Old Testament

New Testament

Leviticus 16:15-31 New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)

15. Then he shall slaughter the goat of the people’s purification offering, and bringing its blood inside the veil, he shall do with it as he did with the bull’s blood, sprinkling it on the ark’s cover and in front of it.

16. Thus he shall purge the inner sanctuary of all the Israelites’ impurities and trespasses, including all their sins. He shall do the same for the tent of meeting, which is set up among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

17. No one else may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters the inner sanctuary to make atonement until he departs. When he has made atonement for himself and his household, as well as for the whole Israelite assembly,

18. he shall come out to the altar before the Lord and purge it also. Taking some of the bull’s and the goat’s blood, he shall put it on the horns around the altar,

19. and with his finger sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times. Thus he shall purify it and sanctify it from the impurities of the Israelites.

20. When he has finished purging the inner sanctuary, the tent of meeting and the altar, Aaron shall bring forward the live goat.

21. Laying both hands on its head, he shall confess over it all the iniquities of the Israelites and their trespasses, including all their sins, and so put them on the goat’s head. He shall then have it led into the wilderness by an attendant.

22. The goat will carry off all their iniquities to an isolated region.When the goat is dispatched into the wilderness,

23. Aaron shall go into the tent of meeting, strip off the linen vestments he had put on when he entered the inner sanctuary, and leave them in the tent of meeting.

24. After bathing his body with water in a sacred place, he shall put on his regular vestments, and then come out and offer his own and the people’s burnt offering, in atonement for himself and for the people,

25. and also burn the fat of the purification offering on the altar.

26. The man who led away the goat for Azazel shall wash his garments and bathe his body in water; only then may he enter the camp.

27. The bull and the goat of the purification offering whose blood was brought to make atonement in the inner sanctuary, shall be taken outside the camp, where their hides and flesh and dung shall be burned in the fire.

28. The one who burns them shall wash his garments and bathe his body in water; only then may he enter the camp.

29. This shall be an everlasting statute for you: on the tenth day of the seventh month every one of you, whether a native or a resident alien, shall humble yourselves and shall do no work.

30. For on this day atonement is made for you to make you clean; of all your sins you will be cleansed before the Lord.

31. It shall be a sabbath of complete rest for you, on which you must humble yourselves—an everlasting statute.

Read complete chapter Leviticus 16