Leviticus

First Public Sacrifices

On the eighth day, Moses called Aaron, his sons, and the elders of Israel.

He said to Aaron:

“Take a calf to offer a sacrifice for sin, and a ram for a burnt offering, both without any defect, and bring them before the Lord.

Then say to the people of Israel, ‘Take a goat to be offered as a sacrifice for sin, and as a burnt offering, a calf and a lamb, both one year old and without any defect,

and for a peace offering, an ox and a ram to be slaughtered before the Lord; and finally, a grain offering mixed with oil. For the Lord will appear to you today.’”

They brought what Moses had commanded in front of the Tent of Meeting; then the whole community gathered and stood before the Lord.

Moses said:

“This is what the Lord has commanded to be done, so that his glory may appear to you.”

Moses told Aaron:

“Go to the altar and offer your sacrifice for sin and your burnt offering to take away your sins. Then present the people’s offering to take away their sins as the Lord has commanded.”

Aaron approached the altar and sacrificed the calf for his own sin.

Then, Aaron’s sons brought him the blood; he dipped his finger in it and applied some to the corners of the altar, pouring out the remainder at the foot of the altar.

As the Lord had commanded Moses, he burned the fat of the sin offering along with the kidneys and the choicest part of the liver on the altar;

the flesh and the skin were burned outside the camp.

Next, Aaron slaughtered the animal, which was for his own burnt offering; his sons handed him the blood, and he poured it on the sides of the altar.

Then they handed him the quartered animal and its head too, and he burned these on the altar.

He washed the internal organs and legs and burned them on the altar in addition to the burnt offering.

He then presented the people’s offering. He took the goat for the peo­ple’s sacrifice for sin, killed it, and offered it as a sacrifice for sin in the same way as the first.

Then he brought the animal for the burnt offering forward and offered it according to the regulations.

Next, he brought the grain offering forward, took a handful, and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning burnt offering.

Finally, he slaughtered the ox and the ram as a peace offering for the people. Aaron’s sons handed him the blood, which he poured out on the sides of the altar.

The fat of the ox and of the ram—the tail, the fatty covering, the kidneys, the best part of the liver

all of this he laid on the breasts and burned it all on the altar.

With the breasts and the right hind leg, Aaron made the gesture of offering by waving them as the Lord had commanded.

Blessing

Then Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them. After performing the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering,

he went down and entered the tent of meeting with Moses. Then they came out together to bless the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to the entire community

a flame burst forth from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. At this sight, the people shouted with joy and fell on their faces.