Bible in 90 Days Plan

¹After the ordination ceremony, on the eighth day, Moses called together Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel.

²He said to Aaron, “Take a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without defects, and present them to the LORD.

³Then tell the Israelites, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, and take a calf and a lamb, both a year old and without defects, for a burnt offering.

⁴Also take a bull and a ram for a peace offering and flour moistened with olive oil for a grain offering. Present all these offerings to the LORD because the LORD will appear to you today.’”

⁵So the people presented all these things at the entrance of the Tabernacle, just as Moses had commanded. Then the whole community came forward and stood before the LORD.

⁶And Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded you to do so that the glory of the LORD may appear to you.”

⁷Then Moses said to Aaron, “Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering to purify yourself and the people. Then present the offerings of the people to purify them, making them right with the LORD, just as he has commanded.”

⁸So Aaron went to the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering for himself.

⁹His sons brought him the blood, and he dipped his finger in it and put it on the horns of the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.

¹⁰Then he burned on the altar the fat, the kidneys, and the long lobe of the liver from the sin offering, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

¹¹The meat and the hide, however, he burned outside the camp.

¹²Next Aaron slaughtered the animal for the burnt offering. His sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it against all sides of the altar.

¹³Then they handed him each piece of the burnt offering, including the head, and he burned them on the altar.

¹⁴Then he washed the internal organs and the legs and burned them on the altar along with the rest of the burnt offering.

¹⁵Next Aaron presented the offerings of the people. He slaughtered the people’s goat and presented it as an offering for their sin, just as he had first done with the offering for his own sin.

¹⁶Then he presented the burnt offering and sacrificed it in the prescribed way.

¹⁷He also presented the grain offering, burning a handful of the flour mixture on the altar, in addition to the regular burnt offering for the morning.

¹⁸Then Aaron slaughtered the bull and the ram for the people’s peace offering. His sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it against all sides of the altar.

¹⁹Then he took the fat of the bull and the ram — the fat of the broad tail and from around the internal organs — along with the kidneys and the long lobes of the livers.

²⁰He placed these fat portions on top of the breasts of these animals and burned them on the altar.

²¹Aaron then lifted up the breasts and right thighs as a special offering to the LORD, just as Moses had commanded.

²²After that, Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them. Then, after presenting the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering, he stepped down from the altar.

²³Then Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle, and when they came back out, they blessed the people again, and the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole community.

²⁴Fire blazed forth from the LORD’s presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground.

¹Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over them. In this way, they disobeyed the LORD by burning before him the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded.

²So fire blazed forth from the LORD’s presence and burned them up, and they died there before the LORD.

³Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when he said, ‘I will display my holiness through those who come near me. I will display my glory before all the people.’” And Aaron was silent.

⁴Then Moses called for Mishael and Elzaphan, Aaron’s cousins, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel. He said to them, “Come forward and carry away the bodies of your relatives from in front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.”

⁵So they came forward and picked them up by their garments and carried them out of the camp, just as Moses had commanded.

⁶Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not show grief by leaving your hair uncombed or by tearing your clothes. If you do, you will die, and the LORD’s anger will strike the whole community of Israel. However, the rest of the Israelites, your relatives, may mourn because of the LORD’s fiery destruction of Nadab and Abihu.

⁷But you must not leave the entrance of the Tabernacle or you will die, for you have been anointed with the LORD’s anointing oil.” So they did as Moses commanded.

⁸Then the LORD said to Aaron,

⁹“You and your descendants must never drink wine or any other alcoholic drink before going into the Tabernacle. If you do, you will die. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation.

¹⁰You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean.

¹¹And you must teach the Israelites all the decrees that the LORD has given them through Moses.”

¹²Then Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take what is left of the grain offering after a portion has been presented as a special gift to the LORD, and eat it beside the altar. Make sure it contains no yeast, for it is most holy.

¹³You must eat it in a sacred place, for it has been given to you and your descendants as your portion of the special gifts presented to the LORD. These are the commands I have been given.

¹⁴But the breast and thigh that were lifted up as a special offering may be eaten in any place that is ceremonially clean. These parts have been given to you and your descendants as your portion of the peace offerings presented by the people of Israel.

¹⁵You must lift up the thigh and breast as a special offering to the LORD, along with the fat of the special gifts. These parts will belong to you and your descendants as your permanent right, just as the LORD has commanded.”

¹⁶Moses then asked them what had happened to the goat of the sin offering. When he discovered it had been burned up, he became very angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons.

¹⁷“Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the sacred area?” he demanded. “It is a holy offering! The LORD has given it to you to remove the guilt of the community and to purify the people, making them right with the LORD.

¹⁸Since the animal’s blood was not brought into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the meat in the sacred area as I ordered you.”

¹⁹Then Aaron answered Moses, “Today my sons presented both their sin offering and their burnt offering to the LORD. And yet this tragedy has happened to me. If I had eaten the people’s sin offering on such a tragic day as this, would the LORD have been pleased?”

²⁰And when Moses heard this, he was satisfied.

¹Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

²“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. “Of all the land animals, these are the ones you may use for food.

³You may eat any animal that has completely split hooves and chews the cud.

⁴You may not, however, eat the following animals that have split hooves or that chew the cud, but not both. The camel chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is ceremonially unclean for you.

⁵The hyrax chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is unclean.

⁶The hare chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is unclean.

⁷The pig has evenly split hooves but does not chew the cud, so it is unclean.

⁸You may not eat the meat of these animals or even touch their carcasses. They are ceremonially unclean for you.

⁹“Of all the marine animals, these are ones you may use for food. You may eat anything from the water if it has both fins and scales, whether taken from salt water or from streams.

¹⁰But you must never eat animals from the sea or from rivers that do not have both fins and scales. They are detestable to you. This applies both to little creatures that live in shallow water and to all creatures that live in deep water.

¹¹They will always be detestable to you. You must never eat their meat or even touch their dead bodies.

¹²Any marine animal that does not have both fins and scales is detestable to you.

¹³“These are the birds that are detestable to you. You must never eat them: the griffon vulture, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,

¹⁴the kite, falcons of all kinds,

¹⁵ravens of all kinds,

¹⁶the eagle owl, the short-eared owl, the seagull, hawks of all kinds,

¹⁷the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,

¹⁸the barn owl, the desert owl, the Egyptian vulture,

¹⁹the stork, herons of all kinds, the hoopoe, and the bat.

²⁰“You must not eat winged insects that walk along the ground; they are detestable to you.

²¹You may, however, eat winged insects that walk along the ground and have jointed legs so they can jump.

²²The insects you are permitted to eat include all kinds of locusts, bald locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers.

²³All other winged insects that walk along the ground are detestable to you.

²⁴“The following creatures will make you ceremonially unclean. If any of you touch their carcasses, you will be defiled until evening.

²⁵If you pick up their carcasses, you must wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening.

²⁶“Any animal that has split hooves that are not evenly divided or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you. If you touch the carcass of such an animal, you will be defiled.

²⁷Of the animals that walk on all fours, those that have paws are unclean. If you touch the carcass of such an animal, you will be defiled until evening.

²⁸If you pick up its carcass, you must wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening. These animals are unclean for you.

²⁹“Of the small animals that scurry along the ground, these are unclean for you: the mole rat, the rat, large lizards of all kinds,

³⁰the gecko, the monitor lizard, the common lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon.

³¹All these small animals are unclean for you. If any of you touch the dead body of such an animal, you will be defiled until evening.

³²If such an animal dies and falls on something, that object will be unclean. This is true whether the object is made of wood, cloth, leather, or burlap. Whatever its use, you must dip it in water, and it will remain defiled until evening. After that, it will be ceremonially clean and may be used again.

³³“If such an animal falls into a clay pot, everything in the pot will be defiled, and the pot must be smashed.

³⁴If the water from such a container spills on any food, the food will be defiled. And any beverage in such a container will be defiled.

³⁵Any object on which the carcass of such an animal falls will be defiled. If it is an oven or hearth, it must be destroyed, for it is defiled, and you must treat it accordingly.

³⁶“However, if the carcass of such an animal falls into a spring or a cistern, the water will still be clean. But anyone who touches the carcass will be defiled.

³⁷If the carcass falls on seed grain to be planted in the field, the seed will still be considered clean.

³⁸But if the seed is wet when the carcass falls on it, the seed will be defiled.

³⁹“If an animal you are permitted to eat dies and you touch its carcass, you will be defiled until evening.

⁴⁰If you eat any of its meat or carry away its carcass, you must wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening.

⁴¹“All small animals that scurry along the ground are detestable, and you must never eat them.

⁴²This includes all animals that slither along on their bellies, as well as those with four legs and those with many feet. All such animals that scurry along the ground are detestable, and you must never eat them.

⁴³Do not defile yourselves by touching them. You must not make yourselves ceremonially unclean because of them.

⁴⁴For I am the LORD your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. So do not defile yourselves with any of these small animals that scurry along the ground.

⁴⁵For I, the LORD, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy.

⁴⁶“These are the instructions regarding land animals, birds, marine creatures, and animals that scurry along the ground.

⁴⁷By these instructions you will know what is unclean and clean, and which animals may be eaten and which may not be eaten.”

¹The LORD said to Moses,

²“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. If a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period.

³On the eighth day the boy’s foreskin must be circumcised.

⁴After waiting thirty-three days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth. During this time of purification, she must not touch anything that is set apart as holy. And she must not enter the sanctuary until her time of purification is over.

⁵If a woman gives birth to a daughter, she will be ceremonially unclean for two weeks, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. After waiting sixty-six days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth.

⁶“When the time of purification is completed for either a son or a daughter, the woman must bring a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a purification offering. She must bring her offerings to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

⁷The priest will then present them to the LORD to purify her. Then she will be ceremonially clean again after her bleeding at childbirth. These are the instructions for a woman after the birth of a son or a daughter.

⁸“If a woman cannot afford to bring a lamb, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One will be for the burnt offering and the other for the purification offering. The priest will sacrifice them to purify her, and she will be ceremonially clean.”

¹The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

²“If anyone has a swelling or a rash or discolored skin that might develop into a serious skin disease, that person must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons.

³The priest will examine the affected area of the skin. If the hair in the affected area has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, it is a serious skin disease, and the priest who examines it must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean.

⁴“But if the affected area of the skin is only a white discoloration and does not appear to be more than skin-deep, and if the hair on the spot has not turned white, the priest will quarantine the person for seven days.

⁵On the seventh day the priest will make another examination. If he finds the affected area has not changed and the problem has not spread on the skin, the priest will quarantine the person for seven more days.

⁶On the seventh day the priest will make another examination. If he finds the affected area has faded and has not spread, the priest will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. It was only a rash. The person’s clothing must be washed, and the person will be ceremonially clean.

⁷But if the rash continues to spread after the person has been examined by the priest and has been pronounced clean, the infected person must return to be examined again.

⁸If the priest finds that the rash has spread, he must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean, for it is indeed a skin disease.

⁹“Anyone who develops a serious skin disease must go to the priest for an examination.

¹⁰If the priest finds a white swelling on the skin, and some hair on the spot has turned white, and there is an open sore in the affected area,

¹¹it is a chronic skin disease, and the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean. In such cases the person need not be quarantined, for it is obvious that the skin is defiled by the disease.

¹²“Now suppose the disease has spread all over the person’s skin, covering the body from head to foot.

¹³When the priest examines the infected person and finds that the disease covers the entire body, he will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. Since the skin has turned completely white, the person is clean.

¹⁴But if any open sores appear, the infected person will be pronounced ceremonially unclean.

¹⁵The priest must make this pronouncement as soon as he sees an open sore, since open sores indicate the presence of a skin disease.

¹⁶However, if the open sores heal and turn white like the rest of the skin, the person must return to the priest

¹⁷for another examination. If the affected areas have indeed turned white, the priest will then pronounce the person ceremonially clean by declaring, ‘You are clean!’

¹⁸“If anyone has a boil on the skin that has started to heal,

¹⁹but a white swelling or a reddish white spot develops in its place, that person must go to the priest to be examined.

²⁰If the priest examines it and finds it to be more than skin-deep, and if the hair in the affected area has turned white, the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean. The boil has become a serious skin disease.

²¹But if the priest finds no white hair on the affected area and the problem appears to be no more than skin-deep and has faded, the priest must quarantine the person for seven days.

²²If during that time the affected area spreads on the skin, the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean, because it is a serious disease.

²³But if the area grows no larger and does not spread, it is merely the scar from the boil, and the priest will pronounce the person ceremonially clean.

²⁴“If anyone has suffered a burn on the skin and the burned area changes color, becoming either reddish white or shiny white,

²⁵the priest must examine it. If he finds that the hair in the affected area has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, a skin disease has broken out in the burn. The priest must then pronounce the person ceremonially unclean, for it is clearly a serious skin disease.

²⁶But if the priest finds no white hair on the affected area and the problem appears to be no more than skin-deep and has faded, the priest must quarantine the infected person for seven days.

²⁷On the seventh day the priest must examine the person again. If the affected area has spread on the skin, the priest must pronounce that person ceremonially unclean, for it is clearly a serious skin disease.

²⁸But if the affected area has not changed or spread on the skin and has faded, it is simply a swelling from the burn. The priest will then pronounce the person ceremonially clean, for it is only the scar from the burn.

²⁹“If anyone, either a man or woman, has a sore on the head or chin,

³⁰the priest must examine it. If he finds it is more than skin-deep and has fine yellow hair on it, the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean. It is a scabby sore of the head or chin.

³¹If the priest examines the scabby sore and finds that it is only skin-deep but there is no black hair on it, he must quarantine the person for seven days.

³²On the seventh day the priest must examine the sore again. If he finds that the scabby sore has not spread, and there is no yellow hair on it, and it appears to be only skin-deep,

³³the person must shave off all hair except the hair on the affected area. Then the priest must quarantine the person for another seven days.

³⁴On the seventh day he will examine the sore again. If it has not spread and appears to be no more than skin-deep, the priest will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. The person’s clothing must be washed, and the person will be ceremonially clean.

³⁵But if the scabby sore begins to spread after the person is pronounced clean,

³⁶the priest must do another examination. If he finds that the sore has spread, the priest does not need to look for yellow hair. The infected person is ceremonially unclean.

³⁷But if the color of the scabby sore does not change and black hair has grown on it, it has healed. The priest will then pronounce the person ceremonially clean.

³⁸“If anyone, either a man or woman, has shiny white patches on the skin,

³⁹the priest must examine the affected area. If he finds that the shiny patches are only pale white, this is a harmless skin rash, and the person is ceremonially clean.

⁴⁰“If a man loses his hair and his head becomes bald, he is still ceremonially clean.

⁴¹And if he loses hair on his forehead, he simply has a bald forehead; he is still clean.

⁴²However, if a reddish white sore appears on the bald area on top of his head or on his forehead, this is a skin disease.

⁴³The priest must examine him, and if he finds swelling around the reddish white sore anywhere on the man’s head and it looks like a skin disease,

⁴⁴the man is indeed infected with a skin disease and is unclean. The priest must pronounce him ceremonially unclean because of the sore on his head.

⁴⁵“Those who suffer from a serious skin disease must tear their clothing and leave their hair uncombed. They must cover their mouth and call out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’

⁴⁶As long as the serious disease lasts, they will be ceremonially unclean. They must live in isolation in their place outside the camp.

⁴⁷“Now suppose mildew contaminates some woolen or linen clothing,

⁴⁸woolen or linen fabric, the hide of an animal, or anything made of leather.

⁴⁹If the contaminated area in the clothing, the animal hide, the fabric, or the leather article has turned greenish or reddish, it is contaminated with mildew and must be shown to the priest.

⁵⁰After examining the affected spot, the priest will put the article in quarantine for seven days.

⁵¹On the seventh day the priest must inspect it again. If the contaminated area has spread, the clothing or fabric or leather is clearly contaminated by a serious mildew and is ceremonially unclean.

⁵²The priest must burn the item — the clothing, the woolen or linen fabric, or piece of leather — for it has been contaminated by a serious mildew. It must be completely destroyed by fire.

⁵³“But if the priest examines it and finds that the contaminated area has not spread in the clothing, the fabric, or the leather,

⁵⁴the priest will order the object to be washed and then quarantined for seven more days.

⁵⁵Then the priest must examine the object again. If he finds that the contaminated area has not changed color after being washed, even if it did not spread, the object is defiled. It must be completely burned up, whether the contaminated spot is on the inside or outside.

⁵⁶But if the priest examines it and finds that the contaminated area has faded after being washed, he must cut the spot from the clothing, the fabric, or the leather.

⁵⁷If the spot later reappears on the clothing, the fabric, or the leather article, the mildew is clearly spreading, and the contaminated object must be burned up.

⁵⁸But if the spot disappears from the clothing, the fabric, or the leather article after it has been washed, it must be washed again; then it will be ceremonially clean.

⁵⁹“These are the instructions for dealing with mildew that contaminates woolen or linen clothing or fabric or anything made of leather. This is how the priest will determine whether these items are ceremonially clean or unclean.”

¹And the LORD said to Moses,

²“The following instructions are for those seeking ceremonial purification from a skin disease. Those who have been healed must be brought to the priest,

³who will examine them at a place outside the camp. If the priest finds that someone has been healed of a serious skin disease,

⁴he will perform a purification ceremony, using two live birds that are ceremonially clean, a stick of cedar, some scarlet yarn, and a hyssop branch.

⁵The priest will order that one bird be slaughtered over a clay pot filled with fresh water.

⁶He will take the live bird, the cedar stick, the scarlet yarn, and the hyssop branch, and dip them into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water.

⁷The priest will then sprinkle the blood of the dead bird seven times on the person being purified of the skin disease. When the priest has purified the person, he will release the live bird in the open field to fly away.

⁸“The persons being purified must then wash their clothes, shave off all their hair, and bathe themselves in water. Then they will be ceremonially clean and may return to the camp. However, they must remain outside their tents for seven days.

⁹On the seventh day they must again shave all the hair from their heads, including the hair of the beard and eyebrows. They must also wash their clothes and bathe themselves in water. Then they will be ceremonially clean.

¹⁰“On the eighth day each person being purified must bring two male lambs and a one-year-old female lamb, all with no defects, along with a grain offering of six quarts of choice flour moistened with olive oil, and a cup of olive oil.

¹¹Then the officiating priest will present that person for purification, along with the offerings, before the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

¹²The priest will take one of the male lambs and the olive oil and present them as a guilt offering, lifting them up as a special offering before the LORD.

¹³He will then slaughter the male lamb in the sacred area where sin offerings and burnt offerings are slaughtered. As with the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest. It is a most holy offering.

¹⁴The priest will then take some of the blood of the guilt offering and apply it to the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified.

¹⁵“Then the priest will pour some of the olive oil into the palm of his own left hand.

¹⁶He will dip his right finger into the oil in his palm and sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the LORD.

¹⁷The priest will then apply some of the oil in his palm over the blood from the guilt offering that is on the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified.

¹⁸The priest will apply the oil remaining in his hand to the head of the person being purified. Through this process, the priest will purify the person before the LORD.

¹⁹“Then the priest must present the sin offering to purify the person who was cured of the skin disease. After that, the priest will slaughter the burnt offering

²⁰and offer it on the altar along with the grain offering. Through this process, the priest will purify the person who was healed, and the person will be ceremonially clean.

²¹“But anyone who is too poor and cannot afford these offerings may bring one male lamb for a guilt offering, to be lifted up as a special offering for purification. The person must also bring two quarts of choice flour moistened with olive oil for the grain offering and a cup of olive oil.

²²The offering must also include two turtledoves or two young pigeons, whichever the person can afford. One of the pair must be used for the sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.

²³On the eighth day of the purification ceremony, the person being purified must bring the offerings to the priest in the LORD’s presence at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

²⁴The priest will take the lamb for the guilt offering, along with the olive oil, and lift them up as a special offering to the LORD.

²⁵Then the priest will slaughter the lamb for the guilt offering. He will take some of its blood and apply it to the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified.

²⁶“The priest will also pour some of the olive oil into the palm of his own left hand.

²⁷He will dip his right finger into the oil in his palm and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD.

²⁸The priest will then apply some of the oil in his palm over the blood from the guilt offering that is on the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified.

²⁹The priest will apply the oil remaining in his hand to the head of the person being purified. Through this process, the priest will purify the person before the LORD.

³⁰“Then the priest will offer the two turtledoves or the two young pigeons, whichever the person can afford.

³¹One of them is for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, to be presented along with the grain offering. Through this process, the priest will purify the person before the LORD.

³²These are the instructions for purification for those who have recovered from a serious skin disease but who cannot afford to bring the offerings normally required for the ceremony of purification.”

³³Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

³⁴“When you arrive in Canaan, the land I am giving you as your own possession, I may contaminate some of the houses in your land with mildew.

³⁵The owner of such a house must then go to the priest and say, ‘It appears that my house has some kind of mildew.’

³⁶Before the priest goes in to inspect the house, he must have the house emptied so nothing inside will be pronounced ceremonially unclean.

³⁷Then the priest will go in and examine the mildew on the walls. If he finds greenish or reddish streaks and the contamination appears to go deeper than the wall’s surface,

³⁸the priest will step outside the door and put the house in quarantine for seven days.

³⁹On the seventh day the priest must return for another inspection. If he finds that the mildew on the walls of the house has spread,

⁴⁰the priest must order that the stones from those areas be removed. The contaminated material will then be taken outside the town to an area designated as ceremonially unclean.

⁴¹Next the inside walls of the entire house must be scraped thoroughly and the scrapings dumped in the unclean place outside the town.

⁴²Other stones will be brought in to replace the ones that were removed, and the walls will be replastered.

⁴³“But if the mildew reappears after all the stones have been replaced and the house has been scraped and replastered,

⁴⁴the priest must return and inspect the house again. If he finds that the mildew has spread, the walls are clearly contaminated with a serious mildew, and the house is defiled.

⁴⁵It must be torn down, and all its stones, timbers, and plaster must be carried out of town to the place designated as ceremonially unclean.

⁴⁶Those who enter the house during the period of quarantine will be ceremonially unclean until evening,

⁴⁷and all who sleep or eat in the house must wash their clothing.

⁴⁸“But if the priest returns for his inspection and finds that the mildew has not reappeared in the house after the fresh plastering, he will pronounce it clean because the mildew is clearly gone.

⁴⁹To purify the house the priest must take two birds, a stick of cedar, some scarlet yarn, and a hyssop branch.

⁵⁰He will slaughter one of the birds over a clay pot filled with fresh water.

⁵¹He will take the cedar stick, the hyssop branch, the scarlet yarn, and the live bird, and dip them into the blood of the slaughtered bird and into the fresh water. Then he will sprinkle the house seven times.

⁵²When the priest has purified the house in exactly this way,

⁵³he will release the live bird in the open fields outside the town. Through this process, the priest will purify the house, and it will be ceremonially clean.

⁵⁴“These are the instructions for dealing with serious skin diseases, including scabby sores;

⁵⁵and mildew, whether on clothing or in a house;

⁵⁶and a swelling on the skin, a rash, or discolored skin.

⁵⁷This procedure will determine whether a person or object is ceremonially clean or unclean. “These are the instructions regarding skin diseases and mildew.”

¹The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

²“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. “Any man who has a bodily discharge is ceremonially unclean.

³This defilement is caused by his discharge, whether the discharge continues or stops. In either case the man is unclean.

⁴Any bed on which the man with the discharge lies and anything on which he sits will be ceremonially unclean.

⁵So if you touch the man’s bed, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.

⁶If you sit where the man with the discharge has sat, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.

⁷If you touch the man with the discharge, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.

⁸If the man spits on you, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.

⁹Any saddle blanket on which the man rides will be ceremonially unclean.

¹⁰If you touch anything that was under the man, you will be unclean until evening. You must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.

¹¹If the man touches you without first rinsing his hands, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.

¹²Any clay pot the man touches must be broken, and any wooden utensil he touches must be rinsed with water.

¹³“When the man with the discharge is healed, he must count off seven days for the period of purification. Then he must wash his clothes and bathe himself in fresh water, and he will be ceremonially clean.

¹⁴On the eighth day he must get two turtledoves or two young pigeons and come before the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle and give his offerings to the priest.

¹⁵The priest will offer one bird for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. Through this process, the priest will purify the man before the LORD for his discharge.

¹⁶“Whenever a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his entire body in water, and he will remain ceremonially unclean until the next evening.

¹⁷Any clothing or leather with semen on it must be washed in water, and it will remain unclean until evening.

¹⁸After a man and a woman have sexual intercourse, they must each bathe in water, and they will remain unclean until the next evening.

¹⁹“Whenever a woman has her menstrual period, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days. Anyone who touches her during that time will be unclean until evening.

²⁰Anything on which the woman lies or sits during the time of her period will be unclean.

²¹If any of you touch her bed, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.

²²If you touch any object she has sat on, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.

²³This includes her bed or any other object she has sat on; you will be unclean until evening if you touch it.

²⁴If a man has sexual intercourse with her and her blood touches him, her menstrual impurity will be transmitted to him. He will remain unclean for seven days, and any bed on which he lies will be unclean.

²⁵“If a woman has a flow of blood for many days that is unrelated to her menstrual period, or if the blood continues beyond the normal period, she is ceremonially unclean. As during her menstrual period, the woman will be unclean as long as the discharge continues.

²⁶Any bed she lies on and any object she sits on during that time will be unclean, just as during her normal menstrual period.

²⁷If any of you touch these things, you will be ceremonially unclean. You must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.

²⁸“When the woman’s bleeding stops, she must count off seven days. Then she will be ceremonially clean.

²⁹On the eighth day she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons and present them to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

³⁰The priest will offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. Through this process, the priest will purify her before the LORD for the ceremonial impurity caused by her bleeding.

³¹“This is how you will guard the people of Israel from ceremonial uncleanness. Otherwise they would die, for their impurity would defile my Tabernacle that stands among them.

³²These are the instructions for dealing with anyone who has a bodily discharge — a man who is unclean because of an emission of semen

³³or a woman during her menstrual period. It applies to any man or woman who has a bodily discharge, and to a man who has sexual intercourse with a woman who is ceremonially unclean.”

¹The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons, who died after they entered the LORD’s presence and burned the wrong kind of fire before him.

²The LORD said to Moses, “Warn your brother, Aaron, not to enter the Most Holy Place behind the inner curtain whenever he chooses; if he does, he will die. For the Ark’s cover — the place of atonement — is there, and I myself am present in the cloud above the atonement cover.

³“When Aaron enters the sanctuary area, he must follow these instructions fully. He must bring a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

⁴He must put on his linen tunic and the linen undergarments worn next to his body. He must tie the linen sash around his waist and put the linen turban on his head. These are sacred garments, so he must bathe himself in water before he puts them on.

⁵Aaron must take from the community of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

⁶“Aaron will present his own bull as a sin offering to purify himself and his family, making them right with the LORD.

⁷Then he must take the two male goats and present them to the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

⁸He is to cast sacred lots to determine which goat will be reserved as an offering to the LORD and which will carry the sins of the people to the wilderness of Azazel.

⁹Aaron will then present as a sin offering the goat chosen by lot for the LORD.

¹⁰The other goat, the scapegoat chosen by lot to be sent away, will be kept alive, standing before the LORD. When it is sent away to Azazel in the wilderness, the people will be purified and made right with the LORD.

¹¹“Aaron will present his own bull as a sin offering to purify himself and his family, making them right with the LORD. After he has slaughtered the bull as a sin offering,

¹²he will fill an incense burner with burning coals from the altar that stands before the LORD. Then he will take two handfuls of fragrant powdered incense and will carry the burner and the incense behind the inner curtain.

¹³There in the LORD’s presence he will put the incense on the burning coals so that a cloud of incense will rise over the Ark’s cover — the place of atonement — that rests on the Ark of the Covenant. If he follows these instructions, he will not die.

¹⁴Then he must take some of the blood of the bull, dip his finger in it, and sprinkle it on the east side of the atonement cover. He must sprinkle blood seven times with his finger in front of the atonement cover.

¹⁵“Then Aaron must slaughter the first goat as a sin offering for the people and carry its blood behind the inner curtain. There he will sprinkle the goat’s blood over the atonement cover and in front of it, just as he did with the bull’s blood.

¹⁶Through this process, he will purify the Most Holy Place, and he will do the same for the entire Tabernacle, because of the defiling sin and rebellion of the Israelites.

¹⁷No one else is allowed inside the Tabernacle when Aaron enters it for the purification ceremony in the Most Holy Place. No one may enter until he comes out again after purifying himself, his family, and all the congregation of Israel, making them right with the LORD.

¹⁸“Then Aaron will come out to purify the altar that stands before the LORD. He will do this by taking some of the blood from the bull and the goat and putting it on each of the horns of the altar.

¹⁹Then he must sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times over the altar. In this way, he will cleanse it from Israel’s defilement and make it holy.

²⁰“When Aaron has finished purifying the Most Holy Place and the Tabernacle and the altar, he must present the live goat.

²¹He will lay both of his hands on the goat’s head and confess over it all the wickedness, rebellion, and sins of the people of Israel. In this way, he will transfer the people’s sins to the head of the goat. Then a man specially chosen for the task will drive the goat into the wilderness.

²²As the goat goes into the wilderness, it will carry all the people’s sins upon itself into a desolate land.

²³“When Aaron goes back into the Tabernacle, he must take off the linen garments he was wearing when he entered the Most Holy Place, and he must leave the garments there.

²⁴Then he must bathe himself with water in a sacred place, put on his regular garments, and go out to sacrifice a burnt offering for himself and a burnt offering for the people. Through this process, he will purify himself and the people, making them right with the LORD.

²⁵He must then burn all the fat of the sin offering on the altar.

²⁶“The man chosen to drive the scapegoat into the wilderness of Azazel must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water. Then he may return to the camp.

²⁷“The bull and the goat presented as sin offerings, whose blood Aaron takes into the Most Holy Place for the purification ceremony, will be carried outside the camp. The animals’ hides, internal organs, and dung are all to be burned.

²⁸The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water before returning to the camp.

²⁹“On the tenth day of the appointed month in early autumn, you must deny yourselves. Neither native-born Israelites nor foreigners living among you may do any kind of work. This is a permanent law for you.

³⁰On that day offerings of purification will be made for you, and you will be purified in the LORD’s presence from all your sins.

³¹It will be a Sabbath day of complete rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. This is a permanent law for you.

³²In future generations, the purification ceremony will be performed by the priest who has been anointed and ordained to serve as high priest in place of his ancestor Aaron. He will put on the holy linen garments

³³and purify the Most Holy Place, the Tabernacle, the altar, the priests, and the entire congregation.

³⁴This is a permanent law for you, to purify the people of Israel from their sins, making them right with the LORD once each year.” Moses followed all these instructions exactly as the LORD had commanded him.

¹Then the LORD said to Moses,

²“Give the following instructions to Aaron and his sons and all the people of Israel. This is what the LORD has commanded.

³“If any native Israelite sacrifices a bull or a lamb or a goat anywhere inside or outside the camp

⁴instead of bringing it to the entrance of the Tabernacle to present it as an offering to the LORD, that person will be as guilty as a murderer. Such a person has shed blood and will be cut off from the community.

⁵The purpose of this rule is to stop the Israelites from sacrificing animals in the open fields. It will ensure that they bring their sacrifices to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle, so he can present them to the LORD as peace offerings.

⁶Then the priest will be able to splatter the blood against the LORD’s altar at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and he will burn the fat as a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

⁷The people must no longer be unfaithful to the LORD by offering sacrifices to the goat idols. This is a permanent law for them, to be observed from generation to generation.

⁸“Give them this command as well. If any native Israelite or foreigner living among you offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice

⁹but does not bring it to the entrance of the Tabernacle to offer it to the LORD, that person will be cut off from the community.

¹⁰“And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you eats or drinks blood in any form, I will turn against that person and cut him off from the community of your people,

¹¹for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the LORD. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.

¹²That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink blood — neither you nor the foreigners living among you.’

¹³“And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you goes hunting and kills an animal or bird that is approved for eating, he must drain its blood and cover it with earth.

¹⁴The life of every creature is in its blood. That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink blood, for the life of any creature is in its blood.’ So whoever consumes blood will be cut off from the community.

¹⁵“And if any native-born Israelites or foreigners eat the meat of an animal that died naturally or was torn up by wild animals, they must wash their clothes and bathe themselves in water. They will remain ceremonially unclean until evening, but then they will be clean.

¹⁶But if they do not wash their clothes and bathe themselves, they will be punished for their sin.”

¹Then the LORD said to Moses,

²“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. I am the LORD your God.

³So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life.

⁴You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the LORD your God.

⁵If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them. I am the LORD.

⁶“You must never have sexual relations with a close relative, for I am the LORD.

⁷“Do not violate your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.

⁸“Do not have sexual relations with any of your father’s wives, for this would violate your father.

⁹“Do not have sexual relations with your sister or half sister, whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born into your household or someone else’s.

¹⁰“Do not have sexual relations with your granddaughter, whether she is your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, for this would violate yourself.

¹¹“Do not have sexual relations with your stepsister, the daughter of any of your father’s wives, for she is your sister.

¹²“Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister, for she is your father’s close relative.

¹³“Do not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s close relative.

¹⁴“Do not violate your uncle, your father’s brother, by having sexual relations with his wife, for she is your aunt.

¹⁵“Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife, so you must not have sexual relations with her.

¹⁶“Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife, for this would violate your brother.

¹⁷“Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. And do not take her granddaughter, whether her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, and have sexual relations with her. They are close relatives, and this would be a wicked act.

¹⁸“While your wife is living, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her, for they would be rivals.

¹⁹“Do not have sexual relations with a woman during her period of menstrual impurity.

²⁰“Do not defile yourself by having sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife.

²¹“Do not permit any of your children to be offered as a sacrifice to Molech, for you must not bring shame on the name of your God. I am the LORD.

²²“Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.

²³“A man must not defile himself by having sex with an animal. And a woman must not offer herself to a male animal to have intercourse with it. This is a perverse act.

²⁴“Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for the people I am driving out before you have defiled themselves in all these ways.

²⁵Because the entire land has become defiled, I am punishing the people who live there. I will cause the land to vomit them out.

²⁶You must obey all my decrees and regulations. You must not commit any of these detestable sins. This applies both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you.

²⁷“All these detestable activities are practiced by the people of the land where I am taking you, and this is how the land has become defiled.

²⁸So do not defile the land and give it a reason to vomit you out, as it will vomit out the people who live there now.

²⁹Whoever commits any of these detestable sins will be cut off from the community of Israel.

³⁰So obey my instructions, and do not defile yourselves by committing any of these detestable practices that were committed by the people who lived in the land before you. I am the LORD your God.”

¹The LORD also said to Moses,

²“Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

³“Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the LORD your God.

⁴“Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the LORD your God.

⁵“When you sacrifice a peace offering to the LORD, offer it properly so you will be accepted by God.

⁶The sacrifice must be eaten on the same day you offer it or on the next day. Whatever is left over until the third day must be completely burned up.

⁷If any of the sacrifice is eaten on the third day, it will be contaminated, and I will not accept it.

⁸Anyone who eats it on the third day will be punished for defiling what is holy to the LORD and will be cut off from the community.

⁹“When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop.

¹⁰It is the same with your grape crop — do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the LORD your God.

¹¹“Do not steal. “Do not deceive or cheat one another.

¹²“Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the LORD.

¹³“Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. “Do not make your hired workers wait until the next day to receive their pay.

¹⁴“Do not insult the deaf or cause the blind to stumble. You must fear your God; I am the LORD.

¹⁵“Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.

¹⁶“Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people. “Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the LORD.

¹⁷“Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin.

¹⁸“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

¹⁹“You must obey all my decrees. “Do not mate two different kinds of animals. Do not plant your field with two different kinds of seed. Do not wear clothing woven from two different kinds of thread.

²⁰“If a man has sex with a slave girl whose freedom has never been purchased but who is committed to become another man’s wife, he must pay full compensation to her master. But since she is not a free woman, neither the man nor the woman will be put to death.

²¹The man, however, must bring a ram as a guilt offering and present it to the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

²²The priest will then purify him before the LORD with the ram of the guilt offering, and the man’s sin will be forgiven.

²³“When you enter the land and plant fruit trees, leave the fruit unharvested for the first three years and consider it forbidden. Do not eat it.

²⁴In the fourth year the entire crop must be consecrated to the LORD as a celebration of praise.

²⁵Finally, in the fifth year you may eat the fruit. If you follow this pattern, your harvest will increase. I am the LORD your God.

²⁶“Do not eat meat that has not been drained of its blood. “Do not practice fortune-telling or witchcraft.

²⁷“Do not trim off the hair on your temples or trim your beards.

²⁸“Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the LORD.

²⁹“Do not defile your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will be filled with prostitution and wickedness.

³⁰“Keep my Sabbath days of rest, and show reverence toward my sanctuary. I am the LORD.

³¹“Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the LORD your God.

³²“Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the LORD.

³³“Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land.

³⁴Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

³⁵“Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight, or volume.

³⁶Your scales and weights must be accurate. Your containers for measuring dry materials or liquids must be accurate. I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

³⁷“You must be careful to keep all of my decrees and regulations by putting them into practice. I am the LORD.”

¹The LORD said to Moses,

²“Give the people of Israel these instructions, which apply both to native Israelites and to the foreigners living in Israel. “If any of them offer their children as a sacrifice to Molech, they must be put to death. The people of the community must stone them to death.

³I myself will turn against them and cut them off from the community, because they have defiled my sanctuary and brought shame on my holy name by offering their children to Molech.

⁴And if the people of the community ignore those who offer their children to Molech and refuse to execute them,

⁵I myself will turn against them and their families and will cut them off from the community. This will happen to all who commit spiritual prostitution by worshiping Molech.

⁶“I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community.

⁷So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the LORD your God.

⁸Keep all my decrees by putting them into practice, for I am the LORD who makes you holy.

⁹“Anyone who dishonors father or mother must be put to death. Such a person is guilty of a capital offense.

¹⁰“If a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, both the man and the woman who have committed adultery must be put to death.

¹¹“If a man violates his father by having sex with one of his father’s wives, both the man and the woman must be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offense.

¹²“If a man has sex with his daughter-in-law, both must be put to death. They have committed a perverse act and are guilty of a capital offense.

¹³“If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men have committed a detestable act. They must both be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offense.

¹⁴“If a man marries both a woman and her mother, he has committed a wicked act. The man and both women must be burned to death to wipe out such wickedness from among you.

¹⁵“If a man has sex with an animal, he must be put to death, and the animal must be killed.

¹⁶“If a woman presents herself to a male animal to have intercourse with it, she and the animal must both be put to death. You must kill both, for they are guilty of a capital offense.

¹⁷“If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a shameful disgrace. They must be publicly cut off from the community. Since the man has violated his sister, he will be punished for his sin.

¹⁸“If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her menstrual period, both of them must be cut off from the community, for together they have exposed the source of her blood flow.

¹⁹“Do not have sexual relations with your aunt, whether your mother’s sister or your father’s sister. This would dishonor a close relative. Both parties are guilty and will be punished for their sin.

²⁰“If a man has sex with his uncle’s wife, he has violated his uncle. Both the man and woman will be punished for their sin, and they will die childless.

²¹“If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity. He has violated his brother, and the guilty couple will remain childless.

²²“You must keep all my decrees and regulations by putting them into practice; otherwise the land to which I am bringing you as your new home will vomit you out.

²³Do not live according to the customs of the people I am driving out before you. It is because they do these shameful things that I detest them.

²⁴But I have promised you, ‘You will possess their land because I will give it to you as your possession — a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from all other people.

²⁵“You must therefore make a distinction between ceremonially clean and unclean animals, and between clean and unclean birds. You must not defile yourselves by eating any unclean animal or bird or creature that scurries along the ground. I have identified them as being unclean for you.

²⁶You must be holy because I, the LORD, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own.

²⁷“Men and women among you who act as mediums or who consult the spirits of the dead must be put to death by stoning. They are guilty of a capital offense.”

¹The LORD said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the priests, the descendants of Aaron. “A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean by touching the dead body of a relative.

²The only exceptions are his closest relatives — his mother or father, son or daughter, brother,

³or his virgin sister who depends on him because she has no husband.

⁴But a priest must not defile himself and make himself unclean for someone who is related to him only by marriage.

⁵“The priests must not shave their heads or trim their beards or cut their bodies.

⁶They must be set apart as holy to their God and must never bring shame on the name of God. They must be holy, for they are the ones who present the special gifts to the LORD, gifts of food for their God.

⁷“Priests may not marry a woman defiled by prostitution, and they may not marry a woman who is divorced from her husband, for the priests are set apart as holy to their God.

⁸You must treat them as holy because they offer up food to your God. You must consider them holy because I, the LORD, am holy, and I make you holy.

⁹“If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she also defiles her father’s holiness, and she must be burned to death.

¹⁰“The high priest has the highest rank of all the priests. The anointing oil has been poured on his head, and he has been ordained to wear the priestly garments. He must never leave his hair uncombed or tear his clothing.

¹¹He must not defile himself by going near a dead body. He may not make himself ceremonially unclean even for his father or mother.

¹²He must not defile the sanctuary of his God by leaving it to attend to a dead person, for he has been made holy by the anointing oil of his God. I am the LORD.

¹³“The high priest may marry only a virgin.

¹⁴He may not marry a widow, a woman who is divorced, or a woman who has defiled herself by prostitution. She must be a virgin from his own clan,

¹⁵so that he will not dishonor his descendants among his clan, for I am the LORD who makes him holy.”

¹⁶Then the LORD said to Moses,

¹⁷“Give the following instructions to Aaron: In all future generations, none of your descendants who has any defect will qualify to offer food to his God.

¹⁸No one who has a defect qualifies, whether he is blind, lame, disfigured, deformed,

¹⁹or has a broken foot or arm,

²⁰or is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or has a defective eye, or skin sores or scabs, or damaged testicles.

²¹No descendant of Aaron who has a defect may approach the altar to present special gifts to the LORD. Since he has a defect, he may not approach the altar to offer food to his God.

²²However, he may eat from the food offered to God, including the holy offerings and the most holy offerings.

²³Yet because of his physical defect, he may not enter the room behind the inner curtain or approach the altar, for this would defile my holy places. I am the LORD who makes them holy.”

²⁴So Moses gave these instructions to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.

¹The LORD said to Moses,

²“Tell Aaron and his sons to be very careful with the sacred gifts that the Israelites set apart for me, so they do not bring shame on my holy name. I am the LORD.

³Give them the following instructions. “In all future generations, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean when he approaches the sacred offerings that the people of Israel consecrate to the LORD, he must be cut off from my presence. I am the LORD.

⁴“If any of Aaron’s descendants has a skin disease or any kind of discharge that makes him ceremonially unclean, he may not eat from the sacred offerings until he has been pronounced clean. He also becomes unclean by touching a corpse, or by having an emission of semen,

⁵or by touching a small animal that is unclean, or by touching someone who is ceremonially unclean for any reason.

⁶The man who is defiled in any of these ways will remain unclean until evening. He may not eat from the sacred offerings until he has bathed himself in water.

⁷When the sun goes down, he will be ceremonially clean again and may eat from the sacred offerings, for this is his food.

⁸He may not eat an animal that has died a natural death or has been torn apart by wild animals, for this would defile him. I am the LORD.

⁹“The priests must follow my instructions carefully. Otherwise they will be punished for their sin and will die for violating my instructions. I am the LORD who makes them holy.

¹⁰“No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offerings. Even guests and hired workers in a priest’s home are not allowed to eat them.

¹¹However, if the priest buys a slave for himself, the slave may eat from the sacred offerings. And if his slaves have children, they also may share his food.

¹²If a priest’s daughter marries someone outside the priestly family, she may no longer eat the sacred offerings.

¹³But if she becomes a widow or is divorced and has no children to support her, and she returns to live in her father’s home as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food again. Otherwise, no one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offerings.

¹⁴“Any such person who eats the sacred offerings without realizing it must pay the priest for the amount eaten, plus an additional 20 percent.

¹⁵The priests must not let the Israelites defile the sacred offerings brought to the LORD

¹⁶by allowing unauthorized people to eat them. This would bring guilt upon them and require them to pay compensation. I am the LORD who makes them holy.”

¹⁷And the LORD said to Moses,

¹⁸“Give Aaron and his sons and all the Israelites these instructions, which apply both to native Israelites and to the foreigners living among you. “If you present a gift as a burnt offering to the LORD, whether it is to fulfill a vow or is a voluntary offering,

¹⁹you will be accepted only if your offering is a male animal with no defects. It may be a bull, a ram, or a male goat.

²⁰Do not present an animal with defects, because the LORD will not accept it on your behalf.

²¹“If you present a peace offering to the LORD from the herd or the flock, whether it is to fulfill a vow or is a voluntary offering, you must offer a perfect animal. It may have no defect of any kind.

²²You must not offer an animal that is blind, crippled, or injured, or that has a wart, a skin sore, or scabs. Such animals must never be offered on the altar as special gifts to the LORD.

²³If a bull or lamb has a leg that is too long or too short, it may be offered as a voluntary offering, but it may not be offered to fulfill a vow.

²⁴If an animal has damaged testicles or is castrated, you may not offer it to the LORD. You must never do this in your own land,

²⁵and you must not accept such an animal from foreigners and then offer it as a sacrifice to your God. Such animals will not be accepted on your behalf, for they are mutilated or defective.”

²⁶And the LORD said to Moses,

²⁷“When a calf or lamb or goat is born, it must be left with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as a special gift to the LORD.

²⁸But you must not slaughter a mother animal and her offspring on the same day, whether from the herd or the flock.

²⁹When you bring a thanksgiving offering to the LORD, sacrifice it properly so you will be accepted.

³⁰Eat the entire sacrificial animal on the day it is presented. Do not leave any of it until the next morning. I am the LORD.

³¹“You must faithfully keep all my commands by putting them into practice, for I am the LORD.

³²Do not bring shame on my holy name, for I will display my holiness among the people of Israel. I am the LORD who makes you holy.

³³It was I who rescued you from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. I am the LORD.”