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Eternal One (to Moses): Here are the instructions for the ritual of the guilt offering; it is most sacred. The slaughter of the guilt offering must take place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and the priest must splatter its blood against the sides of the altar. Then the priest is to offer all of its fat, the fat tail, the fat covering and surrounding the organs, the two kidneys and the fat on them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver (which he is to remove along with the kidneys). The priest must offer it all up on the altar as a fire-offering to Me. It is a guilt offering. Every man who is a priest may eat of it, as long as he eats in a holy place; it is most sacred.

The guilt offering is similar to the purification offering for sin. The instructions are the same for both rituals. The priest who makes the atoning sacrifice is allowed to have some of it. Also, the priest who presents anyone’s burnt offering gets to keep the skin from what he has offered for himself. In the same way, any grain offering that is oven-baked or cooked in a pan or griddle belongs to the priest who offered it. 10 Any other grain offering—whether it is dry or mixed with oil—is to be shared equally among Aaron’s sons after the ritual is completed.

There are three kinds of peace offerings described: (a) thanksgiving, expressing gratitude for God’s favor; (b) votive, fulfilling a promise made to God; (c) freewill, made out of appreciation but not obligation.

Eternal One (to Moses): 11 Here are the instructions for the various kinds of the peace offerings that one may offer to Me. 12 If someone offers a sacrifice out of thanksgiving, then in addition to the sacrifice he must offer loaves of unleavened bread mixed with oil, unleavened wafers topped with oil, and loaves of the finest flour mixed with oil. 13 Along with the peace offerings for thanksgiving, a person must include loaves of leavened bread. 14 He must present one of each kind of bread as a gift to Me; it will belong to the priest who officiates the sacrifice and splatters the blood of the peace offerings against the sides of the altar.

15 The meat of the sacrifice for the thanksgiving peace offering must be eaten on the day it is offered. None of it is to be left over for the next day. 16 If the sacrifice for a peace offering accompanies a vow or comes simply as an act of free will, it is to be eaten on the day it is offered; but if any remains on the next day, it may still be eaten. 17 But all the meat from the sacrifice left over on the third day is to be burned completely so that none is left. 18 If any of the leftover meat from the peace offering is eaten on the third day, then the person who offered it will not be accepted and will receive no benefit from the sacrifice. By then it has become foul, and the person who eats from it will bear his guilt and suffer the consequences.

19 Do not eat meat that comes in contact with any impure thing. Burn it up completely. As for any remaining meat that is pure, people who are ritually clean may eat it. 20 Any person who eats meat from the sacrifice of My peace offering during a time when he is impure must be cut off from his people. 21 Also a person who comes into contact with something impure—whether it pertains to human or animal impurity or some totally detestable creatures—and then eats some of the meat from the sacrifice of My peace offerings must be cut off from his people.

As hard as it may be for us to understand, being “cut off from your people” is another way of saying “death penalty.” God is tough on disobedience because sin and impurity is a contagion that can ruin and ultimately destroy His people. To deal with these matters decisively requires decisive action. Like a deadly disease, sin has to be quarantined.

22 The Eternal One continued to Moses.

Eternal One: 23 Go, talk with the Israelites, and tell them not to eat any fat from an ox, sheep, or goat. 24 If an animal dies a natural death or is killed by another animal, then you are allowed to make use of its fat, but under no condition are you allowed to eat any of it. 25 Whoever eats animal fat from a fire-offering to Me must be cut off from his people. 26 Be sure not to consume any animal or bird blood regardless of where you live. 27 Anyone who consumes animal or bird blood must be cut off from his people.

28 The Eternal One continued speaking to Moses.

Eternal One: 29 Go, talk with the Israelites, and tell them that anyone who offers a peace offering to Me must bring it from the sacrifice of his peace offerings. 30 He is to present the fire-offerings to Me with his own hands. Bring the fat along with the breast so that the breast can be lifted up as a wave offering to Me. 31 The officiating priest is to offer the fat as smoke on the altar, but the breast will belong to Aaron and his sons. 32 The right thigh from the sacrifice of your peace offerings is to go to the priest as your contribution to his service. 33 The right thigh will be the portion set aside for the son of Aaron who officiates at the sacrifice and presents the fat and blood of the peace offerings. 34 For I, the Eternal One, have taken the breast from the wave offering and the thigh as a gift from the sacrifices brought by the people of Israel as peace offerings, and I have handed them over to Aaron the priest and his sons. This is for all time their rightful portion of the offering from the people of Israel. 35 From the first day they are brought forward as priests in My service, this is the portion set aside for Aaron and his sons taken from the fire-offerings presented to Me. 36 From the day when I anointed and consecrated them as priests, I directed this gift be made to them by the people of Israel. This is their rightful portion for all time and throughout all generations.

The wave offering is a particularly solemn moment in the ceremony when the priest lifts and waves the sacrifice before God. Afterward, the portions waved became property of the priests.

37 These are the instructions for the burnt offering, grain offering, purification offering for sin, guilt offering, ordination offering, and peace offering. 38 The Eternal gave these instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai the same day He told the Israelites to bring their offerings to Him in the desert.

The Guilt Offering

“‘These are the regulations for the guilt offering,(A) which is most holy: The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be splashed against the sides of the altar. All its fat(B) shall be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the internal organs, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys.(C) The priest shall burn them on the altar(D) as a food offering presented to the Lord. It is a guilt offering. Any male in a priest’s family may eat it,(E) but it must be eaten in the sanctuary area; it is most holy.(F)

“‘The same law applies to both the sin offering[a](G) and the guilt offering:(H) They belong to the priest(I) who makes atonement with them.(J) The priest who offers a burnt offering for anyone may keep its hide(K) for himself. Every grain offering baked in an oven(L) or cooked in a pan(M) or on a griddle(N) belongs to the priest who offers it, 10 and every grain offering, whether mixed with olive oil or dry, belongs equally to all the sons of Aaron.

The Fellowship Offering

11 “‘These are the regulations for the fellowship offering anyone may present to the Lord:

12 “‘If they offer it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering(O) they are to offer thick loaves(P) made without yeast(Q) and with olive oil mixed in, thin loaves(R) made without yeast and brushed with oil,(S) and thick loaves of the finest flour well-kneaded and with oil mixed in. 13 Along with their fellowship offering of thanksgiving(T) they are to present an offering with thick loaves of bread made with yeast.(U) 14 They are to bring one of each kind as an offering, a contribution to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who splashes the blood of the fellowship offering against the altar. 15 The meat of their fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; they must leave none of it till morning.(V)

16 “‘If, however, their offering is the result of a vow(W) or is a freewill offering,(X) the sacrifice shall be eaten on the day they offer it, but anything left over may be eaten on the next day.(Y) 17 Any meat of the sacrifice left over till the third day must be burned up.(Z) 18 If any meat of the fellowship offering(AA) is eaten on the third day, the one who offered it will not be accepted.(AB) It will not be reckoned(AC) to their credit, for it has become impure; the person who eats any of it will be held responsible.(AD)

19 “‘Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean must not be eaten; it must be burned up. As for other meat, anyone ceremonially clean may eat it. 20 But if anyone who is unclean(AE) eats any meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the Lord, they must be cut off from their people.(AF) 21 Anyone who touches something unclean(AG)—whether human uncleanness or an unclean animal or any unclean creature that moves along the ground[b]—and then eats any of the meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the Lord must be cut off from their people.’”

Eating Fat and Blood Forbidden

22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats.(AH) 24 The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals(AI) may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it. 25 Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which a food offering may be[c] presented to the Lord must be cut off from their people. 26 And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood(AJ) of any bird or animal. 27 Anyone who eats blood(AK) must be cut off from their people.’”

The Priests’ Share

28 The Lord said to Moses, 29 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who brings a fellowship offering to the Lord is to bring part of it as their sacrifice to the Lord. 30 With their own hands they are to present the food offering to the Lord; they are to bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast before the Lord as a wave offering.(AL) 31 The priest shall burn the fat on the altar,(AM) but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons.(AN) 32 You are to give the right thigh of your fellowship offerings to the priest as a contribution.(AO) 33 The son of Aaron who offers the blood and the fat of the fellowship offering shall have the right thigh as his share. 34 From the fellowship offerings of the Israelites, I have taken the breast that is waved and the thigh(AP) that is presented and have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons(AQ) as their perpetual share from the Israelites.’”

35 This is the portion of the food offerings presented to the Lord that were allotted to Aaron and his sons on the day they were presented to serve the Lord as priests. 36 On the day they were anointed,(AR) the Lord commanded that the Israelites give this to them as their perpetual share for the generations to come.

37 These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering,(AS) the grain offering,(AT) the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering(AU) and the fellowship offering, 38 which the Lord gave Moses(AV) at Mount Sinai(AW) in the Desert of Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the Lord.(AX)

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 7:7 Or purification offering; also in verse 37
  2. Leviticus 7:21 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Samaritan Pentateuch, Syriac and Targum (see 5:2); most Hebrew manuscripts any unclean, detestable thing
  3. Leviticus 7:25 Or offering is