1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Say to the sons of Israel: The soul which will have sinned through ignorance, and concerning any of the commandments of the Lord that he instructed not to be done, if anything at all has been done: 3 if the priest, who is anointed, will have sinned, causing the people to commit a transgression, he shall offer to the Lord for his sin an immaculate calf. 4 And he shall lead it to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony in the sight of the Lord. And he shall place his hand upon its head, and he shall immolate it to the Lord. 5 Likewise, he shall take from the blood of the calf, carrying it into the tabernacle of the testimony, 6 and having dipped his finger into the blood, he shall sprinkle it seven times in the sight of the Lord, opposite the veil of the Sanctuary. 7 And he shall place some of the same blood over the horns of the altar of most pleasing incense to the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of the testimony. Then he shall pour out the remainder of the blood at the base of the altar of holocaust at the entrance of the tabernacle. 8 And, on behalf of the sin, he shall take the fat of the calf, both that which covers the vital organs and all that is interior, 9 the two little kidneys, and the mesh that is on them near the sides, and the fat of the liver with the little kidneys, 10 just as it is taken from the calf of the sacrifice of peace offerings. And he shall burn them upon the altar of holocaust. 11 Yet truly, the skin and all the flesh, with the head and the feet, and the intestines and the dung, 12 and the remainder of the body, he shall carry away, beyond the camp, to the clean place where the ashes are usually poured out. And he shall burn them upon a stack of wood. There, in the place where the ashes have been poured out, they will be burned. 13 But if all the crowd of Israel will have been ignorant, and through inexperience will have done what is contrary to the commandment of the Lord, 14 and afterwards shall understand their sin: they shall offer a calf on behalf of their sin, and they shall lead it to the door of the tabernacle. 15 And the elders of the people shall place their hands upon its head in the sight of the Lord. And when the calf has been immolated in the sight of the Lord, 16 the priest who is anointed shall carry some of its blood into the tabernacle of the testimony. 17 and he shall dip his finger in it, sprinkling it seven times opposite the veil. 18 And he shall place some of the same blood on the horns of the altar, which is in the presence of the Lord in the tabernacle of the testimony. But the remainder of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of holocaust, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony. 19 And he shall take all its fat and burn it upon the altar, 20 doing so with this calf in the same manner as he did before. And while the priest is praying for them, the Lord will forgive them. 21 But the calf itself he shall carry away, beyond the camp, and he shall also burn it, just as with the previous calf, because it is for the sin of the multitude. 22 If a leader will have sinned, and through ignorance will have done one of the many things which the law of the Lord prohibits, 23 and afterwards he shall understand his sin: he shall offer an immaculate he-goat from among the goats, as a sacrifice to the Lord. 24 And he shall place his hand upon its head. And when he will have immolated it, in the place where the holocaust is usually slain, in the sight of the Lord, because it is for sin, 25 the priest shall dip his finger in the blood of the victim for sin, touching the horns of the altar of holocaust, and pouring out the remainder at its base. 26 Yet truly, the fat he shall burn upon it, just as is usually done with the victims of peace offerings. And the priest shall pray for him and for his sin, and he shall be released from it. 27 But if a soul from the people of the land will have sinned through ignorance, so as to have done any of those things that the law of the Lord prohibits, and so commit a transgression, 28 and he shall realize his sin: he shall offer an immaculate she-goat. 29 And he shall place his hand upon the head of the victim which is for sin. And he shall immolate it in the place of the holocaust. 30 And the priest shall take some of the blood with his finger, and touching the horns of the altar of holocaust, he shall pour out the remainder at its base. 31 But taking away all the fat, just as it is usually taken away from the victims of peace offerings, he shall burn it upon the altar as a sweet odor to the Lord. And he shall pray for him, and he shall be released from it. 32 But if instead he will offer from the flock a victim for his sin, specifically, an immaculate female sheep: 33 he shall place his hand upon its head, and he shall immolate it in the place where the victims of holocausts are usually slain. 34 And the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and touching the horns of the altar of holocaust, he shall pour out the remainder at its base. 35 Likewise, all of the fat shall be taken away, just as the fat of the ram, which is immolated for peace offerings, is usually taken away. And he shall burn it upon the altar as an incense of the Lord. And he shall pray for him and for his sin, and he shall be released from it.
Leviticus · Catholic Public Domain Version
Leviticus 4 Catholic Public Domain Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Moses
Drawn from the Nile, he led Israel out of Egypt and received God's Law.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2–Deuteronomy 34
Cross references (33)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 2 Psalm 19:12; Leviticus 4:27; Numbers 15:22–29; Hebrews 9:7; James 3:10
- 3 Leviticus 9:2; Hebrews 7:27–28; Leviticus 4:14; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ezra 8:35
- 4 Leviticus 1:3–4; Leviticus 16:21; Isaiah 53:6; Exodus 29:10–11; 1 Peter 3:18
- 5 Leviticus 16:14; Numbers 19:4; Leviticus 4:16–17; Leviticus 16:19; 1 John 1:7
- 6 Joshua 6:4; Leviticus 26:18; Leviticus 26:28; Joshua 6:8; Leviticus 16:14
- 7 Leviticus 8:15; Leviticus 9:9; Leviticus 5:9; Leviticus 4:18; Leviticus 16:18
- 8 Leviticus 4:26; Leviticus 3:3–5; Leviticus 3:14–16; John 12:27; Leviticus 4:35
- 9 Leviticus 3:4
- 11 Numbers 19:5; Exodus 29:14; Hebrews 13:11–13; Leviticus 16:27; Leviticus 6:30
- 12 Hebrews 13:11; Leviticus 6:10–11; Exodus 29:14; Leviticus 16:27; Numbers 19:5
- 13 Leviticus 5:17; Leviticus 5:2–5; Ezra 10:19; 1 Timothy 1:13; Leviticus 6:4
- 14 Leviticus 4:23; Leviticus 4:3; Leviticus 4:28
- 15 Leviticus 1:4; Numbers 8:10; Deuteronomy 21:3–9; Exodus 24:9; Leviticus 4:4
- 16 Leviticus 4:5–12; Hebrews 9:12–14
- 17 Leviticus 4:6–7
- 18 Leviticus 4:7
- 19 Leviticus 4:26; Psalm 22:14; Leviticus 4:8–10; Leviticus 6:7; Leviticus 4:31
- 20 Numbers 15:25; Leviticus 12:8; Hebrews 10:10–12; Leviticus 4:26; 1 John 1:7
- 21 Leviticus 16:15; 1 Timothy 2:5–6; Ezra 8:35; 2 Chronicles 29:21–24; Leviticus 4:11–12
- 22 Leviticus 4:2; Leviticus 4:13; Numbers 31:13; 2 Samuel 24:10–17; Exodus 18:21
- 23 Leviticus 4:14; Leviticus 5:4; Romans 8:3; 2 Kings 22:10–13; Numbers 28:15
- 24 Leviticus 1:5; Leviticus 3:2; Leviticus 16:15; Isaiah 53:6; Leviticus 3:8
- 25 Leviticus 4:30; Leviticus 4:18; Leviticus 4:34; Leviticus 4:7; Leviticus 9:9
- 26 Leviticus 4:20; Leviticus 3:5; Numbers 15:28; Leviticus 4:31; Leviticus 4:35
- 27 Leviticus 4:2; Numbers 15:27; Leviticus 4:13; Numbers 5:6; Numbers 15:29
- 28 Leviticus 4:23; Leviticus 4:3; Leviticus 4:32; Isaiah 7:14; Galatians 3:28
- 29 Leviticus 4:4; Leviticus 4:24; Leviticus 1:4; Leviticus 4:15; Leviticus 4:33
- 30 Leviticus 4:7; Leviticus 4:34; Leviticus 4:25; Hebrews 2:10; Romans 8:3–4
- 31 Leviticus 4:26; Leviticus 4:35; Genesis 8:21; Leviticus 1:9; Exodus 29:18
- 32 Leviticus 4:28; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 Peter 3:18; John 1:29; 1 Peter 2:24
- 33 Leviticus 4:29–31; Leviticus 4:4
- 34 Leviticus 4:25; Leviticus 4:30; Leviticus 4:7; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 10:29
- 35 Leviticus 4:26; Leviticus 4:30–31; Leviticus 4:20; Leviticus 14:18; Leviticus 6:7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… was offered for sin, a ram, anything; the victim itself which was offered for sin was called "sin." A sacrifice for sin then was called "sin;" so that in one place the Law says, "That the Priests are to lay their hands upon the sin." "Him" then, "who knew no sin, He made sin for us;" that is, "He was …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)