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Leviticus, 5

1. ' "If someone sins in any of these following cases: "He should have come forward to give evidence when he heard the formal adjuration, having seen the incident or known the facts; but he has not spoken out, and so bears the consequences of his guilt;

1. And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and [is] a witness, whether he hath seen or known [of it]; if he do not utter [it], then he shall bear his iniquity.

2. "or someone touches something unclean, whatever it may be -- the dead body of an unclean animal, wild or tame, or of one of the unclean reptiles -- and without realising it becomes unclean, he becomes answerable for it;

2. Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether [it be] a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and [if] it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty.

3. "or he touches some human uncleanness, whatever it may be, contact with which makes him unclean; he does not notice it, then, realising it later, he becomes answerable for it;

3. Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness [it be] that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth [of it], then he shall be guilty.

4. "or someone lets slip an oath to do something either evil or good, in any of those matters on which someone may let slip an oath; he does not notice it, then, realising it later, he becomes answerable for it;

4. Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with [his] lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever [it be] that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth [of it], then he shall be guilty in one of these.

5. "if he is answerable in any of those cases, he will have to confess the sin committed.

5. And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these [things], that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that [thing]:

6. As a sacrifice of reparation for the sin committed, he will bring Yahweh a female from the flock (sheep or goat) as a sacrifice for sin; and the priest will perform the rite of expiation for him to free him from his sin.

6. And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.

7. "If he cannot afford an animal from the flock as a sacrifice of reparation for the sin he has committed, he will bring Yahweh two turtledoves or two young pigeons -- one as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a burnt offering.

7. And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.

8. He will bring them to the priest who will first offer the one intended for the sacrifice for sin. The priest will wring its neck but not remove the head.

8. And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer [that] which [is] for the sin offering first, and wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide [it] asunder:

9. He will sprinkle the side of the altar with the victim's blood, and then squeeze out the rest of the blood at the foot of the altar. This is a sacrifice for sin.

9. And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it [is] a sin offering.

10. He will then offer the other bird as a burnt offering according to the ritual. This is how the priest must perform the rite of expiation for the person for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

10. And he shall offer the second [for] a burnt offering, according to the manner: and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.

11. "If he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he will bring a tenth of an ephah of wheaten flour as an offering for the sin committed; he must not mix oil with it or put incense on it, since this is a sacrifice for sin.

11. But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put [any] frankincense thereon: for it [is] a sin offering.

12. He will bring it to the priest, who will take a handful of it as a memorial, and burn this on the altar in addition to the offerings of food burnt for Yahweh. This is a sacrifice for sin.

12. Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, [even] a memorial thereof, and burn [it] on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: it [is] a sin offering.

13. This is how the priest must perform the rite of expiation for the person for the sin he has committed in any of those cases, and he will be forgiven. In this case, the priest has the same rights as in the case of a cereal offering." '

13. And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and [the remnant] shall be the priest's, as a meat offering.

14. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:

14. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

15. 'If someone is unfaithful and sins inadvertently by infringing Yahweh's sacred rights, as a sacrifice of reparation he must bring Yahweh an unblemished ram from his flock, the value of which will be decided by you in silver shekels according to the rate of the sanctuary-shekel.

15. If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:

16. He will make amends for what his sin subtracted from the sacred rights, adding one-fifth to the value, and give it to the priest. The priest will then perform the rite of expiation for him with the ram for the sacrifice of reparation and he will be forgiven.

16. And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.

17. 'If someone sins and without realising it does one of the things forbidden by Yahweh's commandments, he will answer for it and bear the consequences of his guilt.

17. And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD; though he wist [it] not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.

18. As a sacrifice of reparation he must bring the priest an unblemished ram from his flock to the value which you decide, and the priest will perform the rite of expiation for him for the oversight unwittingly committed, and he will be forgiven.

18. And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and wist [it] not, and it shall be forgiven him.

19. This is a sacrifice of reparation; the man was certainly answerable to Yahweh.'

19. It [is] a trespass offering: he hath certainly trespassed against the LORD.

20. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:

20.

21. 'If someone sins and is unfaithful against Yahweh by deceiving his fellow-countryman over a deposit or a security, or by withholding something due to him or by exploiting him;

21.

22. 'or if he finds lost property and denies it; 'or if he perjures himself about anything that a human being may do criminally in such matters;

22.

23. 'if he sins and so becomes answerable, he must restore what he has taken or demanded in excess: the deposit confided to him, the lost property that he has found,

23.

24. or any object about which he has perjured himself. He will add one-fifth to the principal and pay the whole to the person who held the property rights on the day when he incurred the guilt.

24.

25. He will then bring Yahweh an unblemished ram from his flock to the value which you decide, to the priest as a sacrifice of reparation,

25.

26. and the priest will perform the rite of expiation for him before Yahweh and he will be forgiven, whatever the act by which he incurred guilt.'

26.



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Footnotes:

5:1-4 - This passage describes unintentional sins and the consequences of neglecting an oath or omitting information. Confession and reparation are essential for reconciliation with God, highlighting the importance of acknowledging one's faults (see also Numbers 5:6-7 and James 5:16).

5:5-7 - Confession of sins and the offering of reparation are presented as obligatory acts. The provision of different types of offerings (animal or flour) emphasizes God's mercy, allowing the poor to also fulfill His commandments (see also Luke 21:1-4 and 1 John 1:9).

5:8-10 - The sin offering is carried out according to the rules of purity and sacrifice. This points to the central role of sacrifice in forgiveness and purification, preparing the way for Christ's perfect sacrifice (see also Hebrews 10:1-4 and 1 Peter 1:18-19).

5:11-13 - The offering of flour to the poorest demonstrates the inclusion of all in God's worship, regardless of material possessions. God values obedience more than the material value of the offering (see also Psalm 51:16-17 and Matthew 5:23-24).

5:14-19 - Sin offerings for involuntary sin and guilt emphasize the seriousness of sin, even when committed unintentionally. Atonement requires not only sacrifice but also full restitution, underscoring divine justice (see also Numbers 15:27-29 and Ephesians 4:28).

Verses related to Leviticus, 5:

Leviticus chapter 5 continues the laws of the sin offering and introduces the guilt offering. What types of transgressions are addressed? This comprehensive text describes offerings for sins such as false testimony, contact with impurities, and hasty oaths. The chapter also details the guilt offering for violations against sacred things. Leviticus 5 demonstrates how seriously God treats sin and guilt. Consider with us five biblical passages that deepen our understanding of holiness and restoration.

Matthew 5:23-24: "Therefore, if you are presenting your gift before the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go first to be reconciled with your brother; then come back and present your offer." - Jesus alludes to the guilt offerings of Leviticus 5, emphasizing the importance of reconciliation before the offering.

James 5:16: "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another to be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." - James echoes the practice of confessing sins mentioned in Leviticus 5:5.

1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - John reflects the principle of confession and forgiveness established in Leviticus 5.

Luke 19:8: "But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, 'Look, Lord! I am giving half of my possessions to the poor; and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I will return it four times as much.'" - Zacchaeus' action reflects the principle of restitution established in Leviticus 5:16.

Acts 3:19: "Repent therefore and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away," - Peter echoes the call to repentance and the guilt offering described in Leviticus 5.

FAQ:

What sins required a sacrifice in Leviticus 5?

Sins such as swearing falsely, touching something unclean, or omitting important information required an atonement sacrifice. (Leviticus 5:1-5)

How was the sin offering adjusted for different financial conditions?

Those who could not offer a lamb could offer two turtledoves or two pigeons, and the poorest could bring an offering of fine flour. (Leviticus 5:7-11)

What was the consequence of not confessing hidden sins?

Failure to confess sins resulted in continued guilt and the need to offer a sacrifice for sin when it was revealed. (Leviticus 5:1-6)

What does the guilt offering mean in Leviticus 5?

The guilt offering was made for sins committed against the sanctuary or against one’s neighbor and involved both sacrifice and restitution. (Leviticus 5:14-16)

What was the purpose of confession in the sacrificial ritual?

Confession brought acknowledgment of sin and was an essential step toward purification and restoration before God. (Leviticus 5:5)


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