Leviticus

The Lord instructs the Israelites on the proper procedure for offering burnt sacrifices, which can be from the herd, flock, or birds. The animal must be a male without blemish, and the offerer must place their hand on its head before it is killed and its blood sprinkled around the altar. The priests then prepare the sacrifice by cutting it into pieces, washing certain parts, and burning it on the altar as an offering to the Lord, which is considered a sweet savor.

The Lord instructs the Israelites on the proper way to offer a meat offering, which must be made of fine flour, oil, and frankincense, and must be brought to the priests to be burned on the altar as a sweet savor. The priests are to take a portion of the offering as a memorial and burn it, while the rest belongs to Aaron and his sons. The offering must not be made with leaven or honey, and must be seasoned with salt. Additionally, the firstfruits offering is to be made with green ears of corn dried by the fire, beaten out, and mixed with oil and frankincense.

The peace offering can be made from a herd animal or a flock animal, and it must be without blemish. The person making the offering lays their hand on the animal's head and kills it at the tabernacle door, then the priests sprinkle the blood on the altar. The fat and certain internal organs are then burned on the altar as an offering to the Lord. The same procedure is followed for offerings from the flock, whether a lamb or a goat.

The Lord instructs Moses on the procedures for sin offerings for unintentional sins. If the high priest sins, he must offer a young bullock without blemish, and the priest will sprinkle its blood before the Lord and burn its fat on the altar. Similar procedures are outlined for sin offerings by the whole congregation, a ruler, and a common person, with the type of offering varying depending on the individual's status.

If someone sins by not speaking up when they know of a wrongdoing, or by touching something unclean, or by making an oath they don't intend to keep, they are guilty and must confess their sin. They must then bring a sin offering to the priest, which can be a female lamb or goat, or if they can't afford that, two turtledoves or pigeons, or if they're even poorer, a tenth of an ephah of fine flour. The priest will then make atonement for their sin and it will be forgiven. If someone sins against the holy things of the Lord, they must bring a ram without blemish as a trespass offering and pay back what they took, plus a fifth of its value.

The Lord instructs Moses on the laws for various offerings, including the trespass offering, which requires restitution and a ram without blemish to be offered to the Lord. The priest must make atonement for the offender before the Lord. The Lord also gives instructions for the burnt offering, which must be kept burning on the altar at all times, and the meat offering, which is to be eaten by the priests in the holy place. Additionally, the Lord provides laws for the sin offering, which must be killed and eaten in the holy place, and any vessel used for it must be broken or scoured.

The law of the trespass offering is given, stating that it must be killed in the same place as the burnt offering and its blood sprinkled around the altar, with the fat and internal organs being burned as an offering to the Lord. The priest who makes atonement with the offering shall have it, and the skin of the burnt offering belongs to the priest who offers it. The law of the sacrifice of peace offerings is also given, stating that if offered for thanksgiving, unleavened cakes and leavened bread must be offered with it, and the flesh must be eaten the same day or the next day, but not on the third day. Additionally, the Israelites are forbidden from eating fat or blood from animals, and the priest's portion of the peace offerings is specified.

Moses gathered the congregation and followed the Lord's instructions to consecrate Aaron and his sons as priests. He washed and clothed them in priestly garments, anointed them with oil, and offered sacrifices, including a sin offering and a burnt offering. The sacrifices were made to purify and sanctify the priests, the altar, and the tabernacle. After the consecration, Aaron and his sons were instructed to remain at the tabernacle for seven days to complete their consecration and make atonement for themselves.

Moses instructed Aaron and the children of Israel to prepare various offerings, including sin offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to be presented before the Lord. Aaron followed Moses' instructions, offering the required sacrifices and making atonement for himself and the people. After completing the offerings, Aaron and Moses blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all, with a fire consuming the burnt offering and fat on the altar, prompting the people to shout and fall on their faces.

Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons, offered unauthorized fire before the Lord and were consumed by fire from the Lord as a result. Moses instructed Aaron and his remaining sons not to mourn or leave the tabernacle, but instead to let the rest of the Israelites mourn the loss. The Lord then instructed Aaron and his sons not to drink wine or strong drink before entering the tabernacle, and to distinguish between holy and unholy things. Moses also instructed Aaron and his sons to eat the remaining meat offerings in the holy place, and later reprimanded Eleazar and Ithamar for not eating the sin offering in the holy place, but was satisfied with Aaron's explanation.

The Lord instructs Moses and Aaron to inform the Israelites about the types of animals that are acceptable to eat. Mammals that have a divided hoof and chew their cud are considered clean, while those that do not meet these criteria are unclean. Fish with fins and scales are also considered clean, while those without are unclean. Certain birds, such as eagles and vultures, are also considered unclean. Additionally, the Israelites are instructed to avoid touching the carcasses of unclean animals and to wash their clothes if they come into contact with them. The chapter concludes by emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between clean and unclean animals and the need for the Israelites to sanctify themselves and be holy.

A woman who gives birth to a male child is considered unclean for seven days and must then undergo a 33-day purification period, during which she cannot touch sacred objects or enter the sanctuary. If she gives birth to a female child, the period of uncleanness is 14 days and the purification period is 66 days. After the purification period, she must offer a lamb and a pigeon or turtledove as a burnt and sin offering to be cleansed from her blood. If she cannot afford a lamb, she can offer two pigeons or turtledoves instead.

The Lord gives Moses and Aaron instructions on how to diagnose and treat leprosy in people and in garments. Priests are to examine the affected area and determine if it is leprosy based on its appearance, including the presence of white hair or raw flesh. If the leprosy is confirmed, the person or garment is to be pronounced unclean and isolated or destroyed. However, if the leprosy appears to be fully covering the person's skin, they are to be pronounced clean. The chapter also provides guidelines for treating leprosy in different parts of the body, including the head and beard, and for determining when a person or garment is clean or unclean.

The law for cleansing a leper involves a priest examining the leper, then performing a ritual with two birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop, followed by the leper washing and shaving, and then offering sacrifices on the eighth day. If the leper is poor, a modified version of the ritual is performed with two turtledoves or pigeons. The law also applies to cleansing a house with leprosy, which involves removing infected stones, scraping and replastering the house, and if the plague returns, the house is destroyed. If the plague is healed, the priest performs a ritual with two birds to cleanse the house.

The Lord instructs Moses and Aaron to inform the Israelites that anyone with a bodily discharge, including men with a running issue or women with menstrual flow, is considered unclean and must follow specific purification rituals. Those who come into contact with them or their belongings must also wash and bathe to avoid becoming unclean. After a period of separation and purification, the unclean person must offer a sin offering and a burnt offering to be cleansed before the Lord.

Aaron is instructed by God through Moses on how to enter the holy place to make atonement for himself, his household, and the congregation of Israel. He must wear holy garments, offer a sin offering and a burnt offering, and sprinkle the blood of the offerings on the mercy seat. Two goats are chosen by lot, one for a sin offering and the other to be sent into the wilderness as a scapegoat, bearing the iniquities of the people. After completing the atonement rituals, Aaron must change out of his holy garments, wash, and offer a burnt offering for himself and the people. This ritual is to be performed annually on the tenth day of the seventh month to cleanse the people of their sins.

The Lord commands the Israelites to bring all animal sacrifices to the tabernacle to be offered to Him, and not to offer them in the open field or to other gods. Those who fail to do so will be cut off from their people. The Lord also prohibits the eating of blood, as it is the life of the flesh, and commands that the blood of hunted animals be poured out and covered with dust. Those who eat blood or do not properly clean themselves after coming into contact with a dead animal will be considered unclean.

The Lord instructs the Israelites to follow His laws and ordinances, rather than those of the Egyptians or Canaanites. He prohibits various forms of incest, including relationships with parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and in-laws. The Lord also forbids adultery, bestiality, and homosexual acts, considering them abominations that defile the land and its inhabitants. Those who commit these acts will be cut off from their people, and the Israelites are warned not to follow the customs of the nations that were cast out before them.

The Lord commands the Israelites to be holy, to respect their parents, and to keep the Sabbath. They are forbidden from idolatry, and instructed on the proper way to offer sacrifices and harvest their crops, leaving some for the poor and stranger. The Israelites are also commanded not to steal, lie, or defraud one another, and to judge their neighbors righteously. They are instructed to love their neighbors as themselves, and to keep the Lord's statutes, including those regarding purity, justice, and treatment of strangers.

The Lord instructs Moses to tell the Israelites that anyone who sacrifices their children to Molech will be put to death and cut off from their people. The Lord also warns against hiding such acts and against consulting mediums or wizards. The Israelites are commanded to sanctify themselves and keep God's statutes, including laws against cursing parents, adultery, incest, and bestiality, with punishments ranging from death to being cut off from their people. The Israelites are also instructed to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and to be holy, as God is holy.

The Lord instructs Moses to tell the priests, the sons of Aaron, that they must not defile themselves by touching the dead, except for close relatives. They are also prohibited from shaving their heads, cutting their beards, or making cuts in their flesh, and must not marry women who are prostitutes or have been divorced. The high priest is subject to even stricter rules, including not being able to leave the sanctuary or marry a widow or divorced woman. Additionally, any priest with a physical blemish is not allowed to offer sacrifices, but may still eat the sacred bread.

The Lord instructs Moses to tell Aaron and his sons to separate themselves from the holy things of the Israelites and not profane God's holy name. Any descendant of Aaron who is unclean, including those with leprosy or a discharge, is not to eat of the holy things until they are clean. The Lord also prohibits eating animals that have died naturally or been torn by beasts, and restricts who can eat of the holy things, including only the priest's family and those born in his house. The Lord also gives instructions on what animals can be offered as sacrifices, requiring them to be without blemish, and prohibits offering animals with defects or injuries.

The Lord instructs Moses to tell the Israelites about the holy convocations, including the Sabbath, Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Firstfruits. The Israelites are also instructed to celebrate the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Each of these feasts has specific rituals and offerings that must be performed, and the Israelites are commanded to rest and not do any work on these holy days. The Israelites are also instructed to leave the corners of their fields and any gleanings for the poor and the stranger.

The Lord instructs Moses to command the Israelites to bring pure olive oil for the lamps in the tabernacle to burn continually, and to bake 12 cakes of fine flour to be set before the Lord every Sabbath. A man who blasphemed the Lord's name was brought to Moses, and the Lord instructed that the man be stoned to death by the congregation. The Lord also established laws for the Israelites, including the death penalty for blasphemy and murder, restitution for killing an animal, and the principle of "an eye for an eye" for causing harm to another person.

The Israelites are instructed to observe a Sabbath year every seven years, where the land is to rest and not be worked. After seven cycles of seven years, a Jubilee year is to be observed, where all land is to be returned to its original owners, slaves are to be set free, and debts are to be forgiven. The Israelites are also instructed on how to treat the poor and strangers, including not charging interest on loans and not ruling over them with harshness. Additionally, the Israelites are reminded that they are God's servants, whom He brought out of Egypt, and are not to be sold as slaves to one another.

God promises to bless the Israelites if they obey His commandments, keep the Sabbath, and reverence His sanctuary, resulting in prosperity, peace, and protection from enemies. However, if they disobey, God will punish them with terror, disease, and defeat, ultimately leading to desolation of the land and exile among the heathen. Despite their disobedience, God will remember His covenant with their ancestors and not completely abandon them, and if they confess their iniquity and accept punishment, He will restore them.

The Lord instructed Moses on the valuation of people, animals, and property dedicated to the Lord. The valuation of people was based on age and sex, with males being valued higher than females. If someone dedicated an animal, it could not be exchanged for another, and if it was unclean, the priest would determine its value. Dedicated property, including houses and fields, was also valued by the priest, and if the owner wanted to redeem it, they had to add a fifth of the value. The chapter also discusses the tithe, which was a tenth of the land's produce, and the rules for redeeming it.