16:1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they had approached the presence of the LORD and died.
16:2 The LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at ①any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the ②atoning cover which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the ③atoning cover.
▷ ①I.e., of his own choosing ②Also called mercy seat, and so throughout the ch; i.e., where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement ③Also called mercy seat, and so throughout the ch; i.e., where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement
16:3 Aaron shall enter the Holy Place with this: with a ①bull as a ②sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering.
▷ ①Or bull of the herd ②Or purification offering
16:4 He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his ①body, and he shall be wrapped about the waist with the linen sash and the linen turban wound around his forehead (these are holy garments). He shall bathe his ②body in water and put them on.
▷ ①Lit flesh ②Lit flesh
16:5 And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats as a ①sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering.
▷ ①Or purification offering
16:6 Then Aaron shall offer the bull as the ①sin offering, which is for himself, so that he may make atonement for himself and for his household.
▷ ①Or purification offering
16:7 He shall then take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
16:8 Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for ①the ②scapegoat.
▷ ①Or possibly, Azazel (a name) ②I.e., the goat that leaves (escapes); or goat of removal of sins
16:9 Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the LORD fell, and make it a ①sin offering.
▷ ①Or purification offering
16:10 But the goat on which the lot for ①the ②scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness ③as the ④scapegoat.
▷ ①Or possibly, Azazel (a name) ②I.e., the goat that leaves (escapes); or goat of removal of sins ③Or possibly, for Azazel ④I.e., the goat that leaves (escapes); or goat of removal of sins
16:11 “Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the ①sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the ②sin offering which is for himself.
▷ ①Or purification offering ②Or purification offering
16:12 He shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before the LORD and ①two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil.
▷ ①Lit the filling of the hollow of his hands
16:13 He shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, so that the cloud of incense may cover the atoning cover that is on the ark of the testimony, otherwise he will die.
16:14 Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the atoning cover on the east side; also in front of the atoning cover he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
16:15 “Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the atoning cover and in front of the atoning cover.
16:16 He shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their unlawful acts regarding all their sins; and he shall do so for the tent of meeting which remains with them in the midst of their impurities.
16:17 When he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, so that he may make atonement for himself and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel.
16:18 Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it; he shall take some of the blood from the bull and some of the blood from the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides.
16:19 With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it, and consecrate it from the impurities of the sons of Israel.
16:20 “When he finishes atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat.
16:21 Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the wrongdoings of the sons of Israel and all their unlawful acts regarding all their sins; and he shall place them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands ready.
16:22 Then the goat shall carry on itself all their wrongdoings to an ①isolated territory; he shall release the goat in the wilderness.
▷ ①Or infertile
16:23 “Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there.
16:24 And he shall bathe his ①body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes, and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.
▷ ①Lit flesh
16:25 Then he shall offer up in smoke the fat of the sin offering on the altar.
16:26 The one who released the goat ①as the ②scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his ③body with water; then afterward he shall come into the camp.
▷ ①Or possibly, for Azazel (a name) ②I.e., the goat that leaves (escapes); or goat of removal of sins ③Lit flesh
16:27 But the bull of the ①sin offering and the goat of the ②sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be taken outside the camp, and they shall burn their hides, their flesh, and their refuse in the fire.
▷ ①Or purification offering ②Or purification offering
16:28 Then the one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water; and afterward he shall come into the camp.
16:29 “This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble ①yourselves and not do any work, whether the native, or the stranger who resides among you;
▷ ①Lit your souls
16:30 for it is on this day that ①atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
▷ ①Lit he shall make atonement
16:31 It is to be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, so that you may humble ①yourselves; it is a permanent statute.
▷ ①Lit your souls
16:32 So the priest who is anointed and ①ordained to serve as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement: he shall put on the linen garments, the holy garments,
▷ ①Lit whose hand is filled
16:33 and make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.
16:34 Now you shall have this as a permanent statute, to make atonement for the sons of Israel for all their sins once every year.” And just as the LORD had commanded Moses, so he did.