Leviticus, 16

1. Yahweh spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when offering unauthorised fire.

1. The LORD spoke to Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the LORD and died;

2. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said: 'Tell Aaron your brother that he may not enter the sanctuary inside the curtain in front of the mercy-seat on the ark whenever he chooses, in case he incurs death, for I appear in a cloud on the mercy-seat.

2. and the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron your brother not to come at all times into the holy place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is upon the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

3. 'This is how he must enter the sanctuary: with a young bull for a sacrifice for sin and a ram for a burnt offering.

3. But thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

4. He will put on a tunic of consecrated linen, wear linen drawers on his body, a linen waistband round his waist, and a linen turban on his head. These are the sacred vestments he will put on after washing himself.

4. He shall put on the holy linen coat, and shall have the linen breeches on his body, be girded with the linen girdle, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water, and then put them on.

5. 'From the community of Israelites he will receive two he-goats for a sacrifice for sin and a ram for a burnt offering.

5. And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

6. After offering the bull as a sacrifice for his own sin and performing the rite of expiation for himself and his family,

6. "And Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house.

7. he will take the two he-goats and place them before Yahweh at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

7. Then he shall take the two goats, and set them before the LORD at the door of the tent of meeting;

8. Aaron will then draw lots over the two goats, one lot to be for Yahweh and the other lot for Azazel.

8. and Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Aza'zel.

9. Aaron will then take the goat on which the lot "For Yahweh" has fallen, and offer it as a sacrifice for sin.

9. And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD, and offer it as a sin offering;

10. But the goat on which the lot "For Azazel" has fallen, will be placed alive before Yahweh, for the rite of expiation to be performed with it, and for it then to be sent to Azazel in the desert.

10. but the goat on which the lot fell for Aza'zel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Aza'zel.

11. 'Having offered the bull as a sacrifice for his own sin and performed the rite of expiation for himself and for his family, and slaughtered the bull as a sacrifice for sin,

11. "Aaron shall present the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house; he shall kill the bull as a sin offering for himself.

12. Aaron will then fill a censer with live coals from the altar before Yahweh, take two handfuls of finely ground aromatic incense and bring this inside the curtain.

12. And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small; and he shall bring it within the veil

13. He will then put the incense on the fire before Yahweh, so that the cloud of incense hides the mercy-seat which is on the Testimony and he does not incur death.

13. and put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat which is upon the testimony, lest he die;

14. He will then take some of the bull's blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the eastern side of the mercy-seat. He will sprinkle some of the blood seven times with his finger in front of the mercy-seat.

14. and he shall take some of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times.

15. 'He will then slaughter the goat for the sacrifice for the sin of the people, and take its blood inside the curtain, and with this blood do as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it on the mercy-seat and in front of it.

15. "Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood within the veil, and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it upon the mercy seat and before the mercy seat;

16. This is how he must perform the rite of expiation for the sanctuary for the uncleanness of the Israelites, for their acts of rebellion and all their sins. 'And this is what he must do for the Tent of Meeting which remains with them, surrounded by their uncleanness.

16. thus he shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel, and because of their transgressions, all their sins; and so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which abides with them in the midst of their uncleannesses.

17. No one must be inside the Tent of Meeting, from the moment he enters to make expiation in the sanctuary until the time he comes out. 'When he has made expiation for himself, for his family, and for the whole community of Israel,

17. There shall be no man in the tent of meeting when he enters to make atonement in the holy place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel.

18. he must come outside, go to the altar before Yahweh and perform the rite of expiation for it. He will take some of the bull's blood and some of the goat's blood and put it on the horns at the corners of the altar all around it,

18. Then he shall go out to the altar which is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar round about.

19. and sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times with his finger, thus purifying it and setting it apart from the uncleanness of the Israelites.

19. And he shall sprinkle some of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it and hallow it from the uncleannesses of the people of Israel.

20. 'Once expiation for the sanctuary, the Tent of Meeting and the altar is complete, he will bring the goat which is still alive.

20. "And when he has made an end of atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat;

21. Aaron will then lay both his hands on its head and over it confess all the guilt of the Israelites, all their acts of rebellion and all their sins. Having thus laid them on the goat's head, he will send it out into the desert under the charge of a man waiting ready,

21. and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins; and he shall put them upon the head of the goat, and send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness.

22. and the goat will bear all their guilt away into some desolate place. 'When he has sent the goat into the desert,

22. The goat shall bear all their iniquities upon him to a solitary land; and he shall let the goat go in the wilderness.

23. Aaron will go back into the Tent of Meeting and take off the linen vestments which he wore to enter the sanctuary and leave them there.

23. "Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting, and shall put off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there;

24. He will then wash his body inside the holy place, put on his vestments and come outside to offer his own and the people's burnt offering. He will perform the rite of expiation for himself and for the people,

24. and he shall bathe his body in water in a holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

25. and burn the fat of the sacrifice for sin on the altar.

25. And the fat of the sin offering he shall burn upon the altar.

26. 'The man who led the goat away to Azazel will wash his clothes and body before entering the camp.

26. And he who lets the goat go to Aza'zel shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

27. The bull and the goat offered as a sacrifice for sin, the blood of which was taken into the sanctuary for the rite of expiation, must be taken outside the camp, where their skin, meat and offal are to be burnt.

27. And the bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall be carried forth outside the camp; their skin and their flesh and their dung shall be burned with fire.

28. The man who burns them will wash his clothes and body before entering the camp.

28. And he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

29. 'This will be a perpetual law for you. 'On the tenth day of the seventh month you will fast and refrain from work, both citizen and resident alien;

29. "And it shall be a statute to you for ever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves, and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you;

30. for this is the day on which the rite of expiation will be performed for you to purify you, to purify you before Yahweh from all your sins.

30. for on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before the LORD.

31. It will be a sabbatical rest for you and you will fast. This is a perpetual law.

31. It is a sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute for ever.

32. 'The rite of expiation will be performed by the priest who has been anointed and installed to officiate in succession to his father. He will put on the linen vestments, the sacred vestments,

32. And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father's place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments;

33. and perform the rite of expiation for the holy sanctuary, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and will then perform the rite of expiation for the priests and all the people of the community.

33. he shall make atonement for the sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.

34. This will be a perpetual law for you; once a year the rite of expiation will be made for the Israelites for all their sins.' And as Yahweh ordered Moses, so it was done.

34. And this shall be an everlasting statute for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins." And Moses did as the LORD commanded him.