Leviticus 16

1Yahweh spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons, who died when they came near before Yahweh.

2Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother that he must not come at just any time into the holy place inside the curtain, in front of the mercy seat that is on the ark, or he will die, for I appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.

3This is how Aaron is to enter the holy place: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

4He is to put on the holy linen tunic, with linen undergarments on his body; he is to tie the linen sash around himself and wrap his head in the linen turban. These are holy garments. He must bathe his body in water and then put them on.

5From the congregation of the Israelites he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.

6Aaron is to present the bull for his own sin offering and make atonement for himself and for his household.

7Then he is to take the two goats and set them before Yahweh at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

8Aaron is to cast lots for the two goats, one lot for Yahweh and the other lot for Azazel.

9Aaron is to present the goat on which the lot for Yahweh fell and offer it as a sin offering.

10But the goat on which the lot for Azazel fell is to be set alive before Yahweh, to make atonement over it and to send it away into the wilderness to Azazel.

11Aaron is to present the bull for his own sin offering and make atonement for himself and for his household; he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering.

12He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before Yahweh, and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense, and bring them inside the curtain.

13He is to put the incense on the fire before Yahweh, so that the cloud of incense covers the mercy seat that is over the testimony, and he will not die.

14He is to take some of the bull’s blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat, on the east side; and in front of the mercy seat he is to sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

15Then he is to slaughter the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the curtain. He is to do with its blood as he did with the bull’s blood, sprinkling it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.

16So he will make atonement for the holy place because of the uncleanness of the Israelites and because of their transgressions, all their sins. He is to do the same for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleanness.

17No one is to be in the tent of meeting from the time he goes in to make atonement in the holy place until he comes out. He will make atonement for himself, for his household, and for the whole assembly of Israel.

18Then he is to go out to the altar that is before Yahweh and make atonement for it. He is to take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on the horns of the altar all around.

19He is to sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and so cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.

20When he has finished making atonement for the holy place, the tent of meeting, and the altar, he is to present the live goat.

21Aaron is to 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 is to put them on the goat’s head and send it away into the wilderness in the care of a man standing ready.

22The goat will carry all their iniquities on itself to a land cut off, and he is to let the goat go in the wilderness.

23Then Aaron is to go into the tent of meeting, take off the linen garments he put on when he went into the holy place, and leave them there.

24He is to bathe his body in water in a holy place and put on his own garments. Then he is to come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

25He is to burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar.

26The man who sent the goat away to Azazel must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after that he may come into the camp.

27The bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, are to be taken outside the camp, and their hides, their flesh, and their dung are to be burned in the fire.

28The one who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after that he may come into the camp.

29This is to be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you must humble yourselves and do no work at all, both the native-born and the foreigner who lives among you.

30For on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you from all your sins. You will be clean before Yahweh.

31It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must humble yourselves. It is a permanent statute.

32The priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as priest in his father’s place is to make atonement. He is to put on the linen garments, the holy garments,

33and make atonement for the holy sanctuary. He is to make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he is to make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.

34This is to be a permanent statute for you, to make atonement for the Israelites for all their sins once a year.” And he did as Yahweh had commanded Moses.