Leviticus 6 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Around 1446 to 1406 BC, in the Sinai wilderness year
Location
The tent of meeting at Sinai, with attention to the altar fire in the courtyard and the priests' eating area
Audience
Shifting from the general population to Aaron and his sons, so the priests learn their side of the same rituals
Situation
The chapter opens with cases of fraud against a neighbour, such as denying a deposit or keeping lost property, then turns to instructions for the priests on the burnt, grain and purification offerings. The altar fire is to be kept burning continuously.
Key Background
Cheating a neighbour is classed here as an offence against God, not merely a civil dispute, which is why the remedy combines full restitution with a sacrifice. The instructions now change audience, moving from what a worshipper brings to what a priest does with it, and this second half of the sacrificial section works as a professional handbook. A perpetually burning altar fire was a common feature of ancient sanctuaries, tended by rota, and here it also guaranteed that an offering could be made at any hour.
Yahweh spoke to Moses:
"If someone with Yahweh by deceiving a neighbor about something entrusted to them, or about a deposit left with them, or about something stolen, or if they have cheated their neighbor,
or if they have found something that was lost and lied about it, or if they have about any of the things people do that involve failure —
when they have and are found guilty, they must return what they stole, or what they took by fraud, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found,
or anything else about which they swore falsely. They must make full add a fifth of the value to it, and give it all to the rightful owner on the day their guilt is established.
Then they must bring their to Yahweh: a ram without any defect from the flock, valued at the proper amount, as a to the priest.
The priest will between that person and Yahweh, and they will be for whatever they did that made them guilty.
Yahweh spoke to Moses:
"Give Aaron and his sons these instructions: 'This is the procedure for the The must stay on the altar's all night until morning, and the fire on the altar must be kept burning.
The priest must put on his with undergarments next to his body, and he must remove the left by the fire consuming the burnt offering on the altar and place them beside the altar.
Then he must change out of those garments and put on different clothes, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is
The fire on the altar must be kept burning — it must never go out. Every morning the priest must add firewood to it, arrange the burnt offering on it, and burn the fat portions of the on it.
The fire must be kept burning on the altar It must never go out.
"'This is the procedure for the Aaron's sons must present it before Yahweh in front of the altar.
The priest must take a handful of the finest flour from the grain offering, along with its olive oil and all the frankincense on it, and burn this on the altar as a to Yahweh.
Aaron and his sons may eat whatever is left over. It must be eaten in a for They must eat it in the courtyard of the
It must not be baked with yeast. I have given it to them as their share of my food offerings. It to like the and the guilt
Any male among Aaron's descendants may eat it. This is a for every generation of your people, covering Yahweh's food offerings. Anything that touches them
Yahweh spoke to Moses:
"This is the offering that Aaron and his sons must present to Yahweh on the day any of them is of the finest flour as a regular grain offering — half in the morning and half in the evening.
It must be prepared with olive oil on a Bring it well-mixed and present the baked pieces of the grain offering as a pleasing aroma to Yahweh.
The priest from among Aaron's descendants who is anointed to succeed him must prepare it. This is a permanent rule — it must be as an offering to Yahweh.
Every grain offering made by a priest must be completely burned. It must not be eaten."
Yahweh spoke to Moses:
"Tell Aaron and his sons: 'This is the procedure for the The must be before Yahweh at the same place where the burnt is It belongs to God alone.
The priest who offers it as a failure offering must eat it. It must be eaten in a place kept for God, in the courtyard of the meeting tent.
Anything that touches its meat and if any of its spatters on a garment, you must wash the stained area in a place kept for God.
The it is cooked in must be smashed. But if it is cooked in a bronze the must be scoured and rinsed with water.
Any male among the priests may eat it. It belongs to God alone.
But no failure offering may be eaten if any of its blood has been brought into the meeting tent to inside the It must be burned completely with fire."