a 35:7 Hebrew meaning uncertain.

b 35:9 Ephod is a technical term for a part of the priest's clothes. Its exact usage and shape are unknown.

c 35:19 Hebrew meaning uncertain.

d 35:22 Hebrew meaning uncertain.

a 36:8 Or "A cherubim."

a 36:19 Hebrew meaning uncertain.

b 36:29 Or "These were separated at the bottom but held together at the top by a single ring."

c 37:7 Or "cherubim."

a 39:23 Hebrew meaning of "a leather collar" uncertain.

b 39:34 Hebrew meaning uncertain.

Introduction to LEVITICUS.

People who decide to read the Bible straight through from beginning to end often get stuck in this third book. Where did all the stories go? And why are the book's few stories so fierce? For example, in chapter 10, two of Aaron's sons bring an unauthorized offering and are instantly burned alive! In chapter 24, a young man curses God's name and is stoned to death! What is going on?

Leviticus-a book that includes many instructions for Levites, or those who serve in the temple-is full of laws and regulations. Some are repeated in the New Testament: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself" (19:18; compare Mark 12:31). Some seem like relics of a bygone age: detailed instructions about burnt offerings of cattle, sheep, goats, and birds (chapters 1-7). Some sound unintentionally funny for today's readers: "Any creature that swarms on the ground is disgusting and must not be eaten" (11:41). But the Levitical instructions had one purpose: to purify the Israelites, to set them apart and teach them how to live so that they could be in a unique relationship with a holy God.

The book of Exodus ended with instructions for building a tent of meeting. Leviticus begins by describing the services to be held in that tent and then describes the kind of people who are fit to come into God's presence. Some of the book's themes, such as holy days and dietary laws, are specific to Judaism. Others are universal themes: forgiveness, justice, sexual morality, concern for immigrants, and provision for the poor.

Without the book of Leviticus, Christian theology would be difficult to understand. With its help, we begin to understand why we talk of Christ as our High Priest. He is the one who saves us by his blood, and it is his sacrifice on the cross that atones for our sins. As you read Leviticus, look for the origins of these concepts.

Look also for the book's picture of who God is-and is not. Americans in particular may find Leviticus shocking because we often worship in ways that make us feel good, talking or singing about Jesus as if he is our best buddy or about God as though his only purpose is to focus on our needs and wants.

The God in Leviticus, by contrast, is holy, just-and dangerous. "I am Yahweh," he says. "I brought you out of Egypt to be your Elohim. Be holy because I am holy" (11:45).

Key Names of God in Leviticus Yahweh LORD Elohim God Ha-shem the Name LEVITICUS.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20.

21 22 23 24 25 26 27.

1 1 Yahweh called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, 2 "Tell the Israelites: If any of you bring a sacrifice to Yahweh, you must offer an animal from your cattle, sheep, or goats.

Burnt Offerings of Cattle 3 "If you bring a burnt offering from your cattle, you must offer a male that has no defects. Offer it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that Yahweh will accept you. 4 Place your hand on the animal's head. The burnt offering will be accepted to make peace with the LORD. 5 Then slaughter the bull in Yahweh's presence. Aaron's sons, the priests, will offer the blood. They will throw it against all sides of the altar that is at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 6 Skin the burnt offering, and cut it into pieces. 7 Then the sons of the priest Aaron will start a fire on the altar and lay the wood on the fire. 8 Aaron's sons, the priests, will also lay the pieces, the head, and the fat on top of the wood burning on the altar. 9 Wash the internal organs and legs. Then the priest will burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to Yahweh.

Burnt Offerings of Sheep or Goats 10 "If your offering is a sheep or goat, you must bring a male that has no defects. 11 Slaughter it in Yahweh's presence on the north side of the altar. Aaron's sons, the priests, will throw the blood against the altar on all sides. 12 Then cut it into pieces. The priest will lay the head and the fat on the wood burning on the altar. 13 Wash the internal organs and legs. Then the priest will burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to Yahweh.

Burnt Offerings of Birds 14 "If your offering to Yahweh is a bird, you must sacrifice a mourning dove or pigeon. 15 The priest must bring it to the altar. He will break its neck and burn the bird on the altar. First, he will drain the blood against the side of the altar. 16 Remove the gizzard with its filth and throw it on the east side of the altar on the place for the ashes. 17 Then pull on the bird's wings to tear the bird open, but don't pull the wings off. Then the priest will lay the bird on the wood burning on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to Yahweh ."

Uncooked Grain Offerings 2 1 The LORD continued, "Now, if any of you bring a grain offering to Yahweh, your offering must be flour. Pour olive oil on it, and put incense on it. 2 Then bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests. Take from this a handful of flour with olive oil, and all the incense. The priest will burn it on the altar as a reminder. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to Yahweh. 3 The rest of the grain offering will belong to Aaron and his sons. It is very holy, set apart from Yahweh's offering by fire.

Cooked Grain Offerings 4 "If you bring a grain offering which has been baked in an oven, it must be rings of unleavened bread made of flour mixed with olive oil or wafers of unleavened bread brushed with olive oil. 5 If your grain offering is prepared in a frying pan, it, too, will be unleavened bread made of flour mixed with olive oil. 6 Break it into pieces and pour olive oil over it. It is a grain offering. 7 If your grain offering is prepared in a skillet, it will be made of flour with olive oil.

8 "Bring Yahweh the grain offering prepared in any of these ways. Offer it to the priest who will bring it to the altar. 9 The priest will remove part of the grain offering and burn it as a reminder on the altar. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to Yahweh. 10 The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons. It is very holy, set apart from Yahweh's offering by fire.

Other Ingredients 11 "Every grain offering that you bring to Yahweh must be prepared without yeast. Never burn yeast or honey as an offering to Yahweh. 12 You may bring them to Yahweh as offerings of your first products. But they must never be placed on the altar to make a soothing aroma. 13 Also put salt on each of your grain offerings. The salt of Elohim's promisea must never be left out of your grain offerings. Put salt on all your offerings.

Offering the First Grain Harvested 14 "If you bring a grain offering to Yahweh from the first grain you harvest, roast the cracked grain over fire. 15 Put olive oil on it, and place incense on it. It is a grain offering. 16 The priest will burn the flour, olive oil, and all the incense as a reminder. It is an offering by fire to Yahweh ."

Fellowship Offerings of Cattle 3 1 The LORD continued, "If your sacrifice is a fellowship offering of cattle in Yahweh's presence, it must be a male or female animal that has no defects. 2 Place your hand on the animal's head. Then slaughter it at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then Aaron's sons, the priests, will throw the blood against the altar on all sides. 3 From your offering remove the fat that covers the internal organs 4 and the two kidneys with the fat on them and offer them by fire to Yahweh. Also cut off the lobe of the liver along with the kidneys. 5 Then Aaron's sons will lay them on top of the burnt offering on the burning wood. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to Yahweh.

Fellowship Offerings of Sheep 6 "If your sacrifice is a fellowship offering of sheep to Yahweh, you must bring a male or female animal that has no defects. 7 If your offering is a lamb, you must bring it to Yahweh. 8 Place your hand on the animal's head. Slaughter it in front of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron's sons will throw the blood against the altar on all sides. 9 Then take the fat from the fellowship offering and offer it by fire to Yahweh. Remove all the fat from the tail and the fat that covers the internal organs. 10 Also remove the two kidneys with the fat on them along with the lobe of the liver. 11 Then the priest will burn the fellowship offering on the altar. It is food, an offering by fire to Yahweh.

Fellowship Offerings of Goats 12 "If your offering is a goat, you must bring it to Yahweh. 13 Place your hand on its head. Slaughter it in front of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron's sons will throw the blood against the altar on all sides. 14 Then bring the fat that covers the internal organs 15 and the two kidneys with the fat on them as an offering by fire to Yahweh. Also remove the lobe of the liver along with the kidneys. 16 Then the priest will burn them on the altar. It is food, an offering by fire to the LORD. It is a soothing aroma. All the fat belongs to Yahweh. 17 This is a permanent law for generations to come wherever you live: Never eat any fat or blood."

Offerings for Unintentional Wrongdoing 4 1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, 2 "Tell the Israelites: If a person unintentionally does something wrong-even one thing that is forbidden by any of Yahweh's commands-this is what he must do.

Offerings for Wrongdoing by the Chief Priest 3 "If the anointed priest does something wrong and brings guilt on the people, he must bring a bull that has no defects as an offering for sin to Yahweh. 4 He must bring the bull into Yahweh's presence at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He will place his hand on the bull's head. He will then slaughter the bull in Yahweh's presence. 5 Then the anointed priest will take some of the bull's blood and bring it into the tent of meeting. 6 The priest will dip his finger in it and sprinkle some of the blood seven times in Yahweh's presence facing the canopy in the holy place. 7 Then the priest will put some of the blood on the horns of the altar for sweet-smelling incense in Yahweh's presence in the tent of meeting. He will pour the rest of the bull's blood at the bottom of the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 8 He will remove all of the fat from the bull that is the offering for sin, the fat that covers the internal organs, 9 and the two kidneys with the fat on them. He will also remove the lobe of the liver and the kidneys 10 the same way they were removed from the bull used for the fellowship offering. The priest will lay them on the altar for burnt offerings. 11 Then he will take the entire bull (the skin, meat, head, legs, internal organs, and excrement) 12 to a cleana place outside the camp where the ashes are dumped. He will burn it there on a wood fire.

Offerings for Wrongdoing by the Whole Congregation 13 "If the whole congregation of Israel unintentionally does something wrong, without the assembly being aware of it, if they do even one thing that is forbidden by any of Yahweh's commands, they will be guilty. 14 When the wrong they have done becomes known, the congregation must sacrifice a bull as an offering for sin. They must bring it in front of the tent of meeting. 15 The leaders of the congregation will place their hands on the bull's head in Yahweh's presence. One of them will slaughter it in Yahweh's presence. 16 Then the anointed priest will bring some of the bull's blood into the tent of meeting. 17 The priest will dip his finger in some of the blood and sprinkle it seven times in Yahweh's presence facing the canopy. 18 He will also put some blood on the horns of the altar in Yahweh's presence in the tent of meeting. He will pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 19 He will remove all the fat and burn it on the altar. 20 He will do the same thing with this bull that he did with the bull used as the offering for sin. So the priest will make peace with the LORD for the people, and they will be forgiven. 21 Then he will take the bull outside the camp and will burn it the same way he burned the first bull. It is an offering for sin for the community.

Offerings for Wrongdoing by a Leader 22 "When a leader unintentionally does something wrong-even one thing that is forbidden by any of the commands of Yahweh his Elohim -he will be guilty. 23 When he is told about what he has done wrong, he must bring a male goat that has no defects as his offering. 24 He will place his hand on the goat's head and slaughter it in Yahweh's presence where he slaughters animals for burnt offerings. It is an offering for sin. 25 Then the priest will take some of the blood of the offering for sin with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. He will pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar for burnt offerings. 26 He will burn all the fat on the altar the same way the fat of the fellowship offering is burned. So the priest will make peace with the LORD for what the leader did wrong, and the leader will be forgiven.

Offerings for Wrongdoing by a Common Person-Goats 27 "If a common person unintentionally does something wrong-even one thing forbidden by Yahweh's commands-he will be guilty. 28 When he is told about what he has done wrong, he must bring a female goat that has no defects as his offering for what he has done wrong. 29 He will place his hand on the animal's head and slaughter it where animals for burnt offerings are slaughtered. 30 The priest will take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. He will pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. 31 He will remove all the fat the same way it is removed from the fellowship offering. The priest will burn it on the altar for a soothing aroma to Yahweh. So the priest will make peace with the LORD for that person, and that person will be forgiven.

Offerings for Wrongdoing by a Common Person-Lambs 32 "If someone brings a lamb as his offering for sin, he must bring a female that has no defects. 33 He will place his hand on the animal's head and slaughter it where he slaughters animals for burnt offerings. 34 Then the priest will take some of the blood from the offering for sin with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. He will pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. 35 He will remove all the fat the same way the fat of the lamb is removed from the fellowship offerings. Then the priest will burn it on the altar with the offering by fire to Yahweh . So the priest will make peace with the LORD for what that person did wrong, and that person will be forgiven."

Sins Which Require an Offering for Sin 5 1 The LORD continued, "Now, if you are a witness under oath and won't tell what you saw or what you know, you are sinning and will be punished.

2 "If you touch anything uncleana-the unclean dead body of a wild or tame animal or the body of an unclean, swarming creature-and then ignore what you did, you are unclean and will be guilty.

3 "If you become unclean by touching human uncleanness of any kind and then ignore it (although you know what you did), you will be guilty.

4 "If you hastily take a vow about what you will or will not do (as some people do) and then ignore it (although you know what you said), you will be guilty.

5 "So if you are guilty of any of these sins, you must confess it. 6 Bring your guilt offering to Yahweh for the sin you committed. It must be a female sheep or goat as an offering for sin. Then the priest will make peace with the LORD for what you did wrong.

If You Cannot Afford a Sheep 7 "Now, if you cannot afford a sheep, you must bring to Yahweh two mourning doves or two pigeons as a guilt offering for the sin you committed. One will be an offering for sin, the other a burnt offering. 8 Bring them to the priest, and he will sacrifice the offering for sin first. He will break the bird's neck without pulling its head off. 9 He will sprinkle some of the blood from the offering for sin on the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood will be drained at the bottom of the altar. It is an offering for sin. 10 Then, following the proper procedures, he will sacrifice the second bird as a burnt offering. So the priest will make peace with the LORD for what you did wrong.

If You Cannot Afford Two Mourning Doves 11 "But if you cannot afford two mourning doves or two pigeons, then bring eight cups of flour as an offering for the sin you committed. Never put olive oil on it or add incense to it, because it is an offering for sin. 12 Bring it to the priest. The priest will take a handful of it. He will burn it as a reminder on top of the offering by fire to Yahweh on the altar. It is an offering for sin. 13 So the priest will make peace with the LORD for what you did wrong, and you will be forgiven. The offering will belong to the priest like the grain offering."

For Unintentional Wrongdoing against the LORD'S Property 14 Yahweh spoke to Moses, 15 "If any of you fail to do your duty by unintentionally doing something wrong with any of Yahweh's holy things, bring a guilt offering to Yahweh. It must be a ram that has no defects or its value in silver weighed according to the official standards of the holy place. 16 Pay for whatever holy things you used plus onefifth more. Give it to the priest. So the priest will use the ram sacrificed for the guilt offering to make peace with the LORD for what you did wrong, and you will be forgiven.

For Unintentionally Disobeying the LORD'S Commands 17 "If any of you do wrong-even one thing forbidden by any of Yahweh's commands, but you didn't know it-when you realize your guilt, you must be punished. 18 You must bring the priest a ram that has no defects from the flock or its value in money for a guilt offering. The priest will make peace with the LORD for the wrong you did unintentionally (although you didn't know what you did), and you will be forgiven. 19 It is a guilt offering because you are certainly guilty as far as Yahweh is concerned."

For Sins against the LORD'S People 6 a1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, 2 "If any of you sin against Yahweh by failing to do your duty, if you lie to your neighbor about something you were supposed to take care of or if you lie about something stolen or seized from your neighbor, you are sinning and will be guilty. 3 If you find something that someone lost and lie about it under oath, or commit any other sin like this, 4 you are sinning and will be guilty. Return what you stole or seized, what you were supposed to take care of, the lost item you found, 5 or whatever it was that you swore falsely about. Pay it back in full plus onefifth more. Give it back to its owner on the day you bring your guilt offering. 6 Then bring Yahweh your guilt offering, a ram that has no defects or its value in money. Bring it to the priest. 7 So the priest will make peace with the LORD. Then you will be forgiven for whatever you did that made you guilty."

Instructions for Taking Care of the Fire 8 Yahweh spoke to Moses, 9 "Command Aaron and his sons: These are the instructions for the burnt offering that stays on the altar overnight while the altar fire is kept burning.

10 "The priest must put on his linen clothes, including his linen undergarments. Then he will remove the ashes left on the altar from the fire that consumed the burnt offering and will put them next to the altar. 11 Then he will take off these clothes and put on some others. He will take the ashes to a clean place outside the camp. 12 The fire must always be burning on the altar. It must never go out. The priest will burn wood on it every morning. He will lay the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offering. 13 The fire must always be burning on the altar. It must never go out.

The Grain Offering from the People 14 "These are the instructions for the grain offering. Aaron's sons must bring it into Yahweh's presence in front of the altar. 15 One of them will remove a handful of flour from the grain offering, together with the olive oil and all the incense. He will burn it on the altar as a reminder. It is a soothing aroma to Yahweh. 16 Aaron and his sons will eat the rest of it. They will eat unleavened bread in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. 17 Don't use yeast in baking the bread. I have given it to them as their share from the offerings by fire made to me. It is very holy like the offering for sin and the guilt offering. 18 Every male descendant of Aaron may eat it. It is a permanent law for generations to come regarding the offering by fire to Yahweh. Everyone who touches it will become holy."

Special Grain Offerings from the Priests 19 Yahweh spoke to Moses, 20 "This is the offering that Aaron and his sons must bring to Yahweh on the day he is anointed-eight cups of flour. They must do this every day. He must offer half of it in the morning and half in the evening. 21 Prepare it in a frying pan with olive oil, mixing it well. Offer baked pieces of the grain offering as a soothing aroma to Yahweh. 22 Aaron's son who is anointed to take his place as priest will prepare it. This is a permanent law of Yahweh: It must be completely burned. 23 Every grain offering made by a priest must be completely burned. It must not be eaten."

Instructions for the Offering for Sin 24 Yahweh spoke to Moses, 25 "Tell Aaron and his sons: These are the instructions for the offering for sin. The offering for sin must be slaughtered in Yahweh's presence in the same place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. It is very holy. 26 The priest who makes the offering for sin will eat it in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. 27 Anything that touches its meat will be holy. If blood gets on someone's clothes, he must wash them in a holy place. 28 Any piece of pottery in which the offering for sin is cooked must be broken into pieces. Any copper kettle in which the offering for sin is cooked must be scoured and rinsed with water. 29 Any male among the priests may eat the offering for sin. It is very holy. 30 Any offering for sin must not be eaten if some of the blood was brought into the holy place in the tent of meeting to make peace with the LORD. It must be burned."

Instructions for the Guilt Offering 7 1 The LORD continued, "These are the instructions for the guilt offering. It is very holy. 2 It must be slaughtered in the same place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. A priest will throw the blood against the altar on all sides. 3 He will offer all the fat, the fat from the tail, the fat covering the internal organs, 4 and the two kidneys with the fat on them. He will also remove the lobe of the liver along with the kidneys. 5 The priest will burn them on the altar. It is a guilt offering by fire to Yahweh. 6 Any male among the priests may eat it. It will be eaten in a holy place. It is very holy.

7 "The same instructions apply to the offering for sin and the guilt offering. Both offerings belong to the priest to make peace with the LORD. 8 The skin of the burnt offering belongs to the priest who sacrifices it. 9 Every grain offering, whether baked in an oven or prepared in a skillet or a frying pan, belongs to the priest who offers it. 10 Every grain offering, whether mixed with olive oil or dry, will be shared equally by all of Aaron's sons.

Instructions for the Fellowship Offering of Thanksgiving 11 "These are the instructions for the fellowship offering that you must bring to Yahweh. 12 If you offer it as a thank offering, you must also bring rings of unleavened bread mixed with olive oil, wafers of unleavened bread brushed with olive oil, and loaves made from flour mixed well with olive oil. 13 In addition to these rings of bread, you must bring bread with yeast along with your fellowship offering of thanksgiving. 14 From every offering you must bring one loaf to Yahweh as a special contribution. It will belong to the priest who throws the blood of the fellowship offering.

15 "The meat from your fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered. Never leave any of it until morning.

Instructions for Other Fellowship Offerings 16 "If your sacrificial offering is something you vowed or a freewill offering, it must be eaten the day you offer it or the next day. 17 However, on the third day any meat left over from the sacrifice must be burned. 18 You will not be accepted if any meat from the fellowship offering is eaten on the third day. You will not receive credit for it. It is repulsive to Elohim . The person who eats any of it must be punished.

19 "Meat that touches anything unclean must not be eaten. It must be burned. Anyone who is clean may eat from these sacrifices. 20 Those who eat meat from Yahweh's fellowship offering while unclean must be excluded from the people. 21 Those who touch anything unclean, human or animal, or any other disgusting uncleanness and still eat Yahweh's fellowship offering must be excluded from the people."

No Fat or Blood May Be Eaten 22 Yahweh spoke to Moses, 23 "Tell the Israelites: Never eat any fat from bulls, sheep, or goats. 24 The fat from an animal that dies naturally or is killed by wild animals you may use for any other purpose, but you must never eat it. 25 Those who eat the fat from an animal which they sacrificed by fire to Yahweh must be excluded from the people.

26 "Never eat the blood of any bird or animal no matter where you live. 27 Those who eat any blood must be excluded from the people."

Dividing the Fellowship Offering between the People and the Priests 28 Yahweh spoke to Moses, 29 "Tell the Israelites: Anyone who offers Yahweh a fellowship offering must bring a part of that sacrifice as a gift to Yahweh. 30 Bring the sacrifices by fire made to Yahweh yourself. Bring the fat with the breast. Take the breast and present it to Yahweh.

31 "The priest will burn the fat on the altar. However, the breast will belong to Aaron and his sons. 32 You will also give the priest the right thigh as a contribution. 33 When any of Aaron's sons offer the blood and fat of the fellowship offering, the right thigh will belong to him as his share. 34 From the fellowship offerings of the Israelites, I have taken the breast that was presented to me and the thigh from the contribution offering. I have given them to the priest Aaron and his sons. This is a permanent law for generations to come.

35 "This is the share for Aaron and his sons from the sacrifices by fire made to Yahweh. It was given to them on the day Moses ordained them to serve Yahweh as priests. 36 Yahweh commanded the Israelites to give it to them on the day he anointed them. This is a permanent law for generations to come."

Summary of Offerings 37 These are the instructions for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the offering for sin, the guilt offering, the ordination offering, and the fellowship offering. 38 On Mount Sinai Yahweh gave Moses commands about these offerings at the same time that he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to Yahweh in the Sinai Desert.

Aaron and His Sons Made Priests-Exodus 29:1-45 8 1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, 2 "Take Aaron and his sons, the priests' clothes, the anointing oil, the bull that will be the offering for sin, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread. 3 Gather the whole congregation at the entrance to the tent of meeting."

4 Moses did as Yahweh commanded him, and the congregation gathered at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 5 Moses told the congregation, "Yahweh has commanded that this is what you must do."

6 Moses had Aaron and his sons come forward, and he washed them. 7 He put the linen robe on Aaron and fastened the belt around him. He also dressed him in the robe that is worn with the ephod.a He fastened the ephod to it. 8 Then he put the breastplate on him, and into it he placed the Urim and Thummim.b 9 He put the turban on him and fastened the gold medallion (the holy crown) to the front of the turban as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

10 Moses took the anointing oil to anoint the tent and everything in it and dedicate them. 11 He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times and anointed the altar, all the utensils, and the basin with its stand to dedicate them.

12 He also poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to set him apart for his holy duties.

13 Moses had Aaron's sons come forward. He put linen robes on them, fastened their belts around them, and put turbans on them as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

14 He brought the bull that was the offering for sin. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. 15 When it was slaughtered, Moses took the blood and put it on the horns of the altar all around with his finger and cleansed the altar from sins. He poured the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar and declared it holy so that priests could use it to make peace with the LORD. 16 Moses took all the fat that was on the internal organs, the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and he burned them on the altar. 17 He burned the rest of the bull, its skin, meat, and excrement outside the camp, as Yahweh commanded him.

18 He brought forward the ram for the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on the ram's head. 19 Moses slaughtered it and threw the blood against the altar on all sides. 20 When the ram was cut into pieces, Moses burned the head with the other pieces and the fat. 21 He washed the internal organs and the legs. Then Moses burned the whole ram on the altar as Yahweh commanded him. It was a burnt offering, a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to Yahweh.

22 He brought forward the second ram for the ordination offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on the ram's head. 23 Moses slaughtered it, took some of the blood, and put it on Aaron's right ear lobe, on his right thumb, and on the big toe of his right foot. 24 Moses also brought Aaron's sons forward. He put some of the blood on their right ear lobes, on their right thumbs, and on the big toes of their right feet. Moses threw the rest of the blood against all the sides of the altar. 25 He took the fat, the fat from the tail, all the fat on the internal organs, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys with their fat, and the right thigh. 26 He took a loaf of unleavened bread, a ring of bread made with olive oil, and a wafer from the basket of unleavened bread which was in Yahweh's presence. He put them on the fat and the right thigh. 27 Then he placed all these things in the hands of Aaron and his sons. Moses presented all these things to Yahweh as an offering. 28 Then he took them from their hands and burned them on top of the burnt offering on the altar. These were ordination offerings, offerings by fire, a soothing aroma to Yahweh. 29 Moses also took the breast from the ram of the ordination offering and presented it to Yahweh. It was Moses' share, as Yahweh had commanded.

30 Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar, sprinkled it on Aaron and his clothes and on his sons and their clothes. In this way he dedicated Aaron, his clothes, his sons, and their clothes.

31 Moses told Aaron and his sons: "Cook the meat at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Take the meat and the bread in the basket of the ordination offering. Eat them there as I commanded when I said, Aaron and his sons will eat it.' 32 You must burn any meat or bread that is left over. 33 You will not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, not until the last day of your ordination is over. It will take seven days to ordain you. 34 I did today what Yahweh commanded me to make peace with the LORD for you. 35 You will stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and serve as Yahweh tells you. Then you will not die. This is what I was commanded."

36 So Aaron and his sons did everything Yahweh commanded through Moses.

Aaron's First Sacrifices 9 1 On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the leaders of Israel. 2 He told Aaron, "Take a calf that has no defects for yourself as an offering for sin and a ram that has no defects as a burnt offering. Sacrifice them in Yahweh's presence. 3 Also tell the Israelites: 'Take a male goat as an offering for sin, a calf and a lamb (each one year old and without defects) as a burnt offering, 4 a bull and a ram as a fellowship offering, and a grain offering mixed with olive oil to sacrifice in Yahweh's presence. Yahweh will appear to you today.'"

5 So they took the things Moses commanded and brought them in front of the tent of meeting. The whole congregation came and stood in Yahweh's presence.

6 Moses said, "Yahweh has commanded you to offer these sacrifices so that you may see Yahweh's glory."

7 Moses told Aaron, "Come to the altar and sacrifice an offering for sin and a burnt offering to make peace with the LORD for your sins and the sins of the people. Also make an offering for the people, to make peace with the LORD for them as Yahweh commanded."

8 Aaron came to the altar and slaughtered the calf as his own offering for sin. 9 Aaron's sons brought him the blood. He dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar. Then he poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar. 10 On the altar he burned the fat, kidneys, and lobe of the liver from the offering for sin as Yahweh had commanded Moses. 11 He burned the meat and the skin outside the camp.

12 He slaughtered the animal for the burnt offering. Aaron's sons gave him the blood, and he threw it against the altar on all sides. 13 They also gave him the burnt offering, which was cut in pieces and included the head. He burned it on the altar. 14 He washed the internal organs and the legs and laid them on top of the burnt offering on the altar. 15 He brought the people's offerings. He took the male goat for the people's offering for sin and slaughtered it. He sacrificed it to take away sins as he had done before. 16 Following the proper procedures, he brought forward the burnt offering and sacrificed it. 17 He also brought the grain offering. He took a handful of grain and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning burnt offering. 18 He slaughtered the bull and the ram for the people's fellowship offering. Aaron's sons gave him the blood, which he threw against the altar on all sides. 19 However, the fat from the bull and the ram (the fat from the tail, the layer of fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver) 20 they placed on the breasts. Aaron burned them all on the altar. 21 However, he first took the breasts and the right thighs and presented them to Yahweh as Moses commanded.

22 Then Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them. He sacrificed the offering for sin, the burnt offering, and the fellowship offering. Then he came down from the altar. 23 Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people. Then Yahweh's glory appeared to all the people. 24 Fire came out from Yahweh's presence and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar. When all the people saw this, they shouted and bowed with their faces touching the ground.

Improper Conduct for Priests 10 1 Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took an incense burner and put burning coals and incense in it. Then in Yahweh's presence they offered this unauthorized fire. 2 A fire flashed from Yahweh and burned them, and they died in the presence of Yahweh.

3 Moses said to Aaron, "This is exactly what Yahweh said: 'I will show my holiness among those who come to me.

I will show my glory to all the people.'"

Aaron was speechless.

4 Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron's uncle, Uzziel. He told them, "Come and take your relatives away from in front of the holy place. Take them outside the camp." 5 So they came and took them away to a place outside the camp, as Moses told them. The dead men were still in their linen robes.

6 Moses told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar: "Do not mourn by leaving your hair uncombed or tearing your clothes. If you do, you will die and Yahweh will become angry with the whole congregation. All the other Israelites may cry over the fire Yahweh sent, but you may not. 7 You must not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting or else you, too, will die, because Yahweh has anointed you with his oil." They obeyed Moses.

Proper Conduct for Priests 8 Yahweh spoke to Aaron, 9 "You and your sons must not drink any wine or liquor when you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a permanent law for generations to come. 10 Teach them the difference between what is holy and what is unholy, what is clean and what is unclean.a 11 Also teach the Israelites all the laws that Yahweh gave them through Moses."

12 Moses told Aaron and his surviving sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the grain offering left over from the offering by fire to Yahweh. Make unleavened bread, and eat it next to the altar because it is very holy. 13 Eat it in a holy place because it is the part of the offering by fire to Yahweh that belongs to you and your children. That is the command I received. 14 Also eat the breast presented to the LORD and the thigh that was given as a contribution. You and your sons and daughters may eat them in a clean place because they are your part of the fellowship offerings from the Israelites. 15 They will bring the thigh given as a contribution, the breast presented to the LORD, and the fat that is to be burned and present them to Yahweh. These parts will belong to you and your children. This will be a permanent law, as Yahweh has commanded."

Eleazar and Ithamar Sacrifice the Offering for Sin 16 Moses tried to find out what had happened to the male goat that was supposed to be the offering for sin. To his surprise, it had already been burned. So he became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's surviving sons. 17 He asked them, "Why didn't you eat the offering for sin in the holy place? It is very holy and was given to you to take away the sins of the congregation and to make peace with the LORD for them. 18 Since its blood was not brought inside the holy place, you certainly should have eaten it there, as I commanded."

19 Aaron answered Moses, "Today they sacrificed their offering for sin and their burnt offering in Yahweh's presence, and look what happened to me. If I had eaten the offering for sin today, would Yahweh have approved?"

20 When Moses heard this, he was satisfied.

Laws about Animals the Israelites May and May Not Eat-Deuteronomy 14:3-20 11 1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, 2 "Tell the Israelites: Here are the kinds of land animals you may eat: 3 all animals that have completely divided hoofs and that also chew their cud. 4 However, from those that either chew their cud or have divided hoofs, these are the kinds you must never eat: You must never eat camels. (Camels are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.) 5 You must never eat rock badgers. (Rock badgers are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.) 6 You must never eat rabbits. (Rabbits are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.) 7 You must never eat pigs. (Because pigs have completely divided hoofs but do not chew their cud, they are also unclean.) 8 Never eat the meat of these animals or touch their dead bodies. They are unclean for you.

9 "Here are the kinds of creatures that live in the water which you may eat-anything in the seas and streams that has fins and scales. 10 However, you must consider all swarming creatures living in the seas or the streams that have no fins or scales disgusting. 11 They must remain disgusting to you. Never eat their meat. Consider their dead bodies disgusting. 12 Every creature in the water without fins or scales is disgusting to you.

13 "Here are the kinds of birds you must consider disgusting and must not eat. They are eagles, bearded vultures, black vultures, 14 kites, all types of buzzards, 15 all types of crows, 16 ostriches, nighthawks, seagulls, all types of falcons, 17 little owls, cormorants, great owls, 18 barn owls, pelicans, ospreys, 19 storks, all types of herons, hoopoes, and bats.

20 "Every swarming, winged insect that walks across the ground like a fourlegged animal is disgusting to you. 21 However, you may eat winged insects that swarm if they use their legs to hop on the ground. 22 You may eat any kind of locust, cricket, katydid, or grasshopper. 23 Every kind of winged insect that walks across the ground like a fourlegged animal is disgusting to you.