The Holy Bible – Knox Translation
The Book of Leviticus
|
Chapter 4
|
1
And now the Lord spoke to Moses again,
2
making known his will to the sons of Israel: It may be that a man has transgressed through inadvertence, disobeyed, without thinking to disobey, some one of the Lord’s precepts.
3
Such a transgression, if it be committed by the high priest then in office, brings guilt upon the whole people, and he must make amends for it by offering to the Lord a young bullock without blemish.
4
He will bring it into the Lord’s presence, at the door of the tabernacle, and, laying his hands on its head, will immolate it to the Lord.
5
Then he will draw off some of its blood, which he will take with him into the tabernacle;
6
and there he will dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it in the Lord’s presence, before the sanctuary veil, seven times.
7
Some of this blood he will smear on the horns of the altar; that altar within the tabernacle, on which the fragrant incense is burnt for the Lord’s acceptance; the rest he will pour away at the foot of the sacrificial altar, near the tabernacle door.
8
And now, to make amends for his fault, he will cut away the bullock’s fat, the fat enclosing the entrails and all else that is found within it,
9
the two kidneys, and with the kidneys the caul and fat of the liver, close to the flanks,
10
as if it were the victim of a welcome-offering, and burn these on the sacrificial altar.
11
The skin and all the flesh, with the head, the feet, the entrails and the dung,
12
and all the rest of its carcase, he will carry away from the camp to the place you have hallowed for pouring the ashes away, and burn them over a wood fire, there on the ash-pit.
13
Or perhaps the whole people of Israel has been betrayed into a fault, transgressing the Lord’s command unwittingly.
14
If so, when they find out their error, they will bring a young bullock to the tabernacle door in amends.
15
There, in the Lord’s presence, the elders of the people will lay their hands on its head; and when the bullock has been immolated before him,
16
some of its blood will be taken into the tabernacle by the high priest then in office,
17
who will dip his finger and sprinkle it before the veil seven times,
18
smear with it the horns of the altar that stands within the tabernacle in the Lord’s presence, and pour away the rest about the foot of the sacrificial altar, by the tabernacle door.
19
He will separate the fat and burn it on the altar,
20
treating it like the bullock aforementioned; and at the priest’s intercession, the Lord will have mercy.
21
The bullock itself he will take away from the camp, as before; and so amends will be made for the general transgression.
22
Be it one of the rulers that has transgressed by breaking some one of the laws inadvertently,
23
and later has recognized his fault, he must offer to the Lord a he-goat, without blemish, as his victim.
24
He will lay his hands on its head, and immolate it, in amends for his fault, where the Lord’s burnt-sacrifices are immolated;
25
and the priest will dip his finger in the blood of this transgression-victim, smearing some of it on the horns, this time, of the sacrificial altar, and pouring the rest away about its foot.
26
On this altar, too, he will burn the fat, as the fat of the welcome-offering is burnt; and so, at the priest’s intercession, the ruler’s fault will be forgiven.
27
Be it one of the common folk that has transgressed through inadvertence; the law has been broken nevertheless, and guilt incurred.
28
Such a man, when he becomes aware of his fault, must offer a she-goat without blemish,
29
lay his hand on the head of this transgression-victim, and immolate it where the burnt-sacrifices are immolated.
30
The priest will smear the sacrificial altar with some of the blood, and pour the rest away at its foot;
31
then separate the fat, as if this were a welcome-offering, and burn it on the altar, where the smell of its burning will be acceptable to the Lord. And so, at the priest’s intercession for him, the guilty man will be pardoned.
32
Or he may choose, as his transgression-victim, a ewe-lamb without blemish from his flock,
33
lay his hand on its head, and immolate it where the burnt-sacrifices are immolated.
34
The priest will use the victim’s blood as before,
35
separate the fat, as if this were the ram of the welcome-offering, and burn it on the altar, offer it to the Lord by fire; so, at the priest’s intercession, the guilty man will be pardoned.
