Leviticus 5

Cases Requiring Confession

1If anyone sins by hearing a public call to testify and, though a witness who has seen or knows the matter, does not speak, that person shall bear guilt. 2Or if anyone touches any unclean thing—the carcass of an unclean wild animal, the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of an unclean swarming creature—and the matter is hidden from that person, that person is unclean and becomes guilty. 3Or if anyone touches human uncleanness—whatever uncleanness by which a person becomes unclean—and the matter is hidden, when it becomes known that person becomes guilty. 4Or if anyone swears rashly with the lips to do evil or to do good—whatever a person may utter rashly in an oath—and the matter is hidden, when it becomes known that person becomes guilty in one of these matters. 5When someone becomes guilty in any one of these, that person shall confess the sin committed.

Offerings According to Means

6The person shall bring to the LORD as a guilt offering for the sin committed a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, as a sin offering. The priest shall make atonement for the person concerning the sin. 7If the person cannot afford a sheep, then as the guilt offering for the sin committed that person shall bring to the LORD two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering. 8The person shall bring them to the priest, who shall first present the one for the sin offering. The priest shall pinch off its head at the neck without severing it completely. 9The priest shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood shall be drained at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. 10The priest shall offer the second as a burnt offering according to the ordinance. The priest shall make atonement for the person concerning the sin committed, and that person shall be forgiven.

11If the person cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then as an offering for the sin committed that person shall bring one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. No oil shall be put on it and no frankincense placed on it, for it is a sin offering. 12The person shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take from it a handful as its memorial portion and turn it into smoke on the altar, upon the offerings by fire to the LORD. It is a sin offering. 13The priest shall make atonement for the person concerning the sin committed in any of these matters, and that person shall be forgiven. The remainder shall belong to the priest, as with the grain offering.”

Misuse of Holy Things

14The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 15“If anyone acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally in regard to the LORD’s holy things, that person shall bring to the LORD as a guilt offering a ram without defect from the flock, valued in silver shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, as a guilt offering. 16The person shall make restitution for the holy thing in which wrong was done, add one-fifth to it, and give it to the priest. The priest shall make atonement with the ram of the guilt offering, and that person shall be forgiven.

Guilt Without Knowledge

17If anyone sins by doing any of the things that the LORD has commanded not to be done, though the person did not know it, that person is guilty and shall bear guilt. 18The person shall bring to the priest a ram without defect from the flock, according to the valuation, as a guilt offering. The priest shall make atonement for the person concerning the unintentional wrong committed without knowing it, and that person shall be forgiven. 19It is a guilt offering; that person has certainly become guilty before the LORD.