Leviticus

And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,

1The LORD called to Moses. He spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, the special tent where God met his people. He said:

2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.

2Tell the people of Israel this. When one of you brings a gift to the LORD, bring an animal. It can come from your cattle or from your sheep and goats.

3If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.

3Say the gift is a burnt offering from the cattle. Then bring a male animal with nothing wrong with it. Bring it yourself to the door of the Tent of Meeting. Then the LORD will accept it.

NoteThe KJV says the person offers "of his own voluntary will." The Hebrew here is about the gift being accepted by God, not only about the giver choosing to bring it.

4And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

4The person lays his hand on the animal's head. Then the gift counts for him. It covers what he has done wrong.

5And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

5He kills the young bull there before the LORD. Aaron's sons are the priests, the men who serve God at the altar. They take the blood and splash it on all sides of the altar by the tent door.

6And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.

6Then he takes the skin off the animal. He cuts the animal into pieces.

Note"Flay" means to take the skin off an animal.

7And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:

7The sons of Aaron the priest start a fire on the altar. They lay the wood on the fire in neat rows.

8And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:

8Then Aaron's sons the priests lay the pieces on the wood. They lay the head and the fat there too. The wood is burning on the altar.

9But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

9The insides and the legs must be washed with water. Then the priest burns all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a gift made by fire. Its smell pleases the LORD.

10And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.

10Say the burnt offering comes from the sheep or the goats instead. Then he must bring a male animal with nothing wrong with it.

11And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar.

11He kills it on the north side of the altar, before the LORD. Aaron's sons the priests splash its blood on all sides of the altar.

12And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:

12He cuts the animal into pieces, with its head and its fat. The priest lays them in rows on the burning wood on the altar.

13But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

13The insides and the legs must be washed with water. Then the priest brings all of it and burns it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a gift made by fire. Its smell pleases the LORD.

14And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.

14Say the burnt offering to the LORD is a bird. Then he brings a turtledove or a young pigeon.

15And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar:

15The priest brings the bird to the altar. He twists off its head and burns it on the altar. He lets its blood drain out on the side of the altar.

16And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:

16He takes out the bird's crop and what is inside it. He throws it on the east side of the altar, where the ashes go.

NoteA bird's crop is a pouch in its throat where food is held before the bird digests it.

17And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

17He tears the bird open by its wings. But he does not pull it into two parts. Then the priest burns it on the altar, on the burning wood. It is a burnt offering, a gift made by fire. Its smell pleases the LORD.