Law of Atonement

1Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they had approached the presence of the LORD and died. 2The LORD said to Moses:

“Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at [a]any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the [b]atoning cover which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the [c]atoning cover. 3Aaron shall enter the Holy Place with this: with a [d]bull as a [e]sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering. 4He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his [f]body, and he shall be wrapped about the waist with the linen sash and the linen turban wound around his forehead (these are holy garments). He shall bathe his [g]body in water and put them on. 5And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats as a [h]sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering. 6Then Aaron shall offer the bull as the [i]sin offering, which is for himself, so that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. 7He shall then take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 8Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for [j]the [k]scapegoat. 9Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the LORD fell, and make it a [l]sin offering. 10But the goat on which the lot for [m]the [n]scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness [o]as the [p]scapegoat.

11“Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the [q]sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the [r]sin offering which is for himself. 12He shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before the LORD and [s]two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil. 13He shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, so that the cloud of incense may cover the atoning cover that is on the ark of the testimony, otherwise he will die. 14Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the atoning cover on the east side; also in front of the atoning cover he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

15“Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the atoning cover and in front of the atoning cover. 16He shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their unlawful acts regarding all their sins; and he shall do so for the tent of meeting which remains with them in the midst of their impurities. 17When he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, so that he may make atonement for himself and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel. 18Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it; he shall take some of the blood from the bull and some of the blood from the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides. 19With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it, and consecrate it from the impurities of the sons of Israel.

20“When he finishes atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat. 21Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the wrongdoings of the sons of Israel and all their unlawful acts regarding all their sins; and he shall place them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands ready. 22Then the goat shall carry on itself all their wrongdoings to an [t]isolated territory; he shall release the goat in the wilderness.

23“Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there. 24And he shall bathe his [u]body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes, and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people. 25Then he shall offer up in smoke the fat of the sin offering on the altar. 26The one who released the goat [v]as the [w]scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his [x]body with water; then afterward he shall come into the camp. 27But the bull of the [y]sin offering and the goat of the [z]sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be taken outside the camp, and they shall burn their hides, their flesh, and their refuse in the fire. 28Then the one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water; and afterward he shall come into the camp.

An Annual Atonement

29“This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble [aa]yourselves and not do any work, whether the native, or the stranger who resides among you; 30for it is on this day that [ab]atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 31It is to be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, so that you may humble [ac]yourselves; it is a permanent statute. 32So the priest who is anointed and [ad]ordained to serve as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement: he shall put on the linen garments, the holy garments, 33and make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34Now you shall have this as a permanent statute, to make atonement for the sons of Israel for all their sins once every year.” And just as the LORD had commanded Moses, so he did.

[a] 2 I.e., of his own choosing
[b] 2 Also called mercy seat, and so throughout the ch; i.e., where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement
[c] 2 Also called mercy seat, and so throughout the ch; i.e., where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement
[d] 3 Or bull of the herd
[e] 3 Or purification offering
[f] 4 Lit flesh
[g] 4 Lit flesh
[h] 5 Or purification offering
[i] 6 Or purification offering
[j] 8 Or possibly, Azazel (a name)
[k] 8 I.e., the goat that leaves (escapes); or goat of removal of sins
[l] 9 Or purification offering
[m] 10 Or possibly, Azazel (a name)
[n] 10 I.e., the goat that leaves (escapes); or goat of removal of sins
[o] 10 Or possibly, for Azazel
[p] 10 I.e., the goat that leaves (escapes); or goat of removal of sins
[q] 11 Or purification offering
[r] 11 Or purification offering
[s] 12 Lit the filling of the hollow of his hands
[t] 22 Or infertile
[u] 24 Lit flesh
[v] 26 Or possibly, for Azazel (a name)
[w] 26 I.e., the goat that leaves (escapes); or goat of removal of sins
[x] 26 Lit flesh
[y] 27 Or purification offering
[z] 27 Or purification offering
[aa] 29 Lit your souls
[ab] 30 Lit he shall make atonement
[ac] 31 Lit your souls
[ad] 32 Lit whose hand is filled