Leviticus 16

¹ Yahweh spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when offering unauthorisedfire.

² Yahweh spoke to Moses and said: 'Tel Aaron your brother that he may not enter the sanctuary insidethe curtain in front of the mercy-seat on the ark whenever he chooses, in case he incurs death, for I appear in acloud on the mercy-seat.

³ 'This is how he must enter the sanctuary: with a young bul for a sacrifice for sin and a ram for a burntoffering.

⁴ He will put on a tunic of consecrated linen, wear linen drawers on his body, a linen waistband round hiswaist, and a linen turban on his head. These are the sacred vestments he wil put on after washing himself.

⁵ 'From the community of Israelites he wil receive two he-goats for a sacrifice for sin and a ram for aburnt offering.

⁶ After offering the bul as a sacrifice for his own sin and performing the rite of expiation for himself andhis family,

⁷ he wil take the two he-goats and place them before Yahweh at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

⁸ Aaron wil then draw lots over the two goats, one lot to be for Yahweh and the other lot for Azazel.

⁹ Aaron wil then take the goat on which the lot "For Yahweh" has fal en, and offer it as a sacrifice for sin.

¹⁰ But the goat on which the lot "For Azazel" has fal en, will be placed alive before Yahweh, for the riteof expiation to be performed with it, and for it then to be sent to Azazel in the desert.

¹¹ 'Having offered the bul as a sacrifice for his own sin and performed the rite of expiation for himselfand for his family, and slaughtered the bul as a sacrifice for sin,

¹² Aaron wil then fill a censer with live coals from the altar before Yahweh, take two handfuls of finelyground aromatic incense and bring this inside the curtain.

¹³ He wil then put the incense on the fire before Yahweh, so that the cloud of incense hides the mercy-seat which is on the Testimony and he does not incur death.

¹⁴ He wil then take some of the bul 's blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the eastern side of themercy-seat. He will sprinkle some of the blood seven times with his finger in front of the mercy-seat.

¹⁵ 'He wil then slaughter the goat for the sacrifice for the sin of the people, and take its blood inside thecurtain, and with this blood do as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it on the mercy-seat and in front ofit.

¹⁶ This is how he must perform the rite of expiation for the sanctuary for the uncleanness of theIsraelites, for their acts of rebel ion and al their sins. 'And this is what he must do for the Tent of Meeting whichremains with them, surrounded by their uncleanness.

¹⁷ No one must be inside the Tent of Meeting, from the moment he enters to make expiation in thesanctuary until the time he comes out. 'When he has made expiation for himself, for his family, and for the wholecommunity of Israel,

¹⁸ he must come outside, go to the altar before Yahweh and perform the rite of expiation for it. He willtake some of the bul 's blood and some of the goat's blood and put it on the horns at the corners of the altar alaround it,

¹⁹ and sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times with his finger, thus purifying it and setting it apartfrom the uncleanness of the Israelites.

²⁰ 'Once expiation for the sanctuary, the Tent of Meeting and the altar is complete, he will bring the goatwhich is stil alive.

²¹ Aaron wil then lay both his hands on its head and over it confess al the guilt of the Israelites, al theiracts of rebel ion and all their sins. Having thus laid them on the goat's head, he will send it out into the desertunder the charge of a man waiting ready,

²² and the goat wil bear all their guilt away into some desolate place. 'When he has sent the goat intothe desert,

²³ Aaron wil go back into the Tent of Meeting and take off the linen vestments which he wore to enterthe sanctuary and leave them there.

²⁴ He wil then wash his body inside the holy place, put on his vestments and come outside to offer hisown and the people's burnt offering. He wil perform the rite of expiation for himself and for the people,

²⁵ and burn the fat of the sacrifice for sin on the altar.

²⁶ 'The man who led the goat away to Azazel wil wash his clothes and body before entering the camp.

²⁷ The bul and the goat offered as a sacrifice for sin, the blood of which was taken into the sanctuary forthe rite of expiation, must be taken outside the camp, where their skin, meat and offal are to be burnt.

²⁸ The man who burns them wil wash his clothes and body before entering the camp.

²⁹ 'This wil be a perpetual law for you. 'On the tenth day of the seventh month you will fast and refrainfrom work, both citizen and resident alien;

³⁰ for this is the day on which the rite of expiation will be performed for you to purify you, to purify youbefore Yahweh from al your sins.

³¹ It wil be a sabbatical rest for you and you wil fast. This is a perpetual law.

³² 'The rite of expiation wil be performed by the priest who has been anointed and instal ed to officiatein succession to his father. He wil put on the linen vestments, the sacred vestments,

³³ and perform the rite of expiation for the holy sanctuary, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and wilthen perform the rite of expiation for the priests and al the people of the community.

³⁴ This wil be a perpetual law for you; once a year the rite of expiation wil be made for the Israelites foral their sins.' And as Yahweh ordered Moses, so it was done.