Numbers 15

Other Offerings

1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 "Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'You are going to enter the land I am giving you as a home.
3 When you do, you will give offerings that are made to the LORD with fire. The animals must come from your herd or flock. The offerings will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. They can be either burnt offerings or sacrifices. They can be either for special promises or for feast offerings. Or they can be for offerings you choose to give.
4 " 'With each of the offerings, the one who brings it must give the LORD a grain offering. It must be eight cups of fine flour. It must be mixed with a quart of olive oil.
5 Also prepare a quart of wine as a drink offering. You must give it with each lamb that you bring for the burnt offering or the sacrifice.
6 " 'With a ram prepare a grain offering. It must be 16 cups of fine flour. It must be mixed with two and a half pints of olive oil.
7 You must bring two and a half pints of wine as a drink offering. Offer everything as a smell that is pleasant to the Lord.
8 " 'Suppose you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or sacrifice. You prepare it to keep a special promise to the Lord. Or you prepare it to give as a friendship offering.
9 Then bring a grain offering with the bull. The grain offering must be 24 cups of fine flour. It must be mixed with two quarts of olive oil.
10 Also bring two quarts of wine as a drink offering. It will be an offering that is made with fire. It will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord.
11 " 'Each bull or ram must be prepared in the same way. Each lamb or young goat must also be prepared in that way.
12 Do it for each animal. Do it for as many animals as you prepare.
13 " 'Everyone in Israel must do those things in that way. He must do them when he brings an offering that is made with fire. Offerings like that give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord.
14 " 'Everyone must always do what the law requires. It does not matter whether he is an outsider or someone else who is living among you. He must do exactly as you do when he brings an offering that is made with fire. Offerings like that give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord.
15 " 'The community must have the same rules for you and for the outsider who is living among you. That law will last for all time to come. In the sight of the Lord, the law applies to you and the outsider alike.
16 The same laws and rules will apply to you and to the outsider who is living among you.' "
17 The LORD said to Moses,
18 "Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'You are going to enter the land I am taking you to.
19 You will eat its food. When you do, bring part of it as an offering to the Lord.
20 Bring a loaf that is made from the first flour you grind. Give it as an offering from the threshing floor.
21 You must bring the offering to the Lord. You must give it from the first grain you grind. You must do it for all time to come.

Offerings for Sins That Aren't Committed on Purpose

22 " 'Suppose you fail to keep any of the commands the LORD gave Moses. And suppose you do it without meaning to.
23 That applies to any of the commands the LORD told Moses to give you. And they are in effect from the day the LORD gave them and for all time to come.
24 Suppose the community sins without meaning to. And suppose they do not know they have sinned. Then the whole community must offer a young bull. They must offer it for a burnt offering. It will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. Along with it, they must offer its required grain offering and drink offering. They must also offer a male goat for a sin offering.
25 " 'With it the priest will pay for the sin of the whole community of Israel. Then they will be forgiven. They did not mean to commit that sin. And they have brought to the LORD an offering that is made with fire for the wrong thing they did. They have brought a sin offering with it.
26 " 'The LORD will forgive the whole community of Israel and the outsiders living among them. All of the people had a part in the sin, even though they did not mean to do it.
27 " 'But suppose just one person sins without meaning to. Then he must bring a female goat for a sin offering. It must be a year old.
28 With it the priest will pay for the person's sin in the sight of the Lord. He will do it for the one who did wrong by sinning without meaning to. When the sin is paid for, that person will be forgiven.
29 " 'The same law applies to everyone who sins without meaning to. It does not matter whether he is an Israelite or an outsider.
30 " 'But suppose someone sins on purpose. It does not matter whether he is an Israelite or an outsider. He speaks evil things against the Lord. He must be cut off from his people.
31 He has made fun of what the LORD has said. He has broken the LORD's commands. He must certainly be cut off. He is still guilty.' "

A Man Breaks the Sabbath Day

32 The people of Israel were in the desert. One Sabbath day, people saw a man gathering wood.
33 They brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole community.
34 They kept him under guard. It wasn't clear what should be done to him.
35 Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must die. The whole community must kill him by throwing stones at him. They must do it outside the camp."
36 So the people took the man outside the camp. There they killed him by throwing stones at him. They did just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Tassels on Clothes

37 The LORD said to Moses,
38 "Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'You must make tassels on the corners of your clothes. A blue cord must be on each tassel. You must do it for all time to come.
39 You will have the tassels to look at. They will remind you to obey all of the LORD's commands. Then you will be faithful to him. You will not go after what your own hearts and eyes long for.
40 " 'You will remember to obey all of my commands. And you will be set apart for your God.
41 I am the LORD your God. I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.' "

Numbers 15 Commentaries

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