Leviticus 1

The Law of Burnt Offerings

1Now 1the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When anyone of you brings an 2offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from 3the herd or the flock. 3If his offering is a 4burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male 5without defect; he shall offer it 6at the doorway of the tent of meeting, so that he may be accepted before the Lord. 4And 7he shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, so that it may be accepted for him to make 8atonement on his behalf. 5Then 9he shall 10slaughter the 11bull before the Lord; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall offer up 12the blood and 13sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 614He shall then skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. 7And 15the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, with the head and the 16suet, on the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. 9Its 17entrails, however, and its legs he shall wash with water. And 18the priest shall offer all of it up in smoke on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering by fire as 19a soothing aroma to the Lord.

10‘But if his offering is from the flock, either from the sheep or from the goats, as a burnt offering, he shall offer a 20male without defect. 11And 21he shall slaughter it on the side of the altar northward before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 12He shall then cut it into its pieces with its head and its 22suet, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. 13The entrails, however, and the legs he shall wash with water. And 23the priest shall offer all of it, and offer it up in smoke on the altar; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord.

14‘But if his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering from the 24turtledoves or from young doves. 15The priest shall bring it to the altar, and pinch off its head, and offer it up in smoke on the altar; and its blood is to be drained out 25on the side of the altar. 16He shall also remove its craw with its feathers and throw it beside the altar eastward, to the place of the 26fatty ashes. 17Then he shall tear it by its wings, but 27shall not sever it. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar, on the wood which is on the fire; 28it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord.