin” (.8 l).
- Numbers 15:6 16 cups Literally, “2/10 of an ephah” (4.4 l).
- Numbers 15:6 1 1/4 quarts Literally, “1/3 hin” (1 l).
- Numbers 15:9 24 cups Literally, “3/10 of an ephah” (6.6 l).
- Numbers 15:9 2 quarts Literally, “1/2 hin” (1.6 l).
Numbers 15
Modern English Version
Laws of Grain and Drink Offerings
15 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you come into the land of your dwelling, which I am giving to you, 3 when you make an offering by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or as a freewill offering, or in your appointed feasts, to make a pleasing aroma to the Lord, of the herd or of the flock, 4 then he who brings his offering to the Lord will bring a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah[a] of flour mixed with the fourth part of a hin[b] of oil. 5 One-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering you will prepare with the burnt offering or sacrifice, for each lamb.
6 Or for a ram, you will make a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah[c] of flour mixed with one-third of a hin[d] of oil. 7 As a drink offering you will offer one-third of a hin of wine, as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
8 When you prepare a bull as a burnt offering, or as a sacrifice in performing a vow, or as a peace offering to the Lord, 9 then shall be brought with the bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah[e] of flour mixed with one-half a hin[f] of oil. 10 You will bring as a drink offering one-half a hin of wine, as a fire offering, as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 11 Thus it will be done for one herd animal, or for one ram, or for a flock animal, whether from the sheep or from the goats. 12 According to the number that you will make, so you will do for every one according to their number.
13 Every native Israelite will do these things in this manner, in offering a fire offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 14 A foreigner who lives with you, or who resides among you throughout your generations, and would present a fire offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord, shall do as you do. 15 One ordinance will be for you of the assembly and for the foreigner who lives with you, an ordinance forever throughout your generations. As you are, so will the foreigner be before the Lord. 16 One law and one justice will be for you and for the foreigner who lives with you.
17 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 18 Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you come into the land where I bring you, 19 then it will be, when you eat of the bread of the land you will offer up an offering to the Lord. 20 From the first of your dough you will offer a cake as an offering. As you make the offering of the threshing floor, so will you offer it. 21 Of the first of your dough you will give to the Lord an offering throughout your generations.
Laws About Unintentional Sins
22 If you have erred and not observed all these commandments which the Lord has spoken to Moses, 23 even all that the Lord has commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the Lord commanded Moses and onward through your generations, 24 then it will be, if it is committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the assembly, that all the assembly will offer one young bull as a burnt offering, as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the rule, and one kid of the goats as a sin offering. 25 The priest will make atonement for all the assembly of the children of Israel, and it will be forgiven them because it is ignorance, and they will bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord, for their ignorance. 26 And it will be forgiven all the assembly of the children of Israel and the foreigner who lives among them, because all the people were in ignorance.
27 If a person sins unintentionally, then he will bring a year-old female goat as a sin offering. 28 The priest will make an atonement for the person who sins unintentionally, when he sins by ignorance before the Lord, to make an atonement for him; and it will be forgiven him. 29 You shall have one law for the person who acts through ignorance, for the natural-born citizen among the children of Israel and foreigner who lives in your midst.
Laws About Intentional Sins
30 But the person who acts by a high hand, the natural-born citizen or the foreigner, the same reviles the Lord, and that person will be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken His commandment, that person will be totally cut off. His iniquity will be on him.
The Sabbath-Breaker Executed
32 While the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 The ones who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the assembly. 34 They put him in confinement because it was not declared what should be done to him. 35 The Lord said to Moses, “The man will surely die. All the assembly will stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 All the assembly brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died as the Lord commanded Moses.
Tassels on Garments
37 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 38 Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them to make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout the generations to come, and they will put a ribbon of blue on the corners of their garments. 39 And it will be for you a tassel, and you will see it, and you will remember all the commandments of the Lord, and you will do them, and you will not follow the lust of your own heart and your own eyes. 40 So shall you remember and do all My commandments, and 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 15:4 Likely about 3½ pounds, or 1.6 kilograms.
- Numbers 15:4 About 1 quart, or 1 liter; and in v. 5.
- Numbers 15:6 Likely about 7 pounds, or 3.2 kilograms.
- Numbers 15:6 About 1⅓ quarts, or 1.3 liters; and in v. 7.
- Numbers 15:9 Likely about 11 pounds, or 5 kilograms.
- Numbers 15:9 About 2 quarts, or 1.9 liters; and in v. 10.
Numbers 15
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Various Offerings
15 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Say to the people of Israel, When you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I give you, 3 and you offer to the Lord from the herd or from the flock an offering by fire or a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfil a vow or as a freewill offering or at your appointed feasts, to make a pleasing odor to the Lord, 4 then he who brings his offering shall offer to the Lord a cereal offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with a fourth of a hin of oil; 5 and wine for the drink offering, a fourth of a hin, you shall prepare with the burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, for each lamb. 6 Or for a ram, you shall prepare for a cereal 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, a pleasing odor to the Lord. 8 And when you prepare a bull for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice, to fulfil a vow, or for peace offerings to the Lord, 9 then one shall offer with the bull a cereal offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with half a hin of oil, 10 and you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, as an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the Lord.
11 “Thus it shall be done for each bull or ram, or for each of the male lambs or the kids. 12 According to the number that you prepare, so shall you do with every one according to their number. 13 All who are native shall do these things in this way, in offering an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the Lord. 14 And if a stranger is sojourning with you, or any one is among you throughout your generations, and he wishes to offer an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the Lord, he shall do as you do. 15 For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the sojourner be before the Lord. 16 One law and one ordinance shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.”
17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “Say to the people of Israel, When you come into the land to which I bring you 19 and when you eat of the food of the land, you shall present an offering to the Lord. 20 Of the first of your coarse meal you shall present a cake as an offering; as an offering from the threshing floor, so shall you present it. 21 Of the first of your coarse meal you shall give to the Lord an offering throughout your generations.
22 “But if you err, and do not observe all these commandments which the Lord has spoken to Moses, 23 all that the Lord has commanded you by Moses, from the day that the Lord gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations, 24 then if it was done unwittingly without the knowledge of the congregation, all the congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering, a pleasing odor to the Lord, with its cereal offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering. 25 And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the people of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; because 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 And all the congregation of the people of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger who sojourns among them, because the whole population was involved in the error.
27 “If one person sins unwittingly, he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering. 28 And the priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the person who commits an error, when he sins unwittingly, to make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven. 29 You shall have one law for him who does anything unwittingly, for him who is native among the people of Israel, and for the stranger who sojourns among them. 30 But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of the Lord, and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.”
Penalty for Violating the Sabbath
32 While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34 They put him in custody, because it had not been made plain what should be done to him. 35 And the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 And all the congregation brought him outside the camp, and stoned him to death with stones, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Fringes on Garments
37 The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the people of Israel, and bid them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put upon the tassel of each corner a cord of blue; 39 and it shall be to you a tassel to look upon and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to go after wantonly. 40 So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and 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.”
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.