Leviticus [16]

Leviticus 16

The Day of Atonement

1 The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, who had died when they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord.

2 The Lord said to Moses:

3 "Tell Aaron your brother not to enter the Most Holy Place behind the curtain, into the sanctuary before the mercy seat that is on the ark, or he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

4 Here is how Aaron is to enter the Most Holy Place: He is to take a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

5 He is to put on the sacred linen garments—the linen undergarments, the linen trousers, the linen tunic, the linen turban—and he is to wash his body with water before putting them on.

6 He is to take the whole community of Israel's congregation and make atonement for them before the Lord.

7 He is to take the bull for the sin offering and present it before the Lord.

8 He is to lay his hands on the head of the bull and slaughter it before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

9 Then he is to take some of the bull's blood and bring it into the Most Holy Place.

10 He is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, in front of the mercy seat, on the east side.

11 He is to slaughter the goat for the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood into the Most Holy Place. He is to do with the blood of the goat as he did with the blood of the bull: He is to sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.

12 He will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness of the Israelites and their transgressions, all their sins. He is to do the same for the tent of meeting, which is among them, in the midst of their uncleanness.

13 No one is to be in the tent of meeting from the time Aaron enters to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, or he will die.

14 He is to take the bull's blood, the goat's blood and the fat of the ram and put them on the horns of the altar of burnt offering.

15 He is to burn the fat of the ram on the altar, making a fragrant aroma before the Lord. He is to make atonement for the people.

16 Then he is to take the goat that was chosen by lot as the scapegoat. He is to present it alive before the Lord.

17 Aaron is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat's head.

18 He is to send the goat into the wilderness with the man who is to let it go, to carry all their sins to a desolate land.

19 The man is to let go of the goat in the wilderness, and the goat will carry all their sins away to a desolate land.

20 Aaron is to come into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments he put on when he entered the Most Holy Place and leave them there.

21 He is to wash his body with water in the sanctuary area and put on his ordinary clothes. Then he is to go out and offer the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, making atonement for himself and for the people.

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

23 After that, he is to take the goat's blood that was used for atonement in the Most Holy Place and bring it into the tent of meeting. He is to sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat, in front of the veil.

24 He is to make atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, because of the uncleanness of the Israelites.

25 When he has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he is to present the live goat.

26 Aaron is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness of the Israelites—all their transgressions—all their sins—and put them on the goat's head. He is to send the goat into the wilderness with the man who is to let it go.

27 The goat is to carry all their sins away to a desolate land. The man is to let go of the goat in the wilderness, and the goat will carry all their sins away to a desolate land.

28 When Aaron has finished doing this, he is to come into the tent of meeting and put on the linen garments he took off and leave them there.

29 Then he is to go out to the altar of burnt offering and offer the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, making atonement for himself and for the people.

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

31 After that, he is to take the goat's blood that was used for atonement in the Most Holy Place and bring it into the tent of meeting. He is to sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat, in front of the veil.

32 He is to make atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, because of the uncleanness of the Israelites.

33 When he has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he is to present the live goat.

34 Aaron is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness of the Israelites—all their transgressions—all their sins—and put them on the goat's head. He is to send the goat into the wilderness with the man who is to let it go.

35 The goat is to carry all their sins away to a desolate land. The man is to let go of the goat in the wilderness, and the goat will carry all their sins away to a desolate land.

36 When Aaron has finished doing this, he is to come into the tent of meeting and put on the linen garments he took off and leave them there.

37 Then he is to go out to the altar of burnt offering and offer the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, making atonement for himself and for the people.

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

39 He is to make atonement for himself and for his household and for the whole community of Israel.

40 This is to be a permanent statute for you: Once a year you are to make atonement for the Israelites because of all their sins.

41 The Lord said to Moses:

42 "Speak to Aaron and his sons and say to them: 'This is the law concerning the Day of Atonement. It is to be a most holy day for you, and you must deny yourselves. You are to bring a fire offering to the Lord.

43 No work is to be done on that day, whether by any Israelite or by any foreigner residing among you.

44 Anyone who does any work on that day must be cut off from their people.

45 For seven days you are to offer a fire offering to the Lord. On the eighth day you are to have a holy convocation and offer a fire offering to the Lord. It is a day of solemn assembly, and you must not do any ordinary work.

46 These are the statutes that the Lord commanded Moses to give the Israelites, concerning the Day of Atonement to make atonement for them for all their sins.