Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
Numbers 15
Offerings in the Land
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land of your dwelling places that I am giving you, and you make an offering by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering or a sacrifice, whether to fulfill a vow, as a freewill offering, or at your appointed festivals, to make a pleasing aroma to the LORD from the herd or flock, then the one presenting the offering will present to the LORD a grain offering of one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of oil. You will prepare one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering with the burnt offering or sacrifice for each lamb.
For a ram, prepare a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-third of a hin of oil, and one-third of a hin of wine for a drink offering. You will present it as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. When you prepare a bull as a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow or as a sacrifice of well-being to the LORD, then with the bull will be presented a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil, and you will present half a hin of wine for a drink offering, an offering by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
Thus it will be done for each bull, ram, male lamb, or young goat. According to the number you prepare, so you will do for each, according to their number. Every native-born Israelite will do these things in this way when presenting an offering by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. If a resident alien lives with you, or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and wishes to make an offering by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD, that person will do as you do. As for the assembly, there will be one statute for you and for the resident alien who lives among you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations. As you are, so will the resident alien be before the LORD. One instruction and one ordinance will be for you and for the resident alien who lives among you.”
The First of the Dough
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land to which I am bringing you, and when you eat of the bread of the land, you will present a contribution to the LORD. From the first of your dough you will present a loaf as a contribution; like a contribution from the threshing floor, so you will present it. From the first of your dough you will give to the LORD a contribution throughout your generations.
Unintentional Sin
If you sin unintentionally and do not observe all these commandments that the LORD spoke to Moses— everything the LORD commanded you through Moses, from the day the LORD gave commandment and onward throughout your generations— then if it was done unintentionally, without the knowledge of the congregation, the whole congregation will offer one young bull as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD, with its grain offering and drink offering according to the ordinance, and one male goat as a sin offering. The priest will make atonement for the whole congregation of the Israelites, and they will be forgiven, for it was unintentional and they have brought their offering, an offering by fire to the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD for their unintentional sin. The whole congregation of the Israelites will be forgiven, as well as the resident alien who lives among them, because all the people were involved in the unintentional sin.
If one person sins unintentionally, that person will present a female goat a year old as a sin offering. The priest will make atonement before the LORD for the person who sins unintentionally, when that person sins unintentionally, to make atonement, and that person will be forgiven. For the native-born among the Israelites and for the resident alien who lives among them, you will have one instruction for anyone who acts unintentionally.
Defiant Sin
But the person who acts with a high hand, whether native-born or resident alien, reviles the LORD; that person will be cut off from among the people. Because that person has despised the word of the LORD and broken the commandment, that person will surely be cut off; their iniquity is upon them.”
The Man Gathering Wood on the Sabbath
While the Israelites were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day. People who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation. They put him under guard, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. Then the LORD said to Moses, “The man will surely be put to death. The whole congregation will stone him with stones outside the camp.” So the whole congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Tassels as a Reminder
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the Israelites and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations and to put a blue cord on the tassel at each corner. It will be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, so that you do not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you prostitute yourselves, so that you may remember and do all my commandments and be holy to your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.”