Add parallel Print Page Options

Laws for Burnt Offerings

Then[a] Yahweh called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of assembly, saying, “Speak to the Israelites,[b] and say to them, ‘When a person[c] from you presents an offering to Yahweh, you shall present your offering from domestic animals, from the cattle[d] or from the flock.[e] If his offering is a burnt offering from the cattle,[f] then he must present[g] an unblemished male; he must present it at the door of the tent of assembly for his acceptance before[h] Yahweh.

“‘He[i] must lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering and it will be accepted[j] for him in order to make atonement for him. He[k] must slaughter the young bull[l] before[m] Yahweh, then[n] Aaron’s sons, the priests, will present the blood and sprinkle the blood all around the altar that is at the door of the tent of assembly. Then[o] he must remove the skin of the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. The sons of[p] Aaron the priest will put fire on the altar and arrange the wood on the fire. Then[q] Aaron’s sons, the priests, will arrange the pieces of meat,[r] the head, and the suet on the wood that is on the fire that is on the altar. Then[s] he must wash its inner parts[t] and its lower leg bones with water, and the priest will turn into smoke the whole animal on the altar as a burnt offering by fire, as an appeasing fragrance for Yahweh.

10 “‘But if his offering is from the flock,[u] from the sheep or from the goats for a burnt offering, he must present[v] an unblemished[w] male. 11 He[x] must slaughter it on the north side of the altar before[y] Yahweh; then[z] Aaron’s sons, the priests, will sprinkle its blood all around the altar. 12 Then[aa] he must cut it into pieces along with its head and its suet; and the priest will arrange them on the wood that is on the fire that is on the altar. 13 Then[ab] he must wash the inner parts[ac] and the lower leg bones with water and the priest shall present the whole animal and will turn it[ad] into smoke on the altar; it is a burnt offering by fire as an appeasing fragrance for Yahweh.

14 “‘But if his offering for Yahweh is a burnt offering from the birds, then he must present his offering from the turtledoves or from the young doves.[ae] 15 The priest[af] will present it at the altar and must wring off its head and turn it into smoke on the altar, and its blood will be drained out on the wall[ag] of the altar. 16 He[ah] must remove its crop with its plumage and throw it to the east beside the altar on the place of the fatty ashes. 17 Then[ai] he must tear it apart by its wings but must not sever it; then[aj] the priest will turn it into smoke on the altar. It is a burnt offering by fire as an appeasing fragrance for Yahweh.’”

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 1:1 Or “And”
  2. Leviticus 1:2 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  3. Leviticus 1:2 Or “man”—the singular noun is generic, thus the “you” and “your” in the remainder of the verse are all plural
  4. Leviticus 1:2 Or “herd”
  5. Leviticus 1:2 The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
  6. Leviticus 1:3 Or “herd”
  7. Leviticus 1:3 Hebrew “present it”
  8. Leviticus 1:3 Literally “to the face of”
  9. Leviticus 1:4 Or “And he”
  10. Leviticus 1:4 Same root word as “acceptance” in v. 3
  11. Leviticus 1:5 Or “And he”
  12. Leviticus 1:5 Literally “the son of the herd” or “the son of the cattle”
  13. Leviticus 1:5 Literally “to the face of”
  14. Leviticus 1:5 Or “and”
  15. Leviticus 1:6 Or “And”
  16. Leviticus 1:7 Or “And the sons of”
  17. Leviticus 1:8 Or “And”
  18. Leviticus 1:8 Verse 6 in the context uses the same word with reference to the meat
  19. Leviticus 1:9 Or “And”
  20. Leviticus 1:9 Or “entrails”
  21. Leviticus 1:10 The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
  22. Leviticus 1:10 Hebrew “present it”
  23. Leviticus 1:10 Same word as in v. 3
  24. Leviticus 1:11 Or “And he”
  25. Leviticus 1:11 Literally “to the face of”
  26. Leviticus 1:11 Or “and”
  27. Leviticus 1:12 Or “And”
  28. Leviticus 1:13 Or “And”
  29. Leviticus 1:13 Or “entrails”
  30. Leviticus 1:13 Understood direct object
  31. Leviticus 1:14 Literally “the sons of the dove”
  32. Leviticus 1:15 Or “And the priest”
  33. Leviticus 1:15 Or “side”
  34. Leviticus 1:16 Or “And he”
  35. Leviticus 1:17 Or “And”
  36. Leviticus 1:17 Or “and”

Then the Lord called to Moses and said to him from the meeting tent, Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When any of you present a livestock offering to the Lord, you can present it from either the herd or the flock.

The entirely burned offering

If the offering is an entirely burned offering from the herd, you must present a flawless male, bringing it to the meeting tent’s entrance for its acceptance before the Lord. You must press your hand on the head of the entirely burned offering so that it will be accepted for you, to make reconciliation for you. Then you will slaughter the bull before the Lord. Aaron’s sons the priests will present the blood and toss it against every side of the altar at the meeting tent’s entrance. Then the entirely burned offering will be skinned and cut up into pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest[a] will light the altar and lay wood on the fire. Then Aaron’s sons the priests will arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat on the wood that is on the altar fire, but the animal’s insides and lower legs must be washed with water. The priest will then completely burn all of it on the altar as an entirely burned offering, a food gift[b] of soothing smell to the Lord.

10 If the offering is an entirely burned offering from the flock—whether sheep or goat—you must present a flawless male. 11 You must slaughter it on the north side of the altar before the Lord. Aaron’s sons the priests will toss its blood against every side of the altar. 12 Once it has been cut into pieces, including the head and the fat, the priest will arrange these out on the wood that is on the altar fire, 13 but its insides and lower legs must be washed with water. Then the priest will present all of it and completely burn it on the altar. It is an entirely burned offering, a food gift of soothing smell to the Lord.

14 If the offering for the Lord is an entirely burned offering from the birds, you can present your offering from the doves or pigeons. 15 The priest will bring it to the altar. He will tear off its head and completely burn it on the altar. Its blood will be drained against the side of the altar. 16 Then the priest will remove its throat along with its contents[c] and throw it by the east side of the altar, into the place for the ashes. 17 He will then tear the bird open by its wings, without splitting it. The priest will completely burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the altar fire. It is an entirely burned offering, a food gift of soothing smell to the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 1:7 Some Heb sources, Sam, LXX, Syr, and some Tg sources have Aaron’s sons, the priests, as in 1:5, 8.
  2. Leviticus 1:9 Or (here and throughout Leviticus) offering by fire (cf 3:11)
  3. Leviticus 1:16 Heb uncertain