LEVITICUS 1:1 - 6:7

1 Yahweh* called to Moses, and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When anyone of you offers an offering to Yahweh, you shall offer your offering of the livestock, from the herd and from the flock.

3 “ ‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without defect. He shall offer it at the door of the Tent of Meeting, that he may be accepted before Yahweh. 4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 5 He shall kill the bull before Yahweh. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 6 He shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. 7 The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay wood in order on the fire; 8 and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar; 9 but he shall wash its innards and its legs with water. The priest shall burn all of it on the altar, for a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.

10 “ ‘If his offering is from the flock, from the sheep or from the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer a male without defect. 11 He shall kill it on the north side of the altar before Yahweh. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 12 He shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat. The priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar, 13 but the innards and the legs he shall wash with water. The priest shall offer the whole, and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.

14 “ ‘If his offering to Yahweh is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall offer his offering from turtledoves or of young pigeons. 15 The priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; and its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar; 16 and he shall take away its crop and its feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes. 17 He shall tear it by its wings, but shall not divide it apart. The priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.

*1:1 “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.

CHAPTER 2

1 “ ‘When anyone offers an offering of a meal offering to Yahweh, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it. 2 He shall bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests. He shall take his handful of its fine flour, and of its oil, with all its frankincense, and the priest shall burn its memorial on the altar, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 3 That which is left of the meal offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is a most holy part of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire.

4 “ ‘When you offer an offering of a meal offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil. 5 If your offering is a meal offering made on a griddle, it shall be of unleavened fine flour, mixed with oil. 6 You shall cut it in pieces, and pour oil on it. It is a meal offering. 7 If your offering is a meal offering of the pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. 8 You shall bring the meal offering that is made of these things to Yahweh. It shall be presented to the priest, and he shall bring it to the altar. 9 The priest shall take from the meal offering its memorial, and shall burn it on the altar, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 10 That which is left of the meal offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is a most holy part of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire.

11 “ ‘No meal offering which you shall offer to Yahweh shall be made with yeast; for you shall burn no yeast, nor any honey, as an offering made by fire to Yahweh. 12 As an offering of first fruits you shall offer them to Yahweh, but they shall not rise up as a pleasant aroma on the altar. 13 Every offering of your meal offering you shall season with salt. You shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God* to be lacking from your meal offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.

14 “ ‘If you offer a meal offering of first fruits to Yahweh, you shall offer for the meal offering of your first fruits fresh heads of grain parched with fire and crushed. 15 You shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it. It is a meal offering. 16 The priest shall burn as its memorial part of its crushed grain and part of its oil, along with all its frankincense. It is an offering made by fire to Yahweh.

*2:13 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).

CHAPTER 3

1 “ ‘If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offerings, if he offers it from the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without defect before Yahweh. 2 He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle the blood around on the altar. 3 He shall offer of the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to Yahweh. The fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards, 4 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away. 5 Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar on the burnt offering, which is on the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.

6 “ ‘If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh is from the flock, either male or female, he shall offer it without defect. 7 If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before Yahweh; 8 and he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it before the Tent of Meeting. Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 9 He shall offer from the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to Yahweh; its fat, the entire tail fat, he shall take away close to the backbone; and the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat that is on the entrails, 10 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away. 11 The priest shall burn it on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire to Yahweh.

12 “ ‘If his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before Yahweh. 13 He shall lay his hand on its head, and kill it before the Tent of Meeting; and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 14 He shall offer from it as his offering, an offering made by fire to Yahweh; the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards, 15 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away. 16 The priest shall burn them on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma; all the fat is Yahweh’s.

17 “ ‘It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings, that you shall eat neither fat nor blood.’ ”

CHAPTER 4

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone sins unintentionally, in any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and does any one of them, 3 if the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without defect to Yahweh for a sin offering. 4 He shall bring the bull to the door of the Tent of Meeting before Yahweh; and he shall lay his hand on the head of the bull, and kill the bull before Yahweh. 5 The anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull, and bring it to the Tent of Meeting. 6 The priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before Yahweh, before the veil of the sanctuary. 7 The priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before Yahweh, which is in the Tent of Meeting; and he shall pour out the rest of the blood of the bull at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 8 He shall take all the fat of the bull of the sin offering from it: the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards, 9 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall remove, 10 as it is removed from the bull of the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering. 11 He shall carry the bull’s skin, all its meat, with its head, and with its legs, its innards, and its dung 12 —all the rest of the bull—outside of the camp to a clean place where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire. It shall be burned where the ashes are poured out.

13 “ ‘If the whole congregation of Israel sins, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and are guilty; 14 when the sin in which they have sinned is known, then the assembly shall offer a young bull for a sin offering, and bring it before the Tent of Meeting. 15 The elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before Yahweh; and the bull shall be killed before Yahweh. 16 The anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull to the Tent of Meeting. 17 The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before Yahweh, before the veil. 18 He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before Yahweh, that is in the Tent of Meeting; and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 19 All its fat he shall take from it, and burn it on the altar. 20 He shall do this with the bull; as he did with the bull of the sin offering, so he shall do with this; and the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven. 21 He shall carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is the sin offering for the assembly.

22 “ ‘When a ruler sins, and unwittingly does any one of all the things which Yahweh his God has commanded not to be done, and is guilty, 23 if his sin in which he has sinned is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without defect. 24 He shall lay his hand on the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before Yahweh. It is a sin offering. 25 The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. He shall pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering. 26 All its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin, and he will be forgiven.

27 “ ‘If anyone of the common people sins unwittingly, in doing any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and is guilty, 28 if his sin which he has sinned is made known to him, then he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without defect, for his sin which he has sinned. 29 He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering. 30 The priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar. 31 All its fat he shall take away, like the fat is taken away from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh; and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.

32 “ ‘If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without defect. 33 He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering. 34 The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and all the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar. 35 He shall remove all its fat, like the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest shall burn them on the altar, on the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. The priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned, and he will be forgiven.

CHAPTER 5

1 “ ‘If anyone sins, in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, he being a witness, whether he has seen or known, if he doesn’t report it, then he shall bear his iniquity.

2 “ ‘Or if anyone touches any unclean thing, whether it is the carcass of an unclean animal, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and it is hidden from him, and he is unclean, then he shall be guilty.

3 “ ‘Or if he touches the uncleanness of man, whatever his uncleanness is with which he is unclean, and it is hidden from him; when he knows of it, then he shall be guilty.

4 “ ‘Or if anyone swears rashly with his lips to do evil or to do good—whatever it is that a man might utter rashly with an oath, and it is hidden from him—when he knows of it, then he will be guilty of one of these. 5 It shall be, when he is guilty of one of these, he shall confess that in which he has sinned; 6 and he shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh for his sin which he has sinned: a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin.

7 “ ‘If he can’t afford a lamb, then he shall bring his trespass offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, to Yahweh; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. 8 He shall bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one which is for the sin offering. He shall wring off its head from its neck, but shall not sever it completely. 9 He shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. 10 He shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has sinned, and he shall be forgiven.

11 “ ‘But if he can’t afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for that in which he has sinned, one tenth of an ephah* of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, and he shall not put any frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12 He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as the memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, on the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. It is a sin offering. 13 The priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned in any of these things, and he will be forgiven; and the rest shall be the priest’s, as the meal offering.’ ”

14 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 15 “If anyone commits a trespass, and sins unwittingly regarding Yahweh’s holy things, then he shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your estimation in silver by shekels, according to the shekel† of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering. 16 He shall make restitution for that which he has done wrong regarding the holy thing, and shall add a fifth part to it, and give it to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and he will be forgiven.

17 “If anyone sins, doing any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, though he didn’t know it, he is still guilty, and shall bear his iniquity. 18 He shall bring a ram without defect from of the flock, according to your estimation, for a trespass offering, to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning the thing in which he sinned and didn’t know it, and he will be forgiven. 19 It is a trespass offering. He is certainly guilty before Yahweh.”

*5:11 1 ephah is about 22 liters or about 2/3 of a bushel

†5:15 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces.

CHAPTER 6

1  Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,  2  “If anyone sins, and commits a trespass against Yahweh, and deals falsely with his neighbor in a matter of deposit, or of bargain, or of robbery, or has oppressed his neighbor,  3  or has found that which was lost, and lied about it, and swearing to a lie—in any of these things that a man sins in his actions—  4  then it shall be, if he has sinned, and is guilty, he shall restore that which he took by robbery, or the thing which he has gotten by oppression, or the deposit which was committed to him, or the lost thing which he found,  5  or any thing about which he has sworn falsely: he shall restore it in full, and shall add a fifth part more to it. He shall return it to him to whom it belongs in the day of his being found guilty.  6  He shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your estimation, for a trespass offering, to the priest.  7  The priest shall make atonement for him before Yahweh, and he will be forgiven concerning whatever he does to become guilty.”

ISAIAH 43:21 - 44:23

21 the people which I formed for myself,

that they might declare my praise.

22 Yet you have not called on me, Jacob;

but you have been weary of me, Israel.

23 You have not brought me any of your sheep for burnt offerings,

neither have you honored me with your sacrifices.

I have not burdened you with offerings,

nor wearied you with frankincense.

24 You have bought me no sweet cane with money,

nor have you filled me with the fat of your sacrifices,

but you have burdened me with your sins.

You have wearied me with your iniquities.

25 I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake;

and I will not remember your sins.

26 Put me in remembrance.

Let us plead together.

Declare your case,

that you may be justified.

27 Your first father sinned,

and your teachers have transgressed against me.

28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary;

and I will make Jacob a curse,

and Israel an insult.”

CHAPTER 44

1 Yet listen now, Jacob my servant,

and Israel, whom I have chosen.

2 This is what Yahweh who made you,

and formed you from the womb,

who will help you says:

“Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant;

and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,

and streams on the dry ground.

I will pour my Spirit on your descendants,

and my blessing on your offspring;

4 and they will spring up among the grass,

as willows by the watercourses.

5 One will say, ‘I am Yahweh’s.’

Another will be called by the name of Jacob;

and another will write with his hand ‘to Yahweh,’

and honor the name of Israel.”

6 This is what Yahweh, the King of Israel,

and his Redeemer, Yahweh of Armies, says:

“I am the first, and I am the last;

and besides me there is no God.

7 Who is like me?

Who will call,

and will declare it,

and set it in order for me,

since I established the ancient people?

Let them declare the things that are coming,

and that will happen.

8 Don’t fear,

neither be afraid.

Haven’t I declared it to you long ago,

and shown it?

You are my witnesses.

Is there a God besides me?

Indeed, there is not.

I don’t know any other Rock.”

9 Everyone who makes a carved image is vain.

The things that they delight in will not profit.

Their own witnesses don’t see, nor know, that they may be disappointed.

10 Who has fashioned a god,

or molds an image that is profitable for nothing?

11 Behold, all his fellows will be disappointed;

and the workmen are mere men.

Let them all be gathered together.

Let them stand up.

They will fear.

They will be put to shame together.

12 The blacksmith takes an ax,

works in the coals,

fashions it with hammers,

and works it with his strong arm.

He is hungry,

and his strength fails;

he drinks no water,

and is faint.

13 The carpenter stretches out a line.

He marks it out with a pencil.

He shapes it with planes.

He marks it out with compasses,

and shapes it like the figure of a man,

with the beauty of a man,

to reside in a house.

14 He cuts down cedars for himself,

and takes the cypress and the oak,

and strengthens for himself one among the trees of the forest.

He plants a cypress tree,

and the rain nourishes it.

15 Then it will be for a man to burn;

and he takes some of it and warms himself.

Yes, he burns it and bakes bread.

Yes, he makes a god and worships it;

he makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.

16 He burns part of it in the fire.

With part of it, he eats meat.

He roasts a roast and is satisfied.

Yes, he warms himself

and says, “Aha! I am warm. I have seen the fire.”

17 The rest of it he makes into a god,

even his engraved image.

He bows down to it and worships,

and prays to it, and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”

18 They don’t know, neither do they consider,

for he has shut their eyes, that they can’t see,

and their hearts, that they can’t understand.

19 No one thinks,

neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say,

“I have burned part of it in the fire.

Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals.

I have roasted meat and eaten it.

Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination?

Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?”

20 He feeds on ashes.

A deceived heart has turned him aside;

and he can’t deliver his soul,

nor say, “Isn’t there a lie in my right hand?”

21 Remember these things, Jacob and Israel,

for you are my servant.

I have formed you.

You are my servant.

Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.

22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions,

and, as a cloud, your sins.

Return to me, for I have redeemed you.

23 Sing, you heavens, for Yahweh has done it!

Shout, you lower parts of the earth!

Break out into singing, you mountains, O forest, all of your trees,

for Yahweh has redeemed Jacob,

and will glorify himself in Israel.



ROMANS 8: 1-13

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.* 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace; 7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile toward God, for it is not subject to God’s law, neither indeed can it be. 8 Those who are in the flesh can’t please God.

9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. 10 If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 

*8:1 NU omits “who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit”

HEBREWS 10: 1-14

1 For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Or else wouldn’t they have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins. 4 For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. 5 Therefore when he comes into the world, he says,

“You didn’t desire sacrifice and offering,

but you prepared a body for me.

6 You had no pleasure in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin.

7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me)

to do your will, O God.’ ”✡

8 Previously saying, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you didn’t desire, neither had pleasure in them” (those which are offered according to the law), 9 then he has said, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He takes away the first, that he may establish the second, 10 by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 Every priest indeed stands day by day serving and offering often the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins, 12 but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting until his enemies are made the footstool of his feet. 14 For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

✡10:7 Psalm 40:6-8

HEBREWS 13: 10-16

10  We have an altar from which those who serve the holy tabernacle have no right to eat.  11  For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside of the camp. ✡   12  Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside of the gate.  13  Let’s therefore go out to him outside of the camp, bearing his reproach.  14  For we don’t have here an enduring city, but we seek that which is to come.  15  Through him, then, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise to God  ✡  continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.  16  But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

✡13:11 Leviticus 16:27

✡13:15 Psalm 50:23