10 "If his burnt offering is a sheep or a goat it must be a male without defect." 11 "He shall slay it on the north side of the altar, and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood around the altar." 12 "He shall cut it into pieces, arranging its head and fat on the burning wood on the altar." 13 "The entrails and the legs must be washed with water. Then the priest shall offer it as a burnt offering, a soothing aroma to the LORD."

14 "But if his burnt offering to the LORD is a bird, it shall be a turtledove or young pigeon." 15 "The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off its head and drain its blood beside the altar before offering it up in smoke." 16 "He shall place its crop and feathers with the ashes to the east of the altar." 17 "Then he shall tear it by its wings but not into two pieces, and offer it up in smoke on the altar as a burnt offering, a soothing aroma to the LORD."

Leviticus 2 - RWB Paraphrase (16 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
Grain Offerings
1 "When anyone presents a grain offering to the LORD, it shall be of fine flour with oil and frankincense." 2 "He shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests. They will take from it a handful for the priest to burn upon the altar as a sweet aroma to the LORD." 3 "The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons. It is most holy of the offerings to the LORD by fire." 4 "Now when you bring a baked grain offering, it is to be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil. They can also be unleavened wafers anointed with oil." 5 "The grain offering can also be baked on the griddle of the same ingredients." 6 "Then you shall break it up and pour oil on it. It is a grain offering." 7 "If your offering is a grain offering made in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil." 8 "When you bring your grain offering to the LORD made from these ingredients, the priest is to bring it to the altar." 9 "He is to take a portion of it to offer on the altar as an offering by fire for a soothing aroma to the LORD." 10 "The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons. It is a holy offering to the LORD by fire."

11 "When making a grain offering to the LORD, it is never to have leaven, for grain with leaven or honey cannot be offered to the LORD by fire." 12 "As an offering of first fruits it is to be brought to the LORD for a soothing aroma on the altar."

13 "Every grain offering is to be seasoned with salt." 14 "And if you bring a grain offering from what has ripened early, roast the fresh heads of grain." 15 "You are to put oil and incense on this sort of grain offering." 16 "The priest shall offer a part of it with oil and frankincense as an offering by fire to the LORD."

Leviticus 3 - RWB Paraphrase (17 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
Peace Offerings From the Herd
1 "Peace offerings from the herd may be male or female and must be without blemish." 2 "He shall lay his hands on the head of his offering and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. Aaron's sons shall sprinkle the blood on and around the altar." 3 "The sacrifice that is a peace offering is offered by fire to the LORD, including its fat," 4 "and the two kidneys and the liver."

COMMENT: The fat, the kidney and the liver were never to be eaten. How interesting that the parts which were bad for a person must be burned or poured out.

5 "Aaron's sons shall offer it up with fire on the altar of burnt offering. This is a soothing aroma to the LORD."

Peace Offerings From the Flock
6 "If the peace offering to the LORD comes from the flock, whether male or female, it must be without blemish."

COMMENT: For it represented Christ, the perfect offering.

7 "If he is going to offer a lamb as his offering to the LORD," 8 "he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood on and around the altar." 9 "From the sacrifice of the peace offering made by fire to the LORD, use the fat, the whole rump, its entrails," 10 "the two kidneys and the liver." 11 The priest is to offer it up in smoke on the altar to the LORD.

The Goat As a Peace Offering
12 "And if his offering is a goat, he shall offer it to the LORD," 13 "by laying his hand on its head and killing it before the tabernacle of the congregation. The sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar." 14 "It is to be offered by fire to the LORD: this to include the fat, the entrails," 15 "the two kidneys and the liver." 16 "The priest shall offer them up in smoke as a soothing aroma. All the fat is the LORD's."

Do Not Eat the Fat Or the Blood
17 "This is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings. You shall not eat any fat or blood."

Leviticus 4 - RWB Paraphrase (35 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
Sin Offering for the Priest
1 And the LORD said to Moses, 2 "tell the children of Israel that if one sins by breaking one of the LORD's commandments through ignorance," 3 "if the priest that is anointed sins, let him bring a young bullock without blemish as a sin offering to the LORD." 4 "He shall bring it to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD, and lay his hand on the bullock's head and kill the bullock before the LORD." 5 "Then the anointed priest is to take some of the blood and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation." 6 "He shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, that is, before the veil of the sanctuary." 7 "The priest shall also place some of the blood on the horns of the altar of incense before the LORD, and then pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering which is near the door of the tabernacle of the congregation." 8 "He shall remove all the fat from the sin offering," 9 "along with the two kidneys and the liver," 10 "just as it is removed from the peace offerings. The priest is to offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering." 11 "But the hide of the bullock, its head and legs, its entrails and refuse," 12 "that is, all the rest of the bullock, he shall bring out to a clean place outside the camp where the ashes are brought, and burn it on wood."

The Sin Offering for the Congregation
13 "Now if the whole congregation of Israel sins out of ignorance, breaking any of the LORD's commandments," 14 "when their sin becomes known, the assembly shall offer a young bullock for the sin, bringing it before the tabernacle of the congregation." 15 "The elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bullock, and they shall killed it before the LORD." 16 "Then the anointed priest shall bring the bullock's blood to the tabernacle of the congregation," 17 "and he shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD in front of the veil." 18 "He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the LORD in the tabernacle of the congregation. And he shall pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering which is near the door of the tabernacle of the congregation." 19 "He shall remove all its fat and burn it on the altar." 20 "He shall do with the bullock the same as was done with the bullock for the sin offering. This is how the priest shall make atonement for the assembly so that they may be forgiven." 21 "Then he is to bring the bullock to a place outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bullock. It is a sin offering for the congregation." 22 "When a leader sins through ignorance by breaking any of the LORD's commandments," 23 "if the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a male goat without defect." 24 "He shall lay his hand on its head and kill it in the place where they kill burnt offerings before the LORD. This is a sin offering." 25 "Then the priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. The rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering." 26 "All its fat he shall offer up in smoke the same as is done for the peace offerings. And the priest shall make atonement for the one who has sinned, and he shall be forgiven."

Sin Offering for the Common People
27 "If any of the common people sin through ignorance by breaking any of the LORD's commandments," 28 "if his sin is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a female kid of the goats without blemish." 29 "He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill it at the place of the burnt offering." 30 "The priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and place it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar." 31 "Then he shall remove all its fat, just as was done for the peace offering. The priest shall burn it on the altar of burnt offering as a soothing aroma to the LORD. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him and he shall be forgiven." 32 "If he brings a lamb as his sin offering, it is to be a female without blemish." 33 "He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill it where they kill the burnt offering." 34 "The priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put in on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and then pour the rest of its blood at the base of the altar." 35 "He shall remove all its fat as he did for the lamb that is a peace offering. He shall offer the fat up in smoke on the altar by fire to the LORD. Thus the priest shall make atonement for the one who sinned against the LORD, and he shall be forgiven."

Leviticus 5 - RWB Paraphrase (19 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
Sin Offerings
1 "If a person knows of a wrong and has been asked to bear witness to it and does not, he shall be guilty." 2 "Or if he touched some unclean thing, whether it be a carcass of an unclean beast, or some unclean creeping thing, even if he is unaware of it, he shall be guilty."

COMMENT: Here is an example of how a person can sin without being aware of his sin. We need Christ's atonement for our unknown sin. And when we learn of our sin, we need to stop doing what we know is wrong.

3 "Or if he touches some uncleanness of man, even though he is unaware of it, he is unclean." 4 "If a man swears an oath thoughtlessly, though he does not realize it until he has been told of it, he is guilty." 5 "When he becomes guilty, he shall confess his sin." 6 "He shall bring his guilt offering to the LORD for the sin he committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or goat, for a sin offering. Then the priest shall make atonement for his sin." 7 "But if he cannot afford a lamb he shall bring two turtle doves, or two pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a guilt offering." 8 "He shall bring them to the priest who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first. He shall wring off its head but not divide it." 9 "He shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar and drain the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. This is for a sin offering." 10 "The second shall be offered for a burnt offering. The priest shall make atonement for his sin, and he shall be forgiven." 11 "But if he is too poor to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, he shall bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall not put oil or frankincense on it because it is a sin offering." 12 "He shall bring it to the priest and the priest shall offer it by burning it on the altar with offerings to the LORD by fire. It is a sin offering." 13 "And the priest shall make atonement for his sin and he shall be forgiven. Whatever is left of the offering shall be for the priest."

14 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 15 "If a person sins out of ignorance against the commands of the LORD, he shall bring an offering of a ram without blemish from his flock for a guilt offering." 16 "He shall make restitution for his sin against the holy thing and add a fifth part to give to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering and he shall be forgiven."

17 "If a person sins against any of the LORD's command unknowingly, he is still guilty and deserving of punishment."

COMMENT: This stipulation would help people to realize that ignorance is not an excuse for sin.

18 "He shall bring a ram without blemish from the flock, and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin of ignorance. Then he shall be forgiven." 19 "It is a guilt offering, and he was certainly guilty before the LORD."

Leviticus 6 - RWB Paraphrase (30 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
The Sin of Deception and Robbery
1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "When a person sins against the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in some way, either in keeping a promise or taking something by violence," 3 "or if he finds what has been lost and lies about it," 4 "then it shall be that when his guilt is discovered," 5 "or if he has been found to have sworn falsely, he shall make right his wrong when he presents his guilt offering."

COMMENT: Seeking forgiveness must include restitution.

6 "He shall bring a ram without defect for his guilt offering to the LORD," 7 "and the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD. Then he shall be forgiven of the thing which he did."

The Law of the Burnt Offering
8 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 9 "Command Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the law of the burnt offering: it shall remain on the altar of burnt offering all night. The fire on the altar is to be kept burning.'" 10 "The priest shall wear his linen garment and undergarments, and take the ashes from the altar of burnt offering and place them beside the altar." 11 "Then he shall remove the linen garments replacing them with other garments so that he may carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place."

12 "The fire on the alter shall never go out. The priest shall add wood as required so that it is ready to burn the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings." 13 "The fire must always be kept burning."

The Law of the Grain Offering
14 "Now this is the law of the grain offering. The sons of Aaron shall offer it to the LORD on the altar." 15 "One of them shall lift up a handful of fine flour from the grain offering, with oil on it and frankincense, and burn it on the altar as a soothing aroma to the LORD." 16 "Aaron and his sons may eat what remains. It shall be eaten with unleavened bread in the holy place and in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation." 17 "It is not to be baked with leaven. I have given it to them as their portion of my offerings made by fire. It is most holy, as is the sin offering and the guilt offering."

COMMENT: It is easy to imagine that the priests sometimes had many offerings to officiate. Therefore they were not required to eat from every offering. But if they wished, they might eat when they were hungry.

18 "Every male among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. This is a statute for all generations concerning the offerings to the LORD by fire. Everyone who touches these shall be holy."

COMMENT: However, it would seem that this an injunction for them to eat some of each of these offerings.

19 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 20 "This is the offering which Aaron and his sons shall present to the LORD on the day he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering. They are to present half in the morning and half in the evening." 21 "It shall be prepared in a pan with oil. When it has been broken in pieces it shall be offered as a soothing aroma to the LORD." 22 "The anointed priest from among his sons who takes his place shall offer it. This is a statute forever unto the LORD; It shall be entirely burned up." 23 "So every grain offering for the priest shall be entirely burned up. It is not to be eaten."

24 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 25 "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the law of the sin offering. The sin offering shall be killed before the LORD in the same place as the burnt offering is killed. It is most holy.'" 26 "The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. It is to be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation." 27 "Anyone touching it's flesh shall be holy. And when blood is sprinkled on any garment, you must wash what was sprinkled on in the holy place." 28 "And the earthen vessel in which it was boiled shall be broken. If it was boiled in a bronze vessel, it shall be scoured and rinsed in water."

COMMENT: The bronze container could be thoroughly cleaned but the earthen vessel could not and must be destroyed.

29 "Every male among the priests shall eat of it. It is most holy." 30 "Do not eat any of the sin offering when any of its blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to make atonement in the holy place. It shall be burned with fire."

Leviticus 7 - RWB Paraphrase (38 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
The Law of the Guilt Offering
1 "Here is the law of the guilt offering which is most holy." 2 "In the same place they kill the burnt offering they are to kill the guilt offering, and its blood shall be sprinkled around the altar." 3 "Then he shall offer on the altar all its fat including the fat that covers the entrails," 4 "and the two kidneys with the fat on them and the liver." 5 "The priest shall burn them upon the altar as an offering by fire to the LORD. This is the guilt offering." 6 "Every male among the priests shall eat of it in the holy place for it is most holy."

COMMENT: A guilt offering, sometimes referred to as a trespass offering, was a sacrifice made as a compensation payment for unintentional and certain intentional transgressions.

7 "The guilt offering is like the sin offering. The priest who makes atonement with it shall have it." 8 "Also, the priest who presents any man's burnt offering shall keep the skin for himself." 9 "In the same way, every grain offering that is baked in the oven or prepared in a pan or on a griddle, shall be for the priest that offered it." 10 "Every grain offering, whether or not it is mixed with oil, shall be shared equally among all the sons of Aaron." The Law Concerning Peace Offerings
11 "This is the law concerning the sacrifice of peace offerings which are presented to the LORD." 12 "If someone offers an offering of thanksgiving, he shall offer unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and fried cakes of fine flour mixed with oil." 13 "His peace offering for thanksgiving shall include leavened bread." 14 "This is a contribution to the LORD and shall belong to the priest that sprinkles the blood of the peace offering."

15 "Now the flesh from the thanksgiving peace offering shall be eaten the same day it is offered. None is to be left for another day." 16 "But if the sacrifice of his offering is a votive or freewill offering, it shall be eaten the same day it is offered, and what is left over may be eaten the next day." 17 "But anything remaining the third day must be burned with fire." 18 "If any of the flesh of the peace offering should ever be eaten on the third day, the one making the offering will not be accepted or benefit from his offering. The one doing this will bear his iniquity." 19 "Also, the flesh that touches anything unclean shall not be eaten, but burned with fire. The rest of the flesh may be eaten by anyone who is clean." 20 "The person, who is unclean and eats the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings which belongs to the LORD, shall be cut off from his people." 21 "Anyone touching anything unclean, whether from human uncleanness, or an unclean animal, or any unclean detestable thing, and then eats the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offering which belongs to the LORD, shall be cut off from his people."

COMMENT: This sacrificial ceremony was not to be done carelessly.

Do Not Eat Any Fat Or Blood
22 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying. 23 "Tell the children of Israel that they are to eat no fat from any animal." 24 "This includes the fat of an animal when it dies, such as the one torn by beasts. It can be used for other things but not eaten." 25 "Anyone eating fat from an offering by fire to the LORD shall be cut off from his people." 26 "Neither are you to eat the blood of any bird or animal in your dwellings." 27 "Any person eating blood shall be cut off from his people."

More Concerning Peace Offerings
28 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 29 "Tell the children of Israel that the one who offers a sacrifice of peace offering to the LORD," 30 "shall with his own hands bring his peace offering by fire to the LORD, the fat with the breast as a wave offering before the LORD." 31 "The priest shall offer up the fat in the smoke on the altar but the breast shall belong to Aaron and his sons." 32 "You shall give the right thigh to the priest as a contribution from the sacrifice of the peace offering." 33 "The son of Aaron that offers the blood of the peace offering, and the fat, shall have the right shoulder for his portion." 34 "For I have apportioned the breast of the wave offering and the thigh as a contribution from the children of Israel to be given to Aaron the priest and his sons as theirs forever among the children of Israel." 35 "It is consecrated to Aaron and his sons from the offerings by fire to the LORD since the day they were appointed as priests." 36 "The LORD has commanded that these be given them from the children of Israel throughout their generations."

37 This is the law of the burnt offering, the grain offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering and the sacrifice of peace offering,

COMMENT: It would be interesting to do a study of all the offerings, placing them in a table with the offering's name,
what type of offering it is,
where the animal was killed,
what is done with the blood,
what is done with each part of the offering and
what parts can or cannot be eaten. The text reference for each explanation should always be included.

38 which the LORD commanded Moses at Mount Sinai on the day He commanded the children of Israel to present their offerings to the LORD.

COMMENT: When we consider how wonderfully we and all of creation has been made, should we not consider the careful planning our Creator must have put into the sacrificial system that was instituted to teach us of the plan of salvation.

Leviticus 8 - RWB Paraphrase (36 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
Aaron and His Sons Are Consecrated
1 And the LORD spoke again to Moses, saying, 2 "Take Aaron and his sons, their garments and the anointing oil, a bullock for the sin offering, two rams and a basket of unleavened bread." 3 "And gather all the congregation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation." 4 So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. 5 And Moses said to the congregation, "This is what the LORD has commanded to be done." 6 Then Moses and Aaron and Aaron's sons and he washed them with water. 7 He put the tunic on Aaron and girded him with the sash. He then put the robe on him and the ephod, and tied on its ephod's artistic band. 8 Then he placed the breastplate on him with its Urim and Thummim. 9 He also placed the turban on his head and the golden crown like plate on the front of the turban, as the LORD had commanded. 10 Moses then took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it. 11 He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times. He also anointed the vessels, the laver and its base, to sanctify them. 12 He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head to consecrate him. 13 Next Moses brought Aaron and his sons near and placed tunics on them with sashes and caps, just as the LORD had commanded.

14 Then he brought the bullock of the sin offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bullock for the sin offering. 15 Moses killed the bullock and using his finger, place some of the blood on the horns of the altar to purify it. He poured the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and sanctified it, making atonement for it. 16 He took all the fat on the entrails and the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and their fat, and burned all of it on the altar. 17 But the rest of the bullock, its flesh and hide, even its dung, he burned with fire outside the camp, just as the LORD had commanded.

18 Next he brought the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 19 Moses then killed it and sprinkled its blood on and around about the altar. 20 Then he cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces and the fat. 21 After washing the entrails and the legs with water, Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt sacrifice and a soothing aroma offered by fire to the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 22 He presented the second ram as a consecration offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of this ram. 23 Moses killed it and placed some of its blood on the tip of Aaron's right ear, right thumb and right big toe. 24 He also placed some of the blood on each of the sons, on the lobe of their right ears, their right thumbs and their right big toes. He sprinkled the rest of the blood upon the altar. 25 He took all of the ram's fat, its liver and kidneys and the right shoulder, 26 and from the basket of unleavened bread that was always before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake, a cake of oiled bread and one wafer, and put them on the fat and on the right shoulder. 27 He placed all of these in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and waved them for a wave offering before the LORD. 28 Then Moses took them from their hands and offered them on the altar of burnt offering. These were a consecration offering for a soothing aroma, offered to the LORD by fire. 29 Moses took the breast and presented it as a wave offering before the LORD. This was Moses' portion of the ram of consecration as the LORD had commanded. 30 So Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments and on his sons and on their garments. In this way he consecrated Aaron, his sons and all of their garments. 31 Then Moses said, "Boil the flesh at the doorway of the tent and eat it there together with bread from the basket of the ordination offering." 32 "Anything left over is to be burned with fire." 33 "You shall not go outside the doorway of the tabernacle of the congregation for seven days until your ordination is complete." 34 "The LORD has commanded this to make atonement for you." 35 "You are to remain here night and day for seven days, as the LORD has commanded, so that you will not die: for the LORD has commanded this." 36 Thus Aaron and his sons did all that the LORD had commanded through Moses.

Leviticus 9 - RWB Paraphrase (24 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
The Lord Appears to the Children of Israel
1 On the eighth day Moses called Aaron, his sons and the elders of Israel, 2 and he said to Aaron, take for yourself a young calf for a sin offering, and a ram without blemish for a burnt offering, and offer them before the LORD. 3 And to the children of Israel say, "Take a kid of the goats for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both a year old and without blemish. These are for a burnt offering," 4 "and a bullock and ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil, for today the LORD will appear to you." 5 So they took that which Moses had commanded and the entire congregation drew near and stood before the LORD. 6 Moses said, "This is the thing which the LORD has commanded you to do, that His glory may appear to you." 7 Moses then directed Aaron to come near to the altar and offer his own sin offering and burnt offering, that he might make atonement for himself and then make atonement for the people, just as the LORD had commanded. 8 So Aaron came near to the altar and killed the calf of the sin offering which was for himself. 9 Aaron's sons presented the blood to him. He dipped his finger in the blood and put some on the horns of the altar and poured the rest at the bottom of the altar. 10 He offered the fat, the kidneys and the liver of the sin offering up in smoke on the altar just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 11 The flesh and the skin he burned with fire outside the camp. 12 Then he killed the burnt offering, his sons handed the blood to him and he sprinkled it around on the altar. 13 They handed him the pieces of the burnt offering with the head and he offered them up in smoke on the altar. 14 He also washed the entrails and the legs and offered them up in smoke with the rest of the burnt offering on the altar. 15 Then he presented the people's offering, killing the goat which was the sin offering for the people. He offered it for sin, like the first offering. 16 He also presented the burnt offering according to the ordinance. 17 Next he presented the grain offering, burning it on the altar beside the burnt sacrifice of that morning. 18 Then he killed the bullock and the ram for the peace offering for the people. Aaron's sons handed him the blood and he sprinkled it around the altar. 19 The fat from the bullock and the ram they placed with the rump, the kidneys and the liver. 20 And they placed them with the breasts as they offered them up in smoke on the altar. 21 Aaron presented the breasts and right thigh as a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses had commanded. 22 Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. He then stepped down from offering the sin, peace and burnt offerings. 23 Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out and blessed the people. And the glory of the LORD appeared to all of the people. 24 Fire came out before the LORD and consumed everything on the altar as the people watched. Seeing this, the people shouted and fell on their faces.

Leviticus 10 - RWB Paraphrase (20 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
Nadab and Abihu Offer Strange Fire
1 One day Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons, each took his firepan and placed fire in it with some incense. The fire they used was not from the alter which the LORD had kindled. God had said that they must use only the fire from the altar. 2 Because they had done this, fire came from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke of when He said that those who come before Me must treat Me as holy. I will be honored before the people." And Aaron kept silent. 4 Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel, Aaron's uncle. He said to them, "Come and carry your brethren away from the front of the sanctuary and out of the camp." 5 So they came and carried them just as they were still in their tunics to the outside of the camp.

6 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, "You must not mourn by uncovering your heads, or rending your clothes. If you do this you will die and bring wrath on the people. Your kinsmen and the whole house of Israel shall mourn the burning which came from the LORD." 7 "You shall not even go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation lest you die. For the LORD's anointing oil is upon you." So they did as Moses said. 8 The LORD then spoke to Aaron, saying, 9 "You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink before you come to the tabernacle of the congregation, lest you die. This is to be a statute throughout your generations." 10 "This will help to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, between the unclean and the clean." 11 "And teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken through Moses."

12 Then Moses spoke to Aaron and his surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, saying, "Take the grain offering that is left over from the LORD's offerings and eat it without leaven beside the altar, for it is most holy." 13 "You shall eat it in the holy place because it is your duty and the duty of your sons." 14 "You may, however, eat the breast and the thigh of the wave offering in a clean place with your sons and daughters. These have been designated to support your families from the peace offerings of the children of Israel." 15 "The LORD has commanded that the thigh and the breast, when offered as a wave offering before Him by fire, where the fat has been burned, shall be eaten by your family."

16 Moses looked for the goat of the sin offering, but it had been burned up. This made him angry with Eleazar and Ithamar. He said, 17 "Why didn't you eat the sin offering in the holy place? It is most holy and He gave it to you to bear away the iniquity of the congregation and make atonement for them before the LORD." 18 "Behold, the blood of it was not brought into the holy place. You should have eaten it in the holy place as I commanded." 19 But Aaron said to Moses, "Behold this very day they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD. When this happens, if I had eaten the sin offering also, would the LORD have approved?" 20 When Moses heard this it seemed right to him.

Leviticus 11 - RWB Paraphrase (47 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
Laws Concerning Clean and Unclean Meats
1 The LORD spoke once more to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them what creatures they may eat." 3 Say to them, "You may eat those animals that have split hooves and chew their cud." 4 "You must not eat any animal that does not have both of these traits." 5 "Note that the rock badger chews its cud but does not have split hooves. Therefore it is unclean to you." 6 "And the rabbit chews its cud but does not have split hooves, so it is also unclean to you." 7 "The pig has a divided hoof but does not chew its cud, so it too is unclean to you." 8 "You shall not eat their flesh or touch their carcasses. They are unclean."

9 "Of what is in the water you may eat everything that has both fins and scales, whether in the seas or the rivers." 10 "But of those things that are in the rivers and seas that do not have both fins and scales you may not eat, for they are detestable to you." 11 "You shall abhor them." 12 "Anything in the water that does not have fins and scales must be detestable to you."

13 "Those among the birds that shall not be eaten are the eagle, the vulture and the buzzard," 14 "also the kite and the falcon," 15 "and every kind of raven," 16 "and the ostrich, the owl, the sea gull and all kinds of hawks," 17 "and the little owl, the cormorant, and the great owl," 18 "the white owl, the pelican and the carrion vulture," 19 "the stork, the heron, the hoopoe and the bat."

20 "All winged insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you." 21 "Yet you may eat winged insects that creep if they have jointed feet and they jump." 22 "You may eat the locust, the cricket and the grasshopper." 23 "But any other insect that are four footed are detestable to you." 24 "They will make you unclean until evening if you even touch them." 25 "Whoever picks up their carcasses must wash his clothes and be unclean until evening."

26 "And all those animals that do not have divided hooves, and do not chew their cud, are unclean. Touching them makes one unclean." 27 "And whatever walks on four paws is unclean to you. Touching their carcass makes one unclean until evening." 28 "If a person picks up their carcasses he shall wash his clothes and remain unclean until evening."

29 "Here is what is unclean to you among those things that creep upon the earth: the weasel, the mouse and the tortoise," 30 "the ferret, the chameleon, the lizard and the mole." 31 "These are unclean among all that creep. Touching them when they are dead makes you unclean until evening." 32 "And anything they touch after they are dead becomes unclean, whether a vessel of wood, clothing, skin, or a sack. Anything touched by it shall be washed and remain unclean until evening." 33 "Any earthenware vessel that one of them may have fallen into becomes unclean and must be broken." 34 "Any water touched by one of these shall be unclean. Anything that may be drunk from the vessel shall be unclean." 35 "Anything on which part of their carcass may fall becomes unclean. An oven or a stove touched by them shall be broken down, for it has become unclean to you." 36 "Nevertheless, a fountain or cistern collecting water shall be clean, though the one touching the carcass shall be unclean." 37 "If a part of their carcass falls on seed for sowing it remains clean." 38 "However, if the carcass was in water that has been put on the seed, the vessel shall be unclean to you."

39 "And if any beast dies which you have for food, whoever touches the carcass shall be unclean until evening." 40 "The one eating of the carcass shall wash his clothes and remain unclean until evening. And anyone who picks up the carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening."

41 "Every swarming thing that creeps on the earth is an abomination. It is not to be eaten." 42 "Whatever crawls on its belly, walks on all fours, or has more feet than other creeping things, shall not be eaten, for these are an abomination."

43 "Do not make yourselves unclean by eating any of the things that swarm." 44 "For I am the LORD your God. Therefore, consecrate yourselves and be holy and do not defile yourself with things that swarm." 45 "For I am the LORD your God who brought you up out of Egypt. You are to be holy, for I am holy."

46 "This is the law regarding the animal, the bird, every living thing in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth," 47 "in order that you may make a distinction between the clean and the unclean, between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten."

Leviticus 12 - RWB Paraphrase (8 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
Purification After the Birth of a Child
1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'When a woman gives birth to a boy, she shall be unclean for seven days, as in the days of her menstruation.'" 3 "On the eighth day his foreskin shall be circumcised." 4 "After this she shall remain in the blood of her purification for thirty-three days. She shall not touch any consecrated thing, nor enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are complete." 5 "But if she bears a girl, she shall be unclean for two weeks, as in her menstruation; And she shall remain in the blood of her purification for sixty-six days." 6 "When the days of her purification are complete, for a son or daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation a one year old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtle dove for a sin offering." 7 "Then the priest shall offer it before the LORD and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleaned from her flow of blood. This is the law for the one bearing a child, whether a boy or a girl." 8 "And if she cannot afford a lamb then she shall bring two turtle doves, or two young pigeons, one for the burnt offering and the other for the sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean."

Leviticus 13 - RWB Paraphrase (59 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
Treatment and Isolation of Those with Leprosy
1 And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 "When a man has a swelling, a scab or a bright spot on his skin, and it becomes infected like leprosy, he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is priest." 3 "The priest shall look at the skin blemish, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection is deeper than the surface or the skin, it is leprosy and the priest shall pronounce him unclean." 4 "But if the blemished skin is white, but does not appear to go deeper than the surface of the skin, and the hair on it has not turned white, then the priest shall keep him in isolation for seven days." 5 "On the seventh day the priest shall look at him again to see if the infection has not changed or spread, then the priest shall isolate him for another seven days." 6 "The priest shall look again at him on the seventh day. If the infection has faded and the mark has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean, and he shall wash his clothes and be clean." 7 "But if the scab has spread farther on the skin since he first came to the priest for his cleansing," 8 "the priest, upon determining that the scab has spread, shall pronounce him unclean, because it is leprosy."

9 "A man infected with leprosy, shall be brought to the priest." 10 "The priest shall look for a white swelling of the skin. If the hair has turned white and there is quick raw flesh in the swelling," 11 "it is chronic leprosy, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. He shall not isolate him, for he is unclean." 12 "If the leprosy breaks out from head to toe, as far as the priest can tell," 13 "the priest shall see if the leprosy has covered his entire body, he shall be pronounced clean." 14 "But if raw flesh appears on him he shall be unclean." 15 "The priest shall look at the raw flesh, and pronounce him unclean. This is leprosy." 16 "Or if the raw flesh turns white, he shall come to the priest," 17 "and the priest shall look to see if the infection has turned white. Then the priest shall pronounce him clean."

18 "When the body has a boil on the skin and it heals," 19 "and the place where the boil was has a white swelling, or if it is reddish white, a bright spot, then it shall be shown to the priest." 20 "And if the priest sees that it appears to be beneath the skin, and the hair on it has turned white, then the priest shall declare him unclean. It is leprosy that has broken out in a boil." 21 "But if the priest sees no white hairs on it and it is not beneath the skin but has faded, the priest shall isolate him for seven days." 22 "If it spreads further on the skin the priest shall pronounced him unclean." 23 "But if the bright spot does not spread but is only a scar from the boil, the priest shall pronounce him clean."

24 "Or if the body sustains a burn from a fire, and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish white, or white," 25 "then the priest shall look at it to see if there are white hairs on it and if it appears to be beneath the skin. If this is the case, it is leprosy and the priest shall pronounce him unclean." 26 "But if the priest looks at it and there is no white hair in the bright spot and it is not below the skin, then the priest shall isolate him for seven days." 27 "Then the priest shall look at him after the seventh day. If it has spread farther the priest will know that it is leprosy and pronounce him unclean." 28 "But if the bright spot does not spread but has diminished, the priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is only a scar from the burn."

29 "And if someone has an infection on his head or in his beard," 30 "the priest shall look at it. If it appears deeper than the skin and there is a thin yellowish hair on it, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is leprosy." 31 "But if the priest sees a scale on it and it does not appear to be beneath the skin, and there is no black hair on it, the priest shall isolate the person with the infection for seven days." 32 "On the seventh day the priest shall look at the infection and if it has not spread and no yellowish hair has grown on it, if it has not gone deeper than the surface of the skin," 33 "then he shall shave himself around the scale and the priest shall isolate him for seven more days." 34 "On the seventh day the priest shall look at the scale. If it has not spread and appears no deeper than the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean and he shall wash his clothes and be clean." 35 "But if the scale has spread," 36 "the priest shall look at him. If the scale has spread in the skin, the priest does not need to check for yellowish hair. He is unclean." 37 "If, on the other hand, the scale is still there, but black hair has grown in it, the scale has healed and he shall be pronounced clean."

38 "When a person has bright spots on his skin, even if they are white," 39 "then the priest shall observe and if the whiteness is fading, it is eczema and he is clean."

40 "Now if a man loses the hair on his head so that he is bald, he is clean." 41 "If his head becomes bald at the front, the sides and the forehead, he is clean." 42 "But if a reddish white infection occurs, it is leprosy breaking out." 43 "Then the priest shall look at him and if the swelling of the infection is reddish white like leprosy when it appears on the body," 44 "then he is a leprous man and the priest shall pronounce him unclean." 45 "The man with leprosy shall rend his clothes, cover his mustache and cry, 'Unclean! Unclean!'" 46 "He shall remain unclean and live alone outside the camp as long as he has the infection."

47 "When a garment has the mark of leprosy in it, whether it is wool, linen," 48 "or made of leather," 49 "if the mark is greenish or reddish on the garment, it shall be shown to the priest." 50 "The priest shall look at it and quarantine the article for seven days." 51 "On the seventh day, if the mark has spread on the garment, no matter what purpose the garment has been used for, it is unclean." 52 "It shall be burned with fire for it is unclean." 53 "But if the priest sees that the mark has not spread in the garment," 54 "then the priest shall order them to wash it and quarantine it for seven more days." 55 "After this the priest shall examine it and if the mark remains, the garment is unclean and must be burned with fire." 56 "But if the mark has faded after the garment has been washed, then he shall tear that part of the garment out." 57 "And if it appears again, the garment shall be burned in the fire." 58 "But if the mark has gone, it shall be washed a second time and it shall be clean." 59 "This is the law for the mark of leprosy on clothing and how to determine if clothing is clean or unclean."

Leviticus 14 - RWB Paraphrase (57 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
The Law for the Person Cured of Leprosy
1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "This shall be the law when a leper has been cured. He shall come before the priest," 3 "and the priest shall meet him outside of camp. If he observes that the leprosy is gone," 4 "then the priest shall give an order to take two live clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet string and hyssop for the one to be cleansed." 5 "The priest shall order that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water." 6 "The remaining live bird shall be taken together with the cedar wood, the scarlet string and the hyssop and dipped in the blood of the bird that was slain." 7 "He shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed from leprosy seven times and pronounce him clean. Then he shall let the live bird go free over the open field." 8 "The one to be cleaned shall then wash his clothes and shave all his hair, even his beard and eyebrows, and then bath in water and be clean. Then he may then enter the camp but he must remain outside of his tent for seven days." 9 "On the seventh day he shall once more shave every hair from his body. Then he is to wash his clothes and bathe in water and be clean." 10 "On the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without defect, a yearling ewe lamb without defect, three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a half pint of oil," 11 "and the priest who pronounces him clean shall present the man to be cleansed before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting." 12 "The priest shall take one of the male lambs and bring it as a guilt offering with a half pint of oil, to present as a wave offering before the LORD." 13 "Then he shall kill the male lamb in the place where sin offerings and burnt offerings are killed. Like the sin offering, this belongs to the priest. It is most holy." 14 "The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on his right thumb and his right big toe." 15 "The priest shall take some of the half pint of oil and pour it in his left palm." 16 "With the finger of his right hand the priest shall dip it in the oil in his left palm and sprinkle some of the oil seven times before the LORD." 17 "With the oil that remains he shall put some on the right ear of the one being cleansed, on his right thumb and his right big toe, over the blood that has been placed there." 18 "The rest of the oil the priest shall put on the head of the one being cleansed. In this way the priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the LORD." 19 "Then the priest shall offer the sin offering and make atonement to cleanse him from his uncleanness. After that he shall kill the burnt offering." 20 "The priest shall make atonement for him by offering up the burnt offering and the grain offering and he shall be clean."

The Poor Man's Offering Can Be Less
21 "If the man is poor, he may take one male lamb for a guilt offering, a tenth of a ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a half pint of oil," 22 "and two turtle doves or two young pigeons. One will be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering." 23 "On the eighth day he shall bring them to the priest for his cleansing before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting." 24 "The priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the half pint of oil and offer them as a wave offering before the LORD." 25 "Then the priest shall kill the lamb of the guilt offering and place some of the blood on the lobe of the right ear of the one being cleansed, on his right thumb and his right big toe." 26 "The priest shall pour some of the oil in his left palm," 27 "and with his right finger sprinkle some of the oil before the LORD seven times." 28 "The priest shall put some of the oil in his palm on the lobe of the ear of the one being cleansed, on his right thumb and right big toe." 29 "The remaining oil the priest shall place on the head of the one being cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD." 30 "He shall then offer one of the turtle doves or young pigeons which are within his means." 31 "He shall offer what he can afford, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, together with a grain offering, so that the priest may make atonement for him before the LORD." 32 "This is the law for the one infected with leprosy whose means are limited."

The Law Concerning a House with the Mark of Leprosy
33 The LORD had more to say to Moses and Aaron. 34 "When you enter Canaan which is given to you for a possession, and I put the mark of leprosy on a house in the land," 35 "the one who owns the house shall inform the priest, saying, 'It seems that the mark of leprosy is in my house.'" 36 "The priest shall command that the house be emptied so that not everything becomes unclean. Then the priest shall go in to look at the house." 37 "If he sees that the mark on the walls of the house is greenish, or reddish," 38 "then the priest shall come out and quarantine the house for seven days." 39 "On the seventh day he shall return to inspect the house. If the mark has spread on the walls of the house," 40 "then the priest shall order that the stones with the mark be torn out of the wall and thrown away in an unclean place outside the city." 41 "He shall have the plaster scraped around the inside and dumped in a safe place outside the city." 42 "Then other stones shall be used to replace the unclean stones and the wall shall be replastered." 43 "If the mark breaks out again in this house," 44 "and the priest confirms that the mark has come back, the house shall be unclean," 45 "and torn down. Every part of it shall be taken out of the city to an unclean place." 46 "And anyone entering the house during the time it has been quarantined shall be unclean until evening." 47 "Anyone lying down in the house, or eating in it shall wash his clothes." 48 "If, however, the priest sees that the mark has not spread after the house has been replastered, he shall pronounce the house clean."

Cleansing a House with the Mark of Leprosy
49 "To cleanse the house he shall take two birds, cedar wood, scarlet string and hyssop," 50 "and he shall kill the one bird in an earthenware vessel over running water." 51 "He shall dip the live bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop and the scarlet string in the blood of the slain bird and then in the running water. With these he shall sprinkle the house seven times." 52 "This is how he shall cleanse the house." 53 "Then he shall let the live bird go free outside the city into an open field. This will make atonement for the house and it will be cleansed."

54 "This is the law for any mark of leprosy," 55 "and for a garment or the house of a leper," 56 "for a swelling, a scab or a bright spot," 57 "in order to instruct them when they are clean or unclean. This is the law for leprosy."

Leviticus 15 - RWB Paraphrase (33 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
Law Concerning a Running Sore
1 And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 "Speak to the children of Israel. Tell them that when a man has a discharge from his skin, he is unclean." 3 "This is the case whether it flows freely or not." 4 "Every place he lays or sits is unclean." 5 "Anyone touching his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until sunset." 6 "Whoever sits on what the one with the discharge has sat on shall wash his clothes, bathe and be unclean until sunset." 7 "And whoever touches the person with the discharge shall wash his clothes, bathe and be unclean until evening." 8 "Or if the man with a discharge spits on one who is clean, he too shall wash his clothes, bathe and be unclean until evening." 9 "Every saddle on which the person with the discharge rides becomes unclean." 10 "Whoever touches any of the things under him shall be unclean. He shall wash his clothes, bath and be unclean until evening." 11 "And if the one with the discharge touches someone without rinsing his hands in water, that person must wash his clothes, bathe and be unclean until evening." 12 "If the person with the discharge touches an earthenware vessel, it shall be broken. Every wooded vessel he touches shall be rinsed in water." 13 "When someone with a discharge becomes cleansed, he shall count seven days for his cleaning. Then he shall wash his clothes, bathe in running water and he will be clean." 14 "On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD to the doorway of the tent of meeting and give them to the priest." 15 "The priest shall offer them, one for a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD because of his discharge."

Other Bodily Discharges
16 "Now if a man has a seminal emission, he shall bathe all his body in water and be unclean until evening." 17 "Any garment or leather item on which there is a seminal emission shall be washed with water and unclean until evening." 18 "If a man lies with a woman and has a seminal emission, they shall both bathe with water and be unclean until evening."

19 "When a woman has a discharge of blood, she shall continue her menstrual impurity for seven days. Whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening." 20 "Every place she lies or sit shall be unclean." 21 "Anyone who touches her bed shall wash his clothes, bathe in water and be unclean until evening." 22 "Whoever touches anything she sits on shall wash his clothes, bathe in water and be unclean until evening." 23 "If someone touches anything she has touched he shall be unclean until evening." 24 "If a man lies with her so that her menstrual impurity is on him, he shall be unclean for seven days and every bed where he lies shall be unclean."

25 "If a woman has a discharge of blood beyond her normal menstrual cycle, she is unclean." 26 "Anything she lies on or sits on is unclean." 27 "And whoever touches the place where she lies or sits shall be unclean. He shall wash his clothes, bathe and be unclean until evening." 28 "After her discharge has stopped she shall count seven days and then she shall be clean." 29 "On the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the doorway of the tent of meeting." 30 "The priest shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to make atonement on her behalf before the LORD because of her impure discharge."

31 "Thus you shall keep the children of Israel separated from their uncleanness so that they do not die in their uncleanness by defiling My tabernacle." 32 "This is the law for anyone with a discharge, and for the man with a seminal emission," 33 "and the woman who is ill because of menstrual impurity, for anyone who has a discharge and for the man who lies with a woman who is unclean."

Leviticus 16 - RWB Paraphrase (34 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
The Day of Atonement
1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses after Aaron's two sons had died because they had approached the presence of the LORD. 2 The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron that he shall not enter the most holy place behind the veil, before the mercy seat on the ark, or he will die. I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat."

3 "Before entering the most holy place Aaron shall take a bullock for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering." 4 "He shall bathe and put on the holy tunic, linen undergarments and be girded with the linen sash and linen turban." 5 "He shall take from the children of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering." 6 "He shall offer the bullock for the sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household." 7 "He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting." 8 "Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats. One goat shall be the LORD's goat and the other shall be the scapegoat." 9 "The LORD's goat he shall offer as a sin offering."

COMMENT: The Lord's goat represents Jesus who died for our sins.

10 "But the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it and then send it away into the wilderness."

COMMENT: The scape goat represents the devil who will wander over the earth with no one to tempt for a thousand years after Jesus comes the second time.

11 "Aaron shall offer the bullock of the sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household." 12 "He shall take a firepan full of live coals from the altar before the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense and bring it inside the veil." 13 "He shall place the incense before the LORD so that the cloud of incense covers the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony, so that he does not die." 14 "And with his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the bullock on the east side of the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times."

15 "Then Aaron shall kill the goat of the sin offering for the people and bring its blood inside the veil as he did with the blood of the bullock, sprinkling it on the mercy seat and in front of it." 16 "He shall make atonement for the holy place because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel." 17 "When he goes in to make atonement in the most holy place, no one is to go into the tabernacle of the congregation until he comes out, so that he may make atonement for himself, his household and all the congregation of Israel." 18 "Then he shall go out to the altar before the LORD and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the blood of the bullock, and the goat, putting it on the horns of the altar on all sides." 19 "He shall sprinkle blood on it seven times to cleanse it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel."

20 "When Aaron has finished atoning for the most holy place, the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, he shall offer the live goat." 21 "He shall place both his hands on the head of the live goat, confessing over it all the transgressions of the children of Israel, laying them upon the head of the live goat before sending it away into the wilderness being led by a fit man."

COMMENT: Here we clearly see a transfer of the confessed sin of the people of God onto the live goat that is led away into the wilderness by a fit man.

22 "The goat shall bear their iniquities as it is taken to a solitary place where it is released."

23 "Then Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation and take off his linen garments which he put on when he went into the most holy place, and he shall leave them there." 24 "He shall wash himself with water while he is in the most holy place, dress again in his regular garments, and come out and offer the burnt offering for the people, making atonement for himself and the people." 25 "Then he shall offer up in smoke on the altar the fat of the sin offering."

26 "The one who releases the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe in water before coming back into the camp."

27 "And the bullock and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the most holy place, shall be taken outside the camp and burned along with their hides, their flesh and their refuse." 28 "The one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water before coming back into camp."

29 "It shall be a statute among you forever: on the tenth day of the seventh month you shall afflict your souls, doing no work, whether you are of the children of Israel or an alien sojourning in the land." 30 "For on this day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you from all your sins before the LORD." 31 "This day is to be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls. This is to be a permanent statute." 32 "So the priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as priest in his father's place shall make atonement. He shall put on the holy linen garments," 33 "and make atonement for the sanctuary, the tabernacle of the congregation, the altar, the priests and all the people of the congregation." 34 "This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once each year." And Moses did as the LORD commanded.

COMMENT: This concludes the ceremony of the day of atonement.

Leviticus 17 - RWB Paraphrase (16 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
The Life Is in the Blood
1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the children of Israel, saying to them, 'This is what the LORD has commanded,'" 3 "Any man from the house of Israel that kills an ox, a lamb, or a goat, either inside the camp or outside the camp," 4 "and does not bring it to the door or the tabernacle of the congregation to offer it unto the LORD, the blood shall be imputed to that man and he shall be cut off from among his people." 5 "The reason for this is that the children of Israel who sacrifice in the open field may bring their sacrifices before the LORD as a peace offering to the LORD." 6 "The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the LORD at the doorway of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat as a soothing aroma to the LORD." 7 "They shall not offer their sacrifices to devils, or goat demons, with which they have been unfaithful to Me. This statute shall be for all generations." 8 "And you shall tell them that any man from the house of Israel, or from among the aliens sojourning among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice," 9 "and does not bring it to the doorway of the tabernacle of the congregation to offer it to the LORD, shall be cut off from among his people." 10 "If any man from the house of Israel, or from among the strangers that sojourns among you, that eats the blood in any form, I will turn My face from him and he shall be cut off from among his people." 11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood. I have given it to you to be used to make atonement for your souls." 12 "Therefore I have said to the children of Israel, none of you shall eat blood. Neither shall any stranger sojourning among you eat blood." 13 "So when anyone hunting catches a bird or beast which may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dirt." 14 "For the life of all flesh is in the blood and you shall not eat it in any form. The one eating it shall be cut off." 15 "When anyone eats an animal which has died, or was torn by beasts, he shall wash his clothes, bathe with water, and be unclean until evening." 16 "If he does not wash his clothes or bathe his body, he shall bear his guilt."

Leviticus 18 - RWB Paraphrase (30 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
Rule for Descent Living in the Family and the Community
1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, 'I am the LORD your God.'" 3 "You shall not do what is done in Egypt where you lived. Neither shall you do what is done in Canaan where I am taking you. You shall not follow their practices." 4 "You must keep My statutes and perform My judgments. I am the LORD your God." 5 "A man may live if he keeps My statutes and judgments."

6 "No one shall uncover the nakedness of anyone that is a blood relative. I am the LORD." 7 "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, or your mother." 8 "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife, for it is his nakedness." 9 "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, whether she is your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether born at home or away from home." 10 "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter, for their nakedness is your nakedness." 11 "The nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, born to your father, is your sister and you shall not uncover her nakedness." 12 "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister. She is your father's blood relative." 13 "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is your mother's blood relative." 14 "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother, and you shall not approach his wife. She is your aunt." 15 "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife." 16 "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife, for it is his nakedness." 17 "You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, nor shall you take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to uncover her nakedness. They are blood relatives. This is wickedness." 18 "You shall not marry a woman and her sister for they will be rivals." 19 "And you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness during her menstrual impurity." 20 "You shall not have intercourse with your neighbor's wife."

21 "You shall not offer any of your children to Molech. This will profane the name of your God. I am the LORD."

22 "You shall not lie with a man as one lies with a woman. This is an abomination." 23 "You shall not have intercourse with any animal. Neither shall any woman have intercourse with an animal. This is a perversion." 24 "Do not defile yourselves by doing any of these things. The nations I am casting out before you do these things." 25 "This defiles the land I am bringing punishment on, so that the land spews out its inhabitants." 26 "But you are to keep My statutes and judgments. Do not do any of these abominations, whether you are of the children of Israel or a stranger sojourning among you." 27 "The men of the land I am giving you have done these abominations and the land has been defiled." 28 "In order that the land not spew you out you must not defile it." 29 "For whoever does any of these abominations shall be cut off from among his people." 30 "Thus you are to keep My statutes and judgments by not defiling yourselves with any of these abominations. I am the LORD your God."

Leviticus 19 - RWB Paraphrase (37 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
Laws for Living
1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to all the children of Israel and tell them that I want them to be holy, for I the LORD God am holy." 3 "Every one of you shall show respect for his father and mother. And you shall keep My Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God." 4 "Do not turn to idols. Do make molten gods. I am the LORD your God." 5 "When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, your goal is to be acceptable to Me." 6 "It shall be eaten the same day you offer it and you may also eat of it the next day. But after that it must be burned with fire." 7 "To eat any of it on the third day is unacceptable." 8 "Those doing this will bear their guilt, for they have profaned what was holy to the LORD. The person who does this will be cut off from his people."

9 "Now when you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap the corners of your field. Neither gather every stalk of grain." 10 "It shall be the same in your vineyard. If fruit falls, leave it for the needy and the stranger. I am the LORD your God."

11 "You shall not steal, deal falsely, or lie to one another." 12 "You shall not swear falsely by My name. That will profane it. I am the LORD."

13 "You shall not oppress your neighbor. The wages you owe someone are not to be held back until the morning."

COMMENT: He may need the wages to have food or be warm.

14 "You shall not curse a deaf man, nor place a stumbling block in front of a blind man, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD." 15 "You shall do no injustice in judgment, or be partial in any way to any person because of their status. You are to act with righteousness toward your neighbor." 16 "You shall not slander anyone. I am the LORD." 17 "You shall not hate your fellow countrymen. You may reprove him but do not incur sin because of your attitude toward him."

18 "You shall not take vengeance nor bear a grudge against the children of your people. You are to love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD."

COMMENT: Here it shows us that it is fine to love ourselves. In fact we need to have self respect. But we are to accord the same for the people around us.

19 "You must keep My statutes. Do not breed together two kinds of cattle. And do not sow your fields with two kinds of seed, nor wear a garment with two kinds of material woven together."

COMMENT: It appears that God has designed in each species what attributes he wants to remain. Does this mean that developing hybrids is against God's plan?

20 "And if a man has intercourse with another man's slave woman, but has no way to purchase her freedom, they shall be punished but not put to death, because she was not free." 21 "He shall bring his guilt offering to the LORD at the doorway to the tabernacle of the congregation. It shall be a ram for a guilt offering." 22 "The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram and he will be forgiven."

23 "When you enter the land plant trees for food, you shall not eat of the fruit for three years." 24 "On the fourth year all the fruit is holy, and shall be an offering of praise to the LORD." 25 "In the fifth year you may eat of it, that its yield may increase for you. I am the LORD your God."

26 "You must not eat anything with its blood. Neither practice divination or soothsaying." 27 "You are not to trim the hair on the sides of your head or the edges of your beard." 28 "Do not make any cuts for the dead on your body or tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD." 29 "Do not profane your daughter by making her a harlot. This would fill the land with wickedness."

30 "You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary. I am the LORD."

31 "Do not turn to mediums or spiritists. This will defiled you. I am the LORD your God." 32 "You are to honor those who are old, and fear thy God. I am the LORD."

33 "When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall do him no wrong." 34 "Treat him as one of your own and love him as yourself. For you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God."

35 "You shall do no wrong in judgment. Neither shall you use false measures." 36 "Your balances shall be just, using just weights and correct measurements of volume. I am the LORD who brought you out of Egypt." 37 "You shall observe all My statutes and ordinances. I am the LORD."

Leviticus 20 - RWB Paraphrase (27 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
You Are to Be a Holy People
1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "You shall also say to the children of Israel and the aliens sojourning in Israel, 'Anyone who gives any of his offspring to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him.'" 3 "I will set My face against that man and cut him off from among his people, because when he gave his offspring to Molech he defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Holy Name." 4 "If the people look the other way and do not stone the man for giving his children to Molech," 5 "then I will set My face against that man and his family, and I will cut him and his family off from their people because he played the harlot with Molech."

6 "As for the person who plays the harlot by turning to mediums and spiritists, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from among his people." 7 "Sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am the LORD your God." 8 "You shall keep my statutes. I am the LORD who sanctifies you."

9 "Anyone cursing his father or mother is to be put to death. His blood shall be upon him."

10 "If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall both be put to death." 11 "If a man lies with his father's wife he has uncovered his father's nakedness. The blood of both of them shall be upon them and they shall be put to death." 12 "If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, they shall both be put to death." 13 "If a man lies with another man as he would with a woman, they have committed a detestable act and both shall be put to death." 14 "It is immoral for a man to marry a woman and her mother. They shall be burned with fire." 15 "If a man lies with an animal, you shall put to death both the man and the animal." 16 "If a woman approaches an animal to mate with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. Their blood shall be upon them." 17 It is a disgrace for a man to see the nakedness of his sister, his father's daughter or his mother's daughter. They shall be cut off from their people. 18 "If a man lies with a woman and uncovers her nakedness during her menses, both shall be cut off from among their people." 19 "Neither shall you uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister or your father's sister, for these are your next of kin and both shall bear their iniquity." 20 "If a man lies with his uncle's wife he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness. They will bear their sin and die childless." 21 "To take one's brother's wife is abhorrent. He has uncovered his brother's nakedness and they shall die childless." 22 "You must keep all My statutes and ordinances so that the land to which I am bringing you will not spew you out."

23 "You must not follow the customs of the nations I am driving out before you, for they did all these things and I have abhorred them." 24 "This is why I am giving the land to you. It is a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the LORD and have made you separate from other peoples." 25 "For this reason you must make a distinction between the clean and unclean animals and birds. You are not to make yourselves detestable by any animal, bird or creeping thing which I have told you is unclean." 26 "This is how you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy and have set you apart from other peoples to be My own possession."

27 "A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned and their blood shall be upon them."

Leviticus 21 - RWB Paraphrase (24 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
Statutes for the Priests
1 The LORD said to Moses, "Explain to the sons of Aaron that no one is to defile himself for the dead among his people," 2 "except for his nearest relative: his mother and his father, his son and his daughter, his brother," 3 and also his virgin sister because she has no husband. For these he may defile himself. 4 "He shall not profane himself by being chief among his people." 5 "Neither shall the sons of Aaron make their heads bald or shave off the edges of their beards, nor make cuts in their flesh." 6 "They shall be holy to their God and not profane His name, for they present the offerings by fire to the LORD." 7 "They shall not marry a woman who is a harlot, or divorced. They are to be holy to their God." 8 "You shall consecrate each one, for they offer the food of God, for I the LORD sanctify you and I am holy." 9 "If the daughter of any priest becomes a harlot, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire."

10 "The priest who is highest among his brothers, whose head has been anointed with oil and consecrated to wear the high priestly garments, shall not uncover his head or tear his garments." 11 "Neither is he to approach a dead person, nor defile himself even if it is his father or mother." 12 "He shall not go out of the sanctuary, or profane the sanctuary of his God, for he is consecrated with the anointing oil of his God. I am the LORD." 13 "He shall take a virgin as his wife." 14 "He may not take a widow, or a divorced woman, or a woman profaned by harlotry. Rather he is to marry a virgin from his own people," 15 "so that his offspring are not profaned among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him."

16 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 17 "Tell Aaron that no man from among your descendants who has a defect shall approach Me to offer Me bread." 18 "He cannot be blind, or lame, have a disfigured face, or a deformed limb." 19 "He cannot have a broken foot or a broken hand." 20 "He cannot be a hunchback or a dwarf, have a defect in his eye, or eczema, or scabs or crushed testicles." 21 "No man among Aaron the high priest's descendants may come near to offer the LORD's offerings by fire if he has any defect."

COMMENT: Jesus is God's perfect Son and is represented by these men.

22 "He may not eat the food of his God, neither of the holy and the most holy." 23 "He shall not go within the veil or come near the altar because he has a defect. I am the LORD who sanctifies and he must not profane My sanctuary." 24 So Moses spoke to Aaron, to his sons and all the children of Israel.

Leviticus 22 - RWB Paraphrase (33 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
More Direction for the Priesthood
1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Tell Aaron and his sons that they are to be careful with the holy things of the children of Israel and profane not My holy name. I am the LORD." 3 "If any of your descendants approaches the holy things dedicated to the LORD while he has an uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from before Me. I am the LORD." 4 "Any descendant of Aaron who is a leper, or has a discharge, may not eat of the holy gifts until he is clean. If one of them touches anything made unclean by a corpse, or if a man has a seminal emission," 5 "or if he touches any creeping thing, making him unclean, or whatever may have made him unclean," 6 "he shall be unclean until evening, and shall not eat the holy gifts unless he has bathed his body with water." 7 "But when the sun has set, he will be clean and then he may eat of the holy gifts, for it is his food." 8 "He shall not eat that which has died on its own or has been torn by beasts. This makes it unclean. I am the LORD." 9 "Your descendants shall keep My ordinance lest they die. I am the LORD who sanctifies them." 10 "No stranger shall eat of the holy things. The priest's hired servant or visitor may not eat of the holy things." 11 "But if a slave is the priest's property, bought with his money, that one may eat of it, and those born of his house may eat of it." 12 "If a priest's daughter is married to a layman, she may not eat of the offered gifts." 13 "If, however, she becomes widowed or divorced, and has no child, and returns to her father's house and is dependent on him, she may eat of her father's food. But no layman shall eat of it." 14 "If a man eats of a holy gift unintentionally, he shall add to it a fifth of it and give the holy gift to the priest." 15 "The holy gifts offered to the LORD by the children of Israel shall not be profaned." 16 "Eating of these holy gifts will cause them to bear punishment, for I am the LORD who sanctifies them."

17 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 18 "Tell Aaron and his sons that when any man of the children of Israel, or an alien, presents his offering to the LORD for a burnt offering," 19 "in order for you to accept it, it must be a male without defect whether of cattle, sheep or goats." 20 "If it has a defect, it is not to be accepted." 21 "When a man offers a sacrifice of peace offering to the LORD as fulfillment of a special vow, to be accepted it must be without defect, whether from the flock or the herd." 22 "It cannot be blind, have a broken limb or be maimed. It cannot have running sores, eczema or scabs, and be offered to the LORD." 23 In respect to an ox or lamb that has a deformed member, you may present it for a freewill offering, but not for a vow. 24 "Anything with its testicles bruised, crushed, torn or cut, shall not be offered to the LORD." 25 "Neither shall you accept such a defective sacrifice from an alien."

26 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 27 "When an ox, a sheep or a goat is born, it shall remain with it mother for seven days. After that it is acceptable as a sacrifice by fire to the LORD." 28 "In any case, you may not kill both the mother and its young on the same day." 29 "Sacrifices of thanksgiving must be a freewill offering to be accepted." 30 "It shall be eaten the same day with nothing left until morning. I am the LORD." 31 "So you shall keep My commandments. I am the LORD." 32 "You shall not profane My holy name, but sanctify Me among the children of Israel. I am the LORD who sanctifies you." 33 "I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD."

Leviticus 23 - RWB Paraphrase (44 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
The Feasts of the Lord
1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to the children of Israel about the LORD's appointed times which are to be holy convocations. To begin with," 3 "work may be done for six days, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. It is a Sabbath to the LORD." 4 "Additional appointed times of holy convocations to the LORD are as follows:"

5 "at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month is the LORD's Passover."

6 "Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is a feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD. You shall eat unleavened bread for seven days." 7 "On the first day no work is to be done. It is a holy convocation." 8 "For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. And the seventh day is a day of holy convocation in which you do no regular work."

9 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 "Tell the children of Israel that when they come into the land I am giving them, and when they reap the harvest, they shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of the harvest to the priest." 11 "On the day after the Sabbath he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD that you may be accepted." 12 "On the same day you shall offer a year old male lamb without defect as a burnt offering to the LORD." 13 "Then offer to the LORD by fire a grain offering of four quarts of fine flour mixed with oil for a soothing aroma, and a quart of wine as a drink offering." 14 "Until you have brought this offering you are not to eat of your new harvest. You shall continue doing this throughout your generations." 15 "From the Sabbath after you brought the sheaf for a wave offering to the LORD, you shall count seven complete Sabbaths." 16 "This will make fifty days from the first Sabbath to the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD." 17 "You shall bring from your homes two loaves of bread for a wave offering. It is to be made from four quarts of fine flour baked with leaven as first fruits to the LORD." 18 "Along with this bread you shall present seven one year old male lambs without defect, a bullock from the herd and two rams. These are to be burnt offerings to the LORD, along with the grain offering and drink offering." 19 "In addition you shall offer a male goat and two one year old male lambs for a peace offering sacrifice." 20 "The priest shall make this part of the wave offering with the bread of the first fruits offering before the LORD. They are holy to the LORD and are for the priest." 21 "On this same day you shall make a proclamation concerning this holy day. You shall do no regular work. This is to be a statute throughout your generations."

22 "At harvest do not reap all the way to the corners of your fields. Do not glean every wisp of grain from the middle of your fields. Leave some for the needy and the alien. I am the LORD your God."

23 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24 "Tell the children of Israel that the seventh day of the first month shall be a day of rest, a reminder of holy convocation by the blowing of trumpets." 25 "You shall do no regular work and must present an offering by fire to the LORD."

26 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 27 "The tenth day of the seventh month is the Day of Atonement, a holy convocation to you. You shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD." 28 "You shall not do any work on this day, for it is a day of atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God." 29 "Anyone unwilling to humble himself on this day shall be cut off from his people." 30 "I will destroy anyone doing any work on this day." 31 This is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations. 32 "It is to be a Sabbath of complete rest when you humble your souls. On the ninth of the month, from evening to evening you shall keep this Sabbath."

33 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 34 "Tell the children of Israel that on the fifteenth of the seventh month is the Feast of Booths. It is to be kept for seven days to the LORD." 35 "The first day is a holy convocation and you shall do no regular work of any kind." 36 "For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. The eighth day is a holy convocation and on it you are to present an offering by fire to the LORD. You shall do no regular work on it."

37 "These are the times the LORD has appointed for holy convocations, times to present offerings by fire to the LORD: burnt offerings, grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, on each day." 38 "These are Sabbaths besides the Sabbaths of the LORD and besides your gifts, votive and freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD."

39 "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have finished gathering the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD for seven days, with a rest on the first and eighth day." 40 "On the first day you shall take foliage from beautiful trees, palm branches and willow boughs from the trees by the brooks, rejoicing before the LORD your God for seven days." 41 "Throughout your generations you shall celebrate this feast to the LORD for seven days in the seventh month of each year." 42 "All who are native born in Israel shall live in booths for these seven days," 43 "so that the children of Israel will not forget that I the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt."

44 So Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD which appointed.

Leviticus 24 - RWB Paraphrase (23 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
Supplying the Sanctuary
1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Command the children of Israel to bring clear oil from beaten olives so that the lamp in the sanctuary may burn night and day." 3 "Aaron shall keep the holy place within the tabernacle lit evening and morning before the LORD. This is to be done throughout your generations." 4 "He shall keep the lampstand of pure gold lit before the LORD at all times."

5 "You shall bake twelve loaves. Each loaf is to be made from a fifth of an ephah of fine flour."

COMMENT: Each loaf requires a little more than a gallon of fine flour.

6 "Set these in two stacks of six on the table of pure gold that is before the LORD." 7 "Place frankincense on each stack that it may be a memorial, an offering made by fire before the LORD." 8 "Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD. This is an everlasting covenant for the children of Israel." 9 "Aaron and his sons shall eat it in the holy place. It is most holy from the LORD's offerings and is Aaron's portion forever."

Dealing with Blasphemy
10 Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was Egyptian, got in a fight with a man of Israel in the camp. 11 The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the name of the LORD with cursing. They brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith. She was the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 12 They placed this man in custody to wait for the LORD's direction in the matter. 13 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 14 "Bring the one who cursed outside the camp and have all who heard him lay their hands on his head. Then let the entire congregation stone him." 15 "Tell the children of Israel that if anyone curses his God, he shall be held responsible." 16 "The one who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. The entire congregation shall stone him. This punishment it to be the same for the alien."

17 "And if a man takes the life of any man, he shall surely be put to death." 18 "The one who takes the life of an animal shall replace it."

19 "If a man injures his neighbor, so he shall be injured with the same injury," 20 "fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, the same injury as he inflicted on the other." 21 "He who kills a beast shall replace it, but he who kills a man shall be put to death." 22 "The same standard shall be used for the alien as for anyone of Israel, for I am the LORD your God."

23 And Moses told all this to the children of Israel and they brought the one who had cursed out of the camp, and stoned him. Thus the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Leviticus 25 - RWB Paraphrase (55 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
The Year of Jubilee
1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to the children of Israel and tell them that when they come into the land which I shall give them, they shall have a Sabbath unto the LORD." 3 "Six years you shall sow your field, prune your vineyard and gather your crops." 4 "But during the seventh year the land shall have a Sabbath rest, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall neither sow your fields nor prune your vineyards." 5 "You shall not reap what grows on its own. You shall not even gather grapes from the undressed vines. The year is to be a year of rest for the land." 6 "You may use what grows voluntarily for yourself and those who work for you as well as the alien who lives with you."

COMMENT: In otherwards, you are not to farm the land for a profit.

7 "Your cattle and animals may also eat of what grows voluntarily." 8 "You are to count seven Sabbaths of years, that the land has a Sabbath rest, in other words, forty-nine years." 9 "You shall then sound the trumpet of Jubilee on the tenth day of the seventh month throughout the land. This will also be the day of atonement throughout your land." 10 "Thus you are to consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release throughout the land. It is a year of Jubilee for you. Everyone is to be allowed to return to his own property and family." 11 "During this fiftieth year of Jubilee you shall neither sow nor reap what grows on its own. Neither shall you gather grapes from the undressed vines." 12 "For this is a holy year of Jubilee. Though you are not to reap for profit, you may eat from what grows voluntarily and on its own without any cultivating."

COMMENT: What a great promise. It is like a paid vacation with food provided.

13 "And on this year of Jubilee everyone shall return to his own property." 14 "If you have sold your land or bought someone else's land, it shall be returned to its owner."

COMMENT: This way the land did not end up being owned by a few.

15 "The number of years after the Jubilee, or the number of crops, will indicate how much to pay your friend for his land until it is returned to him on the year of Jubilee." 16 "With more years until Jubilee you will naturally pay more and with fewer years you will pay less, for it is the number of crops he is selling to you." 17 "You shall not wrong one another, but fear Me, for I am the LORD your God." 18 "Thus you shall observe My statutes and carry out My judgments as you live in the land." 19 "This way the land will yield its produce and you can eat your fill and live securely."

20 "You may ask, 'How will we have enough to eat the seventh year, when we do not sow or reap?'" 21 "In the sixth year I will cause My blessing on you to be such that you will have a crop adequate for three years."

COMMENT: What a promise! This will cover the 48th, a regular growing year, the 49th and 50th years.

22 "And when you are planting on the eighth year, you will be eating what is left from the old until the ninth year when the crop comes in."

COMMENT: So when they planted in the year following the year of Jubilee, they were promised that they would have enough until the next harvest. God never intended for them to build wealth to last many years. They were always to depend on Him.

23 "Moreover, the land is never to be sold permanently, for I am its true owner. You are aliens and sojourners with Me." 24 "For this reason you are to provide for the redemption of the land." 25 "If a fellow countryman becomes poor and has to sell part of his property, his nearest relative shall come and buy back what his relative has sold."

COMMENT: Is this what Boaz was doing for Naomi? He was a near relative.

26 "And if a man has no relative, but recovers his means so he has enough to redeem his land," 27 "then he shall count the years since the sale of it and refund the balance to the man who bought it, so he can return to his property." 28 "But if he does not have sufficient means to buy it back, it shall remain with the one who purchased it until the year of Jubilee. In that year it shall be returned to its original owner."

29 "In the same way, if a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, he has a full year from the date of its sale when it may be redeemed." 30 "If it is not bought back in the space of a full year, the house in the walled city passes on to the purchaser permanently and does not revert back in the year of Jubilee."

COMMENT: A house in a city is not protected like the land God has given to his family.

31 "But houses in villages where there is no surrounding wall shall be considered as open fields. They have redemption rights and revert back to the original owner at Jubilee."

32 "As for the cities of the Levites, they have a permanent right of redemption." 33 "Whatever belongs to the Levites and is redeemed, even a house in the Levite city, reverts back in the year of Jubilee." 34 "But pastures and fields belonging to their cities shall not be sold, for these are their perpetual possession."

35 "In the case where a countryman of yours falls on hard times, you are to relieve him, even if he is a sojourner." 36 "Do not charge any interest when you loan to him, but fear God, so that your brother may live in your community." 37 "You shall not make him a loan with interest or sell him food for your personal gain." 38 "For I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan."

39 "If a countryman of yours becomes poor and sells himself to you in order to survive, you shall not treat him like a slave." 40 "Instead, he shall be as a hired man, treated as a sojourner, and he shall serve you until the year of Jubilee." 41 "Then he shall go back to his family and the property of his forefathers taking his children with him." 42 "For they are My servants whom I brought out of Egypt and they are not to be sold as slaves." 43 "You are not to rule over him with severity, but you are to fear God." 44 "You may acquire male and female slaves from the pagan nations around you." 45 "You may also acquire as slaves those children of the aliens among you." 46 "You may give them to your sons as possessions. They may be considered as permanent slaves to you. But you shall not do this with your countrymen. Neither shall you rule them with severity."

47 "If the stranger or sojourner you have taken in has someone who has attached himself to him," 48 "then he shall have redemption rights and one of his brothers may redeem him." 49 "One of his other relatives may also redeem him and if he prospers, he may redeem himself." 50 "He and the one who purchased him shall calculate how many years remain before Jubilee. It shall be as though he were a hired hand." 51 "If there are many years remaining, he shall refund that portion for his redemption." 52 "And if just a few years remain until the year of Jubilee, he shall pay for his redemption in proportion to the few years remaining until Jubilee." 53 "He is to as a hired man and you shall not rule over him with severity." 54 "In any case, when the year of Jubilee comes, he shall be free to leave with his children." 55 "For the children of Israel are My servants whom I brought out from Egypt. I am the LORD your God."

Leviticus 26 - RWB Paraphrase (46 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
If You Obey Me All Will Be Well with You
1 "You shall not make idols or graven images for yourselves, or any sacred pillars. You shall not make any carved image in your land to bow down to, for I am the LORD your God." 2 "You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary, for I am the LORD." 3 "If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments," 4 "then I shall give you rain in season, the land will yield its increase and the trees will bear their fruit." 5 "In fact, threshing will continue until the grape harvest and you will gather grapes until the time to sow. Thus you will eat to the full and live securely." 6 "And I will grant peace in the land so that you will have nothing to fear and you may sleep in peace. I will get rid of the harmful beasts and no sword shall pass through your land." 7 "You will chase your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword." 8 "Five of you will chase an hundred and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand. Your enemies will fall by the sword before you." 9 "So I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will confirm My covenant with you." 10 "You will eat up the old supply to make room for the new." 11 "Moreover, I will dwell among you and I will not reject you." 12 "As I walk among you I will be your God, and you shall be My people." 13 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt so that you might walk upright."

But If You Do Not Obey Me
14 "But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out My commands," 15 "if you reject My statutes and abhor My ordinances, breaking My covenant by not keeping My commandments," 16 "I will cause a sudden terror to come over you. You will experience consumption and fever causing you to waste away. You will sow your seed without gain, for your enemies will eat what you have planted." 17 "I will set My face against you and you will be struck down by your enemies. You will be ruled by those who hate you and you will flee when no one pursues you." 18 "And if after all this you still do not obey Me, I will punish you seven times more for your sins." 19 "I will break down your pride, making the sky as iron and the earth like bronze." 20 "Your strength will be exerted while the land will yield no produce and the trees will not yield their fruit." 21 "If you still act with hostility toward Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will increase the plague on you seven times according to your sins." 22 "I will let beasts loose among you which will bereave you of your children and destroy your cattle. Your number will be reduced so that the roads become untraveled." 23 "And if you still remain hostile and do not turn to Me," 24 "I will be hostile toward you, striking you seven times for your sins." 25 "I will bring the sword of your enemies upon you to execute vengeance for the covenant you have broken. When you gather together in your cities, I will send pestilence and deliver you to your enemies." 26 "When I reduce your supplies for making bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven. You shall eat and not be satisfied." 27 "And if in spite of all this, you do not obey Me, and remain hostile toward Me," 28 "then I shall act with wrath against you and punish you seven times for your sins." 29 "You will be so hungry you will eat the flesh of your sons and daughters." 30 "I will destroy your high places and cut down your altars for incense. I will heap your remains on your idols because My soul shall abhor you." 31 "I will lay your cities to waste and make your sanctuaries desolate. Neither will I smell the soothing aroma of your sacrifices." 32 "I will make the land desolate so that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled." 33 "I will scatter you among the nations and your land will become desolate after the sword has been drawn against you." 34 "Then the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths while your enemies are in the land."

COMMENT: This happened while the children of Israel went into captivity.

35 "All the days of its desolation it will observe rest it did not have while you were living on it." 36 "Any of you remaining in the land will be weak before your enemies. Any strange sound will frighten you, and you will be afraid when no one is pursuing you." 37 "Those left in the land will stumble over each other as though running from the sword. You will have no strength to stand up to your enemies." 38 "And you will perish among the nations consumed by the land of your enemies." 39 "Any of you who are left will rot away because of your iniquity and the iniquity of your forefathers."

Iniquity Must Be Confessed
40 "But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers which in their unfaithfulness they committed against Me, when they acted with hostility against Me," 41 "when as a result I acted with hostility against them, and if their uncircumcised hearts becomes humble so that they turn from their iniquity," 42 "then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, Isaac and Abraham, and I will remember the land." 43 "For the land shall be free to enjoy her Sabbaths while she lies desolate as they accept their punishment for their iniquity, because they despised My judgments and hated My statutes."

COMMENT: While a captive in Babylon Daniel recognized this.

Daniel 9:5 "we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled. We turned aside from Your commandments and ordinances."

Daniel 9:11 "For all of Israel has transgressed Your law by disobeying Your voice. So the curse has been poured out on us, just as it was written in the law of Moses Your servant. We have sinned against You."

44 "Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or destroy them for breaking My covenant with them, for I am the LORD their God." 45 "But I will remember the covenant with their forefathers whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of all the nations, that I might be their God. I am the LORD."

46 These are the statutes, ordinances and laws which the LORD established between Himself and the children of Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai.

Leviticus 27 - RWB Paraphrase (34 V)
With Comments
Go to top__ OR __Exit Comments
Payments to the Lord
1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, 'When a man makes a difficult vow, the value of the vow shall be according to your estimation of the man's relationship with the LORD.'" 3 "If it is a male between the ages of twenty years and sixty years old, the valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary." 4 "For a female the valuation shall be thirty shekels." 5 "If it is for a male from five years to twenty years your evaluation shall be twenty shekels, and for a female of that age range ten shekels."

COMMENT: Men had more earning power.

6 "But if they are from a month to five years old, your valuation shall be five shekels of silver for the male and three for a female." 7 "Those males sixty years and older shall be valued at fifteen shekels, and the female at ten shekels." 8 "But if he is poorer than your valuation he shall come before a priest and be valued by the priest with consideration for his means."

9 "When an animal of any kind that is suitable for a sacrifice to the LORD is given to Him, it becomes holy." 10 "It may not be exchanged for another, good or bad. If he should exchange it, then both become holy."

Unclean Animals Dedicated to the Lord
11 "If, on the other hand, an unclean animal is given to the LORD, the priest shall look at it," 12 "and place a value on it." 13 "Should the one giving it want to redeem it, he shall add to its value another fifth."

Houses Dedicated to the Lord
14 "When a man consecrates his house as holy to the LORD, the priest shall make a valuation based on its condition." 15 "And if the one who has consecrated it wants to redeem it, he shall add one-fifth of its valuation price to get it back."

Redeeming a Field
16 "And if a man consecrates part of his fields to the LORD, the valuation shall be proportionate to the value of the seed needed to plant it. A field requiring an homer of barley seed shall be fifty shekels of silver." 17 "If he consecrates his field from the year of Jubilee, so it shall stand according to your valuation." 18 "If he consecrates his field after Jubilee, the priest shall value it according to the years remaining until the next Jubilee." 19 "If the one who consecrates it should wish to redeem the field, he shall add one-fifth to the valuation price and he may get it back." 20 "However if he has sold the field to another man, it may not be redeemed." 21 "And when it reverts back at the year of Jubilee, the field shall be holy to the LORD, and set apart as property of the priest." 22 "Or if he consecrates a field to the LORD that is not part of his property," 23 "the priest shall calculate the value until the year of Jubilee and he shall pay the valuation as holy to the LORD." 24 "And in the year of Jubilee the field shall return to the one to whom it belongs."

25 "Every valuation shall be based on the sanctuary shekel. The shekel shall be twenty gerahs."

COMMENT: A gerah is worth about five dollars .

26 "No one can consecrate to the LORD the firstborn of the clean beasts, whether ox or sheep, for they are already the LORDs." 27 "But he may redeem the firstborn from among the unclean by adding one-fifth to its value. If it is not redeemed it shall be sold according to its valuation." 28 "However, anything a man sets apart to the LORD, no matter what it is, may not be sold or redeemed. It is most holy to the LORD." 29 "Any man who is set apart for destruction may be ransomed. He shall surely be put to death." 30 "Thus all the tithes of the land, of the seed or of the fruit is holy to the LORD." 31 "If a man should want to redeem part of what is his tithe, he shall add one-fifth of it when redeeming it."

32 "The tenth animal from the herd or flock is the LORD's." 33 "It shall not be determined as good or bad and may not be exchanged. Should he try to exchange it both the original and the substitute shall become holy. The original may not be redeemed."

34 These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel at Mount Sinai.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27