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Grain and Wine Made Part of the Sacrifices to the Lord

15 Yahweh said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: Once you’re settled in the land I’m giving you, you may bring offerings by fire to Yahweh. They may be burnt offerings or any other kind of sacrifice. They may be offered to fulfill a vow, as a freewill offering, or as one of your festival offerings. They may be cattle, sheep, or goats—offerings that are a soothing aroma to Yahweh. Whoever brings the offering must also give Yahweh a grain offering of eight cups of flour mixed with one quart of olive oil. With each sheep or goat for the burnt offering or any other sacrifice, also give an offering of one quart of wine.

“With a ram, give a grain offering of 16 cups of flour mixed with 1¼ quarts of oil and an offering of 1¼ quarts of wine. Offer them as a soothing aroma to Yahweh.

“Suppose you sacrifice a young bull as a burnt offering to Yahweh or make any other kind of sacrifice—to keep a vow or as a fellowship offering. Offer with the young bull a grain offering of 24 cups of flour mixed with two quarts of olive oil. 10 Also give an offering of two quarts of wine. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to Yahweh. 11 Do this for each bull, each ram, and each sheep or goat. 12 Do it for each animal, however many you sacrifice. 13 All native-born Israelites must do it this way when they bring an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to Yahweh.

14 “Suppose foreigners are visiting you or living among you in future generations. If they bring an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to Yahweh, they must do as you do. 15 There is one law for the whole assembly: for you and foreigners who are living with you. It is a permanent law for future generations. As far as Yahweh is concerned, you and foreigners are the same. 16 The instructions and rules are the same for you as well as foreigners who are living with you.”

Offering the First Bread Dough to the Lord

17 Yahweh said to Moses, 18 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you enter the land where I’m taking you 19 and eat any of the food from the land, give some of it as a contribution to Yahweh. 20 Shape one part of your dough into a ring the same way you do with the contribution you make from the threshing floor.[a] 21 For generations to come, you must give one part of your dough as a contribution to Yahweh.

What Is to Be Done about Unintentional and Intentional Wrongdoings

22 “Suppose you unintentionally do something wrong by not obeying all these commands Yahweh gave Moses. 23 (Everything Yahweh commanded you through Moses holds as true for generations to come as it did the day Yahweh gave the commands.) 24 If it was unintentional and no one else knows about it, the whole community must sacrifice a young bull as a burnt offering, a soothing aroma to Yahweh, along with the proper grain and wine offerings, and a male goat as an offering for sin. 25 The priest will make peace with the Lord for the whole community of Israel. Then they will be forgiven because the wrongdoing was unintentional and they brought these two offerings to Yahweh for their sin: an offering by fire and an offering for sin. 26 So the whole community of Israel will be forgiven, including foreigners who are living among them, since all the people were involved in the unintentional wrongdoing.

27 “If one person unintentionally does something wrong, a one-year-old female goat must be sacrificed as an offering for sin. 28 The priest will offer the sacrifice to make peace with Yahweh for that person, and that person will be forgiven. 29 You must give the same instructions to everyone who does something wrong unintentionally, whether they are native-born Israelites or not.

30 “But any native-born Israelite or foreigner who deliberately does something wrong insults Yahweh and must be excluded from the people. 31 That person has despised the word of Yahweh and broken Yahweh’s command. He must be excluded completely. He remains guilty.”

A Man Breaks the Rules for the Day of Worship

32 While the Israelites were in the desert, they found a man gathering wood on the day of worship. 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole community. 34 They kept him in custody until they decided what to do with him.

35 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “This man must be put to death. The whole community must take him outside the camp and stone him.” 36 So the whole community took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as Yahweh commanded Moses.

The Israelites Are Commanded to Wear Tassels

37 Yahweh said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: For generations to come they must wear tassels on the corners of their clothes with violet threads in each tassel. 39 Whenever you look at the threads in the tassel, you will remember all Yahweh’s commands and obey them. Then you won’t do whatever you want and go after whatever you see, as if you were chasing after prostitutes. 40 You will remember to obey all my commands, and you will be holy to your Elohim. 41 I am Yahweh your Elohim, who brought you out of Egypt to be your Elohim. I am Yahweh your Elohim.”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 15:20 A threshing floor is an outdoor area where grain is separated from its husks.

Supplementary Offerings

15 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘After you enter the land I am giving you(A) as a home and you present to the Lord food offerings from the herd or the flock,(B) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord(C)—whether burnt offerings(D) or sacrifices, for special vows or freewill offerings(E) or festival offerings(F) then the person who brings an offering shall present to the Lord a grain offering(G) of a tenth of an ephah[a] of the finest flour(H) mixed with a quarter of a hin[b] of olive oil. With each lamb(I) for the burnt offering or the sacrifice, prepare a quarter of a hin of wine(J) as a drink offering.(K)

“‘With a ram(L) prepare a grain offering(M) of two-tenths of an ephah[c](N) of the finest flour mixed with a third of a hin[d] of olive oil,(O) and a third of a hin of wine(P) as a drink offering.(Q) Offer it as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(R)

“‘When you prepare a young bull(S) as a burnt offering or sacrifice, for a special vow(T) or a fellowship offering(U) to the Lord, bring with the bull a grain offering(V) of three-tenths of an ephah[e](W) of the finest flour mixed with half a hin[f] of olive oil, 10 and also bring half a hin of wine(X) as a drink offering.(Y) This will be a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(Z) 11 Each bull or ram, each lamb or young goat, is to be prepared in this manner. 12 Do this for each one, for as many as you prepare.(AA)

13 “‘Everyone who is native-born(AB) must do these things in this way when they present a food offering as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(AC) 14 For the generations to come,(AD) whenever a foreigner(AE) or anyone else living among you presents a food(AF) offering(AG) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord, they must do exactly as you do. 15 The community is to have the same rules for you and for the foreigner residing among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.(AH) You and the foreigner shall be the same before the Lord: 16 The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the foreigner residing among you.(AI)’”

17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land to which I am taking you(AJ) 19 and you eat the food of the land,(AK) present a portion as an offering to the Lord.(AL) 20 Present a loaf from the first of your ground meal(AM) and present it as an offering from the threshing floor.(AN) 21 Throughout the generations to come(AO) you are to give this offering to the Lord from the first of your ground meal.(AP)

Offerings for Unintentional Sins

22 “‘Now if you as a community unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands the Lord gave Moses(AQ) 23 any of the Lord’s commands to you through him, from the day the Lord gave them and continuing through the generations to come(AR) 24 and if this is done unintentionally(AS) without the community being aware of it,(AT) then the whole community is to offer a young bull for a burnt offering(AU) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord,(AV) along with its prescribed grain offering(AW) and drink offering,(AX) and a male goat for a sin offering.[g](AY) 25 The priest is to make atonement for the whole Israelite community, and they will be forgiven,(AZ) for it was not intentional(BA) and they have presented to the Lord for their wrong a food offering(BB) and a sin offering.(BC) 26 The whole Israelite community and the foreigners residing among them will be forgiven, because all the people were involved in the unintentional wrong.(BD)

27 “‘But if just one person sins unintentionally,(BE) that person must bring a year-old female goat for a sin offering.(BF) 28 The priest is to make atonement(BG) before the Lord for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made, that person will be forgiven.(BH) 29 One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner residing among you.(BI)

30 “‘But anyone who sins defiantly,(BJ) whether native-born or foreigner,(BK) blasphemes the Lord(BL) and must be cut off from the people of Israel.(BM) 31 Because they have despised(BN) the Lord’s word and broken his commands,(BO) they must surely be cut off; their guilt remains on them.(BP)’”

The Sabbath-Breaker Put to Death

32 While the Israelites were in the wilderness,(BQ) a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day.(BR) 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, 34 and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him.(BS) 35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must die.(BT) The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.(BU) 36 So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him(BV) to death,(BW) as the Lord commanded Moses.(BX)

Tassels on Garments

37 The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come(BY) you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments,(BZ) with a blue cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember(CA) all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves(CB) by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts(CC) and eyes. 40 Then you will remember to obey all my commands(CD) and will be consecrated to your God.(CE) 41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God.(CF) I am the Lord your God.(CG)’”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 15:4 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
  2. Numbers 15:4 That is, about 1 quart or about 1 liter; also in verse 5
  3. Numbers 15:6 That is, probably about 7 pounds or about 3.2 kilograms
  4. Numbers 15:6 That is, about 1 1/3 quarts or about 1.3 liters; also in verse 7
  5. Numbers 15:9 That is, probably about 11 pounds or about 5 kilograms
  6. Numbers 15:9 That is, about 2 quarts or about 1.9 liters; also in verse 10
  7. Numbers 15:24 Or purification offering; also in verses 25 and 27