Old/New Testament

Sacrifices for Unintentional Sins

4 Adonai spoke to Moses, saying: ² “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, saying: If anyone sins unintentionally in any of Adonai’s mitzvot that are not to be done, and commits any one of them ³ —or if the anointed kohen sins so as to bring guilt on the people—then let him offer for his sin which he has committed, a young bull without blemish to Adonai for a sin offering. ⁴ He is to bring the bull to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before Adonai, lay his hand on the head of the bull, and slaughter it before Adonai. ⁵ The anointed kohen should take some of the blood of the bull, and bring it to the Tent of Meeting. ⁶ The kohen is to dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before Adonai, before the curtain of the Sanctuary. ⁷ The kohen should put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before Adonai, which is in the Tent of Meeting, and he is to pour out all of rest of the blood of the bull at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. ⁸ He is to take all the fat of the bull of the sin offering off of it, the fat that covers the innards, all the fat that is on the entrails, ⁹ the two kidneys and the fat that is over them which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, which he is to remove with the kidneys, ¹⁰ just as it is removed from the bull of the sacrifice of fellowship offerings. The kohen should burn them up as smoke on the altar of burnt offering. ¹¹ The bull’s hide, all its flesh, with its head, along with its legs, its innards and its dung— ¹² the entire bull—he is to carry outside the camp to a clean place, where the fat ashes are poured out, and burn it over wood in the fire. It is to be burned on top of the place of pouring fat ashes.

¹³ “Now if the whole congregation of Israel sins, but the deed is hidden from the eyes of the community, yet they have done one of Adonai’s mitzvot that are not to be done, then they are guilty. ¹⁴ When the sin that they committed becomes known, then the community is to offer a young bull for a sin offering, and bring it before the Tent of Meeting. ¹⁵ The elders of the congregation are to lay their hands on the head of the bull before Adonai, and the bull is to be slaughtered before Adonai. ¹⁶ The anointed kohen should bring some of the blood from the bull to the Tent of Meeting. ¹⁷ Then the kohen is to dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before Adonai, before the curtain. ¹⁸ He is to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before Adonai, in the Tent of Meeting, and the rest of the blood he is to pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. ¹⁹ He is to take all its fat from it, and burn it up as smoke on the altar. ²⁰ He is also to do with the bull just as he did with the bull of the sin offering—he must do the same with it. So the kohen shall make atonement for them—and they will be forgiven. ²¹ Then he is to carry the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is the sin offering for the community.

²² “When a ruler sins and unwittingly does one of the mitzvot of Adonai his God that are not to be done, then he is guilty. ²³ When his sin that he committed is made known to him, he is to bring as his offering a goat, a male without blemish. ²⁴ He is to lay his hand on the head of the goat and slaughter it in the place where they slaughter the burnt offering before Adonai. It is a sin offering. ²⁵ The kohen should take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. He is to pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering. ²⁶ He is to burn all its fat on the altar, just like the fat of the sacrifice of fellowship offerings. So the kohen shall make atonement for him concerning his sin—and he will be forgiven.

²⁷ “When anyone of the common people sins unwittingly by doing one of Adonai’s mitzvot that are not to be done, then he is guilty. ²⁸ When his sin that he committed is made known to him, then he is to bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin that he committed. ²⁹ He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and then slaughter it at the place of burnt offering. ³⁰ The kohen is to take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. He is to pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. ³¹ He is to take away all its fat, just like the fat is taken away from off of the sacrifice of fellowship offerings. And the kohen should burn it on the altar for a soothing aroma to Adonai. So the kohen is to make atonement for him—and he will be forgiven.

Sin Offerings

³² “Now if he brings a lamb as his sacrifice for a sin offering, he is to bring a female without blemish. ³³ He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place where they slaughter the burnt offering. ³⁴ The kohen should take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. Then all the rest of its blood he is to pour out at the base of the altar. ³⁵ He must remove all its fat, just as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of fellowship offerings. Then the kohen is to burn them on the altar, on Adonai’s offerings by fire. So the kohen shall make atonement for him over the sin that he committed—and he will be forgiven.

5 “If a soul sins—after hearing a charge of an oath, and he is a witness whether he has seen or otherwise known—if he fails to report it, then he will bear his guilt.

² “Or if a person touches any unclean thing—whether it is the carcass of an unclean animal or the carcass of unclean livestock or the carcass of unclean creeping things, though it is hidden from him, still he is unclean and he will be guilty.

³ “Or if he touches some human uncleanness, whatever his filth is by which he is unclean, though it is hidden from him, when he knows of it, then he will be guilty.

⁴ “Or if a person swears rashly with his lips to do evil or to do good—about anything that one might utter rashly by an oath, though it is hidden from him, when he realizes it, then he will be guilty of one of these.

⁵ “So it will be, when one becomes guilty of one of these things, he should confess about what he has sinned. ^{[a] 6} Then he is to bring his trespass offering to Adonai for his sin that he committed: a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, as a sin offering. So the kohen is to make atonement for him over his sin.

⁷ “But if one cannot afford a lamb, then he should bring, as his trespass offering for the sin he committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, to Adonai. One is for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. ⁸ He is to bring them to the kohen, who will present the one for the sin offering first, and twist its head from its neck but not sever it completely. ⁹ He is to sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood is to be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. ¹⁰ He is to make the second a burnt offering, according to the regulation. So the kohen is to make atonement for one over his sin that he committed—and he will be forgiven.

¹¹ “But if one cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he is to bring as his offering for the sin he has committed a tenth of an ephah^[b] of fine flour as a sin offering. He is to put no oil on it nor put any frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. ¹² He is to bring it to the kohen, then the kohen is to take his handful of it as the memorial portion and burn it up as smoke on the altar, on Adonai’s offerings by fire. It is a sin offering. ¹³ The kohen is to make atonement for him over his sin that one has committed in any of these things—and he will be forgiven. The rest belongs to the kohen, just like the meal offering.”

¹⁴ Adonai spoke to Moses, saying: ¹⁵ “If anyone commits a faithless act and sins unwittingly against the holy things of Adonai, then he is to bring his trespass offering to Adonai: a ram without blemish from the flock, according to your value in silver shekels after the shekel of the Sanctuary, for a trespass offering. ¹⁶ He is to make restitution for that which he has done wrong in regard to the holy thing, and is required to add a fifth part to it, and give it to the kohen. So the kohen will make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering—and he will be forgiven.

¹⁷ “Now if anyone sins and one of Adonai’s commandments that are not to be done, though he did not know it, still he is guilty and will bear his iniquity. ¹⁸ He is to bring to the kohen a ram without blemish from of the flock, according to your value, as a trespass offering. Then the kohen is to make atonement for him over the sin that he committed unknowingly—and he will be forgiven. ¹⁹ It is a trespass offering. He is absolutely guilty before Adonai.”

Mitzvot of Restitution

²⁰ Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying: ²¹ “Suppose anyone sins and commits a faithless act against Adonai by dealing falsely with his neighbor in a matter of a deposit or a pledge of hands, or through robbery, or has extorted from his neighbor, ²² or has found what was lost and lied about it, swearing falsely—so sinning in one of any of these things that a man may do. ²³ Then it will be, when he has sinned and has become guilty, that he must restore what he took by robbery, or what he got by extortion, or the deposit that was committed to him, or what was lost that he found, ²⁴ or any thing about which he has sworn falsely, he is to restore it in full, and add a fifth part more to it. He must give it to the one to whom it belongs on the day of presenting his trespass offering. ²⁵ He is to bring his trespass offering to Adonai, a ram without blemish from the flock, according to your value, for a trespass offering, to the kohen. ²⁶ The kohen shall make atonement for him before Adonai, and he will be forgiven concerning whatever he may have done to become guilty.”

²⁹ “But immediately after the trouble of those days,

³⁰ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the land will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’^[b] with power and great glory. ³¹ He will send out His angels with a great shofar, and they will gather together His chosen from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”^[c]

Watching for Messiah’s Return

³² “Now learn the parable from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, at the door. ³⁴ Amen, I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things happen. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. ^{[d] 36} But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven nor the Son,^[e] except the Father alone.

³⁷ “For just as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. ³⁹ And they did not understand until the flood came and swept them all away.^[f] So shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Then two men will be in the field, one taken and one left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill, one taken and one left. ^{[g] 42} Therefore stay alert; for you do not know what day your Lord is coming. ⁴³ But know this, that if the master of the house had known what time the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and not let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

The Faithful Servant

⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master put in charge of his household to give them food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant whose master finds him so doing when he comes. ⁴⁷ Amen, I tell you, his master will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸ But if that wicked servant says in his heart, ‘My master is taking a long time,’ ⁴⁹ and he begins to beat his fellow servants, and he eats and drinks with drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. ⁵¹ And he will cut him in two and assign his place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”