The Day of Atonement
1-2 After the death of Aaron's two sons—they died when they came before
God with strange fire—
God
spoke to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron not to enter into the Holy of
Holies, barging inside the curtain that's before the Atonement-Cover on
the Chest whenever he feels like it, lest he die, because I am present
in the Cloud over the Atonement-Cover.
3-5
"This is the procedure for Aaron when he enters the Holy Place: He will
bring a young bull for an Absolution-Offering and a ram for a
Whole-Burnt-Offering; he will put on the holy linen tunic and the linen
underwear, tie the linen sash around him, and put on the linen turban.
These are the sacred vestments so he must bathe himself with water
before he puts them on. Then from the Israelite community he will bring
two male goats for an Absolution-Offering and a Whole-Burnt-Offering.
6-10
"Aaron will offer the bull for his own Absolution-Offering in order to
make atonement for himself and his household. Then he will set the two
goats before God at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and cast lots over the two goats, one lot for God and the other lot for Azazel. He will offer the goat on which the lot to God
falls as an Absolution-Offering. The goat on which the lot for Azazel
falls will be sent out into the wilderness to Azazel to make atonement.
11-14
"Aaron will present his bull for an Absolution-Offering to make
atonement for himself and his household. He will slaughter his bull for
the Absolution-Offering. He will take a censer full of burning coals
from the Altar before God and two handfuls of finely ground aromatic incense and bring them inside the curtain and put the incense on the fire before God;
the smoke of the incense will cover the Atonement-Cover which is over
The Testimony so that he doesn't die. He will take some of the bull's
blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the
Atonement-Cover, then sprinkle the blood before the Atonement-Cover
seven times.
15-17
"Next he will slaughter the goat designated as the Absolution-Offering
for the people and bring the blood inside the curtain. He will repeat
what he does with the bull's blood, sprinkling it on and before the
Atonement-Cover. In this way he will make atonement for the Holy of
Holies because of the uncleannesses of the Israelites, their acts of
rebellion, and all their other sins. He will do the same thing for the
Tent of Meeting which dwells among the people in the midst of their
uncleanness. There is to be no one in the Tent of Meeting from the time
Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Holy of Holies until he comes
out, having made atonement for himself, his household, and the whole
community of Israel.
18-19 "Then he will come out to the Altar that is before God
and make atonement for it. He will take some of the bull's blood and
some of the goat's blood and smear it all around the four horns of the
Altar. With his finger he will sprinkle some of the blood on it seven
times to purify and consecrate it from the uncleannesses of the
Israelites.
20-22
"When Aaron finishes making atonement for the Holy of Holies, the Tent
of Meeting, and the Altar, he will bring up the live goat, lay both
hands on the live goat's head, and confess all the iniquities of the
People of Israel, all their acts of rebellion, all their sins. He will
put all the sins on the goat's head and send it off into the wilderness,
led out by a man standing by and ready. The goat will carry all their
iniquities to an empty wasteland; the man will let him loose out there
in the wilderness.
23-25
"Finally, Aaron will come into the Tent of Meeting and take off the
linen clothes in which he dressed to enter the Holy of Holies and leave
them there. He will bathe in water in a Holy Place, put on his priestly
vestments, offer the Whole-Burnt-Offering for himself and the
Whole-Burnt-Offering for the people, making atonement for himself and
the people, and burn the fat of the Absolution-Offering on the Altar.
