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Guilt Offerings for Other Sins

The Lord told Moses these rules for the people: “You are guilty of sin against the Lord when you do any of these things: when you lie about what happened to something you were taking care of for someone else; when you lie about a deposit[a] you received; when you steal something; when you cheat someone; when you find something that was lost and lie about having it; when you fail to keep a promise; or when you do any other bad things like these. If you do any of these things, you are guilty of doing wrong. You must give back whatever you stole or whatever you took by cheating. You must return whatever you took that another person asked you to hold, or whatever you found and lied about having, or whatever you made a false promise about. You must pay the full price and then add one-fifth of that amount as a fine and give it all to the true owner. You must also bring a ram to the Lord that has nothing wrong with it (or the same amount in silver) to the priest. Then the priest will go to the Lord to make you pure, and God will forgive you for whichever of these things you did that made you guilty.”

Burnt Offerings

The Lord said to Moses, “Give this command to Aaron and his sons: This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering must stay on the hearth[b] of the altar all night until morning. The altar’s fire must be kept burning. 10 The priest must change clothes and put on the special linen underwear and linen robe. Then he must gather up the ashes from the fire and burnt offerings and set them down by the altar. 11 Then he must take off the special clothes and put on the other clothes and carry the ashes outside the camp to a special place that is pure. 12 The fire that was started on the altar must never be allowed to stop burning. Every morning the priests must put wood on the altar. They must arrange the burnt offerings on the wood, and they must burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. 13 That fire must always be kept burning on the altar. It must never be allowed to stop burning.

Grain Offerings

14 “This is the law for the grain offering: The sons of Aaron will bring it to the front of the altar as an offering to the Lord. 15 There must be some oil and frankincense on the grain offering. The priest will take a handful of fine flour from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as a sweet-smelling memorial offering to the Lord.

16 “Aaron and his sons will use the rest of that grain to make bread without yeast. This must be eaten in a holy place—in the courtyard around the Meeting Tent. 17 I have given this part of the grain offering as the priests’ share of the gifts offered to me. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy. It must not be baked with yeast. 18 Any male descendant of Aaron may eat from these gifts to the Lord. This is their share forever throughout your generations. Whatever touches these offerings will be made holy.[c]

The Priests’ Grain Offering

19 The Lord said to Moses, 20 “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons must bring to the Lord when Aaron is anointed to be the high priest. They must bring 8 cups[d] of fine flour for a grain offering. This will be offered at the times of the daily offering—half of it in the morning and half of it in the evening. 21 The fine flour must be mixed with oil and baked on a pan. After it is cooked, you must bring it in, break it into pieces, and offer it as a sweet-smelling gift to Lord.

22 “In the future, when Aaron’s descendants take their place as the anointed priests,[e] they will continue to make this grain offering to the Lord. This rule will continue forever. The grain offering must be completely burned for the Lord. 23 Every grain offering that a priest gives must be completely burned. It must not be eaten.”

The Law of the Sin Offering

24 The Lord said to Moses, 25 “Tell Aaron and his sons: This is the law of the sin offering. The sin offering must be killed in the place where the burnt offering is killed before the Lord. It is most holy. 26 The priest who offers the sin offering must eat it. But he must eat it in a holy place, in the courtyard around the Meeting Tent. 27 Touching the meat of the sin offering makes a person or a thing holy.

“If any of the sprinkled blood falls on a person’s clothes, you must wash the clothes in a holy place. 28 If the sin offering was boiled in a clay pot, the pot must be broken. If the sin offering was boiled in a bronze pot, the pot must be washed and rinsed in water.

29 “Any male in a priest’s family may eat the sin offering. It is very holy. 30 But if the blood of the sin offering was taken into the Meeting Tent and used in the Holy Place to make people pure, that sin offering must not be eaten. It must be completely burned in the fire.

Guilt Offerings

“These are the rules for the guilt offering, which is very holy: A priest must kill the guilt offering in the same place where they kill the burnt offerings. Then he must sprinkle the blood from the guilt offering around the altar.

“The priest must offer all the fat from the guilt offering. He must offer the fat tail and the fat that covers the inner parts. He must offer the two kidneys and the fat covering them at the lower back muscle. He must also offer the fat part of the liver. He must remove it with the kidneys. He must bring these things to the altar as a gift to the Lord. It is a guilt offering.

“Any male in a priest’s family may eat the guilt offering. It is very holy, so it must be eaten in a holy place. The guilt offering is like the sin offering. The same rules are for both offerings. The priest who does the sacrificing will get the meat for food. He will also get the skin[f] from the burnt offering. Every grain offering belongs to the priest who offers it. That priest will get the grain offerings that were baked in an oven, or cooked on a frying pan, or in a baking dish. 10 The grain offerings will belong to Aaron’s sons. It doesn’t make any difference if the grain offerings are dry or mixed with oil. The sons of Aaron will all share this food.

Fellowship Offerings

11 “This is the law of the sacrifice of fellowship offerings that you bring to the Lord: 12 People can bring fellowship offerings to show their thanks to God. If you bring your sacrifice to give thanks, you should also bring unleavened bread mixed with oil, wafers with oil poured over them, and loaves of fine flour mixed with oil. 13 You must also bring loaves of bread made with yeast to go with your fellowship offering. 14 Offer one each of these different kinds of bread as a gift to the Lord. Then it will belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the fellowship offerings. 15 The meat of the fellowship offering must be eaten on the same day it is offered as a way of showing thanks to God. None of the meat should remain until the next morning.

16 “If you bring a fellowship offering simply because you want to give a gift to God or because it is part of a special promise you made to him, the sacrifice should be eaten the same day you offer it. But if there is any left, it must be eaten the next day. 17 If any meat from this sacrifice is still left over on the third day, it must be burned in the fire. 18 If anyone eats the meat from the fellowship offering on the third day, the Lord will not accept it as a sacrifice. It will have no value for that person, and to the Lord it will be like rotten meat! Whoever eats it will be responsible for their sin.

19 “People must not eat any of the meat that touches anything unclean. They must burn this meat in the fire. Whoever is clean may eat the meat from the fellowship offering. 20 But anyone who is unclean and eats the meat from the fellowship offerings that was offered to the Lord must be separated from their people.

21 “If you touch something that is unclean, it doesn’t matter if it was made unclean by a person, an animal, or some disgusting thing, you will become unclean. And if you eat any of the meat from the fellowship offerings that was given to the Lord, you must be separated from your people.”

22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell the Israelites: You must not eat any fat from your cattle, sheep, or goats. 24 You may use the fat from any animal that has died by itself or was torn by other animals, but you must never eat it. 25 Whoever eats the fat from an animal that was offered as a gift to the Lord must be separated from their people.

26 “No matter where you live, you must never eat blood from any bird or any animal. 27 Anyone who eats blood must be separated from their people.”

Rules for the Offerings Presented to God

28 The Lord said to Moses, 29 “Tell the Israelites: If you bring a fellowship offering to the Lord, you must present that gift to the Lord yourself. 30 You must bring the fat and the breast of the animal to the priest. Then he will lift up the breast in front of the Lord to show it was presented to God. 31 The priest will burn the fat on the altar, but the breast of the animal will belong to Aaron and his sons. 32 You must also give the right thigh from the fellowship offering as a gift to the priest. 33 That part of the fellowship offering will belong to the priest[g] who carries the blood and fat to the altar. 34 I will accept the breast that was lifted up and the gift of the right thigh from the Israelites. Then I will give these things to Aaron and his sons. This is their share from the fellowship offerings of the Israelites forever.”

35 Those parts from the gifts offered to the Lord were given to Aaron and his sons. Whenever Aaron and his sons serve as the Lord’s priests, they get that share of the sacrifices. 36 The Lord commanded the Israelites to give those parts to the priests once they have been anointed. That will be their share from the Israelites forever.

37 These are the laws about burnt offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings, fellowship offerings, and offerings for when the priests are appointed. 38 The Lord gave these laws to Moses on Mount Sinai when he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the Lord in the desert of Sinai.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 6:2 deposit Literally, “pledge” or “security.” This is something like a down payment given as proof that something more important will be done.
  2. Leviticus 6:9 hearth The place on an altar or in a fireplace where a fire is burned.
  3. Leviticus 6:18 Whatever … holy Or “Whoever touches these offerings will become holy.” This might mean that anyone but the priests must die for touching the sacred food.
  4. Leviticus 6:20 8 cups Literally, “1/10 of an ephah” (2.2 l).
  5. Leviticus 6:22 anointed priests Special oil was poured on the priest’s head to show that God chose him to serve. Here, this refers to the high priest.
  6. Leviticus 7:8 skin This was used for making leather.
  7. Leviticus 7:33 the priest Literally, “him of the sons of Aaron.”

[a]The Lord said to Moses: “If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord(A) by deceiving a neighbor(B) about something entrusted to them or left in their care(C) or about something stolen, or if they cheat(D) their neighbor, or if they find lost property and lie about it,(E) or if they swear falsely(F) about any such sin that people may commit— when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return(G) what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found, or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution(H) in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering.(I) And as a penalty they must bring to the priest, that is, to the Lord, their guilt offering,(J) a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value.(K) In this way the priest will make atonement(L) for them before the Lord, and they will be forgiven for any of the things they did that made them guilty.”

The Burnt Offering

The Lord said to Moses: “Give Aaron and his sons this command: ‘These are the regulations for the burnt offering(M): The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar.(N) 10 The priest shall then put on his linen clothes,(O) with linen undergarments next to his body,(P) and shall remove the ashes(Q) of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar. 11 Then he is to take off these clothes and put on others, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is ceremonially clean.(R) 12 The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood(S) and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat(T) of the fellowship offerings(U) on it. 13 The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.

The Grain Offering

14 “‘These are the regulations for the grain offering:(V) Aaron’s sons are to bring it before the Lord, in front of the altar. 15 The priest is to take a handful of the finest flour and some olive oil, together with all the incense(W) on the grain offering,(X) and burn the memorial[b] portion(Y) on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 16 Aaron and his sons(Z) shall eat the rest(AA) of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast(AB) in the sanctuary area;(AC) they are to eat it in the courtyard(AD) of the tent of meeting.(AE) 17 It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share(AF) of the food offerings presented to me.(AG) Like the sin offering[c] and the guilt offering, it is most holy.(AH) 18 Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it.(AI) For all generations to come(AJ) it is his perpetual share(AK) of the food offerings presented to the Lord. Whatever touches them will become holy.[d](AL)’”

19 The Lord also said to Moses, 20 “This is the offering Aaron and his sons are to bring to the Lord on the day he[e] is anointed:(AM) a tenth of an ephah[f](AN) of the finest flour(AO) as a regular grain offering,(AP) half of it in the morning and half in the evening. 21 It must be prepared with oil on a griddle;(AQ) bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken[g] in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 22 The son who is to succeed him as anointed priest(AR) shall prepare it. It is the Lord’s perpetual share and is to be burned completely.(AS) 23 Every grain offering of a priest shall be burned completely; it must not be eaten.”

The Sin Offering

24 The Lord said to Moses, 25 “Say to Aaron and his sons: ‘These are the regulations for the sin offering:(AT) The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the Lord(AU) in the place(AV) the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy. 26 The priest who offers it shall eat it; it is to be eaten in the sanctuary area,(AW) in the courtyard(AX) of the tent of meeting.(AY) 27 Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy,(AZ) and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in the sanctuary area. 28 The clay pot(BA) the meat is cooked in must be broken; but if it is cooked in a bronze pot, the pot is to be scoured and rinsed with water. 29 Any male in a priest’s family may eat it;(BB) it is most holy.(BC) 30 But any sin offering whose blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement(BD) in the Holy Place(BE) must not be eaten; it must be burned up.(BF)

The Guilt Offering

“‘These are the regulations for the guilt offering,(BG) which is most holy: The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be splashed against the sides of the altar. All its fat(BH) shall be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the internal organs, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys.(BI) The priest shall burn them on the altar(BJ) as a food offering presented to the Lord. It is a guilt offering. Any male in a priest’s family may eat it,(BK) but it must be eaten in the sanctuary area; it is most holy.(BL)

“‘The same law applies to both the sin offering[h](BM) and the guilt offering:(BN) They belong to the priest(BO) who makes atonement with them.(BP) The priest who offers a burnt offering for anyone may keep its hide(BQ) for himself. Every grain offering baked in an oven(BR) or cooked in a pan(BS) or on a griddle(BT) belongs to the priest who offers it, 10 and every grain offering, whether mixed with olive oil or dry, belongs equally to all the sons of Aaron.

The Fellowship Offering

11 “‘These are the regulations for the fellowship offering anyone may present to the Lord:

12 “‘If they offer it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering(BU) they are to offer thick loaves(BV) made without yeast(BW) and with olive oil mixed in, thin loaves(BX) made without yeast and brushed with oil,(BY) and thick loaves of the finest flour well-kneaded and with oil mixed in. 13 Along with their fellowship offering of thanksgiving(BZ) they are to present an offering with thick loaves of bread made with yeast.(CA) 14 They are to bring one of each kind as an offering, a contribution to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who splashes the blood of the fellowship offering against the altar. 15 The meat of their fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; they must leave none of it till morning.(CB)

16 “‘If, however, their offering is the result of a vow(CC) or is a freewill offering,(CD) the sacrifice shall be eaten on the day they offer it, but anything left over may be eaten on the next day.(CE) 17 Any meat of the sacrifice left over till the third day must be burned up.(CF) 18 If any meat of the fellowship offering(CG) is eaten on the third day, the one who offered it will not be accepted.(CH) It will not be reckoned(CI) to their credit, for it has become impure; the person who eats any of it will be held responsible.(CJ)

19 “‘Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean must not be eaten; it must be burned up. As for other meat, anyone ceremonially clean may eat it. 20 But if anyone who is unclean(CK) eats any meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the Lord, they must be cut off from their people.(CL) 21 Anyone who touches something unclean(CM)—whether human uncleanness or an unclean animal or any unclean creature that moves along the ground[i]—and then eats any of the meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the Lord must be cut off from their people.’”

Eating Fat and Blood Forbidden

22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats.(CN) 24 The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals(CO) may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it. 25 Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which a food offering may be[j] presented to the Lord must be cut off from their people. 26 And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood(CP) of any bird or animal. 27 Anyone who eats blood(CQ) must be cut off from their people.’”

The Priests’ Share

28 The Lord said to Moses, 29 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who brings a fellowship offering to the Lord is to bring part of it as their sacrifice to the Lord. 30 With their own hands they are to present the food offering to the Lord; they are to bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast before the Lord as a wave offering.(CR) 31 The priest shall burn the fat on the altar,(CS) but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons.(CT) 32 You are to give the right thigh of your fellowship offerings to the priest as a contribution.(CU) 33 The son of Aaron who offers the blood and the fat of the fellowship offering shall have the right thigh as his share. 34 From the fellowship offerings of the Israelites, I have taken the breast that is waved and the thigh(CV) that is presented and have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons(CW) as their perpetual share from the Israelites.’”

35 This is the portion of the food offerings presented to the Lord that were allotted to Aaron and his sons on the day they were presented to serve the Lord as priests. 36 On the day they were anointed,(CX) the Lord commanded that the Israelites give this to them as their perpetual share for the generations to come.

37 These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering,(CY) the grain offering,(CZ) the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering(DA) and the fellowship offering, 38 which the Lord gave Moses(DB) at Mount Sinai(DC) in the Desert of Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the Lord.(DD)

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 6:1 In Hebrew texts 6:1-7 is numbered 5:20-26, and 6:8-30 is numbered 6:1-23.
  2. Leviticus 6:15 Or representative
  3. Leviticus 6:17 Or purification offering; also in verses 25 and 30
  4. Leviticus 6:18 Or Whoever touches them must be holy; similarly in verse 27
  5. Leviticus 6:20 Or each
  6. Leviticus 6:20 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
  7. Leviticus 6:21 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  8. Leviticus 7:7 Or purification offering; also in verse 37
  9. Leviticus 7:21 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Samaritan Pentateuch, Syriac and Targum (see 5:2); most Hebrew manuscripts any unclean, detestable thing
  10. Leviticus 7:25 Or offering is