Leviticus 4

Purification Offerings

1The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2#Lev 5.15–18; Ps 19.12“Speak to the Israelites, saying: When anyone sins unintentionally in any of the Lord’s commandments about things not to be done and does any one of them:

3 # vv 14, 23, 28 “If it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull of the herd as a purification offering to the Lord. 4#Lev 1.4He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord and lay his hand on the head of the bull; the bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord. 5#Lev 16.14The anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull and bring it into the tent of meeting. 6The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord in front of the curtain of the sanctuary. 7#Lev 5.9; 8.15; 9.9The priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is in the tent of meeting before the Lord, and the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 8#Lev 3.3–5He shall remove all the fat from the bull of purification offering: the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is around the entrails, 9the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys, 10just as these are removed from the ox of the sacrifice of well-being. The priest shall turn them into smoke upon the altar of burnt offering. 11But the skin of the bull and all its flesh, as well as its head, its legs, its entrails, and its dung— 12#Lev 6.11; Heb 13.11all the rest of the bull—he shall carry out to a clean place outside the camp, to the ash heap, and shall burn it on a wood fire; at the ash heap it shall be burned.

13 # Lev 5.2–4, 17; Num 15.24–26 “If the whole congregation of Israel errs unintentionally, and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done and incur guilt, 14#vv 3, 23, 28when the sin that they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a bull of the herd for a purification offering and bring it before the tent of meeting. 15#Lev 1.4The elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord. 16The anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull into the tent of meeting, 17#v 6and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, in front of the curtain. 18He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting, and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 19He shall remove all its fat and turn it into smoke on the altar. 20#Rom 5.11; Heb 2.17; 10.10–12He shall do with the bull just as is done with the bull of purification offering; he shall do the same with this. The priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven. 21He shall carry the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull; it is the purification offering for the assembly.

22 # vv 2, 13 “When a ruler sins, doing unintentionally any one of all the things that by the commandments of the Lord his God ought not to be done and incurs guilt, 23#v 14once the sin that he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a male goat without blemish. 24He shall lay his hand on the head of the goat; it shall be slaughtered at the spot where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the Lord; it is a purification offering. 25#vv 7, 18, 30, 34The priest shall take some of the blood of the purification offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering. 26#vv 19, 20All its fat he shall turn into smoke on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of well-being. Thus the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin, and he shall be forgiven.

27 # v 2 “If anyone of the ordinary people among you sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done and incurs guilt, 28#v 23when the sin that you have committed is made known to you, you shall bring a female goat without blemish as your offering, for the sin that you have committed. 29#Lev 1.4, 5You shall lay your hand on the head of the purification offering; the purification offering shall be slaughtered at the place of the burnt offering. 30The priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and he shall pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. 31He shall remove all its fat, as the fat is removed from the sacrifice of well-being, and the priest shall turn it into smoke on the altar for a pleasing odor to the Lord. Thus the priest shall make atonement on your behalf, and you shall be forgiven.

32 # v 28 “If the offering you bring as a purification offering is a sheep, you shall bring a female without blemish. 33You shall lay your hand on the head of the purification offering; it shall be slaughtered as a purification offering at the spot where the burnt offering is slaughtered. 34The priest shall take some of the blood of the purification offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. 35#vv 26, 31; Lev 3.5You shall remove all its fat, as the fat of the sheep is removed from the sacrifice of well-being, and the priest shall turn it into smoke on the altar, with the offerings by fire#4.35 Or the gifts to the Lord. Thus the priest shall make atonement on your behalf for the sin that you have committed, and you shall be forgiven.

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Leviticus 4: NRSVUE

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