Leviticus 16

Law of Atonement

1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they had approached the presence of the Lord and died. 2 The Lord said to Moses:

"Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at *16:2 I.e., of his own choosingany time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the *16:2 Also called mercy seat, and so throughout the ch; i.e., where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonementatoning cover which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the *16:2 Also called mercy seat, and so throughout the ch; i.e., where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonementatoning cover. 3 Aaron shall enter the Holy Place with this: with a *16:3 Or bull of the herdbull as a *16:3 Or purification offeringsin offering and a ram as a burnt offering. 4 He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his *16:4 Lit fleshbody, and he shall be wrapped about the waist with the linen sash and the linen turban wound around his forehead (these are holy garments). He shall bathe his *16:4 Lit fleshbody in water and put them on. 5 And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats as a *16:5 Or purification offeringsin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering. 6 Then Aaron shall offer the bull as the *16:6 Or purification offeringsin offering, which is for himself, so that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. 7 He shall then take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 8 Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for *16:8 Or possibly, Azazel (a name)the *16:8 I.e., the goat that leaves (escapes); or goat of removal of sinsscapegoat. 9 Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell, and make it a *16:9 Or purification offeringsin offering. 10 But the goat on which the lot for *16:10 Or possibly, Azazel (a name)the *16:10 I.e., the goat that leaves (escapes); or goat of removal of sinsscapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness *16:10 Or possibly, for Azazelas the *16:10 I.e., the goat that leaves (escapes); or goat of removal of sinsscapegoat.

11 "Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the *16:11 Or purification offeringsin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the *16:11 Or purification offeringsin offering which is for himself. 12 He shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before the Lord and *16:12 Lit the filling of the hollow of his handstwo handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil. 13 He shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, so that the cloud of incense may cover the atoning cover that is on the ark of the testimony, otherwise he will die. 14 Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the atoning cover on the east side; also in front of the atoning cover he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

15 "Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the atoning cover and in front of the atoning cover. 16 He shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their unlawful acts regarding all their sins; and he shall do so for the tent of meeting which remains with them in the midst of their impurities. 17 When he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, so that he may make atonement for himself and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel. 18 Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it; he shall take some of the blood from the bull and some of the blood from the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides. 19 With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it, and consecrate it from the impurities of the sons of Israel.

20 "When he finishes atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat. 21 Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the wrongdoings of the sons of Israel and all their unlawful acts regarding all their sins; and he shall place them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands ready. 22 Then the goat shall carry on itself all their wrongdoings to an *16:22 Or infertileisolated territory; he shall release the goat in the wilderness.

23 "Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there. 24 And he shall bathe his *16:24 Lit fleshbody with water in a holy place and put on his clothes, and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people. 25 Then he shall offer up in smoke the fat of the sin offering on the altar. 26 The one who released the goat *16:26 Or possibly, for Azazel (a name)as the *16:26 I.e., the goat that leaves (escapes); or goat of removal of sinsscapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his *16:26 Lit fleshbody with water; then afterward he shall come into the camp. 27 But the bull of the *16:27 Or purification offeringsin offering and the goat of the *16:27 Or purification offeringsin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be taken outside the camp, and they shall burn their hides, their flesh, and their refuse in the fire. 28 Then the one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water; and afterward he shall come into the camp.

An Annual Atonement

29 "This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble *16:29 Lit your soulsyourselves and not do any work, whether the native, or the stranger who resides among you; 30 for it is on this day that *16:30 Lit he shall make atonementatonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the Lord. 31 It is to be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, so that you may humble *16:31 Lit your soulsyourselves; it is a permanent statute. 32 So the priest who is anointed and *16:32 Lit whose hand is filledordained to serve as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement: he shall put on the linen garments, the holy garments, 33 and make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34 Now you shall have this as a permanent statute, to make atonement for the sons of Israel for all their sins once every year." And just as the Lord had commanded Moses, so he did.