Leviticus

The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said:

1And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,

NoteThe tent of meeting (KJV "tabernacle of the congregation") was the portable tent sanctuary Israel carried through the wilderness, described in Exodus 25-40. "Congregation" here does not mean a crowd of worshipers inside it; the Hebrew means the appointed place where God and Moses met.

2Speak to the people of Israel and tell them: If any of you brings an offering to the LORD, you are to bring your offering from your livestock, from the herd or from the flock.

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.

Note"Offering" translates Hebrew *qorban*, from a verb meaning to bring near: a gift brought into God's presence. KJV "cattle" is used in its older, wider sense of livestock generally, not cows specifically; "herd" means cattle and "flock" means sheep and goats.

3If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he must offer a male with nothing wrong with it. He is to offer it of his own free will at the entrance of the tent of meeting, in front of the LORD.

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.

NoteA "burnt offering" (Hebrew *olah*, literally "that which goes up") was the one sacrifice burned entirely, with no portion eaten by the worshiper or the priest. "Without blemish" means physically sound and unmaimed, not morally pure. The Hebrew behind KJV "of his own voluntary will" is disputed: it can mean either that the worshiper brings it willingly, or that he brings it so that it may be accepted on his behalf.

4He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted for him, to make atonement for him.

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.

NoteLaying a hand on the animal's head was a formal gesture of identification, marking this animal as this man's offering. "Atonement" translates Hebrew *kipper*, a verb whose root sense is variously taken as to wipe clean, to cover over, or to pay a ransom.

5He is to kill the young bull in front of the LORD. Then the priests, Aaron's sons, are to bring the blood and sprinkle it on every side of the altar, which stands at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

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.

NoteAaron was Moses' brother; his sons were the priests, the only men permitted to handle blood and altar. The verb KJV renders "sprinkle" means to throw or dash liquid from a vessel, not to scatter drops.

6He is to skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces.

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

Note"Flay" simply means to skin. The hide was the one part not burned; elsewhere the law gives it to the officiating priest.

7The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire.

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

8Then the priests, Aaron's sons, are to arrange the pieces, along with the head and the fat, on top of the wood that is burning on the altar.

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:

9But he is to wash the inner organs and the legs with water. The priest is to burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasing smell to the LORD.

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.

Note"A sweet savour unto the LORD" (Hebrew *reah nihoah*) is a fixed liturgical phrase, roughly "a soothing, restful smell." Similar wording appears in other ancient Near Eastern accounts of sacrifice, and it functions here as a formula of acceptance rather than as a description of God's appetite.

10If his offering for a burnt offering is from the flock, that is, from the sheep or the goats, he is to bring a male with nothing wrong with it.

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.

11He is to kill it on the north side of the altar, in front of the LORD. Then the priests, Aaron's sons, are to sprinkle its blood on every side of the altar.

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.

NoteThe north side is specified because the altar's other sides were in use: the ramp or approach, the ash place to the east, and the basin. Fixing the spot kept the ritual uniform.

12He is to cut it into its pieces, along with its head and its fat. The priest is to arrange them on the wood that is burning on 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:

13But he is to wash the inner organs and the legs with water. The priest is to bring all of it and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasing smell to the LORD.

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.

14If his burnt offering to the LORD is from birds, then he is to bring his offering of turtledoves or young pigeons.

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.

NoteBirds were the cheapest offering available, and the law elsewhere allows them explicitly for those who cannot afford a sheep. A turtledove is a small wild dove, named for its call; it has nothing to do with turtles.

15The priest is to bring it to the altar, twist off its head, and burn it on the altar. Its blood is to be drained out against the side of the altar.

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:

NoteKJV "wring off" means to twist or pinch off. With a bird there is too little blood to catch in a vessel and dash against the altar, so it is pressed out down the altar's side instead.

16He is to remove its crop along with its feathers and throw it beside the altar on the east side, where the ashes are put.

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:

NoteThe crop is the pouch in a bird's throat where food is held before digestion. The Hebrew word paired with it is uncertain: KJV takes it as the feathers, while others read it as the crop's undigested contents or the filth in it.

17He is to tear it open by its wings, but not pull it apart into two. The priest is to burn it on the altar, on the wood that is burning there. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasing smell to the LORD.

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.

NoteThe bird is split open along the wings so it lies flat and burns through, but is not torn into two separate halves, unlike the large animals, which were cut into pieces.