Lévitique (NAB) 10

Nadab and Abihu

10 1 During this time Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers and, strewing incense on the fire they had put in them, they offered up before the LORD profane fire, such as he had not authorized. 2 Fire therefore came forth from the LORD'S presence and consumed them, so that they died in his presence. 3 Moses then said to Aaron, "This is as the LORD said: Through those who approach me I will manifest my sacredness; In the sight of all the people I will reveal my glory." But Aaron said nothing. 4 Then Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel, with the order, "Come, remove your kinsmen from the sanctuary and carry them to a place outside the camp."5 So they went in and took them, in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses had commanded. 6 Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not bare your heads or tear your garments, lest you bring not only death on yourselves but God's wrath also on the whole community. Your kinsmen, the rest of the house of Israel, shall mourn for those whom the LORD'S fire has smitten; 7 but do not you go beyond the entry of the meeting tent, else you shall die; for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you." So they did as Moses told them.
8
The LORD said to Aaron,9 "When you are to go to the meeting tent, you and your sons are forbidden under pain of death, by a perpetual ordinance throughout your generations, to drink any wine or strong drink.10 You must be able to distinguish between what is sacred and what is profane, between what is clean and what is unclean;11 you must teach the Israelites all the laws that the LORD has given them through Moses."
12
Moses said to Aaron and his surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the cereal offering left over from the oblations of the LORD, and eat it beside the altar in the form of unleavened cakes. Since it is most sacred,13 you must eat it in a sacred place. This is your due from the oblations of the LORD, and that of your sons; such is the command I have received.14 With your sons and daughters you shall also eat the breast of the wave offering and the leg of the raised offering, in a clean place; for these have been assigned to you and your children as your due from the peace offerings of the Israelites.15 The leg of the raised offering and the breast of the wave offering shall first be brought in with the oblations, the fatty portions, that are to be waved as a wave offering before the LORD. Then they shall belong to you and your children by a perpetual ordinance, as the LORD has commanded."
16
When Moses inquired about the goat of the sin offering, he discovered that it had all been burned. So he was angry with the surviving sons of Aaron, Eleazar and Ithamar, and said, 17 "Why did you not eat the sin offering in the sacred place, since it is most sacred? It has been given to you that you might bear the guilt of the community and make atonement for them before the LORD.18 If its blood was not brought into the inmost part of the sanctuary, you should certainly have eaten the offering in the sanctuary, in keeping with the command I had received."19 Aaron answered Moses, "Even though they presented their sin offering and holocaust before the LORD today, yet this misfortune has befallen me. Had I then eaten of the sin offering today, would it have been pleasing to the LORD?"20 On hearing this, Moses was satisfied.


Clean and Unclean Foods

11 1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and tell them: Of all land animals these are the ones you may eat:3 any animal that has hoofs you may eat, provided it is cloven-footed and chews the cud.4 But you shall not eat any of the following that only chew the cud or only have hoofs: the camel, which indeed chews the cud, but does not have hoofs and is therefore unclean for you;5 the rock badger, which indeed chews the cud, but does not have hoofs and is therefore unclean for you; 6 the hare, which indeed chews the cud, but does not have hoofs and is therefore unclean for you; and the pig,7 which does indeed have hoofs and is cloven-footed, but does not chew the cud and is therefore unclean for you.8 Their flesh you shall not eat, and their dead bodies you shall not touch; they are unclean for you.
9
"Of the various creatures that live in the water, you may eat the following: whatever in the seas or in river waters has both fins and scales you may eat.10 But of the various creatures that crawl or swim in the water, whether in the sea or in the rivers, all those that lack either fins or scales are loathsome for you,11 and you shall treat them as loathsome. Their flesh you shall not eat, and their dead bodies you shall loathe.12 Every water creature that lacks fins or scales is loathsome for you.
13
"Of the birds, these you shall loathe and, as loathsome, they shall not be eaten: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, 14 the kite, the various species of falcons,15 the various species of crows,16 the ostrich, the nightjar, the gull, the various species of hawks,17 the owl, the cormorant, the screech owl,18 the barn owl, the desert owl, the buzzard,19 the stork, the various species of herons, the hoopoe, and the bat. 20 "The various winged insects that walk on all fours are loathsome for you.21 But of the various winged insects that walk on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs for leaping on the ground;22 hence of these you may eat the following: the various kinds of locusts, the various kinds of grasshoppers, the various kinds of katydids, and the various kinds of crickets. 23 All other winged insects that have four legs are loathsome for you.


Unclean Animals

24 "Such is the uncleanness that you contract, that everyone who touches their dead bodies shall be unclean until evening, 25 and everyone who picks up any part of their dead bodies shall wash his garments and be unclean until evening.26 All hoofed animals that are not cloven-footed or do not chew the cud are unclean for you; everyone who touches them becomes unclean. 27 Of the various quadrupeds, all those that walk on paws are unclean for you; everyone who touches their dead bodies shall be unclean until evening, 28 and everyone who picks up their dead bodies shall wash his garments and be unclean until evening. Such is their uncleanness for you.
29
"Of the creatures that swarm on the ground, the following are unclean for you: the rat, the mouse, the various kinds of lizards,30 the gecko, the chameleon, the agama, the skink, and the mole.31 Among the various swarming creatures, these are unclean for you. Everyone who touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening.32 Everything on which one of them falls when dead becomes unclean. Any such article that men use, whether it be an article of wood, cloth, leather or goat hair, must be put in water and remain unclean until evening, when it again becomes clean.33 Should any of these creatures fall into a clay vessel, everything in it becomes unclean, and the vessel itself you must break.34 Any solid food that was in contact with water, and any liquid that men drink, in any such vessel become unclean.35 Any object on which one of their dead bodies falls, becomes unclean; if it is an oven or a jar-stand, this must be broken to pieces; they are unclean and shall be treated as unclean by you.36 However, a spring or a cistern for collecting water remains clean; but whoever touches the dead body becomes unclean. 37 Any sort of cultivated grain remains clean even though one of their dead bodies falls on it;38 but if the grain has become moistened, it becomes unclean when one of these falls on it.39 "When one of the animals that you could otherwise eat, dies of itself, anyone who touches its dead body shall be unclean until evening;40 and anyone who eats of its dead body shall wash his garments and be unclean until evening; so also, anyone who removes its dead body shall wash his garments and be unclean until evening.41 "All the creatures that swarm on the ground are loathsome and shall not be eaten.42 Whether it crawls on its belly, goes on all fours, or has many legs, you shall eat no swarming creature: they are loathsome.
43
Do not make yourselves loathsome or unclean with any swarming creature through being contaminated by them.44 For I, the LORD, am your God; and you shall make and keep yourselves holy, because I am holy. You shall not make yourselves unclean, then, by any swarming creature that crawls on the ground.45 Since I, the LORD, brought you up from the land of Egypt that I might be your God, you shall be holy, because I am holy.
46
"This is the law for animals and birds and for all the creatures that move about in the water or swarm on the ground,47 that you may distinguish between the clean and the unclean, between creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten."


Purification of Women after Childbirth

12 1 The LORD said to Moses,2 "Tell the Israelites: When a woman has conceived and gives birth to a boy, she shall be unclean for seven days, with the same uncleanness as at her menstrual period. 3 On the eighth day, the flesh of the boy's foreskin shall be circumcised,4 and then she shall spend thirty-three days more in becoming purified of her blood; she shall not touch anything sacred nor enter the sanctuary till the days of her purification are fulfilled.5 If she gives birth to a girl, for fourteen days she shall be as unclean as at her menstruation, after which she shall spend sixty-six days in becoming purified of her blood.6 "When the days of her purification for a son or for a daughter are fulfilled, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the meeting tent a yearling lamb for a holocaust and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering.7 The priest shall offer them up before the LORD to make atonement for her, and thus she will be clean again after her flow of blood. Such is the law for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl child.8 If, however, she cannot afford a lamb, she may take two turtledoves or two pigeons, the one for a holocaust and the other for a sin offering. The priest shall make atonement for her, and thus she will again be clean."


Leprosy, Varieties and Symptoms

13 1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,2 "If someone has on his skin a scab or pustule or blotch which appears to be the sore of leprosy, he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest, or to one of the priests among his descendants, 3 who shall examine the sore on his skin. If the hair on the sore has turned white and the sore itself shows that it has penetrated below the skin, it is indeed the sore of leprosy; the priest, on seeing this, shall declare the man unclean.4 If, however, the blotch on the skin is white, but does not seem to have penetrated below the skin, nor has the hair turned white, the priest shall quarantine the stricken man for seven days.5 On the seventh day the priest shall again examine him. If he judges that the sore has remained unchanged and has not spread on the skin, the priest shall quarantine him for another seven days,6 and once more examine him on the seventh day. If the sore is now dying out and has not spread on the skin, the priest shall declare the man clean; it was merely eczema. The man shall wash his garments and so become clean.7 But if, after he has shown himself to the priest to be declared clean, the eczema spreads at all on his skin, he shall once more show himself to the priest.8 Should the priest, on examining it, find that the eczema has indeed spread on the skin, he shall declare the man unclean; it is leprosy.
9
"When someone is stricken with leprosy, he shall be brought to the priest.10 Should the priest, on examining him, find that there is a white scab on the skin which has turned the hair white and that there is raw flesh in it,11 it is skin leprosy that has long developed. The priest shall declare the man unclean without first quarantining him, since he is certainly unclean.12 If leprosy breaks out on the skin and, as far as the priest can see, covers all the skin of the stricken man from head to foot, 13 should the priest then, on examining him, find that the leprosy does cover his whole body, he shall declare the stricken man clean; since it has all turned white, the man is clean.14 But as soon as raw flesh appears on him, he is unclean;15 on observing the raw flesh, the priest shall declare him unclean, because raw flesh is unclean; it is leprosy.16 If, however, the raw flesh again turns white, he shall return to the priest;17 should the latter, on examining him, find that the sore has indeed turned white, he shall declare the stricken man clean, and thus he will be clean.
18
"If a man who had a boil on his skin which later healed,19 should now in the place of the boil have a white scab or a pink blotch, he shall show himself to the priest.20 If the latter, on examination, sees that it is deeper than the skin and that the hair has turned white, he shall declare the man unclean; it is the sore of leprosy that has broken out in the boil.21 But if the priest, on examining him, finds that there is no white hair in it and that it is not deeper than the skin and is already dying out, the priest shall quarantine him for seven days.22 If it has then spread on the skin, the priest shall declare him unclean; the man is stricken.23 But if the blotch remains in its place without spreading, it is merely the scar of the boil; the priest shall therefore declare him clean.
24
"If a man had a burn on his skin, and the proud flesh of the burn now becomes a pink or a white blotch,25 the priest shall examine it. If the hair has turned white on the blotch and this seems to have penetrated below the skin, it is leprosy that has broken out in the burn; the priest shall therefore declare him unclean and stricken with leprosy.26 But if the priest, on examining it, finds that there is no white hair on the blotch and that this is not deeper than the skin and is already dying out, the priest shall quarantine him for seven days.27 Should the priest, when examining it on the seventh day, find that it has spread at all on the skin, he shall declare the man unclean and stricken with leprosy.28 But if the blotch remains in its place without spreading on the skin and is already dying out, it is merely the scab of the burn; the priest shall therefore declare the man clean, since it is only the scar of the burn.
29
"When a man or a woman has a sore on the head or cheek,30 should the priest, on examining it, find that the sore has penetrated below the skin and that there is fine yellow hair on it, the priest shall declare the person unclean, for this is scall, a leprous disease of the head or cheek. 31 But if the priest, on examining the scall sore, finds that it has not penetrated below the skin, though the hair on it may not be black, the priest shall quarantine the person with scall sore for seven days,32 and on the seventh day again examine the sore. If the scall has not spread and has no yellow hair on it and does not seem to have penetrated below the skin,33 the man shall shave himself, but not on the diseased spot. Then the priest shall quarantine him for another seven days.34 If the priest, when examining the scall on the seventh day, finds that it has not spread on the skin and that it has not penetrated below the skin, he shall declare the man clean; the latter shall wash his garments, and thus he will be clean.35 But if the scall spreads at all on his skin after he has been declared clean,36 the priest shall again examine it. If the scall has indeed spread on the skin, he need not look for yellow hair; the man is surely unclean.37 If, however, he judges that the scall has remained in its place and that black hair has grown on it, the disease has been healed; the man is clean, and the priest shall declare him clean.
38
"When the skin of a man or a woman is spotted with white blotches,39 the priest shall make an examination. If the blotches on the skin are white and already dying out, it is only tetter that has broken out on the skin, and the person therefore is clean.
40
"When a man loses the hair of his head, he is not unclean merely because of his bald crown.41 So too, if he loses the hair on the front of his head, he is not unclean merely because of his bald forehead.42 But when there is a pink sore on his bald crown or bald forehead, it is leprosy that is breaking out there.43 The priest shall examine him; and if the scab on the sore of the bald spot has the same pink appearance as that of skin leprosy of the fleshy part of the body,44 the man is leprous and unclean, and the priest shall declare him unclean by reason of the sore on his head.
45
"The one who bears the sore of leprosy shall keep his garments rent and his head bare, and shall muffle his beard; he shall cry out, 'Unclean, unclean!'46 As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean, since he is in fact unclean. He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.
47
"When a leprous infection is on a garment of wool or of linen, 48 or on woven or knitted material of linen or wool, or on a hide or anything made of leather,49 if the infection on the garment or hide, or on the woven or knitted material, or on any leather article is greenish or reddish, the thing is indeed infected with leprosy and must be shown to the priest.50 Having examined the infection, the priest shall quarantine the infected article for seven days.51 "On the seventh day the priest shall again examine the infection. If it has spread on the garment, or on the woven or knitted material, or on the leather, whatever be its use, the infection is malignant leprosy, and the article is unclean.52 He shall therefore burn up the garment, or the woven or knitted material of wool or linen, or the leather article, whatever it may be, which is infected; since it has malignant leprosy, it must be destroyed by fire.53 But if the priest, on examining the infection, finds that it has not spread on the garment, or on the woven or knitted material, or on the leather article,54 he shall give orders to have the infected article washed and then quarantined for another seven days.55 "Then the priest shall again examine the infected article after it has been washed. If the infection has not changed its appearance, even though it may not have spread, the article is unclean and shall be destroyed by fire.56 But if the priest, on examining the infection, finds that it is dying out after the washing, he shall tear the infected part out of the garment, or the leather, or the woven or knitted material.57 If, however, the infection again appears on the garment, or on the woven or knitted material, or on the leather article, it is still virulent and the thing infected shall be destroyed by fire.58 But if, after the washing, the infection has left the garment, or the woven or knitted material, or the leather article, the thing shall be washed a second time, and thus it will be clean.59 This is the law for leprous infection on a garment of wool or linen, or on woven or knitted material, or on any leather article, to determine whether it is clean or unclean."


Purification of Lepers and Leprous Houses

14 1 The LORD said to Moses,2 "This is the law for the victim of leprosy at the time of his purification. He shall be brought to the priest,3 who is to go outside the camp to examine him. If the priest finds that the sore of leprosy has healed in the leper,4 he shall order the man who is to be purified, to get two live, clean birds, as well as some cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop. 5 The priest shall then order him to slay one of the birds over an earthen vessel with spring water in it. 6 Taking the living bird with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, the priest shall dip them all in the blood of the bird that was slain over the spring water,7 and then sprinkle seven times the man to be purified from his leprosy. When he has thus purified him, he shall let the living bird fly away over the countryside.8 The man being purified shall then wash his garments and shave off all his hair and bathe in water; only when he is thus made clean may he come inside the camp; but he shall still remain outside his tent for seven days.9 On the seventh day he shall again shave off all the hair of his head, his beard, his eyebrows, and any other hair he may have, and also wash his garments and bathe his body in water; and so he will be clean.10 "On the eighth day he shall take two unblemished male lambs, one unblemished yearling ewe lamb, three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering, and one log of oil.11 The priest who performs the purification ceremony shall place the man who is being purified, as well as all these offerings, before the LORD at the entrance of the meeting tent.12 Taking one of the male lambs, the priest shall present it as a guilt offering, along with the log of oil, waving them as a wave offering before the LORD.13 (This lamb he shall slaughter in the sacred place where the sin offering and the holocaust are slaughtered; because, like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest and is most sacred.)14 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the tip of the man's right ear, the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot.15 The priest shall also take the log of oil and pour some of it into the palm of his own left hand;16 then, dipping his right forefinger in it, he shall sprinkle it seven times before the LORD.17 Of the oil left in his hand the priest shall put some on the tip of the man's right ear, the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot, over the blood of the guilt offering.18 The rest of the oil in his hand the priest shall put on the head of the man being purified. Thus shall the priest make atonement for him before the LORD.19 Only after he has offered the sin offering in atonement for the man's uncleanness shall the priest slaughter the holocaust20 and offer it, together with the cereal offering, on the altar before the LORD. When the priest has thus made atonement for him, the man will be clean.21 "If a man is poor and cannot afford so much, he shall take one male lamb for a guilt offering, to be used as a wave offering in atonement for himself, one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering, a log of oil,22 and two turtledoves or pigeons, which he can more easily afford, the one as a sin offering and the other as a holocaust. 23 On the eighth day of his purification he shall bring them to the priest, at the entrance of the meeting tent before the LORD.24 Taking the guilt-offering lamb, along with the log of oil, the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before the LORD.25 When he has slaughtered the guilt-offering lamb, he shall take some of its blood, and put it on the tip of the right ear of the man being purified, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.26 The priest shall then pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand27 and with his right forefinger sprinkle it seven times before the LORD.28 Some of the oil in his hand the priest shall also put on the tip of the man's right ear, the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot, over the blood of the guilt offering.29 The rest of the oil in his hand the priest shall put on the man's head. Thus shall he make atonement for him before the LORD.30 Then, of the turtledoves or pigeons, such as the man can afford,31 the priest shall offer up one as a sin offering and the other as a holocaust, along with the cereal offering. Thus shall the priest make atonement before the LORD for the man who is to be purified.32 This is the law for one afflicted with leprosy who has insufficient means for his purification."
33
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,34 "When you come into the land of Canaan, which I am giving you to possess, if I put a leprous infection on any house of the land you occupy,35 the owner of the house shall come and report to the priest, 'It looks to me as if my house were infected.'36 The priest shall then order the house to be cleared out before he goes in to examine the infection, lest everything in the house become unclean. Only after this is he to go in to examine the house.37 If the priest, on examining it, finds that the infection on the walls of the house consists of greenish or reddish depressions which seem to go deeper than the surface of the wall,38 he shall close the door of the house behind him and quarantine the house for seven days.39 On the seventh day the priest shall return to examine the house again. If he finds that the infection has spread on the walls,40 he shall order the infected stones to be pulled out and cast in an unclean place outside the city.41 The whole inside of the house shall then be scraped, and the mortar that has been scraped off shall be dumped in an unclean place outside the city.42 Then new stones shall be brought and put in the place of the old stones, and new mortar shall be made and plastered on the house.43 "If the infection breaks out once more after the stones have been pulled out and the house has been scraped and replastered,44 the priest shall come again; and if he finds that the infection has spread in the house, it is corrosive leprosy, and the house is unclean.45 It shall be pulled down, and all its stones, beams and mortar shall be hauled away to an unclean place outside the city.46 Whoever enters a house while it is quarantined shall be unclean until evening.47 Whoever sleeps or eats in such a house shall also wash his garments.48 If the priest finds, when he comes to examine the house, that the infection has in fact not spread after the plastering, he shall declare the house clean, since the infection has been healed.49 To purify the house, he shall take two birds, as well as cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop.50 One of the birds he shall slay over an earthen vessel with spring water in it.51 Then, taking the cedar wood, the hyssop and the scarlet yarn, together with the living bird, he shall dip them all in the blood of the slain bird and the spring water, and sprinkle the house seven times.52 Thus shall he purify the house with the bird's blood and the spring water, along with the living bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet yarn.53 He shall then let the living bird fly away over the countryside outside the city. When he has thus made atonement for it, the house will be clean.54 "This is the law for every kind of human leprosy and scall,55 for leprosy of garments and houses,56 as well as for scabs, pustules and blotches,57 so that it may be manifest when there is a state of uncleanness and when a state of cleanness. This is the law for leprosy."


Concerning Bodily Discharges

15 1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,2 "Speak to the Israelites and tell them: Every man who is afflicted with a chronic flow from his private parts is thereby unclean.3 Such is his uncleanness from this flow that it makes no difference whether the flow drains off or is blocked up; his uncleanness remains.4 Any bed on which the man afflicted with the flow lies, is unclean, and any piece of furniture on which he sits, is unclean.5 Anyone who touches his bed shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.6 Whoever sits on a piece of furniture on which the afflicted man was sitting, shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.7 Whoever touches the body of the afflicted man shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.8 If the afflicted man spits on a clean man, the latter shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.9 Any saddle on which the afflicted man rides, is unclean.10 Whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until evening; whoever lifts up any such thing shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.11 Anyone whom the afflicted man touches with unrinsed hands shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.12 Earthenware touched by the afflicted man shall be broken; and every wooden article shall be rinsed with water.13 "When a man who has been afflicted with a flow becomes free of his affliction, he shall wait seven days for his purification. Then he shall wash his garments and bathe his body in fresh water, and so he will be clean.14 On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, and going before the LORD, to the entrance of the meeting tent, he shall give them to the priest,15 who shall offer them up, the one as a sin offering and the other as a holocaust. Thus shall the priest make atonement before the LORD for the man's flow.16 "When a man has an emission of seed, he shall bathe his whole body in water and be unclean until evening.17 Any piece of cloth or leather with seed on it shall be washed with water and be unclean until evening.18 "If a man lies carnally with a woman, they shall both bathe in water and be unclean until evening.
19
"When a woman has her menstrual flow, she shall be in a state of impurity for seven days. Anyone who touches her shall be unclean until evening.20 Anything on which she lies or sits during her impurity shall be unclean.21 Anyone who touches her bed shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.22 Whoever touches any article of furniture on which she was sitting, shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.23 But if she is on the bed or on the seat when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening. 24 If a man dares to lie with her, he contracts her impurity and shall be unclean for seven days; every bed on which he then lies also becomes unclean.25 "When a woman is afflicted with a flow of blood for several days outside her menstrual period, or when her flow continues beyond the ordinary period, as long as she suffers this unclean flow she shall be unclean, just as during her menstrual period.26 Any bed on which she lies during such a flow becomes unclean, as it would during her menstruation, and any article of furniture on which she sits becomes unclean just as during her menstruation.27 Anyone who touches them becomes unclean; he shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.28 "If she becomes freed from her affliction, she shall wait seven days, and only then is she to be purified.29 On the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance of the meeting tent.30 The priest shall offer up one of them as a sin offering and the other as a holocaust. Thus shall the priest make atonement before the LORD for her unclean flow.31 "You shall warn the Israelites of their uncleanness, lest by defiling my Dwelling, which is in their midst, their uncleanness be the cause of their death.32 "This is the law for the man who is afflicted with a chronic flow, or who has an emission of seed, and thereby becomes unclean;33 as well as for the woman who has her menstrual period, or who is afflicted with a chronic flow; the law for male and female; and also for the man who lies with an unclean woman."


The Day of Atonement

16 1 After the death of Aaron's two sons, who died when they approached the LORD'S presence, the LORD spoke to Moses2 and said to him, "Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he pleases into the sanctuary, inside the veil, in front of the propitiatory on the ark; otherwise, when I reveal myself in a cloud above the propitiatory, he will die. 3 Only in this way may Aaron enter the sanctuary. He shall bring a young bullock for a sin offering and a ram for a holocaust.4 He shall wear the sacred linen tunic, with the linen drawers next his flesh, gird himself with the linen sash and put on the linen miter. But since these vestments are sacred, he shall not put them on until he has first bathed his body in water.5 From the Israelite community he shall receive two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a holocaust.6 "Aaron shall bring in the bullock, his sin offering to atone for himself and for his household.7 Taking the two male goats and setting them before the LORD at the entrance of the meeting tent,8 he shall cast lots to determine which one is for the LORD and which for Azazel. 9 The goat that is determined by lot for the LORD, Aaron shall bring in and offer up as a sin offering.10 But the goat determined by lot for Azazel he shall set alive before the LORD, so that with it he may make atonement by sending it off to Azazel in the desert.11 "Thus shall Aaron offer up the bullock, his sin offering, to atone for himself and for his family. When he has slaughtered it,12 he shall take a censer full of glowing embers from the altar before the LORD, as well as a double handful of finely ground fragrant incense, and bringing them inside the veil,13 there before the LORD he shall put incense on the fire, so that a cloud of incense may cover the propitiatory over the commandments; else he will die. 14 Taking some of the bullock's blood, he shall sprinkle it with his finger on the fore part of the propitiatory and likewise sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times in front of the propitiatory.15 "Then he shall slaughter the people's sin-offering goat, and bringing its blood inside the veil, he shall do with it as he did with the bullock's blood, sprinkling it on the propitiatory and before it.16 Thus he shall make atonement for the sanctuary because of all the sinful defilements and faults of the Israelites. He shall do the same for the meeting tent, which is set up among them in the midst of their uncleanness.17 No one else may be in the meeting tent from the time he enters the sanctuary to make atonement until he departs. When he has made atonement for himself and his household, as well as for the whole Israelite community,18 he shall come out to the altar before the LORD and make atonement for it also. Taking some of the bullock's and the goat's blood, he shall put it on the horns around the altar,19 and with his finger sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times. Thus he shall render it clean and holy, purged of the defilements of the Israelites.20 "When he has completed the atonement rite for the sanctuary, the meeting tent and the altar, Aaron shall bring forward the live goat.21 Laying both hands on its head, he shall confess over it all the sinful faults and transgressions of the Israelites, and so put them on the goat's head. He shall then have it led into the desert by an attendant.22 Since the goat is to carry off their iniquities to an isolated region, it must be sent away into the desert.23 "After Aaron has again gone into the meeting tent, he shall strip off and leave in the sanctuary the linen vestments he had put on when he entered there. 24 After bathing his body with water in a sacred place, he shall put on his vestments, and then come out and offer his own and the people's holocaust, in atonement for himself and for the people,25 and also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar.26 "The man who has led away the goat for Azazel shall wash his garments and bathe his body in water; only then may he enter the camp.27 The sin-offering bullock and goat whose blood was brought into the sanctuary to make atonement, shall be taken outside the camp, where their hides and flesh and offal shall be burned up in the fire.28 The one who burns them shall wash his garments and bathe his body in water; only then may he enter the camp.29 "This shall be an everlasting ordinance for you: on the tenth day of the seventh month every one of you, whether a native or a resident alien, shall mortify himself and shall do no work. 30 Since on this day atonement is made for you to make you clean, so that you may be cleansed of all your sins before the LORD,31 by everlasting ordinance it shall be a most solemn sabbath for you, on which you must mortify yourselves.32 "This atonement is to be made by the priest who has been anointed and ordained to the priesthood in succession to his father. He shall wear the linen garments, the sacred vestments,33 and make atonement for the sacred sanctuary, the meeting tent and the altar, as well as for the priests and all the people of the community.34 This, then, shall be an everlasting ordinance for you: once a year atonement shall be made for all the sins of the Israelites." Thus was it done, as the LORD had commanded Moses.



Lévitique (NAB) 10