Leviticus 16

The Day of Atonement

1Then#Or “And” Yahweh spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons, when they had come near before#Literally “before faces of” Yahweh and they died. 2And Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell#Or “Speak to” your brother Aaron that he should not enter at any time into the sanctuary behind#Literally “from the interior/inside to” the curtain in front of#Literally “to the faces of” the atonement cover that is on the ark, so that he might not die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.

3“Aaron must enter the sanctuary with this: a young bull#Literally “a bull a son of cattle” as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering. 4He must put on a holy linen tunic,#Literally “a tunic of linen of holiness” and linen undergarments must be on his body, and he must fasten himself#The direct object is supplied from context in the English translation with a linen sash, and he must wrap a linen turban around his head#Supplied from context in the English translation—they are holy garments, and he shall wash his body with water, then#Or “and” he shall put them on. 5And he must take from the Israelites’#Literally “sons/children of Israel” community two he-goats as a sin offering and one ram as a burnt offering.

6“And Aaron shall present the sin offering’s bull, which is for himself, and so he shall make atonement for himself and for his family. 7And he shall take the two goats, and he shall present them before#Literally “to the faces of” Yahweh at the tent of assembly’s entrance. 8Then#Or “And” Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for Yahweh and one for Azazel. 9And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot for Yahweh fell, and he shall sacrifice#Literally “do” or “make” it as a sin offering. 10But#Or “And” he must present alive before#Literally “to the faces of” Yahweh the goat on which the lot for Azazel fell to make atonement for himself, to send it away into the desert to Azazel.

11“And Aaron shall present the sin offering’s bull, which is for himself, and so he shall make atonement for himself and for his family; then#Or “and” he shall slaughter the sin offering’s bull, which is for himself. 12And he shall take a#Hebrew “the” censer full of burning charcoal#Literally “burning charcoal of fire” from upon the altar from before#Literally “to the faces of” Yahweh and two handfuls#Literally “the fullness of the hollow of his hands” of incense of powdered fragrant perfumes, and he shall bring it from behind#Literally “from the interior/inside of” the curtain, 13and he shall put the incense on the fire before#Literally “to the faces of” Yahweh so that the cloud of incense might cover the atonement cover, which is on the covenant text,#Literally “testimony” so that he might not die. 14And he shall take some of#Literally “from” the bull’s blood, and he shall spatter it#The direct object is supplied from context in the English translation with his finger on the atonement cover’s surface on the eastern side, and before#Literally “to the faces of” the atonement cover he shall spatter some of#Literally “from” the blood with his finger seven times.

15“And he shall slaughter the sin offering’s goat, which is for the people, and he shall bring its blood from behind#Literally “from the interior/inside of” the curtain, and he shall do with its blood as that which he did with#Hebrew “to” the bull’s blood, and he shall spatter it on the atonement cover and before#Literally “to the faces of” the atonement cover. 16Thus#Or “And” he shall make atonement for the sanctuary from the Israelites’#Literally “sons/children of Israel” impurities and from their transgressions for all their sins; and so he must do for the tent of assembly, which dwells with them in the midst of their impurities. 17And no person#Literally “any man not” shall be in the tent of assembly when he enters to make atonement in the sanctuary until he comes out, and so he shall make atonement for himself and for his family and for all of Israel’s assembly.

18“Then#Or “And” he shall go out to the altar that is before#Literally “to the faces of” Yahweh, and he shall make atonement for it; and he shall take some of#Literally “from” the bull’s blood and some of#Literally “from” the goat’s blood, and he shall put it#The direct object is supplied from context in the English translation all around on the altar’s horns. 19And he shall spatter some of#Literally “from” the blood on it seven times with his finger, and he shall cleanse it and consecrate#Literally “he shall consecrate” it from the Israelites’#Literally “of the sons/children of Israel” impurities.

20“And he shall finish making atonement for the sanctuary and the tent of assembly and the altar; then#Or “and” he shall present the living goat. 21And Aaron shall place his two hands on the living goat’s head, and he shall confess over it all the Israelites’#Literally “of the sons/of the children of Israel” iniquities and all their transgressions for all their sins, and he shall put them on the goat’s head, and he shall send it#The direct object is supplied from context in the English translation away into the desert with#Literally “by the hand of” a man standing ready.#Or “at hand” 22Thus#Or “And” the goat shall bear on it to a barren region#Literally “a land of separation” or “a land of infertility” all their guilt, and he shall send the goat away into the desert.

23“And Aaron shall enter the tent of assembly, and he shall take off the linen garments that he put on at his coming to the sanctuary, and he shall leave them there. 24And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place, and he shall put on his garments and go out and sacrifice#Literally “he shall do” or “he shall make” his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering, and so he shall make atonement for himself and for people. 25And he must turn into smoke the sin offering’s fat on the altar.

26“And the person who sends out the goat for Azazel shall wash his garments, and he shall wash his body with water, and afterward#Literally “after thus” he shall come to the camp. 27And the sin offering’s bull and the sin offering’s goat, whose blood was brought to make atonement in the sanctuary, shall be brought outside the camp,#Literally “to from an outside place of the camp” and they shall burn their hide and their flesh and their offal in the fire. 28And the person who burns them shall wash his garments, and he shall wash his body with water, and afterward#Literally “after thus” he must come to the camp.

29“And this shall be a lasting statute#Literally “a statute of eternity” or “a statute of long duration” for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth of the month, you must deny yourselves and you must not do any work, whether the native or#Or “and” the alien who is dwelling in your midst, 30because on this day he shall make atonement for you to cleanse you; you must be clean from all your sins before#Literally “to the faces of” Yahweh. 31It is a Sabbath of complete rest#Literally “a Sabbath of ‘Sabbathation.’ ” “Sabbathation” is not a real word, but it is devised as an attempt to convey the sounds of the related nouns in the Hebrew phrase for you, and you shall deny yourselves—it is a lasting statute.#Literally “a statute of eternity” or “a statute of long duration” 32And the priest who is anointed and who is ordained#Literally “filled his hand” to serve as a priest in place of his father shall make atonement; thus#Or “and” he shall put on the linen garments, the holy garments, 33and he shall make atonement for the sanctuary’s holy place, and he shall make atonement for the tent of assembly and the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all of the assembly’s people. 34And this shall be a lasting statute#Literally “a statute of eternity” or “a statute of long duration” for you to make atonement for the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” one time in a year from all their sins.”