The Third Book of Moses: Leviticus

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- Chapter 16 -

(Leviticus 23:26–32; Numbers 29:7–11)

Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of two of Aaron’s sons when they approached the presence of the LORD.

And the LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron not to enter freely into the Most Holy Place

(a)

behind the veil in front of the mercy seat

(b)

on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

This is how Aaron is to enter the Holy Place: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

He is to wear the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments. He must tie a linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are holy garments, and he must bathe himself with water before he wears them.

And he shall take from the congregation of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.

Aaron is to present the bull for his sin offering and make atonement for himself and his household.

Then he shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

After Aaron casts lots for the two goats, one for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat,(c)

he shall present the goat chosen by lot for the LORD and sacrifice it as a sin offering.

But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement by sending it into the wilderness as the scapegoat.

When Aaron presents the bull for his sin offering and makes atonement for himself and his household, he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering.

Then he must take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense, and take them inside the veil.

He is to put the incense on the fire before the LORD, and the cloud of incense will cover the mercy seat above the Testimony,(d) so that he will not die.

And he is to take some of the bull’s blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the east side of the mercy seat; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the mercy seat.

Aaron shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and bring its blood behind the veil, and with its blood he must do as he did with the bull’s blood: He is to sprinkle it against the mercy seat and in front of it.

So he shall make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the impurities and rebellious acts of the Israelites in regard to all their sins. He is to do the same for the Tent of Meeting which abides among them, because it is surrounded by their impurities.

No one may be in the Tent of Meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he leaves, after he has made atonement for himself, his household, and the whole assembly of Israel.

Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it. He is to take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar.

He is to sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.

When Aaron has finished purifying the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he is to bring forward the live goat.

Then he is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities and rebellious acts of the Israelites in regard to all their sins. He is to put them on the goat’s head and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man appointed for the task.

The goat will carry on itself all their iniquities into a solitary place, and the man will release it into the wilderness.

Then Aaron is to enter the Tent of Meeting, take off the linen garments he put on before entering the Most Holy Place, and leave them there.

He is to bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his own clothes. Then he must go out and sacrifice his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering to make atonement for himself and for the people.

He is also to burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar.

The man who released the goat as the scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may reenter the camp.

The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; and their hides, flesh, and dung must be burned up.

The one who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and afterward he may reenter the camp.

This is to be a permanent statute for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month, you shall humble yourselves

(e)

and not do any work—whether the native or the foreigner who resides among you—

because on this day atonement will be made for you to cleanse you, and you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD.

It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, that you may humble yourselves; it is a permanent statute.

The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest shall make atonement. He will put on the sacred linen garments

and make atonement for the Most Holy Place,(f) the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the assembly.

This is to be a permanent statute for you, to make atonement once a year for the Israelites because of all their sins.” And all this was done as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Footnotes

(a)16:2 Or the Holy Place; also in verses 16, 17, 20, 23, and 27

(b)16:2 Or atonement cover; here and throughout this chapter

(d)16:13 The Testimony refers to the stone tablets in the ark of the covenant inscribed with the Ten Commandments.

(e)16:29 Or afflict your souls or deny yourselves; also in verse 31

(f)16:33 Or the Holy Sanctuary

(Leviticus 23:26–32; Numbers 29:7–11)

The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they came near before the LORD, and died;

and the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Most Holy Place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark; lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat.

“Aaron shall come into the sanctuary with a young bull for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.

He shall put on the holy linen tunic. He shall have the linen trousers on his body, and shall put on the linen sash, and he shall be clothed with the linen turban. They are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water, and put them on.

He shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

“Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house.

He shall take the two goats, and set them before the LORD at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.

Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD, and offer him for a sin offering.

But the goat on which the lot fell for the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement for him, to send him away as the scapegoat into the wilderness.

“Aaron shall present the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull of the sin offering which is for himself.

He shall take a censer full of coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil.

He shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the covenant, so that he will not die.

He shall take some of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

“Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.

He shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, even all their sins; and so he shall do for the Tent of Meeting that dwells with them in the middle of their uncleanness.

No one shall be in the Tent of Meeting when he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, and has made atonement for himself and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel.

“He shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the bull’s blood, and some of the goat’s blood, and put it around on the horns of the altar.

He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and make it holy from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

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

Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is ready.

The goat shall carry all their iniquities on himself to a solitary land, and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.

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

Then he shall bathe himself in water in a holy place, put on his garments, and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

The fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar.

“He who lets the goat go as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.

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, shall be carried outside the camp; and they shall burn their skins, their flesh, and their dung with fire.

He who burns them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.

“It shall be a statute to you forever: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and shall do no kind of work, whether native-born or a stranger who lives as a foreigner among you;

for on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you. You shall be clean from all your sins before the LORD.

It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.

The priest, who is anointed and who is consecrated to be priest in his father’s place, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen garments, even the holy garments.

Then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary; and he shall make atonement for the Tent of Meeting and for the altar; and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.

“This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” It was done as the LORD commanded Moses.