Leviticus 16

1 The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons when they had approached the LORD and died.ISV — Leviticus 16:1

2 The LORD told Moses, “Remind ^{a16:2 Lit. Tell} your brother Aaron that at no time is he to enter the sacred place from the room that contains the curtain into the presence of the Mercy Seat ^{b16:2 Lit. atonement place; and so throughout the book} on top of the ark. Otherwise, he’ll die, because I will appear in a cloud at the Mercy Seat.ISV — Leviticus 16:2

3 Aaron is to enter the sacred place with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a whole burnt offering.ISV — Leviticus 16:3

4 He is to wear a sacred linen tunic and linen undergarments that will cover his genitals. He is to clothe himself with a sash and wrap his head with a linen turban. Because they are sacred garments, he is to wash himself with water before putting them on.”ISV — Leviticus 16:4

5 “He is to take two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a whole burnt offering from the assembly of the Israelis.ISV — Leviticus 16:5

6 Then Aaron is to bring the bull as a sin offering for himself and make atonement for himself and his household.ISV — Leviticus 16:6

7 Then he is to take the two male goats and present them in the LORD’s presence at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.ISV — Leviticus 16:7

8 Aaron is to cast lots over the two male goats—one lot for the LORD and the other one for the scapegoat. ^{c16:8 So with LXX; MT reads for Azazel; i.e. the goat that will be sent away}ISV — Leviticus 16:8

9 Aaron is then to bring the male goat on which the lot fell for the LORD and offer it as a sin offering.ISV — Leviticus 16:9

10 The male goat on which the lot fell for the scapegoat is to be brought alive into the LORD’s presence to make atonement for himself. Then he is to send it into the wilderness.”ISV — Leviticus 16:10

11 “Aaron is then to bring the bull for a sin offering for himself, thus making atonement for himself and his household. He is to slaughter the ox for himself.ISV — Leviticus 16:11

12 Then he is to take a censer and fill it with coals from the fire on the altar in the LORD’s presence. With his hands full of spiced and refined incense, he is to bring it beyond the curtain.ISV — Leviticus 16:12

13 “Then he is to place the incense over the fire in the LORD’s presence, ensuring that the smoke ^{d16:13 Lit. cloud} from the incense covers the Mercy Seat, according to regulation, so he won’t die.ISV — Leviticus 16:13

14 He is to take blood from the ox and sprinkle it with his forefinger toward the surface of the Mercy Seat. Then he is to sprinkle the blood on the surface of the Mercy Seat with his forefinger seven times.ISV — Leviticus 16:14

15 “He is to slaughter the male goat as a sin offering for the people and bring its blood beyond the curtain and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull: He is to sprinkle it on the Mercy Seat—that is, over the surface of the Mercy Seat.ISV — Leviticus 16:15

16 Then he is to make atonement on the sacred ^{e16:16 Or holy} place on account of the uncleanness of the Israelis, their transgressions, and all their sins. This is how he is to act in the Tent of Meeting, which will remain with them in the middle of their uncleanness.ISV — Leviticus 16:16

17 “No person ^{f16:17 Lit. man} is to be there when he enters the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the sacred place, until he comes out and has made atonement on account of himself, his household, and the entire assembly of Israel.ISV — Leviticus 16:17

18 When he goes to the altar in the LORD’s presence to make atonement for himself, he is to take some of the blood from the bull and the male goat, place it around the horns of the altar,ISV — Leviticus 16:18

19 and sprinkle it with the blood on his forefinger seven times, cleansing and sanctifying it from Israel’s sins.”ISV — Leviticus 16:19

20 “When he has completed making atonement at the sacred place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, then he is to present the live male goat.ISV — Leviticus 16:20

21 Aaron is to lay his two hands upon the head of the male goat and confess over it the sins of Israel, all their transgressions, and all their sins, thus placing them on the head of the male goat that he’ll then send out to the wilderness by the hand of a man capable of carrying out this task. ^{g16:21 The Heb. lacks of carrying out this task}ISV — Leviticus 16:21

22 The male goat will bear on itself all their sins to a solitary land as Aaron sends the goat out to the wilderness.ISV — Leviticus 16:22

23 “Then Aaron is to enter the Tent of Meeting, take off his white linen clothes that he had put on when he entered the sacred place, and leave them there.ISV — Leviticus 16:23

24 He is to wash his body with water at the sacred place and put on his clothes. Then he is to go out and offer a whole burnt offering for himself and a whole burnt offering for the people, thereby making atonement on account of himself and on account of the people.ISV — Leviticus 16:24

25 “As to the fat from the burnt offering, he is to incinerate it on the altar.ISV — Leviticus 16:25

26 The one who sent away the male goat as a scapegoat ^{h16:26 So with LXX; MT reads for Azazel; i.e. the goat that will be sent away} is to wash his clothes and bathe his body with water. After doing so, he may enter the camp.ISV — Leviticus 16:26

27 “The bull for the sin offering and the male goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought into the sacred place, are to be taken outside the camp. Their skin, meat, and offal are to be incinerated.ISV — Leviticus 16:27

28 The one who burns them is to wash his clothes and bathe his body with water. After doing so, he may enter the camp.”ISV — Leviticus 16:28

29 “This is to be a perpetual statute for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month, you (including both the native born and the resident alien) are to humble yourselves by not doing any work,ISV — Leviticus 16:29

30 because on that day, atonement will be made ^{i16:30 Lit. day, he will make atonement} for you to cleanse you from all your sins. You are to be clean in the LORD’s presence.ISV — Leviticus 16:30

31 It’s the Sabbath of all Sabbaths for you, so humble yourselves. This is to be a perpetual statute.ISV — Leviticus 16:31

32 The priest who has been anointed and consecrated to be priest after his father is to make the atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen clothingISV — Leviticus 16:32

33 and make atonement for the sacred sanctuary, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar where atonement is carried out. He is also to make atonement for the priests and the people of the entire assembly.ISV — Leviticus 16:33

34 This will be a perpetual statute for you as you make atonement once a year for the Israelis on account of all their sins.” So Moses did just as the LORD had commanded him.ISV — Leviticus 16:34