Leviticus 16

Entering the Most Holy Place

1The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons, when they drew near before the LORD and died. 2The LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother that he must not enter at any time into the Holy Place inside the curtain, before the atonement cover that is upon the ark, or he will die, for I will appear in the cloud over the atonement cover. 3Aaron shall enter the Holy Place in this way: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4He shall put on the holy linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body, bind himself with the linen sash, and wrap the linen turban around his head. These are holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. 5From the congregation of the Israelites he shall take two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.

The Two Goats

6Aaron shall present the bull of the sin offering that is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his household. 7Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the LORD at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. 8Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the LORD and one lot for Azazel. 9Aaron shall bring forward the goat on which the lot for the LORD fell and prepare it as a sin offering. 10But the goat on which the lot for Azazel fell shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, so that it may be sent away into the wilderness for Azazel.

Atonement for Aaron and the Sanctuary

11Aaron shall bring forward the bull of the sin offering that is for himself, make atonement for himself and his household, and slaughter the bull of the sin offering that is for himself. 12He shall take a firepan full of burning coals from the altar before the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and bring them inside the curtain. 13He shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, so that the cloud of incense covers the atonement cover that is over the testimony, and he will not die. 14He shall take some of the bull’s blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the east side of the atonement cover. Before the atonement cover he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

15Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the curtain. He shall do with its blood as he did with the bull’s blood, sprinkling it on the atonement cover and before the atonement cover. 16Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place because of the uncleannesses of the Israelites and because of their transgressions, all their sins. He shall do the same for the Tent of Meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. 17No one shall be in the Tent of Meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself, for his household, and for the whole assembly of Israel. 18Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides. 19He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times and cleanse it and make it holy from the uncleannesses of the Israelites.

The Goat Sent Away

20When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. 21Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the Israelites and all their transgressions, all their sins. He shall place them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a person appointed for the task. 22The goat shall carry upon itself all their iniquities to a remote land, and the person shall release the goat in the wilderness.

Completing the Offerings

23Aaron shall enter the Tent of Meeting, take off the linen garments he put on when he entered the Holy Place, and leave them there. 24He shall bathe his body in water in a holy place and put on his garments. Then he shall come out and prepare his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering, making atonement for himself and for the people. 25He shall turn the fat of the sin offering into smoke on the altar. 26The one who releases the goat for Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward may come into the camp. 27The bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought into the Holy Place to make atonement, shall be carried outside the camp, and their skins, flesh, and dung shall be burned with fire. 28The one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward may come into the camp.

The Day of Atonement

29This shall be a perpetual statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble yourselves and do no work, whether the native-born or the resident alien who lives among you. 30For on this day atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before the LORD. 31It shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you shall humble yourselves. It is a perpetual statute. 32The priest who is anointed and whose hand is filled to serve as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement. He shall put on the linen garments, the holy garments, 33and make atonement for the holy sanctuary, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar; he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34This shall be a perpetual statute for you, to make atonement for the Israelites because of all their sins once each year.” And it was done as the LORD commanded Moses.