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Sacrifices To Give Thanks to the Lord

The Lord said:

When you offer sacrifices to give thanks to me,[a] you must use only your finest flour. Put it in a dish, sprinkle olive oil and incense on the flour, and take it to the priests from Aaron's family. One of them will scoop up the incense together with a handful of the flour and oil. Then, to show that the whole offering belongs to me, the priest will lay this part on the bronze altar and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me. The rest of this sacrifice is for the priests; it is very holy because it was offered to me.

If you bake bread in an oven for this sacrifice, use only your finest flour, but without any yeast. You may make the flour into a loaf mixed with olive oil, or you may make it into thin wafers and brush them with oil.

If you cook bread in a shallow pan for this sacrifice, use only your finest flour. Mix it with olive oil, but do not use any yeast. Then break the bread into small pieces and sprinkle them with oil. If you cook your bread in a pan with a lid on it, you must also use the finest flour mixed with oil.

You may prepare sacrifices to give thanks in any of these three ways. Bring your sacrifice to a priest, and he will take it to the bronze altar. Then, to show that the whole offering belongs to me, the priest will lay part of it on the altar and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me. 10 The rest of this sacrifice is for the priests; it is very holy because it was offered to me.

11 Yeast and honey must never be burned on the altar, so don't ever mix either of these in a grain sacrifice. 12 You may offer either of them separately,[b] when you present the first part of your harvest to me, but they must never be burned on the altar.

13 Salt is offered when you make an agreement with me, so sprinkle salt on these sacrifices.

14 Freshly cut grain, either roasted or coarsely ground,[c] must be used when you offer the first part of your grain harvest. 15 You must mix in some olive oil and put incense on top, because this is a grain sacrifice. 16 A priest will sprinkle all of the incense and some of the grain and oil on the altar and send them up in smoke to show that the whole offering belongs to me.

Sacrifices To Ask the Lord's Blessing

The Lord said:

When you offer sacrifices to ask my blessing,[d] you may offer either a bull or a cow, but there must be nothing wrong with the animal. Lead it to the entrance of the sacred tent, lay your hand on its head, and have it killed there. A priest from Aaron's family will splatter its blood against the four sides of the altar.

Offer all of the fat on the animal's insides, as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat. Some of the priests will lay these pieces on the altar and send them up in smoke with a smell that pleases me, together with the sacrifice that is offered to please me.[e]

Instead of a bull or a cow, you may offer any sheep or goat that has nothing wrong with it. If you offer a sheep, you must present it to me at the entrance to the sacred tent. Lay your hand on its head and have it killed there. A priest will then splatter its blood against the four sides of the altar.

Offer the fat on the tail, the tailbone, and the insides, 10 as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat. 11 One of the priests will lay these pieces on the altar and send them up in smoke as a food offering for me.

12 If you offer a goat, you must also present it to me 13 at the entrance to the sacred tent. Lay your hand on its head and have it killed there. A priest will then splatter its blood against the four sides of the altar.

14 Offer all of the fat on the animal's insides, 15 as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat. 16 One of the priests will put these pieces on the altar and send them up in smoke as a food offering with a smell that pleases me.

All fat belongs to me. 17 So you and your descendants must never eat any fat or any blood, not even in the privacy of your own homes.[f] This law will never change.

Footnotes

  1. 2.1 sacrifices to give thanks to me: These sacrifices have traditionally been called “grain offerings.” A main purpose of such sacrifices was to thank the Lord with a gift of grain, and so in the CEV they are sometimes called “sacrifices to give thanks to the Lord.”
  2. 2.12 You … separately: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  3. 2.14 either … ground: Or “roasted and coarsely ground.”
  4. 3.1 sacrifices to ask my blessing: These sacrifices have traditionally been called “peace offerings” or “offerings of well-being.” A main purpose was to ask for the Lord's blessing, and so in the CEV they are sometimes called “sacrifices to ask the Lord's blessing.”
  5. 3.5 sacrifice … to please me: See the note at 1.1-3.
  6. 3.17 not even … homes: Or “no matter where you live.”

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