Cases Requiring Sin Offerings

“When someone sins in any of these ways:

If he has seen, heard, or known about something he has witnessed, and did not respond to a public call to testify, he is responsible for his sin.(A)

Or if someone touches anything unclean(B)—a carcass of an unclean wild animal,(C) or unclean livestock, or an unclean swarming creature[a](D)—without being aware of it, he is unclean and guilty.(E)

Or if he touches human uncleanness(F)—any uncleanness by which one can become defiled(G)—without being aware of it, but later recognizes it, he is guilty.

Or if someone swears rashly(H) to do what is good or evil—concerning anything a person may speak rashly in an oath—without being aware of it, but later recognizes it, he incurs guilt in such an instance.[b]

If someone incurs guilt in one of these cases, he is to confess(I) he has committed that sin. He must bring his restitution(J) for the sin he has committed to the Lord: a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement(K) on his behalf for his sin.

“But if he cannot afford an animal from the flock, then he may bring to the Lord two turtledoves or two young pigeons(L) as restitution for his sin—one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. He is to bring them to the priest, who will first present the one for the sin offering. He must twist its head at the back of the neck without severing it.(M) Then he will sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood is to be drained out at the base of the altar;(N) it is a sin offering. 10 He must prepare the second bird as a burnt offering according to the regulation.(O) In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

11 “But if he cannot afford[c] two turtledoves or two young pigeons,(P) he may bring two quarts[d] of fine[e] flour[f](Q) as an offering for his sin. He must not put olive oil or frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12 He is to bring it to the priest, who will take a handful from it as its memorial portion(R) and burn it on the altar along with the fire offerings to the Lord; it is a sin offering. 13 In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf concerning the sin he has committed in any of these cases, and he will be forgiven. The rest will belong to the priest, like the grain offering.”(S)

The Restitution Offering

14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 15 “If someone offends(T) by sinning unintentionally(U) in regard to any of the Lord’s holy things,[g] he must bring his restitution offering to the Lord: an unblemished ram from the flock (based on your assessment of its value in silver shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel(V)) as a restitution offering. 16 He must make restitution(W) for his sin regarding any holy(X) thing, adding a fifth of its value to it,(Y) and give it to the priest. Then the priest will make atonement on his behalf with the ram of the restitution offering, and he will be forgiven.(Z)

17 “If someone sins and without knowing it violates any of the Lord’s commands concerning anything prohibited, he bears the consequences of his guilt. 18 He must bring an unblemished ram from the flock according to your assessment of its value as a restitution offering to the priest. Then the priest will make atonement on his behalf for the error he has committed unintentionally, and he will be forgiven. 19 It is a restitution offering; he is indeed guilty before the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 5:2 Perhaps a fish, insect, rodent, or reptile; Gn 1:20; Lv 11:20-23,29-31
  2. Leviticus 5:4 Lit in one of such things
  3. Leviticus 5:11 Lit if his hand is not sufficient for
  4. Leviticus 5:11 Lit one-tenth of an ephah
  5. Leviticus 5:11 Or wheat; Ex 29:2
  6. Leviticus 5:11 Lit flour as a sin offering
  7. Leviticus 5:15 Things dedicated to the Lord such as tabernacle furnishings, priestly portions of the sacrifices, tenths, firstfruits, and firstborn livestock

“‘If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify(A) regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible.(B)

“‘If anyone becomes aware that they are guilty—if they unwittingly touch anything ceremonially unclean (whether the carcass of an unclean animal, wild or domestic, or of any unclean creature that moves along the ground)(C) and they are unaware that they have become unclean,(D) but then they come to realize their guilt; or if they touch human uncleanness(E) (anything that would make them unclean)(F) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt; or if anyone thoughtlessly takes an oath(G) to do anything, whether good or evil(H) (in any matter one might carelessly swear about) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt— when anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess(I) in what way they have sinned. As a penalty for the sin they have committed, they must bring to the Lord a female lamb or goat(J) from the flock as a sin offering[a];(K) and the priest shall make atonement(L) for them for their sin.

“‘Anyone who cannot afford(M) a lamb(N) is to bring two doves or two young pigeons(O) to the Lord as a penalty for their sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. They are to bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one for the sin offering. He is to wring its head from its neck,(P) not dividing it completely,(Q) and is to splash(R) some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar;(S) the rest of the blood must be drained out at the base of the altar.(T) It is a sin offering. 10 The priest shall then offer the other as a burnt offering in the prescribed way(U) and make atonement(V) for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.(W)

11 “‘If, however, they cannot afford(X) two doves or two young pigeons,(Y) they are to bring as an offering for their sin a tenth of an ephah[b](Z) of the finest flour(AA) for a sin offering. They must not put olive oil or incense on it, because it is a sin offering. 12 They are to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it as a memorial[c] portion(AB) and burn it on the altar(AC) on top of the food offerings presented to the Lord. It is a sin offering. 13 In this way the priest will make atonement(AD) for them for any of these sins they have committed, and they will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest,(AE) as in the case of the grain offering.(AF)’”

The Guilt Offering

14 The Lord said to Moses: 15 “When anyone is unfaithful to the Lord by sinning unintentionally(AG) in regard to any of the Lord’s holy things, they are to bring to the Lord as a penalty(AH) a ram(AI) from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel.[d](AJ) It is a guilt offering.(AK) 16 They must make restitution(AL) for what they have failed to do in regard to the holy things, pay an additional penalty of a fifth of its value(AM) and give it all to the priest. The priest will make atonement for them with the ram as a guilt offering, and they will be forgiven.

17 “If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though they do not know it,(AN) they are guilty and will be held responsible.(AO) 18 They are to bring to the priest as a guilt offering(AP) a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the wrong they have committed unintentionally, and they will be forgiven.(AQ) 19 It is a guilt offering; they have been guilty of[e] wrongdoing against the Lord.”(AR)

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 5:6 Or purification offering; here and throughout this chapter
  2. Leviticus 5:11 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
  3. Leviticus 5:12 Or representative
  4. Leviticus 5:15 That is, about 2/5 ounce or about 12 grams
  5. Leviticus 5:19 Or offering; atonement has been made for their