4:1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses:1 4:2 “Tell the Israelites, ‘When a person sins by straying2 from any of the Lord’s commandments which must not be violated, and violates any3 one of them4—
For the Priest
4:3 “‘If the high priest5 sins so that the people are guilty,6 on account of the sin he has committed he must present a flawless young bull to the Lord7 for a sin offering.8 4:4 He must bring the bull to the doorway of the Meeting Tent before the Lord, lay his hand on the head of the bull, and slaughter the bull before the Lord. 4:5 Then that high priest must take some of the blood9 of the bull and bring it to the Meeting Tent. 4:6 The priest must dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle10 some of it11 seven times before the Lord toward12 the front of the veil-canopy13 of the sanctuary. 4:7 The priest must put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the Meeting Tent, and all the rest of the bull’s blood he must pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the doorway of the Meeting Tent.
4:8 “‘Then he must take up all the fat from the sin offering bull:14 the fat covering the entrails15 and all the fat on the entrails, 4:9 the two kidneys with the fat on their sinews, and the protruding lobe on the liver (which he is to remove along with the kidneys)16 4:10 —just as it is taken up from the ox of the peace offering sacrifice17—and the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering. 4:11 But the hide of the bull, all its flesh along with its head and its legs, its entrails, and its dung— 4:12 all the rest of the bull18—he must bring outside the camp19 to a clean place,20 to the fatty ash pile,21 and he must burn22 it on wood; it must be burned on the fatty ash pile.
For the Whole Congregation
4:13 “‘If the whole congregation of Israel strays23 and a matter is concealed from the eyes of the assembly, and they violate one of the Lord’s commandments, which must not be violated,24 so they become guilty, 4:14 the assembly must present a young bull for a sin offering when the sin they have committed25 becomes known. They must bring it before the Meeting Tent, 4:15 the elders of the congregation must lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord, and someone must slaughter26 the bull before the Lord. 4:16 Then the high27 priest must bring some of the blood of the bull to the Meeting Tent, 4:17 and that priest must dip his finger in the blood28 and sprinkle29 some of the blood seven times30 before the Lord toward31 the front of the veil-canopy.32 4:18 He must put some of the blood on the horns of the altar33 which is before the Lord in the Meeting Tent, and all the rest of the blood he must pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the doorway of the Meeting Tent.
4:19 “‘Then the priest34 must take up all its fat35 and offer the fat36 up in smoke on the altar. 4:20 He must do to the rest of the bull just as he did to the bull of the sin offering; this is what he must do to it.37 So the priest will make atonement38 on their behalf and they will be forgiven.39 4:21 He40 must bring the rest of the bull outside the camp41 and burn it just as he burned the first bull—it is the sin offering of the assembly.
For the Leader
4:22 “‘Whenever42 a leader sins and violates one of the commandments of the Lord his God, which must not be violated43 by straying,44 and he pleads guilty, 4:23 or his sin that he committed45 is made known to him,46 he must bring a flawless male goat as his offering.47 4:24 He must lay his hand on the head of the male goat and slaughter48 it in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the Lord—it is a sin offering. 4:25 Then the priest must take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and he must pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering. 4:26 Then the priest49 must offer all of its fat up in smoke on the altar like the fat of the peace offering sacrifice. So the priest will make atonement50 on his behalf for51 his sin and he will be forgiven.52
For the Common Person
4:27 “‘If an ordinary individual53 sins by straying54 when he violates one of the Lord’s commandments which must not be violated,55 and he pleads guilty 4:28 or his sin that he committed56 is made known to him,57 he must bring a flawless female goat58 as his offering for the sin59 that he committed. 4:29 He must lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter60 the sin offering in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. 4:30 Then the priest must take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the burnt offering altar, and he must pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. 4:31 Then he must remove all of its fat (just as fat was removed from the peace offering sacrifice) and the priest must offer it up in smoke on the altar for a soothing aroma to the Lord. So the priest will make atonement61 on his behalf and he will be forgiven.62
4:32 “‘But if he brings a sheep as his offering, for a sin offering, he must bring a flawless female. 4:33 He must lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it for a sin offering in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. 4:34 Then the priest must take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the burnt offering altar, and he must pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. 4:35 Then the one who brought the offering63 must remove all its fat (just as the fat of the sheep is removed from the peace offering sacrifice) and the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar on the other gifts of the Lord. So the priest will make atonement64 on his behalf for his sin which he has committed and he will be forgiven.65
Additional Sin Offering Regulations