Category: Leviticus

Laws about Animals for Food

1 The Lordspoke again to Moses and Aaron, saying to them,

2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Among all the animals which are on the earth, these are the animals which you may eat.

3 You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof [that is, a hoof split into two parts especially at its distal extremity] and chews the cud.

4 Nevertheless, you are not to eat these, among those which chew the cud or divide the hoof: the camel, because it chews the cud but does not divide the hoof; it is [ceremonially] unclean to you.

5 And theshaphan, because it chews the cud but does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you.

6 And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you.

7 And the swine, because it divides the hoof and makes a split hoof, but does not chew the cud; it is unclean to you.

8 You shall not eat their meat nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.

9 ‘These you may eat, whatever is in the water: whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, these you may eat;

10 but whatever does not have fins and scales in the seas and in the rivers, of all the teeming life in the waters, and of all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are [to be considered] detestable to you.

11 They shall behated things to you. You may not eat their meat; you shall detest their carcasses.

12 Everything in the water that does not have fins and scales is detestable to you.

Avoid the Unclean

13 ‘These you shall detest among the birds; they are not to be eaten, for they arehated things: the eagle and the vulture and the buzzard,

14 the kite, every kind of falcon,

15 every kind of raven,

16 the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, every species of hawk,

17 the little owl and the cormorant and the great owl,

18 the white owl, the pelican, the carrion vulture,

19 the stork, all kinds of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.

20 ‘All winged insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you;

21 yet of all winged insects that walk on all fours you may eat those which have legs above their feet with which to leap on the ground.

22 Of these you may eat: the whole species of migratory locust, of bald locust, of cricket, and of grasshopper.

23 But all other winged insects which are four footed are detestable to you.

24 ‘By [contact with] these you will become unclean; whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until the evening (dusk),

25 and whoever picks up any of their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.

26 Concerning all the animals which divide the hoof, but do not have a split hoof, or which do not chew the cud, they are unclean to you; whoever touches them becomes unclean.

27 Also allanimalsthat walk on their paws, among allkinds ofanimals that walk on fourlegs, are unclean to you; whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until the evening,

28 and the one who picks up their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; they are unclean to you.

29 ‘These also are unclean to you among the swarming things that crawl around on the ground [and multiply profusely]: the mole, the mouse, and any kind of great lizard,

30 the gecko, the crocodile, the lizard, the sand reptile, and the chameleon.

31 These [creatures] are unclean to you among all that swarm; whoever touches them when they are dead becomes unclean until evening.

32 Also anything on which one of them falls after dying becomes unclean, whether it is an article of wood or clothing, or a skin, or a sack—any article that is used—it must be put in water, and will be unclean until the evening; then it becomes clean.

33 As for any earthenware container into which any of these [crawling things] falls, whatever is in it becomes unclean, and you shall break the container.

34 Any of the food which may be eaten, but on which [unclean] water falls, shall become unclean, and any liquid that may be drunk in every container shall become unclean.

35 Everything that part of their carcass falls on becomes unclean; an oven, or a small stove shall be smashed; they are unclean, and shall be unclean to you.

36 Nevertheless a spring or a cistern (reservoir) collecting water shall be clean; but whoever touches one of these carcasses shall be unclean.

37 If a part of their carcass falls on any seed for sowing which is to be sown, it is clean;

38 but if water is put on the seed and a part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.

39 ‘If one of the animals that you may eat dies [of natural causes], whoever touches its carcass becomes unclean until the evening.

40 And whoever eats some of its meat shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until evening; also whoever picks up its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.

41 ‘Now everything that swarms on the ground is detestable; it is not to be eaten.

42 Whatever crawls on its belly, and whatever walks on all fours, and whatever has many feet among all things that swarm on the ground, you shall not eat; for they are detestable.

43 Do not make yourselves loathsome (impure, repulsive) by [eating] any swarming thing; you shall not make yourselves unclean by them so as to defile yourselves.

44 For I am the Lordyour God; so consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarmorcrawls on the ground.

45 For I am the Lordwho brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; therefore you shall be holy, for I am holy.’ ”

46 This is the law regarding the animal and the bird and every living thing that moves in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth,

47 to make a distinction between the [ceremonially] unclean and the [ceremonially] clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten.

Laws of Motherhood

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying,

‘If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male child, she shall be [ceremonially] unclean for seven days, unclean as during her monthly period.

3 On the eighth day the flesh of the male child’s foreskin shall be circumcised.

4 Then she shall remain [intimately separated] thirty-three days to be purified from the blood; she shall not touch any consecrated thing nor enter the [courtyard of the] sanctuary until the days of her purification are over.

5 But if she gives birth to a female child, then she shall be unclean for two weeks, as during her monthly period, and she shall remain [intimately separated] sixty-six days to be purified from the blood.

6 ‘When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting a one year old lamb as a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering;

7 and he shall offer it before the Lordand make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who gives birth to a child, whether a male or a female child.

8 If she cannot afford a lamb then she shall take two turtledoves or young pigeons, one as a burnt offering, the other as a sin offering; the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’ ”

The Test for Leprosy

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

2 “When a man has a swelling on the skin of his body, a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes the infection ofleprosy on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons the priests.

3 The priest shall look at the diseased spot on the skin of his body, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears deeper than the skin of his body, it is an infection of leprosy; when the priest has looked at him, he shall pronounce him [ceremonially] unclean.

4 If the bright spot is white on the skin of his body and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair on it has not turned white, the priest shallisolatethe person who hasthe infection for seven days.

5 The priest shall examine it on the seventh day, and if in his estimation the infection has not changed and has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall isolate him for seven more days.

6 The priest shall examine him again on the seventh day, and if the infection has a more normal color and the spot has not spread on the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; it isonlya scab; and he shall wash his clothes and be clean.

7 “But if the scab spreads farther on the skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his [ceremonial] cleansing, he shall show himself to the priest again.

8 The priest shall look, and if the scab has spread on the skin, then he shall pronounce him unclean; it is leprosy.

9 “When a leprous infection is on a person, he shall be brought to the priest.

10 The priest shall examine him, and if there is a white swelling on the skin and it has turned the hair white and there is new raw flesh in the swelling,

11 it is a chronic leprosy on the skin of his body, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean; he shall not isolate him because he is [clearly] unclean.

12 But if the [suspected] leprosy breaks out farther on the skin, and it covers all of the skin of theone who has theoutbreak—from his head to his foot—wherever the priest looks,

13 the priest shall examine him. If the [suspected] leprosy has covered his entire body, he shall pronounce him clean of the disease; it has all turned white, and he is clean.

14 But whenever raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean.

15 The priest shall examine the raw flesh, and he shall pronounce him unclean; the raw flesh is unclean, it is leprosy.

16 But if the raw flesh turns again and is changed to white, then he shall come to the priest,

17 and the priest shall examine him, and if the diseased part is changed to white, then the priest shall pronouncehim who hadthe disease to be clean; he is clean.

18 “And when there is on the skin of the body [the scar of] a boil that is healed,

19 and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a bright spot, reddish white, then it shall be shown to the priest;

20 and the priest shall look, and if it looks deeper than the skin and the hair on it has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is the disease of leprosy; it has broken out in the boil.

21 But if the priest examines it and finds no white hair in it and it is not deeper than the skin and is dull in color, then the priest shall isolate him for seven days.

22 If it spreads farther on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a disease.

23 But if the bright spot remains where it is and does not spread, it is the scar of the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

24 “Or if the body has on its skin a burn from fire and the new flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish white or white,

25 then the priest shall examine it, and if the hair in the bright spot has turned white, and it appears deeper than the skin, then leprosy has broken out in the burn. So the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is the disease of leprosy.

26 But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the bright spot and it is not deeper than [the rest of] the skin but is dull in color, then the priest shall isolate him for seven days.

27 And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day; if it is spreading farther on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is leprosy.

28 But if the bright spot remains in its place and has not spread in the skin, but is dull in color, it is a swelling from the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him clean; for it is the scar of the burn.

29 “When a man or woman has a disease on the head or in the beard (face),

30 the priest shall examine the diseased place; if it appears to be deeper than the skin, with yellow, thin hair in it, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a scale, it is leprosy of the head or beard.

31 But if the priest examines the spot infected by the scale, and it does not appear deeper than the skin and there is no black hair in it, the priest shall isolate theperson with thescaly infection for seven days.

32 On the seventh day the priest shall examine the diseased spot; if the scale has not spread and has no yellow hair in it, and the scale does not look deeper than the skin,

33 then he shall shave himself, but he shall not shave the scale; and the priest shall isolate theperson with thescale for seven more days.

34 Then on the seventh day the priest shall look at the scale; if the scale has not spread on the skin and appears to be no deeper than the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; he shall wash his clothes and be clean.

35 But if the scale spreads farther on the skin after his cleansing,

36 then the priest shall examine him, and if the scale has spread on the skin, the priest need not look for the yellowish hair; he is unclean.

37 If, in the priest’s estimation, the scale has remained [without spreading], and black hair has grown in it, the scale is healed; he is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

38 “When a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the body,evenwhite bright spots,

39 then the priest shall look, and if the bright spots on the skin of their bodies is a dull white, it is [only] a rash that has broken out on the skin; he is clean.

40 “If a man loses the hair on his head, he is bald, but he is clean.

41 And if he loses the hair on front of his head, he is bald on the forehead, but he is clean.

42 But if there is a reddish-white infection on the bald head or forehead, it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or forehead.

43 Then the priest shall examine him, and if the diseased swelling is reddish-white on his bald head or forehead like the appearance of leprosy on the skin of the body,

44 he is a leprous man; he is unclean; the priest shall most certainly pronounce him unclean; his disease is on his head.

45 “As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall be uncovered (disheveled), and he shall cover his mustache and call out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’

46 He shall remain [ceremonially] unclean as long as the disease is on him; he is unclean. He shall live alone; he shall live outside the camp.

47 “When a garment has a mark of leprosy in it, whether it is a wool garment or a linen garment,

48 whether in woven or knitted material or in the warp (lengthwise strands) or woof (crosswise strands) of linen or of wool, or in a skin or on anything made of leather,

49 if the mark is greenish or reddish in the garment or in the leather or in the warp or woof or in any article made of leather, it is an infestation of leprosy and shall be shown to the priest.

50 The priest shall examine the mark and shall quarantine the article with the mark for seven days.

51 He shall examine the mark on the seventh day; if it has spread in the garment, whether in the warp or the woof, or in the leather, whatever the leather’s purpose, the mark is a malignant leprosy; it is unclean.

52 So he shall burn the garment, whether the warp or woof, in wool or linen, or on anything made of leather in which the mark occurs; for it is a malignant leprosy; it shall be burned in the fire.

53 “But if the priest sees that the mark has not spread in the garment, either in the warp or the woof, or on anything made of leather,

54 then the priest shall order that they wash the thing in which the mark occurs, and he shall quarantine it for seven more days.

55 The priest shall examine the article with the mark after it has been washed, and if the mark has not changed color, even though the mark has not spread, it is unclean; you shall burn it in the fire; it is a corroding mildew, whether on the top or on the front of it.

56 “If the priest looks and the mark has faded after it is washed, he shall tear it out of the garment, or the leather, or out of the warp or woof.

57 If it still appears in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or on anything made of leather, it is an outbreak; you shall burn the marked part in the fire.

58 The garment, whether the warp or the woof, or anything made of leather from which the mildew has departed after washing, shall then be washed a second time and it will be [ceremonially] clean.”

59 This is the law for a leprous disease in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp or woof, or on anything made of leather, to pronounce it clean or unclean.

Law of Cleansing a Leper

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “This shall be the law of the leper on the day of his [ceremonial] cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest [at a meeting place outside the camp];

3 the priest shall go out of the camp [to meet him]; and the priest shall examine him, and if the leper has been healed of the infection of leprosy,

4 then the priest shall give orders to take two live clean birds and cedar wood and scarlet string andhyssop for the one to be cleansed.

5 Next the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed [as a sacrifice] in an earthenware container over [fresh]running water.

6 As for the live bird, he shall take it together with the cedar wood and the scarlet string and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird sacrificed over the running water.

7 He shall sprinkle [the blood] seven times on the one to be cleansed from the leprosy and shall pronounce him [ceremonially] clean. Then he shall let the live bird go free over the open field.

8 The one to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe in water; and he shall be clean. After that he may come into the camp, but he shall stay outside of his tent for seven days.

9 On the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair: he shall shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair [on his body]. Then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and be clean.

10 “Now on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, and a yearling ewe lamb without blemish, and three-tenthsof an ephahof fine flour mixed with [olive] oil as a grain offering, and one log (about a pint) of oil;

11 and the priest who cleanses him shall present the man to be cleansed and his offerings before the Lordat the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.

12 Then the priest shall take one of the male lambs and offer it as a guilt offering, with the log of oil, and present them as a wave offering before the Lord.

13 He shall kill the male lamb in the place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the sacred place [the courtyard of the tabernacle]; for the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy.

14 The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

15 The priest shall also take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand;

16 and the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of the oil seven times before the Lord.

17 Of the rest of the oil which is in his palm, the priest shall put some on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering.

18 The remaining oil that is in the priest’s palm shall be put on the head of the one to be cleansed. The priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord.

19 Next the priest shall offer the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness, and afterward kill the burnt offering.

20 The priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar; and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean.

21 “But if the cleansed leper is poor and his means are insufficient, then he is to take one lamb as a guilt offering to be waved to make atonement for him, and one tenthof an ephahof fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and a log of oil,

22 and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he can afford, one shall be a sin offering, the other a burnt offering.

23 He shall bring them on the eighth day for his [ceremonial] cleansing to the priest at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, before the Lord.

24 The priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering, and the log of oil, and shall present them as a wave offering before the Lord.

25 Next he shall kill the lamb of the guilt offering; and the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

26 The priest shall pour some of the oil into his left palm,

27 and with his right finger the priest shall sprinkle some of the oil that is in his left palm seven times before the Lord.

28 The priest shall put some of the oil in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the places where he has put the blood of the guilt offering.

29 The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s palm shall be put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the Lord.

30 Then he shall offer one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, which are within his means.

31 He shall offerwhat he can afford, one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. The priest shall make atonement before the Lordon behalf of the one to be cleansed.

32 This is the law for the one in whom there is an infection of leprosy,whose means are limited for his [ceremonial] cleansing.”

Cleansing an Infected House

33 The Lordfurther spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

34 “When you come into the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as a possession, and I puta mark of leprosy on a house in your land,

35 then the one who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, ‘I have seensomething that looks likea markof leprosyin my house.’

36 The priest shall order that they empty the house before he goes in to examine the mark, so that everything in the house will not have to be declared unclean; afterward he shall go in to see the house.

37 He shall examine the mark, and if the mark on the walls of the house has greenish or reddish depressions and appears deeper than the surface,

38 the priest shall go out of the house, to the doorway, andquarantine the house for seven days.

39 The priest shall return on the seventh day and look; and if the mark has spread on the walls of the house,

40 he shall order them to tear out the contaminated stones and throw them into an unclean place outside the city.

41 He shall have the entire inside area of the house scraped, and the plaster that is scraped off shall be dumped in an unclean place outside the city.

42 Then they shall take new stones and replace the [contaminated] stones, and he shall take plaster and replaster the house.

43 “If, however, the mark breaks out again in the house after he has removed the stones and has scraped and replastered the house,

44 then the priest shall come and lookagain, and if the mark has spread in the house, it is a malignant leprosy in the house; it is [ceremonially] unclean.

45 He shall tear down the house—its stones and its timber and all the plaster of the house—and shall takeeverythingoutside the city to an unclean place.

46 Moreover, whoever goes into the house during the time that it is quarantined becomes unclean until evening.

47 And whoever lies down in the house [to rest] shall wash his clothes, and whoever eats in the house shall wash his clothes.

48 “But if the priest comes in and inspects it and the mark has not spread in the house after the house has been replastered, he shall pronounce the house clean because the mark has not reappeared.

49 To cleanse the house then, he shall take two birds and cedar wood and scarlet string and hyssop;

50 and he shall kill one of the birds in an earthenware container over running water,

51 and he shall take the cedar wood and the hyssop and the scarlet string, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird as well as in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times.

52 So he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and with the running water, along with the live bird and the cedar wood and the hyssop and the scarlet string.

53 But he shall let the live bird go free outside the city into the open field. So he shall make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.”

54 This is the law for any mark of leprosy—even for a scale,

55 and for the leprous garment or house,

56 and for a swelling, and for a scab, and for a bright spot on the skin—

57 to teach when they are unclean and when they are clean. This is the law of leprosy [in regard to both persons and property].

Cleansing Unhealthiness

1 The Lordspoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘When any man has a bodily discharge, his discharge is unclean.

3 This shall be [the law concerning] his uncleanness in his discharge: whether his body allows its discharge to flow or obstructs its flow; it is uncleanness in him.

4 Every bed on which the one who has the discharge lies becomes unclean, and everything on which he sits becomes unclean.

5 Whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening;

6 and whoever sits on anything on which the man with the discharge has been sitting shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

7 Also whoever touches the man with the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

8 And if he who has the discharge spits on one who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

9 Any saddle on which the man with the discharge rides becomes unclean.

10 Whoever touches anything that has been under him shall be unclean until evening; and whoever carries those things shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

11 Whomever the one with the discharge touches without rinsing his hands in water shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

12 An earthenware container that the one with the discharge touches shall be broken, and every wooden container shall be rinsed in water.

13 ‘When the man with the discharge becomes cleansed from his discharge, he shall count off seven days for his purification; he shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in running water and will become clean.

14 On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons and come before the Lordto the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, and give them to the priest;

15 and the priest shall offer them, one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. So the priest shall make atonement for the man before the Lordbecause of his discharge.

16 ‘Now if any man has a seminal emission, he shall wash all his body in water, and be unclean until evening.

17 Every garment and every leather on which there is semen shall be washed with water, and shall be unclean until evening.

18 If a man lies with a woman so that there is a seminal emission, they shall both bathe in water and be unclean until evening.

19 ‘When a woman has a discharge, if her bodily discharge is blood, she shall continue in her menstrual impurity for seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening.

20 Everything on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean; and everything on which she sits shall be unclean.

21 Anyone who touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

22 Whoever touches anything on which she sits shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

23 And if it is on her bed or on the thing on which she is sitting, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening.

24 If a man actually lies with her so that her menstrual impurity is on him, he shall be unclean for seven days; and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.

25 ‘Now if a woman has a flow of blood for many days, not during the time of her menstruation, or if she has a discharge beyond that period, as long as the impure discharge continues she shall be as she is in the days of her [normal] menstrual impurity; she is unclean.

26 Every bed on which she lies during the time of her discharge shall be to her like the bed of her menstrual impurity, and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, like the uncleanness of her monthly period.

27 And whoever touches those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

28 When she is cleansed from her discharge, then she shall count off for herself seven days, and after that she will be clean.

29 Then on the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons and bring them to the priest at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting;

30 and the priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering; and he shall make atonement for her before the Lordfor her unclean discharge.’

31 “Thus you shallseparate the Israelites from their uncleanness, so that they do not die in their uncleanness by their defiling My tabernacle that is among them.”

32 This is the law for the one who has a discharge and for the one who has a seminal emission, so that he is unclean by it;

33 and for the woman who is ill because of her monthly period, and for the one who has a discharge, whether man or woman, or for a man who lies with a woman who is [ceremonially] unclean.

Law of Atonement

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who had died when they [irreverently] approached the presence of the Lord.

2 The Lordsaid to Moses,

“Tell Aaron your brother that hemust not enter at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil (the Holy of Holies), before themercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die, for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.

3 Aaron [as high priest] shall enter the Holy Place in this way: with [the blood of] a young bull as a sin offering and [the blood of] a ram as a burnt offering.

4 He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be belted with the linen sash, and dressed with the linen turban (these are the holy garments). He shall bathe his body in water and put them on.

5 He shall take from the congregation of the Israelites [at their expense] two male goats as a sin offering and one ram as a burnt offering.

6 Then Aaron shall present the bull as the sin offering for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house.

7 He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lordat the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.

8 Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the Lord, the other lot for thescapegoat.

9 Then Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord’slot fell and offer it as a sin offering.

10 But the goat on which the lot fell for the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lordto make atonement on it; it shall be sent into the wilderness as the scapegoat.

11 “Aaron shall present the bull as the sin offering for himself and make atonement for himself and for his household (the other priests), and he shall kill the bull as the sin offering for himself.

12 He shall take a censer full of burning coals from the [bronze] altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil [into the Most Holy Place],

13 and put the incense on the fire [in the censer] before the Lord, so that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is on [the ark of] the Testimony, otherwise he will die.

14 He shall take some of the bull’s blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the east side of the mercy seat; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

15 “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for [the sins of] the people and bring its blood within the veil [into the Most Holy Place] and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.

16 So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place (Holy of Holies) because of the uncleanness and transgressions of the Israelites, for all their sins. He shall also do this for the Tent of Meeting which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness (impurities).

17 There shall be no person in the Tent of Meeting when the high priest goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place [within the veil] until he comes out, so that he may make atonement for himself (his own sins) and for his household and for all the congregation of Israel.

18 Then he shall go out to the altar [of burnt offering in the court] which is before the Lordand make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the goat and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides.

19 With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on the altar of burnt offering seven times and cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.

20 “When he has finished atoning for the Holy Place and the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat.

21 Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the wickedness of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat [the scapegoat, the sin-bearer], and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is prepared [for the task].

22 The goat shall carry on itself all their (the Israelites) wickedness, carrying them to a solitary (infertile) land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.

23 “Then Aaron shall come into the Tent of Meeting and take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place (Holy of Holies), and shall leave them there.

24 He shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes, and come out and offer his burnt offering and that of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

25 And he shall offer up in smoke the fat of the sin offering on the altar.

26 The man who released the goat as the [sin-bearing] scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

27 The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place (Holy of Holies), shall be taken outside the camp; their skins, their meat, and their waste shall be burned in the fire.

28 Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

An Annual Atonement

29 “This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month (nearly October) on the tenth day of the month you shallhumble yourselves [by fasting] and not do any work, whether the native-born or the stranger who lives temporarily among you;

30 for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the Lord.

31 It is a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall humble yourselves; it is a permanent statute.

32 So the priest who is anointed and ordained to serveandminister as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement: he shall wear the holy linen garments,

33 and make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the Tent of Meeting, and for the altar [of burnt offering in the court]. He shall also make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.

34 This shall be a permanent statute for you, so that atonement may be made for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year.” So he did just as the Lordhad commanded Moses.

Blood for Atonement

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘This is what the Lordhas commanded, saying,

3 “Any man from the house of Israel who kills an ox or lamb or goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp

4 and has not brought it to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting tooffer it as an offering to the Lordbefore the tabernacle of the Lord, that man shall be guilty of bloodshed. He has shed blood and shall be cut off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].

5 This is so that the sons of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they were sacrificing [to idols] in the open field [where they killed them], that they may bring them in to the Lord, at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting to the priest, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the Lord.

6 The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the Lordat the doorway of the Tent of Meeting and offer the fat up in smoke as a sweetandsoothing aroma to the Lord.

7 So they shall no longer offer their sacrifices to goat-idolsordemonsorfield spirits with which they have played the prostitute. This shall be a permanent statute for them throughout their generations.” ’

8 “Then you shall say to them, ‘Any man from the house of Israel or any of the strangers living temporarily among you, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice

9 and does not bring it to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting to offer it to the Lordshall be cut off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].

10 ‘Any man from the house of Israel, or any stranger living temporarily among you, who eats any blood, against that person I shall set My face and I will cut him off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].

11 For thelife of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life [which it represents].’

12 Therefore I have said to the sons of Israel, ‘No person among you may eat blood, nor may any stranger living temporarily among you eat blood.’

13 So when any Israelite or any stranger living temporarily among them, catchesany ceremonially clean animal or bird when hunting, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth.

14 “For in regard to the life of all flesh, its blood is [the same] as its life; therefore I said to the Israelites, ‘You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for thelife of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off [excluding him from the atonement made for them].’

15 Every person who eats an animal which dies [of natural causes] or was torn by a predator, whether he is native-born or a stranger, he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be [ceremonially] unclean until evening; then he will become clean.

16 But if he does not washhis clothesor bathe his body, he shall bear his guilt [for it will not be borne by the sacrifice of atonement].”

Laws on Immoral Relations

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘I am the Lordyour God.

3 You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, and you shall not do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes (practices, customs).

4 You are to follow My judgments (precepts, ordinances) and keep My statutes and live by them. I am the Lordyour God.

5 So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which, if a person keeps them, he shall live; I am the Lord.

6 ‘No one shall approach any blood relative of histo uncover nakedness (have intimate relations). I am the Lord.

7 You shall not uncover thenakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.

8 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness.

9 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister,eitherthe daughter of your father or of your mother, whether born at home or born elsewhere.

10 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter; their nakedness you shall not uncover, for they are your own nakedness [that is, your own descendants].

11 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter; born to your father, she is your sister.

12 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s blood relative.

13 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s blood relative.

14 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother’s wife; you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt.

15 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness.

16 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.

17 You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to uncover their nakedness (have intimate relations with them); they are [her] blood relatives; it is an outrageous offense.

18 You shall not marry a woman in addition to her sister as a rival while she is alive, to uncover her nakedness.

19 ‘Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness during her menstrual impurityandceremonial uncleanness.

20 You shall not have intimate relations with your neighbor’s wife, to be defiled with her.

21 You shall not give any of your children to offer them [by fire as a sacrifice] to Molech [the god of the Ammonites], nor shall you profane the name of your God [by honoring idols as gods]. I am the Lord.

22 You shall not lie [intimately] with a male as one lies with a female; it is repulsive.

23 You shall not have intimate relations with any animal to be defiled with it; nor shall a woman stand before an animal to mate with it; it is a perversion.

24 ‘Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled.

25 For the land has become defiled; therefore I have brought its punishment upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.

26 But as for you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments (precepts) and shall not commit any of these repulsive acts, neither the native-born, nor the stranger who lives temporarily among you

27 (for all these repulsive acts have been done by the men who lived in the land before you, and the land has become defiled);

28 [do none of these things] so that the land will not vomit you out, should you defile it, as it has vomited out the nation which has been before you.

29 For whoever commits any of these repulsive acts, those persons who do so shall be cut off from among their people [excluding them from the atonement made for them].

30 So keep My command: do not practice any of the repulsive customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves by them; I am the Lordyour God.’ ”

Idolatry Forbidden

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lordyour God am holy.

3 Each of you shallrespect his mother and his father, and you shall keep My Sabbaths; I am the Lordyour God.

4 Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods (images cast in metal); I am the Lordyour God.

5 ‘Now when you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted.

6 It shall be eaten the same day you offer it and on the day following; and if anything remains until the third day, it shall be burned in the fire.

7 But if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is repulsive; it will not be accepted [by God as an offering].

8 Everyone who eats it will bear [the responsibility for] his wickedness, for he has profaned a holy thing of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].

Various Laws

9 ‘Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings (grain left after reaping) of your harvest.

10 And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather its fallen grapes; you shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger. I am the Lordyour God.

11 ‘You shall not steal, nor deal deceptively, nor lie to one another.

12 You shall not swear [an oath] falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the Lord.

13 ‘You shall not oppressorexploit your neighbor, nor rob him. You shall not withhold the wages of a hired man overnight until morning.

14 You shall not curse a deaf man nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God [with profound reverence]; I am the Lord.

15 ‘You shall not do injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor show a preference for the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

16 You shall not go around as a gossip among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor [with slander or false testimony]; I am the Lord.

17 ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you may most certainly rebuke your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him.

18 You shall not take revenge nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor (acquaintance, associate, companion) as yourself; I am the Lord.

19 ‘You are to keep My statutes. You shall not breed together two kinds of your cattle; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear clothing of two kinds of material mixed together.

20 ‘Now if a man has intimate relations with a woman who is a slave acquired for [marriage to]anotherman, but who has not been redeemed nor given her freedom, there shall be punishment [after an investigation]; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free;

21 but he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lordto the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, a ram as a guilt offering.

22 The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before the Lordfor his sin which he has committed; and he shall be forgiven for his sin.

23 ‘When you enter the land and plant all kinds of trees for food, then you shall consider their fruitforbidden. For three years the fruit shall be forbidden to you; it shall not be eaten.

24 In the fourth year all the fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord.

25 In the fifth year you may eat the fruit [of the trees], this is so that their yield may increase for you; I am the Lordyour God.

26 ‘You shall not eatanythingwith the blood, nor practice divination [using omens or witchcraft] or soothsaying.

27 You shall not trimandround off the side-growth of [the hair on] your heads, nor mar the edges of your beard.

28 You shall not make any cuts on your body [in mourning] for the dead, nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves; I am the Lord.

29 ‘Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, so that the land will not fall to prostitution and become full of wickedness.

30 You shall keep My Sabbaths and revere My sanctuary. I am the Lord.

31 ‘Do not turn to mediums [who pretend to consult the dead] or to spiritists [who have spirits of divination]; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lordyour God.

32 ‘You shall rise before the gray-headed and honor the aged, and you shall fear your God [with profound reverence]; I am the Lord.

33 ‘When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not oppressormistreat him.

34 But the stranger who resides with you shall be to you like someone native-born among you; and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lordyour God.

35 ‘You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement of weight or quantity.

36 You shall have justandaccurate balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a justhin. I am the Lordyour God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

37 You shall observeandkeep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them. I am the Lord.’ ”

On Human Sacrifice and Immoralities

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Moreover, you shall say to the children of Israel,

‘Any Israelite or any stranger residing in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech (the god of the Ammonites) [as a human sacrifice] shall most certainly be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones.

3 I will also set My face against that man [opposing him, withdrawing My protection from him] and will cut him off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them], because he has given some of his children to Molech, so as to defile My sanctuary and profane My holy name.

4 If the people of the land should ever tolerate that man when he gives any of his children [as a burnt offering] to Molech, and fail to put him to death [as My law requires],

5 then I shall set My face against that man and against his [extended] family, and I will cut off from their people both him and all who follow him inplaying the prostitute (commit apostasy) with Molech.

6 ‘As for the person who turns to mediums [who consult the dead] or to spiritists, to play the prostitute after them, I shall set My face against that person and will cut him off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].

7 You shall consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am the Lordyour God.

8 You shall keep My statutes and do them. I am the Lordwho sanctifies you.

9 ‘If anyone curses his father or mother, he shall most certainly be put to death; he has cursed his father or mother; his blood is on him [that is, he bears full responsibility for the consequences].

10 ‘The man who commits adultery with another’s wife, even his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall most certainly be put to death.

11 The man who lies [intimately] with his father’s wife hasuncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall most certainly be put to death; their blood is on them.

12 If a man lies [intimately] with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall most certainly be put to death; they have committed incest; their blood is on them.

13 If a man lies [intimately] with a male as if he were a woman, both men have committed a detestable (perverse, unnatural) act; they shall most certainly be put to death; their blood is on them.

14 It is immoralandshameful if a man marries a woman and her mother; all three shall be burned in fire, so that there will be no immorality among you.

15 If a man has intimate relations with an animal, he shall most certainly be put to death; you shall kill the animal also.

16 If a woman approaches any animal to mate with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall most certainly be put to death; their blood is on them.

17 ‘If a man takes his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, so that he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace; and they shall be cut off in the sight of the sons of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he bears [responsibility for] his guilt.

18 If a man lies [intimately] with a woman during her menstrual cycle and uncovers her nakedness, he has exposed her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood; both of them shall be cut off from their people [excluding them from the atonement made for them].

19 You shall not uncover the nakedness of (have intimate relations with) your mother’s sister or your father’s sister, for such a one has uncovered his blood relative; they will bear their guilt.

20 Ifthere isa man who lies [intimately] with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness; they will bear their sin. They will die childless.

21 If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is a hatedandunclean thing; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They will be childless.

22 ‘Therefore keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out [as it did those before you].

23 You shall not follow the statutes (laws, practices, customs) of the nation which I am driving out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I have loathed them.

24 But I have said to you, “You are to inheritandtake possession of their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land [of plenty]flowing with milk and honey.” I am the Lordyour God, who has separated you from the peoples (pagan nations).

25 You are therefore to make a distinction between the [ceremonially] clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean bird and the clean; and you shall not make yourselves detestable by animal or by bird or by anything that crawls on the ground, which I have set apart from you as unclean.

26 You are to be holy to Me; for I the Lordam holy, and have set you apart from the peoples (nations) to be Mine.

27 ‘A man or woman who is a medium [who pretends to consult the dead] or who is a spiritist shall most certainly be put to death, and be stoned with stones; their blood is on them.’ ”