22 “When you sin unintentionally and do not obey all these commands that the Lord spoke to Moses(A) 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,(B) 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.

Read full chapter

Offerings for Inadvertent National Sin

22 “Here’s what you are to do[a] when you all[b] go astray and fail to observe all these commands that the Lord had spoken to Moses, 23 including anything that the Lord commanded you by the authority[c] of Moses, starting from the day the Lord commanded Moses and continuing through your generations. 24 When anything is done without the knowledge[d] of the congregation, the entire community is to offer one young bull for a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord, along with its meal and drink offerings offered according to procedure, and one male goat for a sin offering. 25 Then the priest is to make atonement for the entire community of the Israelis, and they will be forgiven[e] for inadvertent sins. They are to bring their offering, an offering made by fire to the Lord, as well as their sin offering, into the Lord’s presence on account of their error. 26 Then the entire community of Israel will be forgiven, along with the resident alien who lives among them, since all the people will have sinned inadvertently.”

Offerings for Inadvertent Personal Sin

27 “Now when one person[f] sins inadvertently, then he is to bring a one year old female goat for a sin offering. 28 Then, in the Lord’s presence, the priest is to make atonement for the person who sinned inadvertently, that is, to make atonement on his behalf so he may be forgiven. 29 You are to have a single law for the one who does things inadvertently, whether for the native-born Israeli or for the resident alien who lives among you.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 15:22 The Heb. lacks Here’s what you are to do
  2. Numbers 15:22 Lit. you (pl.)
  3. Numbers 15:23 Lit. by the hand
  4. Numbers 15:24 Lit. is hidden from the eyes
  5. Numbers 15:25 Or it are to be forgiven them
  6. Numbers 15:27 Lit. soul