Leviticus 3-5

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Fellowship Offering

3 “If his offering is a fellowship sacrifice,^(A) and he is presenting an animal from the herd, whether male or female, he must present one without blemish^(B) before the Lord. ² He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then Aaron’s sons the priests will sprinkle the blood on all sides of the altar.^{(C) 3} He will present part of the fellowship sacrifice as a fire offering to the Lord: the fat^(D) surrounding the entrails,^(E) all the fat that is on the entrails, ⁴ and the two kidneys^(F) with the fat on them at the loins; he will also remove the fatty lobe of the liver^(G) with the kidneys. ⁵ Aaron’s sons will burn it on the altar along with the burnt offering^(H) that is on the burning wood, a fire offering of a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

⁶ “If his offering as a fellowship sacrifice to the Lord is from the flock, he must present a male or female without blemish. ⁷ If he is presenting a lamb for his offering, he is to present it before the Lord. ⁸ He must lay his hand on the head of his offering, then slaughter it before the tent of meeting. Aaron’s sons will sprinkle its blood on all sides of the altar. ⁹ He will then present part of the fellowship sacrifice as a fire offering to the Lord consisting of its fat and the entire fat tail,^(I) which he is to remove close to the backbone. He will also remove the fat surrounding the entrails,^(J) all the fat on the entrails, ¹⁰ the two kidneys with the fat on them at the loins, and the fatty lobe of the liver above the kidneys. ¹¹ Then the priest will burn the food on the altar,^(K) as a fire offering to the Lord.

¹² “If his offering is a goat,^(L) he is to present it before the Lord. ¹³ He must lay his hand on its head and slaughter it before the tent of meeting. Aaron’s sons will sprinkle^[a] its blood on all sides of the altar. ¹⁴ He will present part of his offering as a fire offering to the Lord: the fat surrounding the entrails, all the fat that is on the entrails, ¹⁵ and the two kidneys with the fat on them at the loins; he will also remove the fatty lobe of the liver with the kidneys. ¹⁶ Then the priest will burn the food on the altar, as a fire offering for a pleasing aroma.^[b]

“All fat belongs to the Lord. ¹⁷ This is a permanent statute^(M) throughout your generations, wherever you live: you must not eat any fat or any blood.”^(N)

The Sin Offering

4 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: ² “Tell the Israelites: When someone sins unintentionally^(O) against any of the Lord’s commands and does anything prohibited by them—

³ “If the anointed priest^[c](P) sins, bringing guilt^(Q) on the people, he is to present to the Lord a young, unblemished^(R) bull as a sin^[d] offering^(S) for the sin he has committed. ⁴ He must bring the bull to the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and slaughter it before the Lord. ⁵ The anointed priest must then take some of the bull’s blood and bring it into the tent of meeting. ⁶ The priest is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times^(T) before the Lord in front of the veil^(U) of the sanctuary.^{(V) 7} The priest must apply some of the blood to the horns of the altar of fragrant incense^(W) that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting. He must pour out the rest of the bull’s blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering^(X) that is at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁸ He is to remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering: the fat surrounding the entrails, all the fat that is on the entrails, ⁹ and the two kidneys with the fat on them at the loins. He will also remove the fatty lobe of the liver with the kidneys, ¹⁰ just as the fat is removed from the ox of the fellowship sacrifice.^(Y) The priest is to burn them on the altar of burnt offering. ¹¹ But the hide^(Z) of the bull and all its flesh, with its head and shanks, and its entrails and dung— ¹² all the rest of the bull—he must bring to a ceremonially clean place^(AA) outside the camp^(AB) to the ash heap, and must burn it on a wood fire. It is to be burned at the ash heap.

¹³ “Now if the whole community of Israel^(AC) errs,^(AD) and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly,^(AE) so that they violate any of the Lord’s commands and incur guilt^(AF) by doing what is prohibited, ¹⁴ then the assembly must present a young bull as a sin offering. When the sin they have committed in regard to the command becomes known, they are to bring it before the tent of meeting. ¹⁵ The elders^(AG) of the community are to lay their hands on the bull’s head before the Lord and it is to be slaughtered before the Lord. ¹⁶ The anointed priest will bring some of the bull’s blood into the tent of meeting. ¹⁷ The priest is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the veil. ¹⁸ He is to apply some of the blood to the horns of the altar that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting. He must pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ¹⁹ He is to remove all the fat from it and burn it on the altar. ²⁰ He is to offer this bull just as he did with the bull in the sin offering; he will offer it the same way. So the priest will make atonement^(AH) on their behalf, and they will be forgiven.^{(AI) 21} Then he will bring the bull outside the camp^(AJ) and burn it just as he burned the first bull. It is the sin offering for the assembly.

²² “When a leader^[e](AK) sins and unintentionally violates any of the commands of the Lord his God by doing what is prohibited, and incurs guilt, ²³ or someone informs him about the sin he has committed, he is to bring an unblemished male goat^(AL) as his offering. ²⁴ He is to lay his hand on the head of the goat and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering^(AM) is slaughtered before the Lord. It is a sin offering.^{(AN) 25} Then the priest must take some of the blood from the sin offering with his finger and apply it to the horns of the altar of burnt offering.^(AO) The rest of its blood he must pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering. ²⁶ He must burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the fellowship sacrifice. In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf for that person’s sin, and he will be forgiven.

²⁷ “Now if any of the common people^[f] sins unintentionally by violating one of the Lord’s commands, does what is prohibited, and incurs guilt, ²⁸ or if someone informs him about the sin he has committed, then he is to bring an unblemished female goat as his offering for the sin that he has committed. ²⁹ He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering. ³⁰ Then the priest must take some of its blood with his finger and apply it to the horns of the altar of burnt offering. He must pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. ³¹ He is to remove all its fat just as the fat is removed from the fellowship sacrifice. The priest is to burn it on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf, and he will be forgiven.

³² “Or if the offering that he brings as a sin offering is a lamb,^(AP) he is to bring an unblemished female. ³³ He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it as a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. ³⁴ Then the priest must take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and apply it to the horns of the altar of burnt offering. He must pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. ³⁵ He is to remove all its fat just as the fat of the lamb is removed from the fellowship sacrifice. The priest will burn it on the altar along with the fire offerings to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

Cases Requiring Sin Offerings

5 “When someone sins in any of these ways:

⁵ If someone incurs guilt in one of these cases, he is to confess^(AY) he has committed that sin. ⁶ He must bring his restitution^(AZ) for the sin he has committed to the Lord: a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement^(BA) on his behalf for his sin.

⁷ “But if he cannot afford an animal from the flock, then he may bring to the Lord two turtledoves or two young pigeons^(BB) as restitution for his sin—one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. ⁸ He is to bring them to the priest, who will first present the one for the sin offering. He must twist its head at the back of the neck without severing it.^{(BC) 9} Then he will 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;^(BD) it is a sin offering. ¹⁰ He must prepare the second bird as a burnt offering according to the regulation.^(BE) In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

¹¹ “But if he cannot afford^[i] two turtledoves or two young pigeons,^(BF) he may bring two quarts^[j] of fine^[k] flour^[l](BG) as an offering for his sin. He must not put olive oil or frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. ¹² He is to bring it to the priest, who will take a handful from it as its memorial portion^(BH) and burn it on the altar along with the fire offerings to the Lord; it is a sin offering. ¹³ In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf concerning the sin he has committed in any of these cases, and he will be forgiven. The rest will belong to the priest, like the grain offering.”^(BI)

The Restitution Offering

¹⁴ Then the Lord spoke to Moses: ¹⁵ “If someone offends^(BJ) by sinning unintentionally^(BK) in regard to any of the Lord’s holy things,^[m] he must bring his restitution offering to the Lord: an unblemished ram from the flock (based on your assessment of its value in silver shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel^(BL)) as a restitution offering. ¹⁶ He must make restitution^(BM) for his sin regarding any holy^(BN) thing, adding a fifth of its value to it,^(BO) and give it to the priest. Then the priest will make atonement on his behalf with the ram of the restitution offering, and he will be forgiven.^(BP)

¹⁷ “If someone sins and without knowing it violates any of the Lord’s commands concerning anything prohibited, he bears the consequences of his guilt. ¹⁸ He must bring an unblemished ram from the flock according to your assessment of its value as a restitution offering to the priest. Then the priest will make atonement on his behalf for the error he has committed unintentionally, and he will be forgiven. ¹⁹ It is a restitution offering; he is indeed guilty before the Lord.”