⁴ It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats^(A) to take away sins.^(B)

⁶ “Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household.^{(A) 7} Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁸ He is to cast lots^(B) for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat.^{[a](C) 9} Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. ¹⁰ But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement^(D) by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.

¹¹ “Aaron shall bring the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household,^(E) and he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering. ¹² He is to take a censer full of burning coals^(F) from the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense^(G) and take them behind the curtain. ¹³ He is to put the incense on the fire before the Lord, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover^(H) above the tablets of the covenant law, so that he will not die.^{(I) 14} He is to take some of the bull’s blood^(J) and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover.^(K)

¹⁵ “He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people^(L) and take its blood behind the curtain^(M) and do with it as he did with the bull’s blood: He shall sprinkle^(N) it on the atonement cover and in front of it. ¹⁶ In this way he will make atonement^(O) for the Most Holy Place^(P) because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the tent of meeting,^(Q) which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

⁹ “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer^(A) and put them in a ceremonially clean place^(B) outside the camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing;^(C) it is for purification from sin.^(D)

¹⁴ “This is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, ¹⁵ and every open container^(A) without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.

¹⁶ “Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death,^(B) or anyone who touches a human bone^(C) or a grave,^(D) will be unclean for seven days.^(E)

¹⁷ “For the unclean person, put some ashes^(F) from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water^(G) over them. ¹⁸ Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop,^(H) dip it in the water and sprinkle^(I) the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave^(J) or anyone who has been killed or anyone who has died a natural death. ¹⁹ The man who is clean is to sprinkle^(K) those who are unclean on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify them.^(L) Those who are being cleansed must wash their clothes^(M) and bathe with water, and that evening they will be clean. ²⁰ But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled^(N) the sanctuary of the Lord.^(O) The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean.^{(P) 21} This is a lasting ordinance^(Q) for them.

“The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening.